Banaue (Philippines)

When you've spent days sweating profusely the instant you step outside, and taking a walk longer than 15 minutes brings real concern about heat stroke and dehydration, the concept of wrapping up warm almost just doesn't compute. Yet we had heard dire warnings from multiple sources - practically comical in their repetition - about how cold the overnight bus from Manila to Banaue would be. Well... it ain't no joke. Even with a hat and five layers, I would awaken with a jolt every time an icy draft from the bus's relentless air conditioning penetrated. Honestly, we were convinced it blasted harder every time the driver revved the engine up the mountain inclines. But if you want to see the famed rice terraces of the Cordilleras, short of hiring a private driver, this 8 hour ride in the freezer section is pretty much the only game in town.

Banaue is the place that springs to mind for visiting the rice terraces, although this portion is not part of the official UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is more of a jumping off point for visiting the surrounding areas in the Cordilleras mountain region in northern Luzon. Our first glimpse of the rice terraces was over breakfast at a local homestay. A Filipino breakfast favorite is silog. This is a portmanteau: your cured protein of choice + "sinangag" (leftover rice fried, usually heavy on the garlic) + "itlog" (a fried or sunny side egg)... So with tapa (thinly sliced beef), it becomes tapsilog; with longganisa (pork sausages), it's longsilog; with tocino (sweetened pork belly), it's tosilog; etc. There's even spamsilog because, yes, Filipinos love Spam! A little harder to find in the States, I went for bangsilog, which is with salted and dried milkfish, or bangus. Yum!

Fuller and greasier, we walked into town to catch transport to our next stop. This was Rich's first ride on a jeepney. When we got offered a chance to ride on top, we climbed aboard. It was a good decision. Sure, the seating options were either a spare tire or a piece of cardboard on the rails (hint: go for the tire every time), but the views are incredible! The road is an endless string of switchbacks overlooking drop offs with lush forests. Brilliant bougainvilleas were in bloom, and we were surprised to see towering tree ferns like those in New Zealand. Scarlet dongla plants (possibly cabbage palm?), sacred to the indigenous Ifugao people, line roads and mark territories. The ride itself is a bit of excitement as well. You have to keep your wits about you for dodging and ducking power lines and palms. The knuckles may get a little white as the jeepney plows down the center of the road and careens around blind corners because the drive takes long enough as it is, right, so why slow down? You'd never be allowed to do this in the States. But as the wind rushes by, one can't help but think, a la Mad Max: Fury Road, "Oh, what a day! What a lovely day!"

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Philippines