Ilocos: Adventure to the Tip

June 24-26, 2016

After my semi-planned Corregidor trip & my unplanned winner’s trip to Hong Kong (thanks a again Sun Cellular & Spinnr), I got caught up with paper works, training, catch up with friends, and not to mention fan girl activities. But at last came June and our planned trip to Ilocos was up.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ph_ilocos.png

Ilocos collectively refers to two provinces in the Philippines: Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur which used to be a single province which occupies the northwestern section of Luzon. The Ilocos Region, containing four provinces, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan. Ilocos may also refer to the former province before Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur were divided. The Ilocos Region occupies the narrow plain between the Cordillera Central mountain range and the South China Sea, and the northern portion of the Central Luzon plain, to the north-east of the Zambales Mountains.

We arrived at around 5am though we’re a family that used to wake up that early we (they actually) were all still sleepy with our heads in our neck pillows, inflatable pillows and even the glass window of the van. We hired a tour package for this tour since it’s our first trip to the north. It was a long ride yet the views of the north are just worth the butt sore & the tired bodies.

Then we headed to Apo Caridad where the famous Bantayan Bell Tower is located. Our guide mentioned that it got popular with tourist especially when it was used as the location for the shoot of Kampanerang Kuba (which was a remake drama showed at ABS-CBN which stared Anne Curtis as a hunchbacked woman and that was the location of her scenes with a handsome “love interest” who is actually a man of the church *PS. I have to mention handsome just in case that guy who portrayed the role sees this… ehem, but then why are you reading my blog? Stalking your fan girls ei* but they remained as good friends in the end of the story cause another guy comes in the picture… opppsss spoiler)

After a quick picture taking moment & some quiet time, thanking the Lord for bringing us safe there despite the traffic, the rain, the road works we encountered, we were starving that the GOLDEN taho was quite an option, but upon hearing our guide saying we’ll head to the resto for breakfast we just gulped and got inside the van.

Another few hours till we reached our destination, Hidden Garden. We had our humble breakfast there together with other toursists. Where in we learned that most of the travel vans usually come together and bring their tourists together in groups. Meaning you’ll be in different tour vans but usually come in the next destination at the same time, yes it’s like several tours combined as one big tour, but with different coordinators & vans.

It was called Hidden Garden since it’s located inside the suburbs and after it’s restaurant is a garden full of plants and they sell plants as well. Mom & Dad were clasping their fingers not to buy any, but they were interested with one and asked the price… good thing they decided not to (you probably get it why they did not).

Then we headed to the famous Baluarte. There we saw live & stuffed animals. It is a private farm which has a mini zoo with animals from other countries and others endemic to the Philippines. Owned by Mr. Chavit Singson, a well-loved son of Vigan and well-known to most Filipinos as a former politician.

He got this animals during his haunting trips abroad, some of his collection of stuffed animals is also made into a mini museum. The resort complex lies in hectares of land that stretches from the rolling plain towards the hills, where the former governor’s multi-storey house sits with a grand view of Vigan and the West Philippine Sea.

Next stop was Pagburnayan in Vigan. Where we were able to see how jars are made. Some of the other tourists tried to do some jars too. These earthenwares are called Burnay.

After gathering the clay, the potters call in the nuwang, Ilocano for carabao, to tread on the material as soil and water are added to refine it. To preserve the clay, it is covered in plastic sheets, which keep it moist and malleable for up to a month. The potters make the burnay by hand, casting it on a potter’s wheel. It is the potter’s skill that determines how intricate a burnay will be. The jars are then cooked to hardness in a pugon, a brick and clay kiln fired to extremely hot temperatures. (Source: http://interaksyon.com/article/2296/vigans-pagburnayan)

And of course the play addict in me just kept playing Unchained Melody in my head, then suddenly who would have thought another tourist somewhat heard my head and hummed the song then they were guessing the title, so I immediately blurted it out and then they were looking for the movie (well it’s mom’s fave so how would I not know by heart the name of that movie & that was also it was just a few years back when Ghost the musical was shown, and of course I watched #DuhFanGirl)

Then we hit the road again for our next destination, Batac, there we ate lunch. Then afterwards we headed to our next destination The Marcos Museum, where the remains of former Pres. Ferdinand Marcos is placed to rest. Sorry I got no pictures of my own, picture taking is not allowed and that one has to stay in a distance from the glass cover.

Next stop was the Paoay Church or the Saint Augustine Church. Completed in 1710, the church is famous for its distinct architecture highlighted by the enormous buttresses on the sides and back of the building. It is declared as a National Cultural Treasure by the Philippine government in 1973 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the collective group of Baroque Churches of the Philippines in 1993.
 

After some moment of prayer and picture taking and we’re off to Malacanang of the North. This is where the old belongings of the Marcoses are displayed. Here also you will see how people during the presidency of Marcos.

Just before we leave Paoay, we have to do something adventuorous right? So yeah here we are riding our hearts out in a 4x4 in the sand dunes of Paoay!

Ilocos has been well known for their Sand Dunes which are actually formed by the interaction of the wind, sea and river that together cause erosion and deposition. The height of the sand dunes ranges from 10-30 meters. They actually have La Paz, Loag as sand dunes sites or as I call it adventure sites.

