The Road Report
Liwan, Ifugao Province
February 22, 1999
|
On the eve of my 45th birthday I took a 2 hour hike up a mountain trail to a remote (well, not that remote by Philippines standards but it's a lot harder to get to than Jersey City) village in the mountains of Ifugao called Liwan. I was to perform a marriage, baptize children and say Mass for the Parish there. I was happy I brought along a camera as I could feign photography inspiration when in fact I was covered with perspiration from the rapid ascent. I knew it was a tough climb when I asked one guide who was walking behind us and the guide said: "Father, that's your heart beating." My companions stayed with me the whole way even though they could have made it in half half the time. Up on the mountain, one of the higher points in the central Cordilleras, the view was spectacular. It was like Machu Pichu (however you spell it).... you could touch the clouds and feel the heat from the stars. This was the first place I stayed where I was actually COLD at night!!! I came down the mountain a year older!!! Actually it's harder to go down than up.... you use different muscles to put on the brakes.... I also had a stick to slow my descent but I was afraid it would turn into a pole vault and the villages would see a fat man flying over their rice terraces. The whole trip was spectacular, despite the hardship of the travel. I could have gone to a village 4 hours away but they have a hanging bridge and I don't like heights. I asked the pastor what would happen if I fell off the bridge (I was expecting something like "you fall in the river and people laugh at you"). He replied calmly "you die". I opted for the nearer but higher village! Many of these pictures were taken by the seminarian who assisted me during my stay in Kiangan (read: prevented me from falling off the mountains!). He quickly became quite adept at camera work as the last two images prove!!
|
Here are my guides... except for the guy in the checkered shirt who is the driver and told us he'd get us the next day as he sped away..... little did I know then!
|
Along the way..... terraces of vegetables-- these bring more money then rice and are much less work.
|
At the top of the mountain looking down the valley to Asipolo... note the river and rice terraces... this is one of the few parts of the Philippines where some of the forest has been left undisturbed.
|
Some rice terraces along the way.... they are marvels of hydrology as they must channel streams and rivers and run them along each terrace to keep the rice inundated..... rice terraces sound beautiful-- running water in quadriphonic stereo!
|
Another terrace with a growth of young rice. Note how carefully each step is cleaned-- as the year goes on they will be covered with weeds which must be removed..... in this area only one rice crop is grown-- the cool slows the rice and only hybrid varieties have short growing seasons. Plus, people here favor "native rice" which does have a distinct flavor and texture. When you are served native rice you are truly being honored!
|
Here is the top of Liwan. The people live scattered along these mountain tops and live mostly by growing camote (sweet potato). The land here is poor and too high and dry for rice farming. Some children walk more than an hour for school along paths I could hardly discern! Where is Robert Frost when you need him?
|
Here is the village welcoming committee! The kids were in school and took a break to see this very strange man who was panting like an overworked caribou.
|
Some boys spinning tops for the camera.... note the chickens and rooster in the lower left-- this is the local equivalent of the lobster tank-- pick you own chicken for dinner!
|
This is where I stayed.... poor on the outside (no electricity in the whole village) but rich inside with hospitality, laughter and friendship-- I even had my own room-- my head and feet touched the walls and I slept in the form of a question mark (the Philippines is NOT made for people six foot) but I had my own room!! I was afraid I'd stretch out in the middle of the night and kick through the wall and put my foot in someone's face (which would be a switch from putting my foot in my mouth which is my usual modus operandi).
|
Here are my gracious hosts and myself. They kept apologizing for their poverty. I kept telling them that it was "atmosphere" and that people in my own country pay a lot of money to enjoy such rustic splendor. Money could not buy the kindness and generosity shown by these people anyway!
|
Here's dinner-- Inlagin.... native chicken singed, roasted avec guts, and then boiled. Actually, it really did taste good!
|
here is the local Church.... what a spectacular view! Everything you see here had to be hand carried up the mountains-- there are no passable roads to this place!!
|
Here I am with the man who carved the doors of the Church-- everyone in the village is quite proud of him and wanted me to meet him and be photographed with him. Fortunately the seminarian took most of these pictures allowing me to visit folks and to use both hands to break my falls up and down the mountains!!
|
Here I am baptizing the children (actually this is the pre-baptism sign of the cross on the forehead to welcome the children to the community, claim them for Christ, and, with some, terrorize them into crying!).
|
These two kids wanted to have their picture taken but one sorta changed his mind just before I took the picture!
|
The doors of the Church. Lizards are believed to attract their food as they are too slow to chase it-- thus they are drawn on granaries to attract the grain and increase the yield. They are put on the Church doors to attract people to worship!
|
Here is the couple I married with their three children whom I baptized. The little boy in the blue shirt laughed every time he looked at me. Now I pride myself on my ability to make children laugh BUT I did nothing consciously to engender mirth in this lad. His mother later explained that he told her that he wanted my big nose!
|
Here I am heading down the mountain.... it must be early in the trip as I'm smiling and still dry.... note the pole used to slow momentum.
|
Flooded rice terraces from above..... photo by Armond!
|
Another Armond shot..... the terraces looked like liquid ribbons from this elevation!
|
Coming down the mountain-- Armond wanted some action shots so he ran ahead to capture my descent.... notice how my other guides are positioned to keep me from breaking my neck!
|
I insisted on this photo so I could rest... these kids were on their way home from school!! Note the caribou in the background-- this is the Philippine answer to the roto-tiller! They use less gas! As you can see, I'm already soaked and misgiving creases my face as I continue the journey. Fortunately I made it to the bottom-- wiser and one year older!!!
|
General Index of Travel Photographs
|
