Northern Adventure

Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte 

June 11 - 14, 2022

"Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not." – Ralph Waldo Emerson

For more than two years, I had been confined within the walls of our home and the corporate place due to the Pandemic. It has been my usual routine every quarter of the year to move around places of interests like historical sites or simply walk through a trail at the middle of a jungle to unwind and remind myself that there is life outside the walls of the corporate world.

My sister and I had been planning this trip for a month. After confirming that transportation had finally been resumed and Pagudgud, one of our favorite places to wander, had finally re-opened to local tourists, we had finalized the date of the trip and so the adventure that we had long been dreaming finally came to reality.

June 10: Travel from Manila to Pagudpud (Barangay SAUD)

Pagudpud is in the Province of Northern Ilocos (Ilocos Norte). It is approximately 562 kilometers away from our home in Manila and a 10H drive. We decided to take the 9:30PM trip from Sampaloc Manila via Florida Bus.

On-board Florida Bus bound for Pagudpud

June 11: Arrival at Pagudpud

We reached Pagudpud and alighted at the bus terminal 08:41AM. After making an early reservation at the bus station for our trip going back to Manila, we took a tricycle to bring us to our accommodation located inside the public beach area in Barangay Saud. 

Operator and Driver

We met Manong Jerry Galat at the bus station and asked him to bring us to Polaris Beach House.

On-board Manong Jerry's Tricycle

Getting excited, we squeezed ourselves inside the tricycle and then drove to Barangay Saud. We reached the Beach House at 08:58AM, however, our room at that time is still getting cleaned. While waiting, we decided to have a breakfast and also made an arrangement with Manong Jerry to come and pick us up the following day for the tour. We had finally checked-in at 09:30AM after waiting for several minutes for our room to be prepared. We were supposed to check-in at 12:00NN, however, the reception officer was so kind to let us check-in early.

We chose a basic accommodation since most of the time, we will be out to enjoy the beach and the surroundings. I must say that we enjoyed the accommodation - spacious enough for the 3 of us, clean bathroom and strong aircon. Staying beside our room was Luisa's sister and her family. They came from Tuguegarao City in Cagayan for a vacation.

After setting up my things, I immediately went out to smell the sea and feel the wide blue clear sky.

June 12: Pagudpud (North & South) Tour

We started our adventure at 08:00AM. Gem and I took the tricycle with our driver and tour guide, Manong Jerry, while Luisa took the van together with her sister and family. We went out on a convoy. Manong Jerry was leading the way to the tourist sites.

Pagudpud Shell

We had a quick stop of the Pagudpud shell monument. This is actually the entrance to Pagudpud town proper.

Pagudpud Welcome Arc

From the concrete shell monument, we moved to the Pagudpud Welcome Arc. This Arc welcomes tourists from Laoag City to Pagudpud. This is one of the well known tourist destinations in the area. After having a quick photo op, we moved to the souvenir shops to see somethings. I'm glad to see that tourism is slowly getting back to life after the series of lock downs brought by the Pandemic.

Wind Mills in Bangui

From the Welcome Arc, we moved to another tourist site - the Wind Mills in Bangui. The Wind Mills in Bangui are the first in Southeast Asia. Today, there are more Wind Farms in the area. Several Wind Mills located in Burgos and nearby areas can be easily seen from Bangui.

Bangui Wind Farm

 

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation in Burgos

From Bangui, we moved to Burgos to see the Kapurpurawan Rock formation. Kapurpurawan in the Ilocano language means "white". We had to transfer to another tricycle in Burgos to move us to the rock formation. New ordinance states that tricycle in Burgos will take tourists bound for Kapurpurawan and Light House. Outsiders had to wait at the registration area and so did Manong Jerry.

From the registration area, we moved to the jump-off point and then started walking towards the rock formation. The road leading to the jump-off point is now completely cemented. It used to be a rough road. We started walking on the stairs from the jump-off point and then passed-through a short trail covered with vines and then we reached the exposed area. One can also hire a horse to ride from the jump-off point going to the viewing deck.

