Ren Bond Voyage: INKED! Tradition on my skin: Whang-Od and the Scorpion

Group photo with Whang-Od, locals and fellow tourists! (Our guide is the one wearing green. No he is NOT angry)

With the abundance of tattoo parlors nowadays, getting inked is an easy feat. I wouldn’t want my very first (and probably last) tattoo to be a typical ink brought to me by needles and machines like how everyone gets it. I also wouldn’t want it to be something I’d regret in the long run – I’ve heard enough stories of getting tattoos and the painful removal of it that comes after the regret. I’ve thought to myself that if I do get a tattoo, it would be something meaningful and not just a product of my spontaneity.

And so, after months of frustration, thinking, careful deliberation with thy self and ano ba talaga ‘teh make up your mind, I’ve learned about Whang-Od (pronounced as Fang-Od) and her tribe’s traditional way of tattooing. Voila. What better way of getting your very first tattoo than having it done in a traditional way.

Whang-Od is a mambabatok of the But-But tribe. Batok is the term for the technique she uses where the ink, made of a mixture of soot and water, is embedded into the skin by a pomelo thorn (which serves as the needle). The thorn is attached into a bamboo stick which would then be repeatedly tapped by another bamboo stick until the desired design is tattooed on the skin.

On the evening of February 11, 2015, with a backpack, neck pillow, selfie stick and essentials in tow, I set out on my journey to Kalinga province to meet Whang-Od herself and get inked. My roommate Ryan also joined me since the idea of getting a tattoo from the 96-year old mambabatok piqued his interest.

Me and my handsome roommate. Forevermore vibes (LOL)

We went to Victory Liner in Kamias, Quezon City and rode the 7pm bus heading to Tabuk. We got down St. William’s cathedral in Tabuk by 5am - it can be found at the left side of the road once you arrive in Tabuk. After hours of waiting and drinking coffee at the side of the road, by 7 am we found jeeps going to Tinglayan and by 8 am we were on the road.

We arrived in Tinglayan by 1pm. It was relatively late than I expected since the jeepney we rode in was slow. This is where me and my roommate got lost. I was told by a friend that the jeepney driver can take us to where the trail is. Apparently not. That was when we realized that we rode the wrong jeep and Bugnay (the junction where the start of the trail can be found) is A TWO HOUR WALK from where we were.

Our route from Bugnay. See Tinglayan and Bontoc on the opposite ends of the map (Image courtesy of Google Maps)

We were about to resign to walking to Bugnay when we saw a group of Spanish tourists and a guide named Francis with them. After minutes of negotiation and tons of persistence, we were allowed to join their group. We waited and rode another jeep, got down at Bugnay and started our trek. It was a series of steep inclines and narrow pathways. I found myself heavily panting and stopping along the way to catch my breath but then all my fears and exhaustion faded once I saw the view of the mountains that lay ahead.

Toploading the jeep with the Spanish tourists. Francis is the guy on the right with orange pants

Our trek. Bottom right: My HUGE eyes can tell you how high up we were

The wonderful Kalinga view

Flying high in Buscalan! That's me pretending to be fierce

By late afternoon (around 4 or 5pm) we reached the town of Buscalan and immediately saw Whang-Od sitting near her home. I was star struck when I saw her. There she was, the oldest mambabatok in the flesh. Francis, our guide, told us we can stay at Whang-Od’s house. Lucky us! We were later joined by more foreigners and that was when me and my roommate realized that we were the only Filipino travelers that day.

The wall of photos from tourists at Whang-Od's house

After a few minutes of resting, we found out that we can get our tattoo that day. We went to Grace’s house (Whang-Od’s niece and protégé) where we saw the other travelers getting their tattoos. It was amazing how Whang-Od and Grace can finish a tattoo in a matter of minutes and within what was like 30 minutes, it was already my turn to get a tattoo. I chose the scorpion from the design book and I knew I would have it placed on my belly. I told this to Grace and Whang-Od and I also informed them that it would be my first tattoo (virgin tattoo as they say). They were hesitant at first, saying that tattoos on the belly are very painful so they chose to put it on the left side of my waist. The locals told me Grace would be making the entirety of my tattoo since I might not be able to bear the pain if Whang-Od did my tattoo.

