Part 2: Planning a Road Trip

This must have been what Baguio looked like before diesel fumes replaced the cool pine scent!  It's my first time here but I can imagine I've arrived in the last few months before progress desecrates this serene paradise.  I've noticed that the rough, dusty roads that have prevented mainstream tourists from visiting this Eden have now been paved.  Watch out, Sagada!

We were fortunate to discover a private 2-storey home surrounded by pine trees located in a quiet part of town.  The house had a full kitchen complete with cooking implements, perfect for the strict Cohenite.  The moment we entered this house I immediately put my ice-packed meals in the refrigerator.

All my meals survived the 12-hour journey with no problems at all!

One serving of plain yogurt

After settling down, we headed for the center of town which I discovered consisted of just one main street.  This made it so easy to find all the restaurants recommended by friends and bloggers.  First on our list was Yogurt House.  This is where I picked up my breakfast every single day.  Their plain yogurt was delicious.  If you are a Rizal Dairy Greek Yogurt fan, then this will not disappoint.  But I suspect that their yogurt is not low-fat (maybe that's why I loved it so much --- hehehe).  An order of plain yogurt is P80.00.  I noticed that many restaurants in Sagada have their own yogurt recipes but I found the one at Yogurt House the most delicious.

Majoritiy of the restaurants in Sagada offer simple "lutong bahay" meals.  One restaurant that served delicious local food, according to my friends, is Homestay Inn.  I did not get to try the main dishes but I got to taste their tuna salad.  I must admit that I tried my best to stick to my baon but when you're on holiday, you gotta loosen up.  So I ordered a dish that, in my mind, would be most Cohen-compliant.  









Another restaurant we tried is Log Cabin.  This restaurant is popular because a Frenchman used to serve buffet dinners on Saturdays.  As the story goes, this Frenchman biked his way to Sagada from Baguio.  Upon reaching Sagada, he arrived with nothing but his cooking skills and the rest is history.  He has since moved to another venue but the restaurant has remained popular.  Reservations a day before are needed to ensure a table.  We were able to get a table for our second dinner in Sagada.  I brought my Breaded Chicken and ordered a Sagada Green Salad to complete my meal.

And after all that eating...  let me share with you the real Sagada.  Sagada is about appreciating nature.  It's hiking hours to discover the genius of our ancestors and the beautiful sculptures of our Creator.  Yes, that's what we did.  We hiked for hours and marveled at how the early Filipinos thought of cutting through the mountain to make level ground to plant rice.  We walked another hour to discover a beautiful waterfall with water so cold and clean, perfect to cool our bodies after the long trek.  That's what Sagada was about.

I always say that just because you're trying to lose weight, you shouldn't dwell too much on your food restrictions.  Make the best of your situation and find ways to enjoy your Cohen journey.  Go out an explore life.  There's more to life than just food :)

And with a slight deviation from the EP but with 90% compliance, how did I do?  I came back weighing 114 lbs.  That's 2 pounds over my upper limit and 6 pounds below my all time high A. C. (After Cohen).  All-in-all, this trip was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!