After nearly 5 miles of climbing up a mountain (see the roofs of little houses in the background of the photo below? That’s where we started) with 2 backpacks weighing over 50lbs and a DSLR in one hand. . . .

A lot of people have been e-mailing me asking how this trip was first conceived, so I modified the About page on how and why we’re doing this.

Perhaps it’s too early to quote Roy from Blade Runner in the blog title, and I don’t think I can top “attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion” or “C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate” (if you have no idea what I’m quoting, do yourself a favor: give in to your inner nerd and rent a copy of Blade Runner) but the rice terraces of Banaue/Batad come pretty close.

In fact, it’s not Banaue but Batad; in other words all the images you see when you Google “Banaue Rice Terraces” is not of Banaue but of Batad. Although Banaue is certainly pretty, it has transformed into a tourist town that is relatively very well developed with a large population. But if you take a 1.5 hr, treacherous (the guide books need to clarify that this is NOT an easy hike for anyone carrying 50 lbs of stuff; Annah twisted BOTH her ankles during the initial descent…it got so bad one of her ankles swelled up to the size of a baby pumpkin and she never made it out with me and Corrine to the Tappiya Waterfalls afterwards) climb and descent off a few mountains, you’ll hit a remote village that is both serene and mesmerizing: Batad. Want the perfect “ooh-ahh” moment? It’s in Batad.

Apparently this guy shows up in every photo for anyone who manages to get to Batad

Speaking of giving into my inner nerd, I felt like I was playing a game of Myst the entire time I was trekking through Batad’s village.

Village in Myst 2: Riven

Seriously…if you have no idea what I’m referencing, then forget it. After another 7 mile trek, climb, descent, climb, and descent a few mountains, I reached the gorgeous Tappiya Waterfalls, a 30m-high deluge that is unbelievable to witness in person, or let alone, swim in…which is exactly what I did when I got there.

Unfortunately the internet connection in the mountain town of Banaue is a tad slow, not to mention that there have been a few power outages already…so I’ll save the “how-the-hell-did-we-get-there” instructional manual for tomorrow when I have a more secure internet access.

In the meantime, enjoy the pictures…there are a lot more coming up.

Total Distance Walked: 15 miles yesterday + 5 miles today = 20 miles

Coming up next:

• Instructions on how to get to Banaue/Batad
• What to expect, see, and how to get around in Batad
• Reviews of food in Manila and Batad
• Reviews of our homestay in Manila

- At time of posting in Banaue, Philippines, it was 91.4 °F -

Humidity: 66% | Wind Speed: 3km/hr | Cloud Cover: partly cloudy