banaue, batad, baguio. B is for Beautiful.

The view out the window while we ate breakfast in Banaue.  "We" was me, a german dude, and a dutch chick.  Lotsa western backpackers in Banaue.

Rice terraces of Banaue.  They're throughout the whole city, next to houses, restaurants, shops, the road - the agricultural woven into the urban, farming amongst the buildings.

City center - it was market day, so lots of tricycle traffic.

Unfortunately, I completely failed to get a good picture of one of the overloaded jeepneys, with passengers crowded on top.  This was actually the best I got.  Sorry.

The road to Batad.

This was the toilet - or "comfort room" - at the saddle, the start point of the hike down to Batad.  It is a terrifying experience to step on that rickety wooden platform.

And this, friends, is why Batad is only accessible by foot.

The amphitheater at Batad - world heritage rice terraces.

Me being a dweeb.

It is actually overwhelming when you turn around the corner of the trail and see the amphitheater spread out before you.  I'm not sure the photos convey how HUGE this is.

The town itself

My guide, Margie, as we get ready to enter the terraces themselves.

85 years old.  Poses in traditional Ifugao clothing in a nipa hut so that tourists like me can take pictures of him, and asks for donations in return.  Nice guy.  He liked my camera - said it would take very clear photos of him.

Scarecrows to keep the birds from eating all the rice.

Up close and personal with a rice plant.

Hike a little farther - but it feels a lot farther in the midday heat - and you'll reach this waterfall.

Some people swam, but I didn't - stuck in a toe and dang, that water was cold.

My ride down the mountain.  More on that later.

And finally, I reached Baguio - that's the city blurrily behind me.  No rice terraces there, but lovely pine trees and a very nice central park and downtown area.