Sagada's Mountain Man... meet Ed (Day Two)

Every idyllic village has its poet, and Sagada is no exception.

Ed of Sagada

Sagada's Mountain Man, as I call him, looks unprepossessing enough.  He is a small man, with shoulder length hair, a slim reed like body, weather lined face, deep soulful eyes, and a wide toothless grin.  He is always clad in clean yet well worn clothes, with feet shod in thongs.  With his thongs he walks for hours throughout Sagada, climbing its mountains, trekking along its rice paddy terraces, spelunking in its many darkly intriguing burial caves.

Ed, as all of Sagada calls him, could easily be mistaken as the town mayor, he's so popular and friendly.  He smiles at everyone he sees, calls out to every person he meets, converses with every second individual, and shares a joke with every third.  He loves the town's babies and children, and often stops by with a candy bar, a toy, or a pat on the head for the tots.

He knows everyone, or so it seems, and everyone seems to know him.  They call out to him, shrieking "Hi, Ed!"  He seems to know everything that's happening with everyone.  He knows when the lady who lives on top of the hill is baking fresh bread she learned from a French baker.  He knows when the potter will be at the barn to lecture and demonstrate her craft.  He even knows when the next contingent will attempt white water rafting in the Chico River.  He knows when lemon pies made with only fresh lemons will be available at the coop.  He knows when the Sagada sun rises in Kiltepan, and when it sets in Danum Lake.   He has made many friends with the villagers, so much so that he is always welcome for a meal or to spend the night.  He has on his speed dial all of the best mountain trail guides in Sagada...as well as all the innkeepers and restaurant owners and cooks in town.

But Ed is more than just the Tatler extraordinaire of Sagada's community register.  He is its most passionate advocate, raconteur, and promoter.  He has personally accompanied scores of friends and friends of friends from Manila and the rest of the world to visit these magical mountains, helping them discover and experience their own unique magical moments.... Though he is worried about the droves of tourists who may push his beloved town to become an overcrowded tourist spot, still he drumbeats the multitude of splendors it has to all his friends from everywhere. He is hopelessly in love with the people of Sagada, finding in their soft, rounded, chintzy eyed and ruddy tanned features, true beauty, and sincerity of the soul.  And he holds listeners spellbound as he recounts the stories of the sunrises, the sunsets, the hanging coffins, the burial caves, and so many more of Sagada's living folklore.  From his lips drip words that paint remarkable pictures and unforgettable moments of the romance that could be. And only he has the nerve and verve to help create incomparable images and memories for the unwitting visitor who never realized just how spectacular Sagada is.

And who is  Ed? He is a record producer by profession, and a musician by avocation, and once associated with one of the country's most iconic rock bands.  He is on first name terms with Philippine rock's legends.  He has produced best selling records, won awards, and is known in the music industry as a gentle soul with a lot of passion and rhythm still in him, waiting to be revealed.  He looks like a rock star of an earlier time...and with his love for Sagada known to all Sagadans, he is still treated like a rock star in this extraordinary town.

He first visited Sagada in the 70's, and fell head over heels.  He may have met his wife here, raised his two daughters through summers here, and simply kept coming back.  With each visit, he peeled new layers of these mountains, and kept enriching his own treasure chest of a thousand and one reasons why you will love Sagada as much as he does.

A trip to Sagada would not be complete without chancing upon Ed, whose seemingly ubiquitous presence is itself almost a landmark here.

More stories to come from Ed, on this Day Two of my Sagada sojourn.