SAGADA: Where Broken Hearts Go

And WHY the place has healing powers.

Kiltepan View Point | Sagada Mountain Province

Disclaimer: This is not one of those typical travel articles, with a wonderful source of detailed tips and advises about the how’s, where’s and when’s of traveling. You can find a lot of them on the Internet. But, most of them don’t often share about the whys – which I think is the most remarkable topic to talk about.

Two years ago, I shared a post on my Facebook account about me wanting so much to go to Sagada. The reason is: I have no idea why a lot of people can say that the place can heal and I wanted to know why, even if that time, my heart is still whole and hasn’t experienced emotional traumas - from a serious heartbreak of course. Unluckily, this year, I got my heart-broken into pieces. But also luckily, this year, an opportunity to explore Sagada came to me. So, I grabbed it right away.

Hello Sagada!

Local Town | Sagada Mountain Province

The moment I stepped out of the bus, a breath of fresh air welcomed me along with the feeling of thrill and adventure. When I finally read “Sagada Town Hall”, for a split of a second, I wanted to scream out of excitement because finally, I’m here. This is no longer a dream. It’s real. And I am inhaling a breath of unblemished Philippine culture. This is surely fun and lit!

Sagada never fails. Their own brand of peace and silence is what every aching heart is looking for. The place is perfect for solo travelers who want to explore new places and meet new faces. Yup, the place is safe. It is truly a home of the humble native Philippine people – the Igorots.

Freshness, uniqueness, pleasure, excitement, unknown, adventure – are feelings you can experience as you explore Sagada Mountain Province. Staying in the place for a couple of days is the right antidote for those who need mending on their brokenness.

Sagada as a Source of Reclamation and Healing

For people like me who grew up in a place of beautiful beaches, white sands, and an underwater paradise, I need something that I don’t see on a normal day. Sea views are so main-stream for me and I am almost accustomed to it. On the contrary, the road going to Sagada offers a dramatic view of beautiful landforms – amazing rice terraces and great mountains – the right view my heart’s been looking for. So bizarre!

Before we begin exploring Sagada’s exciting activities, we have our names registered at the Tourist Information Center. Afterward, we settled in at Sagada Guesthouse & Resto, located a few steps away from the Town Hall.  The hostel house offers a home-like feel. I think all the small hotels around the place give the same feeling of comfort, not that expensive, but you’ll be satisfied after. I can say so because I had the chance to wander around the town and I can see that those different guesthouses were all built for the same purpose. After we established back our adventurous selves, we then ready for the start of the adventure and explore the uncertain.

Sumaging Cave: Reclaiming what’s Lost

Sumaging Cave | Sagada Mountain Province

Spelunking or what we most commonly have known as exploring caves, is one of the extreme activities in Sagada. Sumaging Cave, of all the caves in the place, is the most popular one. It’s almost 4 in the afternoon and I doubt if we can finish the caving activity. It’s getting dark with the nimbus clouds above adding to the gloomy feeling. But because we don’t want to waste any time, we decided to try, no matter what.

Inside the cave are various rock formations and they’re all fascinating. It felt like I traveled back to my childhood days, where the spirit of adventure runs freely in my soul, and I imagined our backyard with different obstacles to conquer. Now, this is a level-up playground, all beyond limits.

This is no longer a part of my imaginations. This is the real deal. I need to survive the trail without getting hurt. I had to do a couple of twists, turns, and kissing stones so I won’t fall deep down below. The cave has flowing water inside and I can’t move further without getting wet. The waters felt like there are blocks of ice in it, enough to freeze me up.

Because of this whole spelunking experience, I saw myself reclaiming some parts of what’s lost in me. Hello, brave and risk-taker self! It’s good to have you back. 

I learned to trust other people again. I found myself socializing with strangers and cheering them up to keep pushing until we finish the trail. I also learned to trust our tour guide since he’s the one who has enough experience. TRUST, big word, huh!

Fear is always there. But in the middle of it all, I decided to put all my worries away, enjoy the experience and put my heart and soul back to realities of life. This is how I learned to survive. I need to make it out alive. I don’t want to stay in the dark corners. I want to see the light and move on with the happenings of life. Keep pushing! I’m almost there.

Praise God, we managed to reach the main entrance whole and alive. Yeeey! It was indeed exhausting. The day ended with a peaceful and good night sleep.

Sunrise at Kiltepan: I Am Not Alone

Unexpected Companion | Sunrise at Kiltepan

We woke up as early as 4 a.m. the following day and head straight to Sagada’s Kiltepan Peak. There were already lots of travelers at the viewpoint upon arrival. Some of them are in groups; others are in lovely pairs (such a beautiful sight for someone who just survived a broken heart).

