Adventure

Kyrelle Kate Lintan

The bumpy mountain road twisted and turned as our jeepney made
the ascent up into the Cordillera mountains. I gazed out the window at
the lush green slopes passing by, clouds drifting lazily through the
valleys below us. The air rushing in through the open jeepney door was
crisp and cool, a welcome relief from the humid heat of the lowlands.
We were headed to Kibungan, a remote village nestled high
amongst the peaks and forests of northern Luzon. As the road climbed
higher, a light mist clung to the mountainsides, shrouding the landscape
in moody greys and greens. Through the fog, I spotted small hamlets and
terraced rice fields carved intricately into the hillsides. The pace of life
seemed slower here, removed from the congested cities I was
accustomed to. We turned a sharp bend and suddenly the clouds cleared
to reveal the Cordillera Mountain range before us in all its glory. Sharp
jagged peaks jutted towards the sky, some still capped with snow even in
this tropical country. I gasped in awe at the raw, rugged beauty laid out
in panoramic views around each twist and turn. The higher we drove, the
more vivid shades of green the forests and mossy boulders became.
As we approached Kibungan, nestled on a plateau overlooking
sloping valleys, I felt a world away from my usual metropolitan life. The
air smelled earthy, of wood smoke and mountain vegetation. I caught
glimpses of tribal villages, the thatched rooftops of traditional huts
dotted amongst the forests and terraces. I was transported to another
time and place, eager to explore this majestic, mystical mountain
province so far from the norm. The jeepney rattled to a stop in the small-
town square of Kibungan, the gateway to adventure in these parts they
call “the land of living traditions”.