Banaue & Batad

Banaue/Batad has to be one of the most amazing places I have ever seen. Some say it should be considered the eighth wonder of the world. Like most pictures I am not sure it will convey how beautiful this place really is. We stayed over night in Banaue and then hiked in to a village called Batad (can only be reached by foot.) I do not consider myself a girly girl but this place will make you strap on your big girl pants fast.  We hiked across and down these rice terraces. When you see the natives doing it with 30 lbs of gear strapped to the top of their head and bare feet you think "no problem". They make it look much easier than it actually is. When I got to the bottom I considered hiring 10 (maybe 12) natives to carry me back to the top Queen of Sheba style.  No worries, I made it! And the view was well worth the shack (literally) we had to stay in.  I can not imagine finding  anything that will compare to this place in my life.

Filipinos are typically happy, smiley  this was the first place we visited that I thought the people felt a little more reserved. They lead  hard working, simple lives. Batad was probably the most peaceful place I have ever been. Here is a picture of me trying to fit in....(do we look like sisters?)

The best part of the trip was having my sister and niece here to enjoy it with us. The best. I loved watching Cassie interact with the locals, I think I am a pretty friendly lady...she put me to shame. The locals loved her. She gave treats to all the kids and made friends fast! Food was a bit of a struggle for her and Beth (okay the food was  down right nasty). They proved you can sustain life by eating  eat a can of pringles for every meal and still have energy for crazy hiking.

Sist'a Power

That's their fake food smiles

The best hiking buddy ever. I am sure he probably wanted to pass me a hundred times BUT was nice and let me set the pace:) not to mention shared a room with three women that acted more like jr. high boys. Man, good giggles were had!

 Hiking out of Batad!