Eleven years ago, I was able to set my foot on the rock formation itself. Presently, getting into the actual rock formation is already prohibited to preserve the rock formation. A viewing has been built where tourists can have a nice photo of the site.

 

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation View from Viewing Deck

While tourists are now prevented from setting their foot on the rock formation, there is a smaller version of the rock formation at the back of the hill near the Kapurpurawan Rockies. This is an open area.

Open Area Kapurpurawan Rockies

From the Rockies, we trekked back to the jump-off point, had a tasty Empanada snack and a refreshing sweet Buko juice.s

Light House in Burgos

On-board the same tricycle from Kapurpurawan, we moved to the famous Light House. This infrastructure was built in the 1800s and still operational. Eleven years ago, I had the chance to climb up the winding rusty steel stairs leading to the top where the actual light bulb is located.

Our tricycle driver is a well trained and a multitasking talented person - he is a tricycle driver, a tourist guide and a photographer. We were surprised to learn several tricks from him using the "PANORAMA" feature of the mobile phone.

 

Panorama of the Light House Museum

Downstairs, we had to follow a quick and easy instruction from him moving from one point to another while he maneuvers the camera on Panorama mode. We were surprised to see the results.

Panorama shot from the ground floor

Kabigan Falls

Completing our South tour at the light house, we moved up North. Kabigan Falls being our first destination. We reached the registration area at 1:20PM and from there, we proceeded to the jump-off point. I was expecting and told Gem and Luisa that there will be a lengthy trek towards the falls, however, I was surprised to see the that road leading to the jump-off point is now cemented.

From the jump-off point, we walked 20 minutes and then presto, we reached the Kabigan Falls. Clear and cool water, we enjoyed refreshing ourselves.

Kabigan Falls

Lunch

We had a late lunch along the way towards Patapat Viaduct. We had Sinanglaw, Fish Soup and Buko.

Lunch at a restaurant near Patapat Viaduct

Patapat Viaduct

After having lunch, we moved to the Famous Patapat Viaduct, a bridge snaking between the mountains of Cordillera and Sea joining the Ilocos and Cagayan Valley Regions.

Bantay Abot

We descended through a concrete stairs and passed through a narrow passage that leads to the Bantay Abot. The word "abot" in the Ilocano language means "a whole", thus, a mountain with a whole.

Hannah's Resort/Blue Lagoon

The final site of our North tour is the white beach at Barangay Balaoi where the popularly known Hannah's resort is located. I felt sad to see that Hannah's resort seemed to have closed with some of buildings no longer maintained well due to the lock down caused by the Pandemic. I'm hoping that Hannah's resort would be able to recover soon. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the white beach.

June 13: Travel from Pagudpud to Laoag to Paoay

We travelled to Laoag City on-board ordinary bus from Pagudpud. We left Pagudpud at 08:45AM. We reached the bus terminal in Laoag City at 10:14AM and decided to have a quick breakfast a nearby Chowking restaurant.

We took a tricycle from the restaurant going to the terminal for Jeepneys bound for Paoay. We alighted at Paoay town center passing through the magnificent Paoay Church and the municipal hall towards our accommodation. We stayed at Dona Emilia hotel.

From the Hotel, we took a tricycle going to the nearest Sand Dunes spot to try the 4x4 ride and the Sand Boarding. We were told that there are 3 Sand Dunes spots in Ilocos Norte. Suba being the most famous of the three while Culili point is the nearest to us as it is located in Paoay. We decided to go to Culili point.

We registered at the Culili point for a 4x4 ride where our exciting adventure started.

San Dunes 4x4 & Sand Boarding Registration Area

 

 

We took 4x4 truck #18, Green colored Mitsubishi Pajero model converted to 4x4. We on-boarded the truck at the back, standing and holding on to a steel bar. Highlights of the 4x4 ride include travel along the slopping sand dunes and a sharp descent from the top of a sandy hill, providing a feeling of excitement similar to riding a roller coaster. Another highlight of the adventure is the Sand Boarding.

