The Benguet Traverse 4

i feel real accomplishment when a feat brings tears to my eyes...

OFF-ROAD TO ANOTHER DIMENSION

First time in my life to see a live mariposa nocturna

Because we've woken up at 3am for the past two consecutive days, our bodies were now accustomed to wake up at 3am although unnecessary.  So we killed about 3 hours just chatting about the recent days while attempting to get more shut-eye.  Today will be an easier day, we're thinking, but what lies ahead we still don't know.  At 6 we started packing then at 7 went out of the coop to look for breakfast.  We settled down for some coffee, rice, hotcakes, and boiled meat (gotta have my 'soup').  While we were waiting for the caretaker of the coop lodge, we sat on the common room when I noticed this moth on the couch.  I do not know if I sat on it earlier, but it didn't look squished.  At the time I did not know what kind of moth it is, all I know is it's the first of its kind I have seen in my life that's actually alive (most that I've seen have been pinned down on paper and kept in glass cases...dead, of course..)  I know I sound like an ignorant talking about a moth but let's face it, deforestation has caused moths to lose their natural habitat leading to their decline in existence.  There are some 20 species of moths/butterflies that are endangered in this world.

and off-roading we go!!!

Our guide loaded our bags into the 4x4 jeep, and we say goodbye to Kabayan Poblacion.  First on our agenda was a satellite branch of the National Museum.  This is a small museum focusing on relics from Ibaloi, Kankana-ey and other tribal groups.  Among the collections were a mummy in a coffin, a coffin carved to shape like a carabao, a water trough carved from stone (the museum staff said the person who carved it just died and he was the last of his kind), wooden bowls, burial cloths, ect.  We only stayed there briefly, and then we moved on.  The paved road faded into dust and rocks.  We hung on to the metal bars of the jeep.

at the National Museum in Kabayan

Bumpier than a wooden coaster's track...

TINONGSHOL BURIAL ROCK

When we got to Kabayan Barrio, we took a quick stop at the bridge to take pictures of the river, then a few meters from the bridge we got to the entrance of the Tinongshol Rock. But this rock is not just an ordinary rock--it's a burial rock.  Getting off the jeep, we walked to the side of the river and crossed a hanging bridge to a path that leads down a locked gate.  The guide has the keys to the gate. Then when we got through the gate a massive boulder awaits us.  This boulder has a hole on the upper side of its face and inside you can see the coffins that are lodged in. (Click here to see an aerial view of the rock and it's size!!!)

no you won't suspect it..

our guide, Mr. Camso

Tinongshol burial rock

I didn't really feel like posing in front of a burial rock.  I just kind of wanted to gape in awe. Because it is mind-blowing.  The ancient Igorots respected their dead, and believed that the human body is the sanctuary of the soul, thus they did everything to preserve it.  But on this rock face there was only one hole, until our guide signaled us to follow him.  So we followed him to the side of the rock, and there we saw two more windows with coffins stacked against them.

holes so high they're like windows on a house's 2nd storey...

Mr. Camso told us that the ancestors used ginger to soften the rock surface.  He said they crushed the ginger and apply it on the surface and something in it weakens the rock.  I dunno if that's true but if it is then they might have planted lots of ginger during that time.  We took a few more pictures then proceeded on to our 4x4 adventure.

the hanging bridge pose

Kabayan Barrio (the road seen on the picture I think is the same road that goes to Abatan from Bokod)

Our jeep had to climb this! Good thing it has good tires and just enough pull to get over those rocks.

The last section of our roller-jeep ride..aww we're so far from Kabayan and Bokod now!

Keken made it alive!! hahaha!!!

The Fire Mummies

Alas our awesome 4x4 has come to a dead end, as the road ahead of us has concrete curing thereby making it impassable.  At this point our guide is trying to negotiate with the driver if he wants to help us with our things by being a porter.  The driver lazily laid down at the side of the road, stating he is not up for a hike as he's got a hangover...uhhh say what?!  HANGOVER?! Keken and I looked at each other with our mouths gaping open in disbelief as we escaped another possible fate with death.  We must have some hardcore vigilant guardian angels guiding us throughout this trip to make sure we get home safely.

So at this point we might have to carry our bags towards the Halsema Highway which is still 2-hrs hike away.  But that was the least of our worries for now as we are off to see the mummies.

As our guide went into a nearby house to show them our payment with the museum, Keken and I hung out on a cliff with the wonderful view of Mt Pulag across the valley below.  The breeze feels cool and the air was fresh with a hint of pine.  We ate some snacks and took pictures and just looked at the mountain in disbelief. 24hrs ago we were up there.  Weird.

Dragging our lenses, we followed our guide towards a steep series of stairs to descend down the burial caves.  The stairs were recently fixed for visitors' ease, and to avoid further erosion.  Our guide told us not to take photos of the remains as the National Museum forbids it, and that the people who hold the keys to the gate have telescopes to check visitors to see if they are taking photos.  We learned that the mummies where from the Ibaloi tribe, and how old these mummies were, even our guide did not know.  But somewhere on the internet I have read that they've existed way before the Spaniards came to the Philippines.  Some of the mummies have been in Timbac cave, while some where found in other caves but were transferred here for a more close watch, as some of these mummies have been stolen, smuggled out of the country, and have made it to other parts of the world.  I guess the coffins have been moved to this site as some expert deemed that the temperature inside the caves is the best in preserving the mummies.

