YA LEUM.46 — Lost in Banué Rice Terraces
After these incredibly special and intense days in Morong surrounded by wonderful and cheerful people, we decided to spend a few days alone before jumping into the next adventure with the Kalinga tribes.
The island of Luzon it is known for the rice terraces located on the mountain area of Banaué, north of Manila. These terraces, sometimes labeled as the eighth world wonder, were excavated from top to bottom, more than 2000 years ago. The locals, known as Ifugao, keep the old traditions alive and still plant rice and vegetables, although the younger ones prefer to work in the tourism industry, which results from the popularity of the rice terraces.
The rice terraces in Banaué are located on a small village with a population of merely 1500 people. The village has some guesthouses and restaurants to support tourism but it still is very little developed in that regard. Tourists usually stay for short periods in the area. However, we wanted to have a break and rest after our previous weeks.
We adapted quite easily and on the second day, we decided to cook a fish stew using our camping small pan. On the fourth day, the locals working in the market already knew who we were.
The days were rainy and cloudy, we were1500 meters above sea level. All we wanted to do was to spend our days on the bed. We only saw the sun for a few quick hours and most of the days were true Winter days. We delayed our hike to the rice terraces as much as we could, because the walk is better to enjoy with the sun. On the last day, we had no chance but to go. So, an experienced traveler gave us an advise so we could avoid the bad weather. “You do not need a tourist guide but you should stay on the road. Follow the paved road. It is not as beautiful as, but it is safer. With this weather, low visibility is a risk and you can get lost. It takes one hour, walking. It is quite easy”.
We always travel during the low season. Thus, there were only a few tourists in the village. When we started our walk, there were anyone else. Once we left the village, a drizzling rain created little pools of water all over the place, making the path muddy.
We followed the indications we received but walked on the paved road for just 10 minutes. We then found another way we thought would get us to the rice terraces. We followed through a road until we arrived at a dirt track… which was mostly made of mud. The rice terraces were located across the mountain, so the path goes up all the way. We saw another local, who was going down the mountain and who looked like he was not there to visit anything but working. We continued to go up until we found the area of the rice terraces.
Despite all the mist, fog, and cold, it was still possible to see the rice terraces carefully crafted, creating geometric shapes around us. We walked through narrow tracks that divided the rice fields, which were quite slippery due to the rain. Although the drizzling rain did not allow a clear vision of the immensity of that place, the portion of the rice fields we were able to see was truly majestic.
Mathieu wanted to follow a track he saw on the map and that was supposed to end near the main road the other traveler told us. However, our map was not updated anymore and it took a while before we noticed it. We started going around and around, walking through rice fields that no longer had tracks and eventually we had to go through the rice fields, with our feet inside the water because there was no other way. We nearly fell a couple of times, of course! The hike was not pleasant anymore…
We were lost! And the more we walked, the more we got lost. I only understood how big the rice fields were when I looked around and I could only see rice terraces above me, below me, to the left, to the right… literally everywhere.
We left the hiking track and were now in the epicenter of the rice fields. When I noticed we were going around and around, I started to get nervous and really wanted to go back.
However, Mathieu still thought he was going to find the path so he still wanted to go further and further…
That was when I decided to wait on my own, while he left to find the path. I waited for 30 minutes… when he returned, he said: “I think I found the way. If I am wrong, we will go back”.
We continued walking and I kept saying we should go back. Yet, Mathieu, who is the best travel companion, the most romantic and caring man I ever met, is also one of the most persistent person I know. Mathieu does not have an eye for limits, so once he focuses his attention on something and always, always go for it.
We followed the path he chose but we got even more lost after we reached a rice terrace that was a dead end. After that rice terrace, there was no other place to walk, it was like the beginning of a hill.
That was when I got really annoyed, nearly in tears, and I demanded to go back.
Going back did not give immediate fruits either. Yet, after 40 minutes of walking, we found a house in the middle of the hill, where a person showed us the way to the road. It was still raining. The road was slippery but we were back on the right track.
I could barely believe it when we found the asphalt road! Despite the cold and the tiredness, I only thought about running back home. Thirty minutes later we were already enjoying a warm bath.
It was not the first time we ended in not such a nice situation because Mathieu pushed the boundaries. Many times, I had to stop Mathieu to not go forward because the situation could just simply turn out dangerous…
Me taking it easier and Mathieu always to go further was the only challenge we had during our trip together. Despite those differences, nowadays this is the trait I most appreciate on him.
His determination, resilience, strong-will, courage and off-limits approach taught me to be stronger and more confident.
On our fourth day together he said “I can cross the Sahara for you”. Now, I know he can.
December 2017,
Patricia Assis
