Banaue rice terraces - Hapao and Bay-Yo rice terraces. Banaue in the Cordilleras mountains, northern Luzon, Philippines. A true wonder is the masterwork of the huge rice terraces system by the Ifugao people in Ifugao province. Some 2 thousand years of construction were needed to accomplish the world's most perfect and greatest rice terracing system flushed permanently by a steady stream of clear mountain water directed thru a complex watering system from top of the mountains thru all the rice terraces to turn the originally poor vegetation into a tropical lush and rich rice and fruit paradise.
The original population of the Ifugao started approximately 3000 BC - the population of Ifugao is approximately 120'000 people spread over a surface of approx. 400 sq. kms. of high altitude steep mountain region with mountains up to 2000+ mtrs a.s.l. and highest peaks to some 2400 mtrs a.s.l.
Hardest work, perfect coordination and the combined efforts of the entire Ifugao as well as the accumulated specialized knowledge and skills in constructing with simplest means a complex, perfect a rugged rice terraces with its needed watering system that lasted for some 2000+ years into these very days. While most other structures considered *world wonders* are all gone long time - the rice terraces, certainly exceeding the accomplishments of the Egyptian pyramids or any other man-made structure by difficulty, usefulness and perfection are fully functional until these days for the benefit of hundreds of thousands humans. While all the other *wonders of the world* may above all have served an elite group or king, the rice terraces were built by its people and for its people - the Ifugao. The purpose of the rice terraces and adjacent agriculture such as thousands of fruits trees of various kinds up to the top of the mountains - with large quantities of mangos - serve but one goal - to enrich the culture and population of the entire Ifugao people.
One people - one goal - one accomplishment = a everlasting better life for all together!!!
Built by all - built for all - a true masterwork of civil engineering as acknowledged by UNESCO and other authorities, the 2000 year long lasting efforts of construction resulted in a lasting improvement of the overall quality of life of its entire Ifugao People. Until these days the standard of living in the Ifugao province is higher than in all other Philippine provinces seen so far. People have a better income and nicer houses than average in other Philippine provinces.
The walls of the rice terraces - when joined or lined up - would reach more than half around the entire planet! The rice here traditionally is red - or a violet reddish color - totally different as anything else I have seen or tasted before.l The Red rice originating from Banaue rice terraces is more expensive than normal rice and also better or different in taste.
Besides the greatest man-made rice terracing system in the world - the Ifugao people also planted abundance of flowers and blossoming bushes all over the mountains and valleys. Millions of tropical blossoms all over. Orchids, Lilies, Hibiscus and many other tropical flowers and bushes decorate the entire region and make the visit of the Ifugao region a pleasure for heart, body and soul to visit.
People who work for so many generations toward achieving one singly goal certainly also have a far above average love for each other and visitors as well. The Ifugao people are friendly and smiling to all guests and the girls here are above average pretty and sexy and like most farmer girls in the world natural, smiling and hard working.
The photos of this photo album are the result of one week daily photo sessions, mostly by walking many kms thru the hills and mountains each day. A photo journey accompanied by car that started in Baguio - to Banaue - then Hapao - then via Bay-Yo to Sagada, Mountain province and back via Benguet province to Baguio.
The end of the photo album shall be a few photos from Sagada - a totally different population and culture populated by Igorats - until recently head hunters ... some rumors say that limited head hunting may still be practiced.
Enjoy the photos - more to be published week by week until all photos are processed - totally you may expect several hundred photos in this album.
Please remember that all photos of the entire photo gallery also can be sent as free eMail greeting cards. To send a free eCard select on left navigation menu "send as eCard".
God bless
