Today was another active day … that we spent exploring the vicinity of Sagada.

We kicked it off for an all day hike connecting the major attractions of tows. The first stop was at the Church of St. Mary the Virgin and from here on to the cemetery and then down into Echo Valley for an introduction to the local burial culture (though burial might not be the right word here).

Traditionally in Sagada coffins are not buried, but are in some way attached to the rock face, for instance at a cliff, but also in caves. The idea here is, to allow the deceased to be closer to heaven, while at the same time keep their remains away from the ground and away from any animals.