"Scorpion tattoos were placed on successful warriors... Describing the person wearing them as being deadly when he attacks, as the poisonous animal he has tattooed on his body... Symbol of his strength in battle"

Left: Me trying to mask the pain and fear by pretending to be happy in front of the camera

Right: Me dying shortly after and resurrected by my roommate's encouraging words

(FYI: the difference of Grace and Whang-Od is that Grace did the batok lighter than Whang-Od, thus less painful.)

Me and Whang-Od! She touched my tattoo and I spazzed (kidding)

My ultra happy face from getting my very first tattoo and surviving the painful way I got it.

Me, Whang-Od and my roommate. And yes, we are flaunting our new tats.

True enough, I was grateful I did not insist Whang-Od to do my tattoo since I nearly fainted while having my tattoo done out of extreme pain. My roommate even told me I was pale and it was pretty obvious I was in pain. But then after a few more hits of the thorn, my body got accustomed to the pain that it was bearable by the time Grace was already doing the finishing touches. Within 15 minutes, my tattoo was done and they were already applying coconut oil on my inked skin. What a relief.

Bonding with the locals and fellow tourists (Yes, that's Whang-Od on the right. I bonded with her <3)

By the evening, we were already bonding with the locals and the other tourists. Apart from getting my tattoo, this is what I enjoyed most about my trip. Sharing stories with the locals and being able to get to know more about them and their culture. In the morning, we enjoyed the sunrise and the wonderful view with delicious Kalinga coffee in hand. Afterwards, we started our descent back to Bugnay and made our exit through Bontoc then Baguio and back to Quezon City.

The best way to wake-up: Cold weather, a beautiful view and delicious Kalinga coffee

The delicious, bittersweet Kalinga coffee

GETTING TO BUSCALAN

There are two ways to get to Buscalan: Via Tabuk, Kalinga or Baguio-Bontoc.

Via Tabuk:

As I have mentioned, me and my roommate took the Tabuk route. Buses going to Tabuk can be found in Victory Liner in Kamias, Quezon City. There are three schedules: 7pm, 7:25pm and 8pm. The ride takes 12 hours but it also depends on how fast your bus is and the condition of the traffic. In our trip, it only took us 10 hours.

Once you have arrived in Tabuk, you must ride the jeepneys or buses going to Bontoc and inform the driver to drop you off at Bugnay. Or you can do what we did and ride the jeep to Tinglayan and meet your guide there. The jeepneys can be found near St. William’s cathedral (which is hard not to miss) and trips run only from 7-8am so be sure not to miss it or you’ll be staying in Tabuk for a whole day!

Me and my roommate toploading on a jeep to Tinglayan

Via Baguio – Bontoc:

Ride the buses going to Baguio (they can be found in Cubao), several liners offer trips to Baguio. Fare would range from 400-500 pesos. Once in Baguio, look for CL liner bus which will take you to Bontoc (fare is at 200 pesos). And once you are in Bontoc, take the jeepneys going to Tabuk and inform the driver to drop you off at Bugnay. There are two trips going to Tabuk: Morning trip (7-8:00am) and Afternoon trip (1-2:00pm). The fare would range from 80-100 pesos. This route is longer since it passes through 2 provinces going from Baguio to Buscalan. I suggest you just take this route on the way home.

You must take note of the last trip going out of Bugnay is during noon (11am-1pm). Manage your time wisely and take note of the time you allot in hiking from Buscalan so that you can be able to catch the last trip out. Remember that when you are in Bugnay there is no specific terminal for jeepneys. You have to wait at the road for jeepneys passing by going to either Tabuk or Bontoc (the only exit points).

TRAVEL TIPS AND HACKS:

1) Bring lots of water and travel light. There would be a LONG hike going to Buscalan and you’d be going along a trail of steep inclines and narrow pathways (where you’ll be walking along the edge of a cliff). The trail is not for the faint-hearted so better steel yourself once you set out for your journey in Buscalan.