While waiting for the sun to rise, I found a perfect spot to meditate about life for a moment. And to my surprise, a stray dog suddenly appeared and sat closer to where I positioned myself. It seemed like he’s giving me some company. I wondered if the dog knew he is one of Sagada’s healing sources at that moment. Because my heart was really moved by his presence, realizing that I was never really alone on that trip and in life. I want to think of this experience as part of God’s extreme love. This is probably my most unforgettable one. 

I experienced Sagada’s healing powers more at Kiltepan. I now know why and where do broken hearts go.

It was truly a magical golden hour experience. I can feel the rays of the morning sun on my face, lighting up my cheeks. Sunrise at Kiltepan is something I hardly experience at home and I am beyond blessed to embrace it. Scenic, it is!

Bomod-ok Falls: Rest is Always a Must

Bomod-ok Falls | Sagada Mountain Province

If Sumaging Cave and Kiltepan are not enough, you can try the trek down to one of Sagada’s famous, the Bomod-ok Falls.

After our sunrise experience, we went back to our respective hostels so we can prepare for this next adventure. The group I belonged to rented a four-wheeled vehicle to take us to the drop off point. From there, we rented another whole jeep so we can experience the trending “Top-Load Ride in Sagada”. 

No comfortable seats, no ceiling for protection, so why experience this uncommon and risky way of riding a jeep? It all boils down to the very reason for experiencing fun, challenge and excitement in an exceptional way. It was a hard-core kind of fun. 

Safety is always our first priority. The design of the jeep is for top-load rides, and there are small like fences attached on the sides of the roof. By holding a strong grip on these metals, it prevented us from sliding and falling. The view on top is beyond imaginable. You can see the beauty of the mountains, the cliffs, the rice terraces, the trees, and the rock formations. This is always worth the risk.

After a cool and fun experience, we finally arrived at the oldest village in the northern part of Sagada, the Fidelisan Village. This is not a walk in the park. I repeat. This is not a walk in the park. The trail is a series of long and treacherous narrow pathway enough to make your knees tremble. If you’re not fit physically, you have to weigh carefully if you want to continue the trail or not. Or better to always ask for some few minutes rest and say, “Take-Five muna tayo!”.

No matter how fast or slow your pace is, always put your one foot in front of the other and decide to continue. Remember, you have to come home with a complete story to tell. You need to remind yourself to enjoy each step that you make. And, look around. A magnificent view is there – the up close and personal sight of Sagada’s rice terraces.

Finally! I can hear the sound of the waterfalls as we draw nearer and nearer. After experiencing what seemed like a forever walk, an enthralling view of the waterfalls welcomed us. Such beauty! The clear waters are tempting, waiting for me to jump in. But, I decided not to. I prefer to wander around quietly and rest.

With the sight of Bomod-ok waterfalls, I felt refreshed from all the negatives I experienced in life. And I realized that all I need to do is to rest for a while. There are so many things going on in my life now. And I need to re-establish myself once again. As we head back to the jump-off point, my heart is full and energized to face whatever life throws at me this time. The view of the beautiful landforms never gets old. And with that, I know I am heading back to the road of recovery.

Eco Trail: Some Parts of the Past are Remembered, Some are Don’t

Hanging Coffins | Sagada Mountain Province

While waiting for the bus heading back to Baguio, we decided to have a quick tour at Sagada’s Eco Trail. Since it will only take for up to an hour. This is far from the thrills and adventures we had. This is more like a cultural and historical experience, still, a must try. The main tourist attraction of the trail is the famous Hanging Coffins.

This is near to the heart of the town, so this is just a walking tour with breath-taking views. I had so many questions about why the coffins were hanged above the sides of the mountain. And why there are only a few of them left. As what I’ve known, this is part of their practice and tradition and they’re very careful in doing it, depending on the age of the person at the time of death, and the cause of it. We also tried shouting our hearts out in the middle of the Eco trail and heard it echoed back. It was fun actually.

Am I Healed?

Well, Sagada played a big part in my healing process. I cannot say I am totally healed. But when I went home, I discovered that life is now less painful. My self-esteem is back. And there are some parts of me that I have recovered. I also gained so many realizations in life. I know I am never alone. And sometimes, life hands you over all the exhausting stuff. So, have enough rest. And decide to move on and continue to live life with purpose. 

Thank you, Sagada. I will definitely see you again soon, in God’s perfect time.

Kiltepan View Point | Sagada Mountain Province

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MALIPAYONG JOSEFINA

@happyemzey

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To God be all the glory and praise.