Lastly before heading to our Homestay, we headed to see the windmills at Bagui.

Unfortunately it was already drizzling when we got there so we only had few pictures. Then it was all souvenir haunting time.

Day 2

We started our journey at around 6am and proceeded to Patapat Viaduct. The bridge is elevated 31 meters over sea level. It is a concrete coastal bridge 1.3 km long and connects the Maharlika Highway from Laoag, Ilocos Norte to the Cagayan Valley Region. It was completed and opened to traffic in October 1986. It rises along the town's coastal mountains, which is the starting point of the Cordillera Mountain Range that snakes through Northern Luzon. It is the 4th longest bridge in the Philippines. (source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patapat_Viaduct)

Then we headed to Pagudpud beach to have some vitamin SEA.

We also rented a boat for island hoping. Boat rentals are via the information booth and they are on que. They usually let of sail 2-3 boats only so as to prevent crowding and the information office also has the boatmen on line so as to have a split in the number of served passengers/tourist. According to our boatmen, they actually share the total money for the day equally regardless of how many travels you did for the day. We were able to see the different islets in the area.

After the island hoping it was just in time for us for some CHOW! You can have paluto since they really have stalls for these in the area.

We stayed in the cottages near the beach though we also discovered that Hannah’s Beach Resort was also a good option for a stay, though we sticked to the cottages. We just roamed around the place to see what’s in-store so next time we can be able to go there without tour guides.

After a tiring day, we headed back to Hanna’s Homestay in Saud beach, but just before we head out we stopped over a small cottage along the road to have some hearty warm yummy VIGAN EMPANADA. The usual Vigan empanada is oily, and full of veggies, longanisa and egg, but ours was different, they added a special ingredient. We got to talk to the owner and he was really proud of telling us that the other empanadas are best with vinegar but his is best with vinegar & (wait for it……. Okay na? excited na?) ketchup, yes you read it right KETCHUP. So we tried and yes, it was different & suddenly there was an orchestra of taste buds singing in my mouth.

Picture not mine. Credits to http://pinoyrecipe-27b1.kxcdn.com/

There we were able to catch the sunset.

We had fun taking pictures of the beach side since of course it was already low tide and that the rocks are all out we just headed out for pictures. Me & my dad had our own models, my two cousins and of course dad could not resist taking a picture of his unica hija haha :P

Yup, that's my dad who's ready for pictures

After a long wait the sunset appeared it was like magic. Me & my dad just stayed there mesmerized by the rays of the sun. We grabbed our cameras & took our best shots.

Dad's Shot

My Shot

Dad's Shot

My shot

And that's how we called it a day.

Day 3

We checked out from the Homestay at around 7am since we opted to eat breakfast there instead of eating out. We headed out to the Pagudpud Arch

The road was a long one again but as we pass by, we were reminded how beautiful the place is still full of trees and we wave back to the windmills as we go father and father to them but nearer and nearer to home.

Last stop before Vigan was the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, also known as Burgos Lighthouse in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, that was established during the Spanish Colonial period in the Philippines. It was first lit on March 30, 1892, and is set high on Vigia de Nagpartian Hill overlooking the scenic Cape Bojeador where early galleons used to sail by. After over 100 years, it still functions as a welcoming beacon to the international ships that enter the Philippine Archipelago from the north and guide them safely away from the rocky coast of the town. The 66-foot-tall (20 m) octagonal stone tower, marks the northwestern-most point in Luzon.

Then we headed out to Vigan.

We were able to reach Vigan around 12nn so the restaurants were definitely jampacked with tourists, since most tourists unlike us usually makes Vigan as their base when touring Ilocos.

Established in the 16th century, Vigan is the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Its architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines, from China and from Europe, resulting in a culture and townscape that have no parallel anywhere in East and South-East Asia. An important trading post before the colonial era, Vigan is located at the river delta of Abra River, along the northwestern coastline of the main island of Luzon, in the Province of Ilocos Sur, Philippine Archipelago. The total area of the inscribed property is 17.25 hectares. The traditional Hispanic checkerboard street plan opens up into two adjacent plazas. The Plaza Salcedo is the longer arm of an L-shaped open space, with the Plaza Burgos as the shorter. The two plazas are dominated by the St. Paul’s Cathedral, the Archbishop’s Palace, the City Hall and the Provincial Capitol Building . The two storey structures are built of brick and wood, with a steeply pitched roof reminiscent of traditional Chinese architecture. The exterior walls of the upper storey are enclosed by window panels of kapis shells framed in wood which can be slid back for better ventilation. Most of the existing buildings were probably built in the mid 18th to late 19th centuries. Due to the economic decline of Vigan as an economic center after the World War II, only a few of the historic buildings had internal reorganization for alternative use. (Source: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/502)

There we were able to do some souvenir haunting and some retail therapy as well as some awesome one of a kind shots!

Ilocos has still many things in store since it was a rainy and jampacked trip, putting up all the primeier provinces in just 3 days and 2 nights it was totally tiring, but it is fun as well. Our family surely enjoyed the trip and definitely will come back.

Hope you enjoyed reading too.

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