by Fratri Edson Silva

Exiting from the van, I was already very excited; we had just passed by it on our way to the viewing area, and the sight of it brought out the little kid in me. The Banaue Rice Terraces was always just one of those places you read about in books in grade school – always used to exemplify how hardworking Filipinos are (particularly the Ifugao) – but to finally get to see it in person evoked a much deeper appreciation.

It was the first day of our Banaue – Sagada – Baguio tour, and my travel companions and I had just survived a whole night of sleeping in a crammed van making its way up the winding roads from Manila to Banaue, and then ultimately, Sagada.

Before arriving at the actual viewing deck for the terraces, we stopped by the Banaue arch, welcoming weary travelers to the municipality, where we got our first taste of the bracing cold we were going to have to endure for the next few days.

Afterwards, we stopped for breakfast at the Terrace View Restaurant in Tam-an, Banaue, where we ordered some much-needed hot food and coffee. The restaurant lived up to its name as it also provided some awesome views of the terraces.

After wiping away the sleep from our eyes and emptying our bladders, we were all ready for the main event.

Before you even begin to walk down the stairs to the actual viewing deck, you’re already blindsided by the view in front of you. After paying the 10 peso environmental fee, we made our way down to the deck. The deck itself is actually perched on the edge of one of the actual terraces, with no guard rails, or rope, or anything to keep you from falling to the next step of the terrace 10 feet below. The only way to get there is through a precarious concrete walk way that’s less than a foot wide and also has no guard rails.

The acrophobe in me lost a few years of his life, but the adventurer in me gained a thousand years.

The view was worth it. Actually getting to see what I’ve only seen on grainy black and white pictures in books, now in beautiful colors in real life, was surreal. Trying to process how all those years ago, the Ifugaos changed the entire landscape in front of me was hard to fathom – the perfect marriage of the beauty of nature and the industry of man.

It was too soon when the driver called us back to the van. We still had a full day and one whole weekend of activities, but that was definitely an incredible way to start the trip.

Photos taken by myself and my travel companions

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