Sagada: Hanging Coffins, Lemon Pie And The Paytokan Trail
Sagada, say the travel websites, is not an easy place to get to, but is without doubt worth the effort. Let’s deal with the first half of that sentence: it’s a ridiculously long drive to this remote location no matter where you start from. Look at the basic mathematics: a drive of just 143 kilometres (89 miles) takes 6 hours – yep, SIX HOURS ! – so it’s pretty obvious that this is no ordinary journey. There is, of course, no highway, the whole route is a narrow, twisting mountain road of steep inclines, dramatic descents and tight hairpin bends.
Add to that trucks struggling up the mountains, long trails of slow traffic, sudden unattended piles of rubble necessitating one way traffic only, villages where the road is both thronged and narrow, and everything adds up to very slow progress. The scenery is more than spectacular though, the soaring mountains have a drama all of their own, borne out of irregular shapes and foreboding ridges. Spectacular that is, until it disappears – several times we climb so high on the mountain road that we are driving inside the cloud, precipitation soaking the villages and visibility akin to a dense winter fog. A few days ago in Vigan it was 34 degrees, now there are road workers in oilskins.
Along the route, near the small town of Atok, there’s suddenly a gathering of people and vehicles – when we stop to see what the attraction is, we find we are at the highest point of all of the roads in the Philippines. Up here in the howling wind we are 2,323 metres above sea level. It feels like it too. Spectacular. Cold. Windy.
Precisely six hours after leaving Baguio we finally creep into the narrow main street of Sagada, a small town with unique points of interest for the inquisitive traveller. This little mountain town straddles two deep gorges where attractive buildings hang precipitously from the hillside, and sharply weathered stacks of rock point to the sky. We learn pretty quickly that you need to wear layers in Sagada: the evening wind blows decidedly cold mountain air down the street, clouds drift through town carrying a damp mist as they go. Don’t underestimate the drop in temperature after dark: this is proper mountain country with warm days but chilly nights. And clouds are still wet even in the dry season, you know.
Sagada feels every inch the isolated community, cut off by that 6-hour drive and the mountainous terrain on all sides. And yet it is thriving, one of those small destination towns where there are as many tour guides as cars and multiple activity options for the many visitors who make the long journey here. Most of those visitors are, it appears, holidaying or weekending Filipinos, everybody eager to get out and explore.
Our time here begins with a little quirk of the legal variety: every visitor to Sagada must register with the Tourist Office, pay a small fee, and receive a receipt which doubles as an entry pass to sites and trails alike. Failure to do so not only breaks local laws but also hamstrings your stay here – without that pass you pretty much can’t do anything. So we pay our fee, obtain our pass and hitch up with Thomas, our guide – a guide is also obligatory, partly because, again, it’s forbidden to enter the sites alone, and partly because frankly you’d never find the trails without one. It’s not like there’s signs to help you.
With Thomas and three of those holidaying Filipinos we tackle the Paytokan Trail, which turns out to be immeasurably better than we anticipated, not to mention notably more challenging. Beyond St Mary’s Church, built by the Americans and bearing a distinct resemblance to Mission houses, we descend into the valley where we can see the first of the hanging coffins. Yep, hanging coffins.
Somewhere around 250 years ago, elders of the Kankanaey mountain people sought a way to make the passage to the afterlife an easier journey by making their final resting place a little closer to the heavens. How that transpired into getting their loved ones to scale a sheer cliff, fix a support structure way above the ground and then haul the coffin and body up by ropes, is open to conjecture. Yet here they all are, sealed coffins complete with remains, improbably suspended from a sheer cliff. Even after death there is social standing: the more influential and important the deceased was, the higher up the cliff is their coffin.
How did they do it? According to today’s village elders the cliffs were once covered in vines which have long since died away but once provided the mechanism for scaling the impossible heights and hanging the coffin. I don’t know about you but it still doesn’t sound too easy to us! No surprise perhaps that the most recent coffin to be hung was in 2010, families now deciding that burial in the churchyard is a darn sight easier.
The Paytokan Trail continues past the coffins, down steep and difficult descents to the bottom of Echo Valley where gaping cave entrances yawn beneath colossal and spectacular rock formations. We soon come alongside the chattering river racing through the rocks and dense tropical vegetation. From here the trail becomes even more fun, even more adventurous.
