The Road to Batad

‘The more difficult it is to reach your destination, the more you’ll remember the journey.’

It was a journey like no other. A journey that seemed to last forever, that eventually took twenty hours before finally coming to a conclusion. It was physically and emotionally exhausting as much as it was painful and stressful. Like its famous rice terraces, the road to Batad is full of twists and turns and ups and downs. My sojourn in Batad was a real nightmare with many unexpected setbacks, though in the end it turned out to be a rewarding and memorable one.

Many unforeseen events happened during our supposed dayhike to Batad in the province of Ifugao. Our trip commenced on a Saturday night and started smoothly even after the expected delay. So we thought it will remain a comfortable and hassle-free journey until we reach our destination. But we were all wrong. Upon reaching Nueva Vizcaya our nightmare began. The main culprit is, guess what? It’s traffic.

We got stuck in a traffic jam along Maharlika Highway in Santa Fe. We are in a convoy of four passenger vans. Ours managed to elude the traffic at some point, thanks to our brilliant driver. After six hours we reached Bambang, leaving behind the three vans. We took our lunch in a fast food store located in the town proper. Soon after, we continued our seemingly endless journey until we finally reached Ifugao.

As we are nearing our destination, a heavy downpour halted our travel. We decided to stop and take refuge at a restaurant situated just beside a bus station. We stayed there until the rain subsided, and at the same time while waiting for the other vans. Our companions were stranded in traffic and had to endure that fate for many more hours. It was only at six in the evening when we we’re finally re-united with the other group.

The unfortunate incidents that had befallen us led to an unavoidable dilemma. Since it is evident that we can’t resume our hike as it was already late, we were given an option by the coordinator of this event. Either we stay overnight in Batad and resume our trek the following day or simply go back home without accomplishing the purpose of our journey there. Those who had commitments the following day had no other option than to leave. On my part, I was hesitant to stay because I am not prepared for an overnight hike. But in the end I made the decision to stay. I am really exhausted to think of going back home anyway. I am just worried that I didn’t bring enough clothes to last for two days. But I thought I can work that out. Then I also had to think of the additional expenses I will need to incur. We needed to pay for our accommodation and also have to pay extra for the transportation, since the van will also stay overnight in Batad. I did bring cash with me but I am not sure if it’s enough to sustain me for the duration of our stay there. I have to remind myself to be cautious and to spend wisely.

It was already late when we resumed our journey to Batad. This time we rode a monster jeepney. We made a stopover at the town proper to buy some grocery supplies. We also managed to take our dinner there. After that, we made our way to our destination. The travel took more than an hour amid winding roads along the mountain side. Upon arrival at our destination, we were told that we still needed to walk down the mountains all the way to the hotel. At that moment I was dumbfounded.

Trekking at night is not really my thing. It makes me uncomfortable and anxious. Adding to my worries is my mistake of not bringing my head lamp with me. It happened the week before in Tarak Ridge and now it’s happening again. But somehow I managed to make my way to our hotel. We were finally billeted at Batad Pension and Restaurant. After settling my things into our room I immediately took a much needed sleep.

I woke up early in the morning and immediately bathed to avoid the long queue to the bathroom. Our breakfast was served at around seven, and after some preparation, started our much delayed trek. Trekking along the Batad rice terraces is different compared to trekking plain mountains. I admit it’s quite easy. Most of the trail is made of concrete and on flat surface. It only took us more than an hour of trekking the rice terraces up to the highest view point. Then we made another round of trek, this time to the Tappiya Waterfalls which took us half hour. The trek takes that long because of constant stopover for a photo shoot. The hardest part of the trek is ascending the concrete steps, particularly, the way to the highest view deck of the rice terraces. Meanwhile, the trek to Tappiya Falls is shorter and quite easy. The waterfall is magnificent, although I don’t understand why authorities allowed makeshift stalls to be built along the banks of the falls. Obviously, these eyesores greatly distract the view of the falls.

After our short stay at Tappiya Falls, we trekked back to the pension house. The ascending part of the trail posed a challenge, but again, it was shorter and somehow manageable. It was worth noting that this is my first hike where I didn’t bring with me my daypack. I just brought a liter of bottled water. Good thing there are a lot of sari-sari stores along the trail that sell staple food and drinks, so you don’t have to worry about being dehydrated in case you run out of drinking water or food. Along the way we also encountered a lot of foreign tourists, which for me, is unusual when I climb mountains. But then we’re talking about the famous Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras which are commonly referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World.

After almost an hour of trekking, we arrived at the pension house. A little rest, and we took our lunch and after that a quick bath before finally checking out of the hotel. We trekked back again to where the monster jeepneys are located.

From there, we travelled again to where our vans are waiting. It did not take long before we hit the road again. It’s time to leave Ifugao and finally make our way home. This time, our driver decided to change routes and headed to Benguet to avoid experiencing the same ordeal we went through on our way to Batad. The new route proves to be a challenge for us because of the long travel time and the winding road. It was also unbearable to sit uncomfortable in a crowded van during the trip, but we had no choice but to endure all of that. We’re all dead tired and we all just wanted to take a rest and sleep peacefully in the comfort of our homes. It was a long night, and it was Tuesday morning when I finally made it home (which makes this dayhike truly memorable because it turned out to be almost a three day hike).

We learn from our past experiences, just as I learned a lot from my Batad trip. I learned to be always prepared and ready in case of emergencies. The unexpected turn of events in this trip made me realize the importance of simple things that I often overlook. For instance, I realized that bringing a pair or two of extra clothes, a head lamp, and some ready to eat food, are really valuable especially to a hiker like me. And lastly, bringing some extra cash will save you from inconvenience and possible embarrassment. I did bring my ATM card with me but it seemed useless because I didn’t see any ATM machine in Ifugao. So forget bringing your debit or credit card as it will be a futile effort.

Conquering Batad is no easy feat. It takes a lot of effort, forbearance and energy. But seeing its famous rice terraces compensates all that. Still, I have no plans of returning there anytime soon. Unless maybe if some generous individual will offer me a free chopper ride going there. I recommend Batad to those who seek adventure and have the leisure to travel for days or so. Batad is rich in history, and being a UNESCO World Heritage Site makes it worth visiting. As you walk behind the rice paddies, you’ll come to appreciate the culture and be amazed at the hard work and ingenuity of the ancient Ifugaos. If you love nature you must include Batad in your itinerary. Be reminded though to be prepared for the long travel going there, book your accommodation in advance if you’re planning to stay overnight, and for the millennials out there, don’t freak out, as there’s no telecommunication signal in this part of the archipelago.