Trekking!

Starting the days trek

Today Chris and I got up bright and early and decided to go trekking! I know it sounds unbelievable and we almost couldn't believe it ourselves but we did!

Hanging coffins in Echo valley

Our first stop was to Echo Valley to see some hanging coffins. However, we soon got lost following Lonely Planet directions. Refreshingly, we weren't the only ones and we found Sophie, a lone traveller from Switzerland with the same problem. So together, we finally found our way.

Sophie our new Swiss friend

View across Sagada

Then, still feeling adventurous, we headed out Lumiang Caves to see some more coffins, this time on the ground.

Looking down into the cave

Some of the coffins here were over 500 years old! Very impressive! We did however find it very strange to only see small coffins, thus concluding that there were many children in coffins or seriously short people, shorter than myself.

Chris with the 100's of VERY old coffins, spooky !

Later though after doing some further research we discovered that when the bodies are placed into the coffins, they are put into the fetal position; therefore leaving the world the same way they entered. Although the cave was amazing, as we didn’t take a guide with us, we thought it would be sensible not to wander through, as we didn’t know what scary things might be inside.

Up from the coffin cave

Alter the cave we decided to find some more hanging coffins (and thinking about it now, it sounds pretty morbid trekking after coffins all day). Signs in The Philippines are non-existent so finding them proved challenging, but by talking to a friendly local he pointed them out to us, right behind his own house hanging off a cliff!

Hanging coffins

They were even his ancestors!

Two local kids with their ancestors behind in the coffins

We found out from him that the reason why they are hanging instead of being buried so their spirits could roam around the valley and that way they can watch over them I suppose.

After our trek, all three of us were exhausted. Sagada has no flat ground and is surrounded by mountains but we were in fact very proud of ourselves!

View whilst trekking around Sagada

Old bug