August 23, 2015 11:54PM Bangar, La Union
After the 9 long hours of bus ride from Pasay City to Laoag City (which could have only been 1.5 hours ✈️✈️), we were fetched by our tour pilot. He then brought us to Casa de Viajero where we will be staying for the next 2 days. Well, really just rest and sleep and pack up and go. When we got there, the rain unceasingly, and I mean the word, poured and poured. Typhoon Ineng must have known we were coming ang wanted to play her joke on us. But she can't stop the tour and what we had in mind. So, getting a few hours rest and freshening up, we officially started the Ilocandia Trip..
First Stop: MALACANANG OF THE NORTH (Malacanang Ti Amianan)
Known as the Summer House of the former first family, the Marcoses, the mansion now houses the memorabilia of the former leadership of the Philippines. Here, we could find the artifacts, things, and more of the Marcoses. We may not have any guide, but then the pictures and the things around could sum it all. They have lived the glorious life. Personally, I think it's not bad to live such life, it was their lifestlyle. And you can actually see how the Ilocanos value the family considering the fact that they even preserved the mansion. So even if the late Pres Marcos, as they say, had been a tyrant and dictator, his legacy lived on and has been passed onto his children who are now seated in the government like he did before. (If you are not a Marcos fan, please do not go to this museum. )
Wardrobe of the walk-in closet of Malacanang.
Second Stop: PAOAY SAND DUNES
After visiting the mansion, we went on to this famed desert in the Philippines, the Paoay Sand Dunes. At first, we were hesitant to take it on since the weather was not good (as of that moment, rain had stopped which made us think to take it instead ). We got there and signed up for the 4x4 ride and sandboarding.
The 4x4 ride was indeed such a rollercoaster ride minus seatbelts!! We stood up the whole time and just relied on our strength to hold the bars of the 4x4 with our own 2 hands (exception for me, only 1 hand was used to hold the bar since i have to hold the monopod to document our crazy faces along the trail. Speaking of buwisbuhay stunts anyway ). Our driver and guide were so nice and asked us to just listen to them so we can enjoy the hell of the ride. We did and we really did enjoy the ride. It was far beyond compare. If I had to do it again, I really would.
The sandboarding experience was also one of a kind. I knew that if the sand is wet, you wouldn't slide. But the guides made a way for everyone to enjoy and try it even if there was Ineng circling over (Ineng, hindi mo kami mapipigilan!!) And since we are beginners, we tried the 'sitting down' slide. We got the hang of it and were egged to try the standing slide. I knew then that i would topple over and I was not wrong. But at least, I did it . Photos and documentation? Need not worry. The kuyas can take your pictures while you go and enjoy the sand dunes experience.
The weather by the way when we went there became calm and there has been a hint of Mr. Sun. ☀️☀️☀️
Me and mi amiga at our service 4x4 ride..
After the sandboarding.
August 24, 2015 7:10PM Cebu City
Third Stop: ST. AUGUSTINE CHURCH OF PAOAY, ILOCOS NORTE
Personally, I wanted to go to this church since one of my favorite actors (Mario Maurer) went here to shoot his movie. So I made it a point not to miss this. (Dakilang fangirl po ang lola nyo ). When we got there, I was mesmerized with the view that even if I just got down from the car, I egged my friend to strike a pose so I can take her picture and vice versa (dapat lang!!!). And I took pictures of the church as well.
Not missing the chance, we went inside the church and prayed. To thank God for everything that happened, even if we have to take some u-turns and detours, still, He doesn't leave us and presents his solutions along the way. And in the most unimaginable way it seems.
After visiting the church and some picture taking, we went to Paseo de Paoay located outside the church just to take a look at some things. And we saw this only stall that sells Abel of Paoay. It was much more sturdy than the ones we saw in Vigan (when we went there after). My friend bought and I didn't. I bought something else.
The lovely church of Paoay..
Me in front of the Paoay Cathedral.
So after we did our thing in Paoay, we went straight to Vigan to have lunch. We drove for about an hour and a half just to get there. While on the way, the rain had been pouring and the winds so strong. Lucky us, we were already inside the car when that happened. We also have to meet some friends who are vacationing in Vigan as well.
Fourth Stop: CAFE LEONA, VIGAN CITY, ILOCOS SUR
When we arrived, we went to Cafe Leona to have lunch. If only the time and weather permitted us, we would have wanted Cafe Leona for our dinner on Saturday night, but then as I said, we had some detours. We ordered Pinakbet Pizza and Bagnet. The taste was kind of new to me since I am associated with pizza being a mixture of sweet and tangy. It was a pizza of a whole new level. (By the way, I only ate a slice since I had bagnet for lunch and some snacks while going to Vigan ). The bagnet was similar to Crispy Pata and Liempo in Cebu. My friend even joked that Cebuanos have this taste of being so meticulous that their food has not passed to some standards (hahaha!!!). But of course, it was delicious but it is just that we found it new to our taste buds.
