Bontoc

I'm playing catch up on blogs right now. The day before my caving experience I had gone to Bontoc. Compared to Sagada this is a metropolis. I can do things like take out money. There's only one ATM in Sagada that's open from Tuesday to Thursday and it's unreliable.

Bontoc is an hour long, and once again, very bumpy trip. First I went to go see the Bontoc Museum. Some tribes in Northern Luzon still practice headhunting. At the museum there's some gruesome photos of the headhunters with their prize. At the back of the museum a village has been recreated and you can explore inside the traditional grass covered huts. They are so small you have to crouch down to get inside.

Riding on top of a Jeepney

After I ended up going to the rice terraces in Maligcong. The rice terraces are considered by some to be the 8th wonder of the world. Some mountains were terraced for rice fields over 2000 years ago. These plots have been passed down through generations. When I went they had already been harvested so it was mostly pools of muddy water. But you could still learn about growing rice which is a staple of the diet. A lot of the culture revolves around the harvesting and planting.

Rice terraces everywhere

The nightlife is thriving compared to Sagada. You can stay out until 10 pm. The plan was to do some karaoke, the national past time. Instead at the first two places bands were playing and at the last bar there was a lady boy show. By 10 pm the ladies brigade in their matching jackets was out to make sure that we left the bar. The next morning I was tired from my late night out.