Greetings from Sagada Philippines....

Mountain town in dead center Luzon, surrounded by vast valleys filled with rice terraces, and looming stone cragged spires. The weather a chilly tingle, and the breeze of a fresh mountain morning variety for the whole of the day. Most of this area was home to Animistic tribes, and most of the interior of Northern Luzon for that matter as I understand. Easy 20 minute hikes to the most of Sagada tourist attractions: waterfalls, cemeteries, underground rivers, caves, jaw dropping views...and most with the eerie presence of hanging coffins and ancient burial areas looming here and there.

Left out of Manila the day before the typhoon hit and looks like we were pretty lucky to have headed toward higher ground. We waited out most of the typhoon in the Mountain town of Baguio, three nights, and then when the rains cleared and no damning reports of landslides were reported we proceeded more into the inter mountains of Luzon and up to the town of Sagada. Maybe the beautiful place I've seen thus far in SE Asia. Rice terraces covering the side of mountains and filling vast valleys, fog pouring between mountain ranges, water falling out of cracks hundreds of feet...really stunning.

Trying to make it down to Cebu with 12 days left might be a little more difficult then I originally thought, so tomorrow we are planning to try to get all the way back down to Manila, and hoping that's not a terrible idea.

Definitely have more to report when I go back through Manila. Then onto I'm thinking to Batangas and start the island hopping portion of this journey. 12 days to get to Cebu...