Full Moon in Sagada

June 9, midnight

I was a lonely backpacker waiting for my midnight bus trip in Autobus terminal in Espana. The trip was bound to Banawe, from where I would take a jeepney to reach my abode--- Sagada.

I have been to Sagada a lot of times, and the previous trips were with friends. However, this recent trip was all by myself. During the bus stopovers, I enjoyed the cold air, smoked a few, and relished at the idea of a lonely trip. I could almost taste my much deserved full moon in Sagada.

Upon arriving in Sagada, I was able to find a cheap room at St. Joseph's Inn. In between a Banana yogurt lunch at the Yoghurt House and a relaxing dinner at Masferre, I spent the entire day at the Echo Valley - where I climbed a little and sat more often.

June 10, midnight

The after-dinner was what I dreamed it to be. The view outside St. Joseph's was magnificent as the full moon started to show amid the fog and cold. I took a spot in the moonlit garden where I could still hear some local performers singing reggae songs from inside the Inn. Someone yelled at me from the nearby group and offered me some drinks. They were the ones I made friends with during the jeepney ride to Sagada. It was indeed a beautiful, moon-bathed night in Sagada, drinking beers and margaritas with strangers.

June 11, midnight

Earlier this afternoon, I took the last bus bound to Baguio. A high school friend who now resides in Baguio picked me up at the terminal and checked me in at my hotel. After treating me for dinner at Cafe by the Ruins, it was my turn to treat her to some club-hopping at Nevada Square while reminiscing our happy days. By midnight, I thanked her and we parted ways.

As I was taking a lonely stroll back to the hotel, it suddenly dawned on me how surreal the whole experience had been. And to think I completely forgot why I took the trip, in the first place. Was that how good I was?

From the downtown, the moon looked so big and angry.