@Wella46 1 May 2021 more from that month

Tramline in Banaue Dear noisemates. I want to share with you a personal experience which happened 3 years ago. Have you tried riding in a tramline? It was on April 29, 2018, when a group of volunteers whom I joined decided to see the hidden waterfalls in one of the nearby mountains where we stayed. We were in the Banaue, Ifugao area doing voluntary project for some indigenous children. After our meeting with concerned authorities we decided to see the waterfalls. The shortest way to reach the area was to ride the tramline shown in the photo below. Upon seeing the condition of the carriage, I was having second thoughts! I had travelled to different countries and tried riding on trams or cable cars and it was my first time to see a tramline like this. I had so many questions on my mind. "What, we will take a ride on this thing crossing that vast space unto another mountain? OMG, what am I getting into? What will happen to us if this thing fails or falls?" I was slowly calmed when our guide and the operator assured us of the safety of the tramline. Considering that they were using this daily and nothing untoward incident happened to their folks here, gave me the confidence to try and get in there. My companions were excited! Of course they were all "bagets", young bloods thirsty for adventure! I was convinced and joined the team. It was super exciting indeed! Although my heart was pounding ("kulba")while crossing I just enjoyed the ride and the view of the rice terraces from above the tramline. It was awesome, amazing view! Very overwhelming enough to ease my nervousness. The tramline is of great help for the community to shorten their travel time. I guess it was not designed for people but for crops because of the size and no sitting area. You just squat on the flooring. 'Magyaka ra ka sa sawog", in Bisayan. "Sana may upuan para maayos po ang byahe." But there were no seats. I also think that the carriage was designed for slimmer or little people in mind like children. We, adults, had to crawl to get in. I supposed the tramline was also to help children go to school faster instead of walking for more than an hour if they don't use the tramline. I pray that the government will improve this mode of transport to give enough comfort for the everyday users. "Sana may upuan na maayos!" Hehehe. I know sometime soon ma improve din ito. It was a very humbling experience to try how the natives travel using the tramline. I thank God, I survived that ride and treasure the exciting experience I made. I just loved the experience especially that I am the only senior accompanying this group of "bagets"! I really miss going out again and try new things.