Travelling With A Mission … “ A Trek to Remember “ – 4

Behold the Green Amphitheater

We set off to Batad and were told that we would be walking another 6 km to get there.  After last night’strek, 6 km seemed easy, but what I did not know was that steeper and even narrow trails awaited us.  But the mere thought of walking through a world’s wonder made me push through and continue to hold.

One of the adventure’s challenges was holding on to vertically piled rocks since the sloping ground to sep on was less than 4 inches in width.  And then came Aling Susan, an old lady carrying a sack on her head, who held my arms and guided me to the right rocks to step on.

At the summit of the mountain stood a miracle.  How our forefathers built the great green amphitheater of the Batad rice terraces, we will never know, but the wonder was right before our very eyes.  The sides of the mountains were transformed into stairs of rice fields and created a coliseum of immense beauty, which can make any Filipino proud that such a spectacle belongs to our country.  It reflects our countrymen’s hard work and irrigation genius.  The hype about the rice terraces in postcards and schoolbooks was definitely not overrated.

We were like ants walking through the edges of the rice terraces and establishment s were like colored dots.  Looking towards the orange-roofed destination can easily harm the morale but the breathtaking view and the overwhelming pride and love for country took over.

Another way of getting to the Batad rice terraces is through a one-hour trek, and I suggest every walking Filipino should go there.  I know I may never pass that way again – from Mt. Amuyao, to the town of Cambulao, to Batad – but I am so happy that we did.  After those two days of trekking, volunteers of “A Trek to Remember” came home with new friends and acquaintances, a drive to be an instrument to help others, and an urge to discover more of the treasures that our country holds.