The caves have makeshift gates on its entrance and are padlocked.  We waited outside as our guide unlock the gates and open the caskets one by one.  Then he let us in one at a time to look at the mummies.  We gave respect in our own ways before entering. The coffins are similar to the ones found in Sagada, wooden, split in half and hollowed out at the center.  The mummies are also bound in a fetal position.  Some of the mummies still have tattoos with great detail.  Too bad we could not take pictures, but there's plenty on the internet if you just google 'Fire Mummies'.

After we were done viewing, I thought that was it, then we descended down a few more steps to another cave, and more mummies.  When we were done, we walked back up the stairs while our guide interviewed us  about our relationship (Chika si manong LOL).  We went back to the jeep to get our bags then decided to have lunch at the house where the guide submitted our permits.  They did not let us pay for the rice, and we went ahead and bought cans of corned beef from them, and we ate at the table like family, with the matching wood stove nearby.  It felt like we were at home away from home.  Later we discovered that the owners of the house were delivering vegetables to La Trinidad so they let our bags hitch a ride (for a small fee) to Halsema Highway, that way we'll walk the 2hrs with no bags on our back, and no porters to trouble.

After lunch we said our goodbyes and started walking.  We met some motorcycle bikers along the way who asked for directions from our guide.  The view was awesome.  The walk is not such a drag but we've been walking for how many days now that we dread anything uphill.  Well it's mostly downhill, to what our guide calls 'moderate' is actually a 45 degree slope on the road.  So yes we are quite thankful that it is downhill, as uphill would have been more torturous, although downhill hiking takes toll on your knees  as you have to break and prevent gravity from pulling you face front.  By the way, our guide calls this 'moderate' as he is used to hiking the Akiki trail towards Mt Pulag.  We passed by a school and took pictures with the kids, they were very friendly.  Then the vegetable delivery truck started  coming so we had to walk fast to catch up so that they will not run away with our bags or delay their delivery.  And that's how we made it to KM 55 alive.  Our guide waited with us and we paid him our dues, then he flagged a van that will take us back to Baguio City.

Halsema Highway

I have one word for Halsema Highway:  NAUSEA.  This gut turning highway had me all nauseous on the way back to Baguio City.  Thank God for fast-acting Dipenhydramine in my bag or else I would have vomited all over the van.  And its not like this is the first time I've been on this highway.  It was two or three more hours till we got to Baguio City (that's with traffic).  I told Kenneth that instead of pushing for La Union, we're staying in Baguio for the night.  I was dying for a soft bed and hot shower and food.  We had extra money from our budget so he agreed.   When we got to Baguio City, of course there's more traffic, then we just flagged a taxi and got in only to find out that our taxi driver looked like he's got the tics from being high off of drugs.  But we just prayed that we'll get to Microtel safely and we did.  After we got washed up and rested for 30 mins, I called my sister and decided to meet up with her.  That night we went strolling down Panagbenga, where people were protesting for SM Baguio to stop chopping their city's remaining pine trees, food stalls and small shops on every corner, live bands also, and lots and lots of people.

WHAT A TRIP!

The Benguet Traverse part 3

Kabayan Poblacion, surrounded by mountains...

THE ROAD TO EL KABAYAN


As soon as the NA Liner bus took off from Bokod, the road to Kabayan changed from paved to under construction.  The Gurel-Bokod-Kabayan-Bugias-Abatan Road was dusty, bumpy and hot.  We were sitting on the right side so there was not much to see but the face of the mountains, a quick peek at the other side reveals that we are traveling on cliff roads with no guard rails.  On a rainy day i can just imagine the bus slipping down the ravine in a freak accident or on a landslide.  Just being on the road like this makes you wonder how the hell people live like this.  But here we are, sharing a bus with the locals, yep, this is the life! 


I told Keken, "What if you were courting a girl and when she then decides to marry you and let you meet her family, she will take you all the way to Kabayan, Benguet?"  He said he would be out of words.  Kabayan is not exactly near anywhere!


We passed by some waterfalls and rivers along the way, and countless of hairpin switchbacks for about 2 more hours.  Near the town there was construction going on so there was a giant excavator in the middle of the road, and we got held in traffic for some 15 mins.  At this point we were dying for a shower.  We have not had a shower since yesterday at 3AM.  But it is nice to know that road improvement is under way as it would really benefit the people, cut travel time shorter and make traveling safer.

