Sagada Trip: Trekking Aguid Rice Terraces

Eating a cup of agar-agar that I bought on the weekend Saturday market in Sagada, we rode a shuttle that took us to the starting point so we could trek down the Aguid Rice Terraces and see the Bomod-ok falls.

Trekking Aguid Rice Terraces to Bomod-ok Falls
Sagada, Mountain Province
March 5, 2011

view from our starting point

It was an hour’s worth of trek but it was something I looked forward to since i was going to see these rice paddies up close.

holding hands

A trail was already laid out so it wasn’t that difficult to hike. But I remember in the middle of the trek, Carla had a challenge going down that Andrew, our guide from SAGGAS, immediately searched for a branch to serve as a walking stick.

Aguid Rice Terraces

paddies up close

Seeing A Carabao Climb

I wondered how the carabaos reached the rice paddies down below and are able to go back up. I didn’t realize they could actually climb so it was a treat to see a water buffalo carrying its weight to move to an elevated surface.

they’re not hardworking for nothing

Houses

We passed by houses along the way. Andrew kept sharing some history of the town every now and then but the I kinda forgot about most of the points as I was happily clicking the shutter of my camera.

gathering spot

houses

Witnessing Daily Life During the Trek

Aside from houses, we passed by a few people along the way; mostly kids. They were doing their daily routine in this side of town. Some even amazed me on how they carried sacks and other weights on the long way up.

But then these chores are all a matter of adapting oneself to life in order to survive. Still, I can’t help but admire how they work at such a young age.

Kids were playing, some were working, and some were just curious. A kid kept following us but was too shy to focus our attention that he just went to one side whenever we stopped. I remember Tofi, one of our companions, bought a lollipop and gave it to him which he gladly accepted with a smile.

the shy kid

Seeing the simple life in Sagada made me consider living in this quaint town. This also made me wonder how it would be like to stay in a different country that’s not too costly. At least I can still live within my means but I’ll be able to explore the place even more. Makes me wonder now when I’ll be able to get cheap flights to Delhi so I can go try to live for about a month in India. That will still be something I’ll work on next year.

life

We arrived in Bomod-ok falls in time for a quick snack. I jumped into the natural pool so I could also enjoy the water. Check out my story of this part of the trip here: Sagada Trip: Slipped and Hit My Head on a Rock in Bomod-ok Falls

photo op with the falls

After about an hour of relaxing, we had to go back to our hostel to prepare for another activity in our itinerary. But we stopped for a moment to take a last glimpse of the terraces.

one last look of Aguid Terraces in Sagada

It’s seldom that I see sights like these so I consider the trek a blessing. I hope to visit other rice terraces in the Mountain Province; Batad Rice Terraces and the Banaue Rice Terraces are on definitely on my list once I have the time.

on the loose

You can check out VisitSagada.com for directions to Sagada.
Also, read how how to get to Bomod-ok Falls and other useful information on this post – Sagada Genuine Guides – Trek to Bomod-ok Falls.

Check out my other blog articles about my Sagada adventure trip here:

• Sagada Trip and The Movies
• Sagada Trip: Side Trip to Banaue NO Rice Terraces
• Sagada Trip: Crazy Toploading from Banaue to Bontoc
• Sagada Trip: Never Too Old for a Cave Connection Adventure
• Sagada Trip: Kiltepan Peak Sunrise
• Sagada Trip: Trekking Aguid Rice Terraces
  
• Sagada Trip: Slipped and Hit My Head on a Rock in Bomod-ok Falls
• Sagada Trip: Weekend Saturday Market