It is so unlikely me to sleep badly but I did. My street front room was noisy with people chatting through the night. Then there was the gurgling of gutters from the rain.
I woke at 0600 and had a light breakfast. Our tricycle driver dropped in and suggested we cancel our 0700 departure to Batad. The rain would mean that the conditions are too muddy for enjoyable walking.
He suggested that we go to Hapao (where there is a hot spring) instead where the walks are partly paved. As it would be a shorter day, we could leave at 1000.At 1000 a different driver turned up for some reason.
The two Quebecistanis piled into the sidecar while I was pillion-bitch once again. The 25km ride through extremely bad roads took about 1h30. We stopped for a few photographs of terraces, including the one at Hungduan, despite the rain.
The new driver suggested that he guide us through the best views for the terraces and we agreed after some negotiation. The walk took about an hour through the rain before we got to the hotspring, somewhat drenched.
It was greener and prettier here than back at Banaue. With the rain, the river was gushing. And so was the overflow system that allows water to go from each level of the terrace down to the next one.
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- Our 155cc tricycle with 3 passengers and driver.
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- Quebecistanis in the sidecar and once I again I was pillion-bitch.
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- We couldn’t see much of the terraces at first.
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- At the hot spring.
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- The weather cleared on and off and we were able to see the terraces.
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- A jeepney much like the ones we took yesterday.
We took a different walk back for a different perspective of the terraces. The driver successfully upsold us into a detour of the Hiwang Native Village on the way back for a little bit extra.
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- Hiwang Native Village.
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- Japanese skulls from soldiers killed during the war.
Fortunately back at the hotel, the hot water kinda worked a little bit more than yesterday and I was able to wash myself. In this cool damp weather, I don’t expect all my wet clothing will dry before I go early tomorrow morning. I’m glad I pushed myself to go out in the rain today; I’m only here once!
I feel like I’ve seen enough of the rice terraces, even though I hadn’t seen the “best” ones at Batad. I gather they go up higher hills. It probably would have made a small difference to me but not much.
After dinner I bade farewell to the Quebecistanis. I really enjoyed picking Jonathan’s brain with travel and diving. We appear to have a bit in common: we both love Syria and Iran, we both learnt Arabic, he would love to go to Yemen (including Suqutra) which I have already been to. I sold him the joys of going to Pakistan and Ethiopia (during Epiphany). We shook on meeting up in Sudan one day for culture and diving the Red Sea.