What we didn’t know at the outset is that the next section, the Matangkib cave and Latang underground river, involves clambering over and down sizeable rocks over and over again, and then a long section hiking through a dark cave where we follow the watercourse beneath the ground for a considerable distance, making multiple river crossings on slippery stepping stones in the process. In the dark. Yes we get wet feet – of course we do – but the trail is a super combination of enormous fun, beautiful scenery and the thrill of hiking underground. Eventually we emerge from the far end of the cave and out into the daylight where our next treat is the Bokong Falls tumbling over rocks into a deep natural pool. The Paytokan Trail has been three hours of serious joy, even if it has been a little testing on our not-so-young joints.
Lush vegetation fills the valley and the town itself – we’re no experts but growing wild here are many plants which we recognise from a million indoor plant pots back home: spider plants, cheeseplants, mother-in-law’s tongue. There’s coffee plants too, and hikers on the Paytokan Trail are at one point treated to a cup of the Baw-eng coffee farm’s finest, a stupendous drink where the bean’s journey from plant to cup is no more than fifty feet. The caffeine hit is immense.
Back to the village. The cosy little eateries of Sagada are welcoming places after a strenuous day and, equally, good places to escape that chilly evening wind which sporadically carries cold rain. Our food experience is more than good too, flavours here having been tweaked since our earlier calls on this journey – we really must do a first Filipino food post soon – but there are some unexpectedly delicious dishes to be enjoyed in these tight corners of Sagada. Does chicken steak in honey and garlic sound good? Believe us, it’s good.
We sleep well…
Our second day in Sagada features a shorter hike, again with Thomas who, it has to be said, is not the chattiest or most informative guide we’ve ever encountered, effectively imparting information on an “I’ll tell you if you ask me” basis. Today’s hike, after a bumpy ride in the back of a truck, is directly uphill, a steep 45-minute climb to an area known locally as the “blue soil”. Here, limestone rocks have been permeated by copper sulphate which turns a blue colour when it comes into contact with oxygen in the air. It’s an odd sight, and one which, judging by the groups trudging up the narrow trail, is a popular hiking choice among visitors. Blue soil, blue rocks. It’s getting more weird by the minute.
And then there’s lemon pie. Before we move on from here, we better mention the lemon pie. Strange as it may seem, it really is a Sagada speciality adored by the locals and available in cafes, shops and even as street food. Intrigued, we try a slice each – and it is precisely what we back in England would call lemon meringue pie, though it’s melt-in-the-mouth and as light as air. There are, if you’re wondering, lemon farms not too far away. Lemon meringue pie as street food? Seriously? It’s getting more weird by the minute…
Well, what can we say. Hanging coffins, underground rivers, adventurous hikes, lemon pie, chicken cooked in honey and garlic, rocks turned blue and the coldest evenings of the trip so far. Like the websites said, Sagada may not be the easiest to get to, but it’s sure as hell worth it.
Next stop….rice terraces.
34 Comments
Toonsarah
A short visit to Sagada is on our itinerary – your comments on the climate are very timely, I think I’ll add an extra warmer top! It looks well worth seeing though, despite the fact that those hikes would be beyond me of course. And that chicken sounds delicious!
Phil & Michaela
I hope your short visit includes an overnight stay because it would be a very long day to get there and back! If so, eat at Salt & Pepper, recommended!
Toonsarah
Yes, we have an overnight stay 🙂 I have a feeling dinner may be included at the hotel but that doesn’t always stop us venturing out in search of something more authentic if we have doubts about the hotel restaurant!
The Flask Half Full
Pretty sure I would have lost my lunch on that drive! Would have needed TWO scopolamine patches!! Hanging coffins is a first for me. Fascinating. The coffins don’t exactly look like they’re hermetically sealed. So many questions – starting with, are the bodies embalmed? They would have to me. Otherwise, the critters would come, wouldn’t they??
Phil & Michaela
I doubt very much there’s any embalming techniques practiced, but in truth it’s a question I didn’t ask! The drive was actually quite fun for me (driver) because it was soooo different.
The Flask Half Full
You are brave to attempt that drive yourself!
