Hive Philippines Travel and Nature Photography #360 - by Allmonitors

#360 - Getting inked by Apo Wang-Od.

Back in the days before the pandemic hits, my wife and I had a chance to visit the remote village of the last of her generation tribal tattoo artist Apo Wang-Od of Kalinga. Their village is a jeepney ride away from the center of Bontoc Mountain Province. It took us about a couple of hours when we arrive at the drop point where we have to ride a motorcycle to get to the mountains where their village is located. The village is about a few kilometers away from the main road so walking will take time hence we have to ride a motorcycle.

And from m the last part of the rough road we have to walk by foot and climb the mountains going to their village. It is like we are going for a mountain climb 😅. It was midday and the sun is on top which make it hot and gives us sweat, a lot of sweat.

But all of it was all worth it because we had our chance to be tattooed by this great woman, she is old already but still doing what she loves and people are going to their humble domain for the tattoo of a life time. A lot of foreign tourists also come here to get the tattoo and of course to experience their home grown ganja.

We took turns in getting inked but I let my wife go first. There were only few of us after lunch so we were lucky to be there early because if we have not arrived early, a lot of tourists will be lining up already which we saw after an hour we finished getting inked.

My wife looking away as the wet charcoal is roughly being pushed by calamansi thorn which is attached to a wood and being pushed by hitting it with a bamboo stick. Same as any other traditional way of tattoos if you can't picture what I am saying 😅.

The process is a bit painful since this is our first time getting inked. But then again, we are glad to be tattooed by this wonderful old lady who is the only living artist of her generation. She has trained two of her grand daughters to continue this traditional art as well just to keep it alive for the next generation to come.

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Shot taken in Kalinga, Philippines.

Image/s were shot using Panasonic Lumix ZS110. ~rex