Long hauls have always been fun for me.  As you pass by every town, or take a leak or grab some snacks during stopovers, road travels give you a glimpse of a community's way of life, a wee bit of their culture, tidbits of local information, and most of all enjoy the beautiful scenery you will always remember in your life.

The Philippine Pali or the Highest Point of the Philippine Highway System is located at Cattubo, Buguias, Benguet. It has an elevation of 7,400 ft above sea level. The new name "Philippine Pali" was coined because of its resemblance with Hawaii Pali.  (It does not look like similar to me, but perhaps the similarity is the vastness of the mountain ranges.).

From the view deck, one can be refreshed by the cool climate and the visual treat that the place has to offer.  One can see the mountain ranges of Atok, Tublay, Bokod, and Kabayan, including the majestic Mt. Pulag.  It is located at Km.53 along the Halsema highway, which is about a 2-hour drive from La Trinidad, the capital town of the province. After my second visit to this place, I was able to pass through here several times more.  Here are some of the photos I took.

The mountain range at the left side.

Zooming into the vegetable gardens on top of the hill in the middle.

The mountain ranges towards the right.

Sabangan Stop

I have not gone this far from Baguio City.  Actually, it was my first time to reach this place.  I have only been up to Mount Data.  It just so happens that when we went to Bontoc for the Lang-ay festival, there was an ongoing road construction in the Cagayan Valley Road along the stretch of Nueva Vizcaya.  So the Cable bus took another route and passed through Baguio City instead.

I have been wanting to take a leak but then the bus never stopped.  We were finally relieved that we reached this stop. I was suddenly roused from sleep.  It was cold.  I didn't know the place.  So I immediately went to the restroom to relieve myself. When I came out, I was surprised with some tourists taking pictures of the place on the view deck. I thought it was just any other stop along the way.  So I immediately went back to the bus and grabbed my camera.

It was freezing cold and I could not focus.  My hands were shaking.  It was still a bit dark though the sun was already peaking on the mountain tops. I did not have prime lenses to shoot under low light conditions.  So I propped my arms on the railings and started shooting.  I only had four frames, when the conductor was already calling us to return to our seats in the bus which was about to roll in a jiffy. I did not even have the luxury of time to know what this place was, nor even look for signage.

So, I tried to google it to find out what this stop is and I stumbled on Ferdz Decena's similar blog entry.  So, it is called Benenas Park/ Panoramic Parkview. And this is what I've got as a remembrance.  I had at least one good photo of the Centipede Rice Terraces.

Centipede Rice Terraces taken at 5:37 AM. Thanks to Lightroom for improving this shot!

Panning to the left and this is what I got, taken at 5:39 AM.

Mount Polis
 
Unlike the three I mentioned, where the small buses plying Baguio-Bontoc or Baguio-Sagada route may not usually stop in Saddle, Cattubo, and Sabangan because they usually stop in poblacion to pick up passengers, you will not miss Mount Polis.

This has become a traditional bus or jeepney stop from Bontoc to Banaue or vice versa.  If you come from Manila via the Cable Bus, then there is always a chance to stop here.  It is usually where the drivers have their quick breakfast of bread and steaming freshly brewed coffee.

Well, the coffee is a bit bland.  You should not ask for more, especially when you arrive a little before 6 AM when thick fog engulfs the entire place and all you wanted to have is a cup of coffee to beat the chilly morning. Anyway, it would cost you only P10 pesos.

Mount Polis is one of the Luzon's highest peak along with Mount Pulag, Mount Puguis, and Mount Data. It is home to a tropical mossy rainforest and a destination for birding activities.  To those who are interested in biodiversity, this is the place to go.  Being a tropical rainforest, it usually is foggy and always raining on this part of the Cordillera.

Pardon me, but I do not exactly know what barangay is this place.  In fact, it is a contested area.  two provinces, namely Mountain Province and Ifugao are claiming this area.  Aggravating the problem is also the claims of Hungduan and Banaue, both municipalities of Ifugao.  which prompted Ifugao Governor Teddy Baguilat to set up police outpost to guard the area.

Mt. Polis landmarks--The large statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and cellular towers.

Anyway, you can always remember this place with a cellular site tower and a large statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. There is nothing spectacular about the place.  It is a usual thriving community abuzz with some economic activities.  What makes this interesting is the ever-changing weather conditions and the people living in it.

Mt. Polis on a foggy morning.

On a cold, rainy day, you will be treated to a thick fog which makes you feel you are in the clouds.  The cold weather adds to the romantic ambiance while you are sipping that cheap-bland-upland-freshly brewed coffee Arabica.

The people are just so nice and very hospitable, but they, especially the women and children, are shy in front of the camera.  People from the Mountain Province and Ifugao are naturally shy, and should I say they wary about strangers photographing them.  So better be careful. I had a bad experience with the old people of Sagada and Bontoc while I was photographing them.  Save for my 70-300 mm that I have become unobtrusive and I was able to attend the Lang-ay festival that allowed me to take all photos of people I want--in their full glorious and majestic native and authentic costumes!

Vegetable gardens below.

On a clear day, you will be treated to beautiful cloud formations and a good view of the mountain ranges across the road.

If you missed buying some veggies in Sagada or Bontoc, you can buy from here, too! Very fresh--straight from the farm right below--and very, very cheap!

So on your next road trip, don't miss these stops.

See more photos in FLICKR.















Do you like this article?  Like us on Facebook, too!