Greetings from the Philippines
Meet the Ifugao
The Ifugao are the indigenous people of the Banaue, the area of Luzon Island famed for its UNESCO listed rice terraces. The name means ‘people of the earth’. While these ladies have chosen to wear their traditional dress to pose at this viewpoint in return for tourist tips, many of their traditions are maintained purely from belief in their importance to the group. They practice a mix of an animist indigenous religion and Christianity, using ritual practices, chants, and symbols to strengthen ecological balance.
Only the old farming methods are suitable for their terraces; no tractor or other machine could access them. Rice is planted, harvested and processed by hand on a daily basis, forming the basis of all their meals as indeed it is for all Filipinos).
Travel gives us the opportunity to meet and learn about the lives of other people at first-hand. The more we do that, the better we understand the common ground between us all and value the differences. Not all of us can travel to the other side of the world but we can all make the effort to travel virtually (via books, TV, film, blogs) and not shut ourselves into a bubble of isolation. Believing that our normal is the only ‘right’ normal is a dangerous path.
So my chosen word for John’s Lens Artist ‘Pick a Word‘ challenge is TRAVEL. Of course it is – travel is an important part of my life and the main driver for this blog. John wanted three or four photos so in addition to my ‘postcard’ here are a few more. One shows the rice terraces near Banaue, another looks down at the traditional Ifugao village of Bangaan. This village has been labelled as a Living Cultural Landscape as it still retains a few of the traditional Ifugao houses called bale. The third is of a woman outside her home in Bangaan, proudly showing us her weaving which is done with a back strap to hold the warp tight (you can see her strap on the ladder that leads to her front door).
16 Comments
Anne Sandler
Beautiful images of the rice terraces Sarah. We have a large number of people who are from the Philippines living in our community. Recently they cooked a dinner of traditional foods and showed us some of their folk dances. That was a great experience.
photobyjohnbo
I am not surprised at your word choice, Sarah. In fact, I would have been surprised if you’d picked any other word. 🙂
Your travel stories are second to none.
Suzanne@PictureRetirement
Hi Sarah, I just saw photos similar to yours from Phil and Micaela. Will your paths cross? Travel provides education and enlightenment on many levels. We are fortunate to have the means and energy to take advantage of the opportunity. Beautiful photos – enjoy your time away.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Suzanne 😊 Our paths did indeed cross and we met up for dinner in Bohol a couple of nights ago. It was great to see them and to compare notes on our trips!
Sofia Alves
Your travel photography is second to none so you picked the perfect word and experience. Beautifully done.
Sarah Wilkie
Thanks so much Sofia 😊
Sue
Travel is such a Sarah word! Thoroughly enjoyed your most informative post – you are very good at providing information from the places you have visited which is brilliant for someone like me who will now no longer travel and can learn about these places!
Sarah Wilkie
I’m really pleased to be able to share them with you Sue 😀 I like to capture the things I learn when I travel as it helps me to remember them!
Sue
Absolutely! I do think the act of taking photographs that mean something fixes a place in the mind, allso
Yvonne Dumsday
What an amazing experience- so totally different to anything / anywhere I have ever seen. Thankyou for sharing the photos and the narrative.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Yvonne 😊 It really is an amazing and unique place!
kzmcb
Great photos and information, Sarah. I know people from this region but nothing ABOUT the region. Very interesting.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you, I’m very glad you found this interesting 😀
margaret21
You really couldn’t have picked a better word than ‘travel’ in your case, Sarah! And your current post indicates what a huge variety of experiences you’ve shared with us, your lucky readers. May you travel for many years more, and blog about what you’ve seen and learnt.
Sarah Wilkie
Thank you Margaret 😊 We certainly have no plans to stop travelling yet – we will do so as long as we are able!
margaret21
I look forward to shots – one day – from your bath chair and zimmer frame!