Pinakbet Pizza
Fifth Stop: KALESA RIDE in VIGAN's CALLE CRISOLOGO
After our lunch, we head off to Mocha Blends in Calle Crisologo to meet some friends who are currently on vacation as well. While catching up, they also gave us tips on where to go since the kalesas are the ones who will travel us to our chosen destinations. So after a few minutes, and some picture taking and chikachikas, we made our way to ride a kalesa and asked the manong kutsero to take us to three places instead (since we already are in a time constraint). My friend was sooooo in mercy of the horse that got whipped by manong kutsero everytime she doesn't seem to follow, so I told her that it is always like that, how can you teach the horse to follow. To manong I also said maybe she is tired already. But manong merely said, 'matigas ulo nito maam'. I then felt mercy upon the horse too.
I was already tempted to walk along the cobblestoned path but then the rain was again pouring unceasingly so I had no choice.
With our highschool friends. Small world,right?Reunion in Vigan..
Sixth Stop: CRISOLOGO MUSEUM
Members of SSS? Be thankful to this old man who fathered the bill of our benfits, Floro Crisologo. I do not know so much of this guy, but being a fan of museums and anything antique, I was enticed to get in and take pictures of his house and artifacts. Everything was so antique that honestly at one point of the tour the hairs of my nape went standing and luckily enough my friend asked me that we go to our next destination. I agreed right away..
Presuming this was their dining table.
Seventh Stop: PAGBURNAYAN JAR FACTORY
Ever wonder how those clay jars are made? Well from clay of course! But the process? Overwhelming for me. No electricity was used during the making, it's manual! Wow. So manong potter went and showed us how it is being done. I was in awe at how he managed to form a jar from raw clay. In a mere 5 minute or less. He made it look so easy but no. I was hesitant to make one so I just stood there watching in awe. When he got done, it was our turn but then we just sat there on his chair and touched the jar he just made and took some pictures . Feeling we are the ones who made it but no, it's just for show.
Eighth Stop: CALLE CRISOLOGO
Since our tour pilot sent us a message that we have to go because there was a landslide on one part of Ilocos Sur, we asked manong kutsero to take us to Calle Crisologo instead. Manong told us that before, the street was named as Calle Camestisohan since all who lived there were ilustrados and those rich and famous of Vigan. On the other side, the one where the Pagburnayan Jar Factory is situated is called Calle Pinoy (or did I even hear him right because I was joking about Calle Camorenohan for the moreno pinoys ). As I mentioned earlier that I am a fan of anything antique, surely, I was also in awe of the old houses and the structures that were also patterned as old houses as per their law in Vigan. If only the rain had stopped, we could have taken lots and lots of pictures.
Rainy Vigan
Shortly before going home, my friend asked me to take a picture of her and the horse. I don't know but the horse seemed to like pictures too. She didn't move at all. We took some souvenir shots of the street as well before heading to our next stop via our service car.
Ninth Stop: BANTAY BELL TOWER
Our last stop for Vigan. I don't really know much about the Bantay Bell Tower. We went and took some pictures till a manong came and took our pictures for us. So I gave him my camera and he took some shots of us. He returned it and we took another set of shots now closer to the tower (we just stayed at the stairs since it is wet and it might be slippery). Crazy as we are, when we did the review, my friend said she likes my shots way better than manong so do not upload it to social media .
Going back to Laoag, we were met again by heavy rains and strong winds (mga luha at hinanakit ni Ineng). Ineng really wanted us to experience her wrath. But she can't stop us. She might be able to stop some things to block us, but she cannot stop the fire that was already there to go on with this trip.
Tenth Stop: MOA de EMPANADA
Why MoA? Kuya tourguide said like SM, they got lots of branches but the biggest is the MoA. So in empanadas, every stall that he knew of have been closed because of the rain so he took us to the biggest plaza empanadahan just so we can have a taste of the empanada. A visit to Ilocos won't be complete without the empanada so we went and bought it for dinner. Actually, we almost couldn't finish it but we have to. So we did finish and super, we were soooo busog..
Empanada this big could make you complete your dinner (burrrppp)
We also saw this native grapes at the market and we both shouted 'BUGNAY!!' but then Ate Tindera told us that it was grapes. We bought half a kilo and it was a mixture of sweet and sour types.. (Insert Mukhasim look )
Our ulam for that night!!Bugnay (well,it is bugnay to me )
So that was what we did during our first day. The following day, we head up north to see the spots there too.. I am kind of excited as to what we will be seeing there..
