Tripped to Sagada (yes, as in)

 I was not really a fan of nature.

I always that we just destroyed them, then recreate them, that is why they become 'pretty.' I had always thought that nature, alone, would be unkept, disorganized, and messy. Perhaps this was because I was a girl living in the plains of the central region where the main plant to see is nothing but rice, and grass to which we refer as 'talahib.' Some place would even have tall bamboos that would shed its leaves in the summer season. Even the trees we have would carelessly throw away their leaves. This leaves an impression to me that plants are very needy, and are messy traps. 

    A few years ago, we were given the opportunity to travel to Sagada. Being the pessimist I was, I endlessly complained of the planned travel. Yet deep inside, I tore the calendar down in great anticipation. We left in the early morning of May, exactly on the witch hours. We were instructed  to sleep during the travel to ease our weak tummies. We had a plastic in each of our hands, in case some... 'emergencies' were to happen, and we were set for an eight hour travel. 

    Some may ask why it would have taken us that long. Well, that is because we did not use any express ways. Our route was Sagada via Baguio, since some of us foolishly thought that Sagada was within Baguio. As the van went from turns to turns, my eyes became heavy, and I slowly dozed off. 

    I was suddenly awakened by the shriek of my younger sister. I looked at her with annoyance, but she reasoned out that she was scared because of the height. I peered down from the window. Sure enough, a fall would cause an instant death. I leveled my eyes, and there I saw the first beauty I have seen. 

    There lies a staircase seemingly plantation of rice, and what seemed to be lettuce. My family immediately pulled out their cameras, and phones to take a picture, while the view still struck me. Perhaps due to the morning glory, the fields shone brighter than that of the plains. Disregard the freezing temperature, and the smell of the chicken waste, this was the perfect view. But, we were not yet on our destination. It seemed that this trip would change my perception

    Several long hours more, we arrived at our accommodation, while our driver is cursing the intestine like road. After fixing our things, we immediately set for our caving activities. We were advised to wear something comfortable. My cousins went on shorts, leaving me the most foolish of them all to wear my jogging pants. we arrived at a cave through a shuttle, there were two tour guides that assisted us. They were both holding a lantern which, they explained, would be used in the cave since it would be dark. We were led to a stairs that connected the road to the inside of the cave. My aunt immediately proceed to caressing the plants while naming them. We pushed her to the came where we were greeted with stones glazed with lime. This was what the plains do not have. As the we dove further inside, the floor became more slippery, and darker. After a few minutes, the tour guides opened their oil lamp and sandwiched us in a trail. We were shown with different rock formations. One looked like a turtle, the other played a shadow trick. The water was bloody cold, yet it was clear. I run from stone to stone, which made our footing slippery. My long pants were not also able to cover me from the cold settings, instead it contributed into cooling me. It was drenched with cold water. Out of this party, I was the only one who walked while shivering. And since, I was not physically fit, I had a hard time climbing using a rope. It was a good experience for me to realize how good nature is to me, and how the people around me care for me. Of course there were some teasing, and mockeries but that is part of their love (I hope).

    After retracing our steps, we were welcomed the heavy downpour. Again nature mirrored another of its beauty. Due to this sudden change, fog rose making the place look a little spooky. Yet when we spare our glance to some distance, it only highlighted the lights of the place. It made it seemed like as if it was some Spirited Away scene, enchanting too pretty. This was not the end of our nature hunting as we also challenged ourselves to an early morning hike. 

(Tip to those who are not used to immediate activities after long hours of drive: TAKE A REST, FIRST. DO NOT ENGAGE WHEN YOU DON'T FEEL WELL.)

   We hiked for an hour before feeding our eyes with the shine of the morning ray. Being on top of a mountain, will make you feel like you have the world beneath your feet. The clouds formed below the mountain we stood on, and the sun was like within our grasps. There was a slightly chilly breeze, and the mountain was well fed with the generous night rain. Some soils were colored red due to their mineral, other sights include the silver-ish colors of sturdy rock formations. We stood there engraving the scene in our eyes. 

    There are still so many that we do not know of. We should hold our tongues before letting out words that would trap us into disadvantage situation. Beauty is not something that can be measured by a single standard. Some may appreciate the beaches more, but I appreciate hiking more. I love the feeling of soaring to the trail, running after your breath as you chase time (so apparently, I was not simply chasing after my breath, I was having an asthma attack). I love seeing the beauty of the world on top, on places that many people would dare not. It is that feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction that kept me going. And this was the story of how I tripped to Sagada.

(Another tip: Food, and materials are kind of pricey in this region. We bought a bowl of Champorado on top of the mountain for 80 pesos. Sure it was yummy, but still its a pricey experience.)

How about you, my dear readers, what is your ILoveNature  experience