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Hanging Coffins of Sagada, Philippines

trip report by site editor Rick McCharles

Sagada … has a population of 10,930.

It is located 275 km. north of Manila …

Sagada is one of the most popular tourist destinations, undeveloped as it takes at least 11hrs by bus and Jeepney to get there.

Sagada is famous for its “hanging coffins“. This is a traditional way of burying people that is still utilized. …

These coffins are carved by the elderly before they die; if they are too ill or weak their son or other close relative will do it for them. This ritual involves pushing the bodies into the tight spaces of the coffins, and often bones are cracked and broken as the process is completed. …

Pilot Guides

Most intriguing of all are chairs dangling alongside the coffins.

Later I learned that families who cannot afford a coffin use a chair, instead. The recently diseased is tied to a chair, attends an all night wake, and then is lowered down from the top of the cliff by rope.

This hanging coffin has a Crucifix, as well. Christians in this region have the choice of a graveyard or being hung.

In fact, the short hike to those hanging coffins takes you right past the impressive church and graveyard.

more photos

The other adventure out of Sagada is a guided tour of the Sumaguing Cave.

related – Weird Asia News – The Hanging Coffins of Sagada: An Ancient Tradition

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10 beautiful waterfalls

… It’s difficult making a choice when it comes to narrow it down to just 10 when there are so many beautiful ones out there, however below are some of the best …

Plitvice Falls, Croatia

See the rest on Smashing Tops – 10 of the most Beautiful Waterfalls in the World

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Andalucian International Walking Festival

I’m seeing a trend to hiking festivals where you can learn about local culture. This new event in Spain includes: Olive Harvest & Virgin Oil Production, Andalucian Cookery Classes, Pottery, Bodega Wine Tasting Tour, Oil Painting and several more.

February 26 – March 4, 2012
Malaga Airport, Spain

The White Mountain Village of El Burgo plays hosts to the first Andalucian International Walking & Cultural Festival.

Guided walks will explore the surrounding olive groves and beyond to the stunning Nature Park of Sierra de las Nieves. Take part in a wide variety of activities as well as colourful local fiestas including Andalucia Day and the celebration of Carnaval.

The whole thing is an invention of a company, Frontier Holidays. Looks like fun to me.

details

While you’re in Andalucia, be sure to stop by the blue Smurf village of Júzcar.

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The Year in Volcanic Activity

The Atlantic:

Out of an estimated 1,500 active volcanoes around the world, 50 or so erupt every year, spewing steam, ash, toxic gases, and lava. In 2011, active volcanoes included Chile’s Puyehue, Japan’s Shinmoedake, Indonesia’s Lokon, Iceland’s Grímsvötn, Italy’s Etna, and recently Nyamulagira in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Hawaii, Kilauea continues to send lava flowing toward the sea, and the ocean floor has been erupting near the Canary Islands.

Indonesian worshipers descend from the crater of Mount Bromo in East Java province on January 28, 2011. The worshipers gave offerings to the god of the mountain, praying for the safety of local people. (Aman Rahman/AFP/Getty Images)

See all 36 photos – The Year in Volcanic Activity

I have friends hiking the Tongariro volcano in New Zealand right now.

(via kottke)

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trek the High Tatras, Slovakia

High Tatras or High Tatra (Slovak and Czech: Vysoké Tatry, Polish: Tatry Wysokie) are a mountain range on the borders between Slovakia and Poland. …

travelslovakia.sk guides long adventures across the peaks. And also day hikes.

For the independent hiker, they also have recommendations for self-guided-tours.

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hiking alone in grizzly country – or not

John Flinn in SFGate:

… Everyone I talked to in Jasper agreed that the trail I would be walking was one of the most reliable places around for coming face-to-face with a grizzly. Someone pointed me to a YouTube video, shot two weeks earlier, of an enormous mother and two cubs lumbering alongside the path.

My courage needed some serious bucking-up, so the night before the hike I went to a lecture on bear safety. The naturalist began with a scary story about a close call she’d once had with a grizzly – on the very same trail I’d be walking, naturally – and stressed that the safest thing hikers could do was travel in a group of four or more. …

Hiking in grizzly country – or not

Click through to see if John overcame his fears and made it the 14mi to the backcountry lodge.

(via Meaderthals)

Having grown up close to the Canadian Rockies I’m pretty blase about Griz. In fact, I’ve only seen two over the years.

It’s true that a lot of Grizzlies live close to Jasper. I’ve heard stories.