Anak, bumili ka ng kape

The first time I heard about Sagada Coffee I was joking that a mother ordered her son to buy coffee and the son ended up going up to Sagada, Mountain Province just to buy coffee. Late last month, looks like the joke was on me.

When my mother learned that I was going to Hungduan, Ifugao for my travel project she ordered me to buy coffee. Specifically, Sagada Coffee.

I woke up at 4:45AM, packed my stuff and left my lodging in the middle of Hapao Rice Terraces in Hungduan, Ifugao to catch the 1 hour jeepney ride to Banaue.

Rode a jeep from Banaue to Bontoc, Mountain Province for 2 hours topload style where I met travellers – Jeano, Jermaine and Angel – who were also toploading.

When they asked me how many days was I staying and what were the spots I was going to in Sagada, I can only give them one answer “Ummm… Uwi na ako bukas. Inutusan lang kasi ako ng nanay ko bumili ng kape.”

I was serious, they were smiling. But I was laughing at my joke before so I was seriously laughing with them at my own answer. 🙂

Got down at Bontoc where I met Kuya Andrew, the owner of my favorite restaurant in Sagada – Salt & Pepper Diner. Toploaded again for 1 hour to get to Sagada.

Went to Bana’s Coffee because I was told that the authentic and good quality Sagada Coffee was found there.

I got to meet again a couple, Philip and Jocelyn, who were also buying coffee. I first met them on the jeepney from Banaue. And by great blessing we met the man behind Sagada Coffee, Manong Goad, who was also the owner of Bana’s Coffee.

We ordered coffee and sat down with Manong Goad while he told us stories of what he was doing for the coffee farmers and how he practices fair trade with them. And since I was not much of a coffee fan, I had silent moments as the couple and Manong Goad exchange coffee terminologies while I was happily stopping my nose from bleeding as I learn new things about the coffee world.

Mission accomplished. I joined the couple to visit the Church, the Cementery and Echo Valley. While talking with them, I had this feeling that Philip and Jocelyn would be good parents for their children.

Coffee for me is best served with a dessert. I went to Lemon Pie House and ordered two pans of Lemon Pie. I seriously do not like buying pasalubong that I had to bring with my own hands, especially when I’m backpacking. But if it’s for my mother, I’m sure the difficulty is worth it.

The next day, I woke up at 5:30AM, took a bath and went straight to Lemon Pie House to pick up my order. Got my bags and rode the 7AM bus to Banaue.

The bus took 6 hours to Baguio and from Baguio I rode a Victory Liner bus that was slow and took 8 hours just to arrive in Cubao.

I arrived at home around 12:30AM, tired and satisfied knowing that when my mother wakes up she would have her favorite coffee and a lemon pie for breakfast.

I could have easily said no to my mother not to buy the coffee from Sagada, it was quite a hassle even if it offered a scenic route along the highest highway in the country, Halsema Highway. But this is just a little thing compared to what my mother did for me.

I woke up really early for 2 days in the Cordillera just to get to Sagada and back home while my mother woke up almost everyday early in the morning for more than 3 years just to feed me milk while I was still a baby.

My total travel time from Hungduan to Sagada and back home was 21 hours but my mother carried me in her womb for more than 9 months.

I paid a total of 1,360 Pesos for the Sagada Coffee and the lemon pie but it’s nothing compared to what they spent for taking care of me and my tuition fee for school.

I carried the lemon pie on my hand for 17 hours but my mother carried me countless of hours while I was crying or just sleeping.

I carried the 2 kilos of coffee on my backpack but it’s nothing compared to the burden I gave her when I make mistakes even worse when I made the really big mistake of getting angry at her.

My mother happily hassled herself just to raise me. The least I could do is grow up the way she wanted me to be and make her smile by simple gestures like buying her coffee.

When my mother again asks me “Anak, bumili ka ng kape.” I would happily hassle myself to buy her her favorite coffee.

This is an entry to Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival themed Traveling with your mom (A Mother’s Day special). Click on the Blog Carnival Logo on the left to see more interesting posts regarding the theme.

Alvin Sabay of The World Behind My Wall hosts May 2012 Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival.

To see the archive of Pinoy Travel Bloggers’ Blog Carnival click here.

Visit my other Sagada, Mountain Province posts

• Sagada Tour Guide and Van Rates
• Where to stay in Sagada
• How to get to Sagada
• Bus Ride from Sagada to Baguio
• Bomod-Ok Falls at Sagada
• Salt and Pepper Diner (Food Trip)
• Buying Sagada Coffee (Mother’s Day Special)