2) You will be staying in a house of a local. The hike to and from Buscalan is very long and it cannot be done in a day. As I’ve stated earlier, we stayed in Whang-Od’s house. Since you will be doing a homestay, prepare money and food to give to your host. Don’t worry about your meals there, they will make sure you eat three times a day and their food is simple yet delicious (mostly vegetables).

3) It is highly suggested you take a tetanus shot before getting your tattoo. I had my tetanus shot years ago so I didn’t get any complications after having my tattoo. However, I have heard some accounts of people getting fever or infections after. My roommate showed signs of tetanus infection (spasms, numbing, etc.) a day after and I found out he never had a tetanus shot before. What he did was he took antibiotics immediately. In the event you forgot having your tetanus shot and you got a tattoo, make sure you take antibiotics.

4) Bring wet wipes and tissue. It is very cold in Buscalan that taking a shower is very difficult. That, and the fact that you will not be allowed to shower for a day after getting your tattoo. What me and my roommate did was we used wet wipes to clean our body especially our tattoo.

5) Make sure to clean your tattoo at least twice a day. This is just a tip from lil old neat freak me. I wanted my tattoo wounds to heal immediately so I clean it with wet wipes and put antibiotic ointment (cream, solution, or whatever you may have) twice a day.

6) Take pain-killers. If you have low tolerance for pain yet you still want to get a tattoo, take pain killers hours before and after you get your tattoo.

7) The last ATM you’ll be able to see is in Tabuk. I was not able to see any ATM in Bontoc so better stock up on cash because there would be no ATMs once you reach Bugnay.

EXPENSES

BREAKDOWN OF EXPENSES (As of February 2015, in Philippine Pesos):

Bus going to Tabuk (Victory Liner): 605

Jeep to Tinglayan: 120

Jeep to Bugnay: 20

Environmental Fee: 50

Guide fee (For Francis): 200

Homestay: 300

Guide fee (For Richard): 150

Tattoo: 500

Jeep to Bontoc from Bugnay: 80

Bus to Baguio: 212

Bus to Manila: 450

Food: 800

____________________________

TOTAL: 3487 pesos

NOTES:

1) Your expenses on food may vary. I was very hungry when we travelled (explaining my high expense on food) and we also bought souvenirs on the way back (take note that we passed by Baguio City). Since the locals will be providing you food on your stay in Buscalan, you can limit food expenses to as low as 300 pesos.

2) The homestay fee is not a fixed amount. It would all depend on you and how much you can give to your host.

3) It is MANDATORY that you pay the environmental fee.

4) Guide fees are fixed for an amount of 1k (regardless if you are travelling alone or in a group). The guides have informed me that it is a fixed amount and all guides charge this fee. If you’re travelling alone, it is best that you tag along a group so that the guide fee can be split among the group thus minimizing the cost. If you will be going as a big group, the guide fee may increase depending on your deal with the guide.

5) Although some may argue on getting a guide, I suggest you do get one especially if it is your first time going to Buscalan. As I have mentioned, the hike is very difficult and some may need assistance in the ascent especially if you have a lot of stuff with you. Not only that, it would also help the livelihood of locals since they also make money by guiding tourists to Buscalan.

6) The charges on the tattoo would depend on the size and complexity of the design. Whang-Od and Grace would tell you how much your tattoo would cost.

GUIDES

There are a lot of guides that can accompany you to Buscalan. As for me, I was able to get to know two: Francis and Richard. Francis is a well known guide and has been accompanying tourists (local, foreign, and even celebrities) for years. With this, he’s always been busy to accommodate other travelers (Like what happened to me and my roommate. Luckily, he was kind enough to let us join). Richard, on the other hand, is more accommodating. Me and my roommate had a nice time hiking with him and he even showed us some of the livelihood programs of the residents there and shared information on other ways to get to Buscalan. Below are their contact details:

Richard Ayangao: +639058696947

Francis Pa-in: +639157690843

You may also inform them that you got their contact numbers from me (Ren Bondad) so they could be able to accommodate you immediately :)

And that’s the whole account of my Kalinga and Whang-Od experience! I hope my tips could be able to help you out on your travel. If you want to share some updated fares, price list and fees or if you do have more questions, feel free to comment or email me at serene.ezra93@gmail.com. ‘Til the next travel!