Baguio to Banaue Dec 19

Well, today was a weird travel day but I made it.

Last night I spent hours trying to find out how and where to get a bus up to Banaue. The hotel desk wasn't much help except for help with calling but apparently the bus depots don't answer their phones. The deal seems to be, to take a bus you pack a bag and head down to the depot.

I searched high and low on the Internet and finally found a company that comes to Banaue in the daytime leaving Baguio at 9:30 am. Since they don't sell tickets until one hour before departure I decided to go early to be sure I got a seat. I arrived at 8:05 and the bus was just leaving 5 minuets late. So much for that Internet info. Well they were full and telling me to wait until 6:00 pm for the night bus. The taxi guy said something to them and eventually there was one free seat. I think they had to bump somebody out of a seat for me. Later, we picked up more people all along the way until the isle was full of standers. Two people were using my back-pak for a seat. So much for "one seat left"! I think we only made a few hundred miles in total, out of the mountains on one road and back in on another, but it took 10 hours. For the last 100 miles or so we stopped to make deliveries every 20 minuets too. Great for experiencing life with the people.

The closer we came though the happier I got. It is a beautiful mountain forest with a generous sprinkling of towns.

Here are some pictures along the way:

Leaving Baguio.

Some rice fields on the lowlands. It will get better tomorrow.

This is the front of our bus with normal decorations plus a few added for Christmas.

This is the bus. The company is KMS. Note the gingham curtains. No air conditioning but the breeze in the windows made it quite comfortable and the seats were good. It did heat up to 34 degrees for a little while after we left the mountains.

Now some views as we get closer to Banaue.

This town is built on the sloping sides of the mountains but the buildings are many stories tall. I am staying at the People's Choice, right at the town centre. It was dusk when I arrived. I entered a small building on the ground floor and there were 2 floors above. If you walk through and go out the back there is a hundred or so foot drop to the valley below and an amazing view. My room is down some stairs into what looks like a basement but also has a great view out the back.

Expect lots of pictures tomorrow.

I booked a trek up to the rice fields but am feeling a bit scammed so will check with the tourist office tomorrow. If I need to dump the expensive version I am not out much money thus far.