Phil & Michaela
Ah I get quite a buzz out of driving in different countries, I’m up to 28 countries now and they all have their different challenges.
Lookoom
I don’t remember reading about Sagada, which seems to have some interesting resources. It’s a good thing there are photos showing these hanging coffins, otherwise it might be hard to believe.
Phil & Michaela
I know, crazy idea! We are seeing some strange places on this trip.
Monkey's Tale
Now that sounds like our kind of destination! I’ve heard of the hanging coffins, but didn’t realize they only stopped in 2010. What a quirky place 😊 Maggie
Phil & Michaela
Indeed so, we’re seeing some oddities on this trip already. Definitely your kind of destination, I agree!
Heyjude
Your travel insurance must cost a small fortune, or maybe you are risk junkies! The road to Sagada sounds hair-raising, not to mention clambering over slippery boulders underground.
Phil & Michaela
Insurance? What’s that? Ha, only joking. The drive was actually quite interesting despite how slow it was.
Heyjude
Wasn’t the slowness that concerned me, but the narrow, twists and turns!
Phil & Michaela
Well they were fun too 😀
Helen Devries
I’ll pass on that hiking trail…..they’d be hauling me out on a stretcher……but it looks a lovely area to explore for the hale and hearty.
Just imagining if one could transport the hanging coffin idea to the U.K……forget gargoyles, just hang coffins from the church tower…..
Phil & Michaela
Now that’s a terrific idea. I’ll start with the exterior of Council offices…
Helen Devries
I’d have to build a second floor on ours to make it work…..but worth it.
restlessjo
Who finds these places? Well, you and half the Filipino race, of course! Strikes me that some fine business brain is making a small fortune out of this, but there’s nowhere else quite like this! Extraordinary, indeed!
Phil & Michaela
Except everything is incredibly cheap too! We’re definitely seeing some unusual places on this trip already, Jo.
Lynette d'Arty-Cross
Thanks for this very enjoyable and interesting post, Phil. Yes, you definitely should do a food post! There are many things I love about travelling but when it comes right down to it, food is probably my favourite part! Great pictures of the two of you.
Phil & Michaela
A very unusual little place, Lynette. Food post being prepared soon…
ehacarr
What fascinating experiences well worth the tortuous drive! And what differences in life and its styles twixt the unreal hanging coffins, blue rocks and underground rivers and eating garlic & honey chicken and lemon pie one would cook at home 🙂 ! Absolutely beautiful scenery . . . thank you for taking us along . . .
Phil & Michaela
There’s definitely some unusual things to see and do in the Philippines!
ehacarr
As I am in contact with a number of young Filipinos here – they are all asking as to whether your journey will reach Batanes and Palawan . . . all seem to be rather happy to bring up these names . . .
Phil & Michaela
Palawan yes, Batanes no. At the minute our plan is (though always subject to change!)……Bicol Peninsula-Cebu-Bohol-Panay-Suhoton-Boracay-Palawan. But we’ll see….
ehacarr
Am laughing as I basically use Wikipedia as my current source of information! One guy described Batanes as the Filipino Riviera? But it is another 200 or so kms north of the main islands and practically in Taiwan, I see! Have written out your current routing – makes for interesting conversations!!!
Phil & Michaela
I hope so….any advice from your friends gratefully received!
WanderingCanadians
Sounds like quite the journey to get Sagada! The hiking here sounds awesome. Can’t say I’ve heard (or seen) hanging coffins before. It’s funny to hear that the wealthier and more influential people had their coffins higher up the cliff.
Phil & Michaela
What an interesting little town it was!
grandmisadventures
I just can’t even imagine how hard that must be to hang those coffins on the rock face like that. Even with vines for support, it seems a near impossible feat. But talk about dedication and honor to have a ‘send off’ like that. The cave hike looks like a great adventure. The whole area seems so lovely and interesting- well worth the long drive to get there 🙂
Phil & Michaela
A very unique sight, those hanging coffins, Meg. Definitely worth the long drive to see and experience Sagada.
MrsWayfarer
It’s nice to see Sagada through your lens. Now I’m craving that lemon pie…
Phil & Michaela
Enjoyed Sagada….so full of interest and intrigue