Philippines – Bontoc
The image of the Philippines is shaped by the geographical and climatic conditions. On the one hand, there are beach idylls on palm-fringed islands, on the other hand, majestic mountains up to almost 3000 m high (“Mont Apo”), colorful shimmering coral gardens, lush fields, unique rice terraces and dense rainforests. But also devastation caused by typhoons, volcanoes, earthquakes, droughts and erosion damage that cause clear-cutting and slash-and-burn agriculture, mountains of garbage and slums, exhaust clouds over the big cities are characteristic of the Philippines.
We are on our way from Manila to Bontoc on the main island of Luzon. The road conditions to the mountainous region and the highlands correspond to those of a rainforest. From the heavy downpours, during which it pours like buckets, the paths are soaked and muddy. Every now and then, the roads are completely buried by landslides. In narrow serpentines it goes up the mountains. An average speed of 20-30/kmh is announced.
Dense subtropical vegetation stands up to an altitude of 1,500m. In the narrow valleys there are a few huts of the mountain farmers, who grow their rice here in terraces. Occasionally we find small villages with clusters of houses clinging to the mountain slopes like swallows’ nests. From time to time we encounter buses that are so packed up to the roof with people and goods that you think they are going to break apart at any moment.
We drive through the spa town of Baguio, which welcomes us as a lively town at an altitude of 1500 m. It also bears the name “City of Flowers”, is also a university town with 60,000 students and a high-altitude health resort as well as the summer residence of rich Filipinos. A destination worth seeing here is the “Botanical Garden”. Everywhere you can see the typical houses of the mountain people. Another attraction is the “Bell Temple”, the so-called “world church”. It is a huge Chinese temple complex. Here, Buddhist and Christian elements of faith are combined into a unity. After another dizzying journey, always past deep gorges, we reach the trading town of Bontoc, which is well worth seeing.
Most of the inhabitants of the region come here to sell their goods and on the other hand to stock up on other things of daily use. In the more remote villages, we find open huts like the one next door, where people live and work. The products are then usually offered for sale directly on the street.
