Banaue: A Sudden Trip Up North

Monday evening, I suddenly found myself on a trip to Banaue-Sagada with my co-workers. It was very sudden and I only had 20 minutes to pack. I even left my towel and my jeans (haha) but I managed without them and I'm proud of myself that I can pack a week's worth that quickly because I'm usually a slowpoke at packing.

It was Tuesday noon when we got to Banaue and it was raining. We brought our work there (since we work remotely) and therefore barely had time for sight-seeing. 

The view from our inn.

The next morning, however, the sky cleared up for a while and we were lucky to see the rice terraces from the different view points.

In school, we hear A LOT about the rice terraces and I've seen countless pictures already but seeing it for real is totally different-- it's breathtakingly amazing! I cannot imagine how our ancestors created this 2000 years ago with just their primitive tools.

Wild sunflowers were growing everywhere.

The two photos above were taken on the way from Banaue to Sagada. We may not have gone sightseeing much but the drive across the mountains was already a treat in itself. The views look just like paintings!

Yonggungsa on the Cliffs by the Sea

On my first day in Busan, I went to Yonggungsa, a Buddhist temple situated on the cliffs by the sea.  Most Buddhist temples are actually situated in the mountains that's why this temple is quite unique. 

From the bus stop at the Haeundae subway station Exit 7, I took Bus 181, went down the Yonggungsa bus stop and walked more or less one kilometer to the temple itself. Many people alight at the Yonggungsa bus stop and there are signs along the road so it's difficult to get lost. The road was full of slopes which made my calves hurt even more. (I was still sore from the hiking I did in Gyeongju the day before.) However, this view made all the pain worth it.

Statues of the twelve zodiacs were by the entrance.

This dragon totally reminds me of Dragon Ball lol.

It was a warm afternoon but it was super windy by the sea so I couldn't take off my coat.

Buddha of Mercy

Just a word of caution, the toilets inside Yonggungsa are stinky because they don't have proper water closets. I swear it's the stinkiest toilets I've been to (and I live in Manila) so if you need to pee, do it somewhere else. There are many establishments just outside the temple.

Toilets aside, I think among all the Buddhist temples I've been to, Yonggungsa is my favorite because the environment on which it was built is just amazing. It's one thing to see it in photos and another to actually feel the sea breeze on your face while admiring at the views. To be honest, I didn't enjoy Busan very much because its character doesn't fit my personality. However, even if only for this temple, I would definitely recommend people to go to Busan! For people who like temples and culture, it's a must-see!

Something with Four Strings

I bought a new toy. I was supposed to wait until the end of the year before buying a ukulele but after all the stress and frustrations from work over the past two weeks (the kind which makes me want to scream and pull my hair), I decided to buy one last weekend.

It's a tenor made of jackfruit (langka) wood. I got it from The Four Strings in Cubao X.

Over the past few days, I've been filling the house with strumming sounds. The fingertips on my left hand are quite sore and are starting to develop calluses but I keep playing anyway because it's fun and it helps me cope with stress. I can't wait to learn more!