Introducing the Jeepney
For a couple weeks now, I've been relying on a unique form of transport I hadn’t mentioned or even photographed yet. But finally here it is; the Jeepney. This method of public transit is based on modified Army Jeeps that the USA left behind in the Philippines after WWII. Clever locals stretched them to the length of a limousine, pimped them out with crazy paint jobs, and to this day they remain the South East Asia equivalent to the Guatemalan chicken bus. I can’t really vouch for their maintenance or safety record though. On the way to Batad, our Jeepney driver decided his brakes were no longer working. At least he made the safe call on these steep mountain roads. And the retreaded tires I saw on a few others make me question just how long a tire can last. (see the photo of this).

The thing with getting to Batad is that the road doesn’t go all the way there anyway. This village has been in isolation for centuries and when the road ends, a hike begins. In our case, the Jeepney broke down a convenient 45 minute walk from Batad and its famous rice terraces. Upon arriving to Batad, we paid our "environmental fee" and were assigned a guide. Part of the adventure here is more than just observing the bowl shaped village from above, but to go hike along the terraced walls to various viewpoints until reaching Tappiya Waterfall for a swim. The hike back up and out of here was a sweat soaked, uphill slog for everyone except our guide who didn’t even break a sweat.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and under some protections but the younger generation does not want to be rice farmers. Can’t imagine why. It’s said that some rice terraces around the region are falling into disrepair and annual production has dropped as the young chase opportunities in the larger towns better connected to education and the internet.I hope they realize that an iPhone app will not grow rice and they can maintain their traditions for many years to come. Like so many places in the world, it's in a state of flux so I’m glad I made the effort to get here. This is a tribal region and the people don’t get more Filipino than here. I think this area is the last image people have in their mind when someone mentions the country. Even I was expecting to spend more time on tropical beaches, snorkeling pristine coral reefs, and occasionally splurging on a wreck dive. That’s coming up, but this mountainous corridor has surprised me and makes for some serious, often difficult, adventure travel. Add it to your list.