Palanan Isabela via Tuguegarao – The Wait Is Over (Page 1)

Last April 22, 2017, my friend and I took a 10-hour bus ride to Tuguegarao City up Northeast of the Philippines. From Tuguegarao Airport, we waited 5 hours for a 45-minute, 20-seater flight to Palanan Valley in Isabela Province. We were early and the plane was 4 hours late.

Palanan is not a popular travel destination, more so the village we went to. I was jobless with savings slowly draining away. What on earth was in Palanan that we were ready to get Php 8,000 (almost US$200) poorer and some backaches richer just to be there?

But we were excited despite the financial tradeoff and physically draining travel arrangements. When we got there, we still had to cross a river and climb a 140-step staircase. But deep inside all I could think was, “Finally, Palanan, here we come.” I couldn’t be more hungry for something that is absolutely the opposite of city life. In Palanan, I heard, there’s no electricity. Life may be hard but thank God there’s no Internet, malls, pollution, and traffic congestion. I’d take that for sure. Thankful that the plane came even though it came late.

How about you? Are you also desperate to go somewhere no one can track you down? Where was the last off-the-beaten-track place you went to? 🙂

By the way, here is the first batch of photos (from take off to touchdown on Isabela). More in next post.

Check out the Google Map for a better picture of the area’s topography.

Cargo of fruits and other commodities, Palanan-bound

Trivia: You can find few fruits and vegetables in Palanan due to the disastrous typhoon that struck them last year. Trees and vegetation were destroyed so most of the fruits and veggies there were flown from the city or nearby provinces…

 

First hour waiting. We had no idea this time that we had four hours to go!

The 20-seater that really had 14 seats

Trust the pilot

Aerial view of Palanan, Isabela from the Pacific Ocean

Going inland

The curvy river

The river and the valley

Palanan Valley up close

Coming down

The typhoon-stricken, under-construction airport in Palanan

Palanan Airport. Don’t worry, it should be rebuilt already by the time you head over here.

“Welcome to Palanan”

“We’re here!” Sort of. – Outside our host’s house, on a tricycle

First meal. Ate Julie, our host (left) and Ate Ruth, my companion (right)

Ate Gloria. She cooked the delicious lunch we had. It was really delicious.

Burning wood.

After lunch at our host’s place, we went straight to crossing the river to get to the venue near the mountains…

 

We took a tricycle and then walked with some young people

By the river

Ate Ruth and Masui

All smiles

P. Arnold, our other host

Obligatory wind-blown hair photo

Following the current to the sea

Carabaos and landscapes

Another one posing for the camera

Where we docked

This stairway used to be just rocks and dirt and they trek all the way up. They built it just late last year! Boy were we grateful!

Docking

The river, up close

Oh, someone’s doing some laundry…

And Ate Ruth had to take some photos

Heading up!

Looking down

Finally, we’re here.

Continue reading to Page 2 of Palanan Trip.