We were getting near the Kabayan town proper and I was getting worried since we might miss the lodge where we intend to stay over for the night.  One of the passengers told us that it was not close yet.  After a few people disembarked, we moved closer to the front of the bus to tell the conductor where we want to get off.  After passing a school, and some buildings, we were told that we reached the place.  We couldn't see where the lodge was but it was right in front of our eyes.  There was a co-op grocery at the bottom of it, and it was under renovation.  We asked if we can get a room and some towels as we were quite dusty and we were dying to be refreshed.  The guy working at the coop was accommodating and made sure we  got a room asap. 


Mass Burial

The Kabayan Coop Lodge

Took a quick shower, a REALLY COLD shower.  I am starting to think that cold showers are the norm here in Benguet.  After we got refreshed we quickly hunted for a place to eat as it was already 3pm, and we didn't look any further than next door.  As usual we were served a hefty serving of rice and boiled meat and bones.  I'm not much of a picky eater, I can live with just rice and soup, but I wonder if this was Benguet staple diet.  The man at the store started conversing to us about the mummies and how many travelers come from far to see them.  I wonder if he had seen them himself.  We asked him if the Mass Burial site was far from where we are and he said it is very close, that we should just stick to the main road and walk towards Opdas, wherever that is.  He was going to sell us a book about the mummies but he had run out too. After the meal, we went looking for the municipal hall to ask for more information and to log ourselves into their guestbook so that if we go missing at least they can trace our presence back there.  While outside, we were greeted by a government official who was really nice (and we cannot believe how nice he is as most filipino government workers we meet are obnoxious and rude), he led us to another nice person who asked us what he can do for us and had us sign our names on the logbook.  I noticed most of the visitors in the log book who visited Kabayan are from Europe.  We again asked for directions to the mass burial site and all they told us is to take the main road down towards Opdas. So we started walking down the road where the (I can't tell if we were going south or east!)

We passed by the school, heading at the direction where the bus came from earlier, and saw a marker that said 'Opdas'.  We asked a man nearby if we were headed in the right direction, and he said yes.  We walked through a narrow alley between few houses then it splits.  First we walked towards the right, then asked directions on one of the houses and they pointed us to the mint green house on our left.  They told us to go in to the house premises and there should be someone there.  So we were wary of trespassing or dogs but we went ahead anyway and there was an old woman in the backyard who talked to me in Ilocano and I tried to reply back but it seemed she could not understand me.  And there was their dog too, who was loose and ready to bite strangers.  Luckily, there was a younger lady who talked to us in tagalog and pointed us to the site of the mass burial which is right in their backyard. Yep, it was right in their backyard!!!  So we gave them our entrance fee of ten pesos each and descended down the stairs to this macabre dwelling made of boulders.  I have seen pictures of the mass burial site online, but seeing it in person was just different.

Skulls at the Opdas Mass Burial Cave

No, we were not spooked!

One cannot help but wonder at what happened to these people, at what caused their death.  We were thinking it must not be a tribal war as the skulls seem to be intact.  We didn't dare touch the bones for fear of unknown diseases, or haunting.  The empty stares of the remnants was enough to make us feel like invaders rudely disrupting their peace.  We both agreed that they might have all died from some sort of communicable disease such as malaria, dengue fever or cholera.  There hasn't been much study about them, all that's know is that they've been carbon-dated and age way back 500-1,000 years ago.  It is amazing how some still have nice intact teeth.  And to see femur bones piled neatly on one side was interesting.  I wish I could study them myself and learn more about these people, but i haven't got the background of archaeology and anthropology.  Glad to know that the cave is in someone's backyard where the remains can be guarded, visitors monitored, and the owners have respect towards the dead.  I hope this place gets preserved for the next generations to come.

of course they want a photo op with the celebrity!

After the cave, we were dead tired, but it was too early to take a rest.  So we stopped by at the elementary school to watch the kids play.  We were surprised that the public elementary students were carrying hard-bound Houghton Mifflin schoolbooks (you don't see those books in public schools in the big cities).  We asked the kids if they know who Justin Beiber is and they said 'No.'  Maybe there is hope amonst this generation then hahaha!  The little boys liked having their pictures taken while the little girls shyed away.  It was nice seeing kids playing after school again when nowadays all you see in the cities are kids playing on the computer or their ipads.

the shy kids running away from keken

bahay-bahayan = 'Playing House'

We walked a few more times around the area until we reached a bridge, and we just stared at Kabayan in awe as we were surrounded by beautiful mountains in all directions.  The place is so simple and so quiet, it feels like a place that is so laid back.  It is far from America where everything has to be done in a hurry and everything is moving full speed, zombie-fied.

Afterwards we went to a grocery to buy supplies for the next day, that's when we meet Mr. Tim Camso again, and we told him that we were targeting Mt. Timbac tomorrow and asked if it was possible for us to get a 4x4 at such a short notice.  But he has been expecting us and said there would be no problem as long as we meet up tomorrow at 830 am.  We went ahead and picked up a few supplies then went back to the lodge to rest.  I think we went to sleep around 630 or 7pm, skipped dinner.  We were dead tired, I mean we've been up since 3a.m.  Crazy!!!

bunk bed in our room at the lodge

brochure on Kabayan taped on the wall

Map of Kabayan, Benguet, Philippines