I just came from work and I have to attend to some very important online chores (blogging mostly). And now I’ve looked at the clock and I just realized that I have been awake for almost 18 hours.

Actually, I’m justly 20 minutes shy of being awake for a full 18 hours. It’s a record for me because I can’t usually stay awake for this long. Sleep is very important for me that if I don’t get my right amount of sleep in a day, which is usually 6 hours, I get cranky and can’t function really well.

So I guess it only means one thing. Stop blogging and go to sleep!

Lullabye and good night, with roses deligh…….zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

Tags: Sagada

Getting Sagada Questions

I guess summer is fast approaching or perhaps some people are just trying to catch up with the last few coldest months in Sagada that I have been receiving a lot of inquiries about Sagada in my emails and also in my Cbox. It really feels great knowing that a lot of people are interested to go to Sagada.

I would love to answer any Sagada inquiry (if I know the answer to it) and try my best to help. But I want to clear something first. I am not from Sagada. I do not live there. I just love the place and I have visited it a number of times.

If you want to know how to get to Sagada, I have a page for that. I only described how to get there coming from Manila going through Banaue, Bontoc and then Sagada because that’s the route I always take. On my way home, I always go the Baguio route.

Email me at bluesagada@yahoo.com if you have any questions or inquiries, especially if you are going to Sagada for the first time. Again, I would love to help you out.

Have a lovely day and do visit Sagada!

Tags: inquiry, Sagada

Sagada: Smiling our way to the Sumaguing Cave

If you’ve been to Sagada and have experienced going through the Sumaguing Cave, then I am sure that you are familiar with this scenario:

A bunch of Sagada first-timers happily walking down the road to the Sumaguing Cave. All of their clothes are still bright and clean. And just look at their smiles!

You know exactly what happens when they emerge from the Sumaguing Cave two hours later. Those clothes will be all dirty, that’s for sure.

But at least the smiles would still be there.

Tags: Sagada, sumaguing cave

It wasn’t quite surprising that the result of this short personality quiz resulted that I am provincial and that I don’t count calories.

Life is too good to count calories.

You Are Clam Chowder

You are cynical and a bit provincial. You don’t trust what’s new or trendy. You are also indulgent and hedonistic. You like rich foods, and you would never count calories. You are not a big cooker - or a big foodie. Food is not complicated for you. You eat what’s comfortable. And what’s from a box or can. You’re very low maintenance.

There are many Koreans in Baguio City and most of them are there to study English. Now I’m not sure why they chose to be there instead of here in Manila. I guess it’s cheaper and the climate’s probably closer to their own back home.

Some of them would visit Sagada, Bontoc or Banaue.

On my first trip to Sagada, I met a Korean girl named Mei. I was sitting on the bleachers of the basketball court near St. Mary’s Church when I noticed her writing on her red notebook. I introduced myself and she was very friendly and accommodating.

The red notebook turned out to be her diary. I could only imagine what she was writing there because I had a hard time understanding her English and she understanding me. I guess she had just started learning the language.

This is a photo of her. I know it’s a very poor shot but it’s the only photo I had of her. I couldn’t aim right because it was dark and my camera’s lcd screen wasn’t working so I had to use the viewfinder to no avail.

Tags: korean in sagada

Well, I’m not going to write about what I’ve learned from our Core Skills Training this month. All new employees in our company are required to take it and it’s basically an English communication refresher course.

What I liked about it is that I’ve learned about three co-workers who have been to Sagada and really loved their stay there. It’s Shai, our trainer, and Sonny and Jeanette, my co-trainees.

They shared their stories about their stay which are the usual stories that visitors tell. How much they love the food, how hard it was to go up and down the rice terraces and how dirtied they got when they entered the Sumaguing cave.

I loved listening to them not only because they were talking about Sagada, but because of the enthusiasm in their storytelling.

Just like what I’ve always said, anybody who’s been there only has great stores to share.

Tags: sagada experience

I wonder how they celebrated New Year’s eve there in Sagada? I haven’t experienced it yet. I bet they also have a wonderful dinner.

To everybody, I greet you a Happy New Year! I wish that 2009 will be a better year to all of us.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo recently visited Sagada and toured the tourist destinations there. She expressed concern when she found out that the Lumiang Cave have been vandalized through the years by inconsiderate tourists. Some coffins and remains were even stolen. She called for a firmer protection of the tourist spots to help preserve the heritage of Sagada.

Photo from BaguioCity.com

Tags: arroyo in sagada, gma in sagada, lumiang cave

I’ve only been to Bokong Falls (Small Falls as people refer to it in relation to the much bigger Bomod-ok Falls) and the one time that I went there, it happened to be raining.

So not surprisingly, the water was brownish from the soil that was washed away from the mountains and rice terraces.

Tags: bokong falls

Two years ago, I went to Sagada with some of my college friends. It was a very fun and memorable trip.

How happy were we? I guess you can tell with our smiles.

It’s me with Andrea and Biela and it was taken beside the St. Mary’s Church.

Tags: Sagada, sagada friends, St. Mary's Church