Sand Boarding

Malacanang of the North

From the sand dunes, we moved to the Malacanang of the North which is now a museum. The place is well maintained. The water sport at the Paoay lake located at the back of the Malacanang is a the newest attraction in the area.

 

Paoay Church

Before going back to our accommodation, we visited the Majestic Paoay Church and I am so happy to see that both exterior and interior of the church had been renovated. This is a UNESCO World Heritage church together with 3 more century old churches collectively known as the Baroque Churches of the Philippines.

Newly Renovated Interior

Newly Renovated Exterior

Dinner

To complete our day, we had a sumptuous dinner at SMOKE restaurant nearby the Paoay Church. We had BAGNET as our main course.

 

June 14: Travel from Paoay to Laoag to Pagudpud to Manila

We travelled back to Laoag City the following day and then took an ordinary bus bound for Pagudpud. We spent the day enjoying the beach at Pagudpud before heading back to Manila at 07:00PM on-board Florida Bus that day. We reached Manila at 04:30AM the following day, June 15, 2022.

DIOS TI AGNGINA!!

-o0o-

Soar @ 24!

Santiago, Ilocos Sur

November 05 - 06, 2016

It was the 24th anniversary of Hapag-Lloyd Philippines and I was tasked to organize the overnight out-of-town activities.

We had been brainstorming for more than a month. In the past, most of the company's anniversary celebrations were done south of Manila - Batangas, Laguna, Quezon and Rizal. To celebrate the 24th anniversary of the company, we had thought of making it a little different from what we used to do and we had agreed to explore the north.

Our anniversary theme was "SOAR @ 24"!

Planning for the whole program had started in mid October. The idea was to conduct activities that are fit for every member so that everyone will enjoy. There were no team building activities set because the intention of the whole program was for everyone to relax, unwind and bond as one team, as one company.

During the planning, I was thinking of two possible northern destinations: Ilocos Norte or Sur since these provinces are home to many tourist attractions both natural and historical in nature. Both provinces are my favorite travel destinations in the North and I am quite familiar on the major tourist spots in the area.

ORGANIZING THE TRIP

My first idea was to explore Pagudpud in Ilocos Norte and neighboring places for the team to enjoy the white sand beach, take photos at the wind mills, climb the Kapurpurawan rock formation and marvel at the lush green landscape from atop the Cape Bojeador. However, with the limited time allotted for all the activities and considering the travel time from Manila, I decided to explore Ilocos Sur instead.

Speaking of Ilocos Sur, one would immediately think of Vigan City, the capital of the province considered a premiere heritage site of the Philippines. Visiting Ilocos Sur means visiting Vigan City.

While browsing my list of tourist attractions and sites in Ilocos Sur, I had know from a close friend in the town of Santiago that a new Villa had just opened. At first, I thought of a "usual" Villa that I see elsewhere, however, upon checking the photos that I got, I was completely impressed. At first, I thought my friend was just kidding. As I looked at the photos, I thought I was looking at the Villas in Santorini, Greece.

 

 

Santorini inspired Villa known as "Vitalis Villas" is a newly opened resort perched on a rocky mountain side facing a cove in the town of Santiago, Ilocos Sur.

After making arrangements on the Villas, I started to organize our heritage tour in Vigan. At first, I thought of handling it myself with the help of another staff however, I also wanted to enjoy the trip and so I decided to seek the help of the Tourism Office in Vigan City to handle the tour instead.

I was able to get in touch with sir John Noel Andaya from the Tourism Office in Vigan City through the help of a friend sir V-Andrei Purugganan, who is from the heritage city.

Through the help of sir Janoh, I was able to organize our customized half-day heritage tour in Vigan City.

THE TRIP: ALL IS READY!

Original Itinerary:

Nov 04

2100H ETD Manila to Ilocos Sur

Nov 05

0500H ETA Santiago Ilocos Sur; Prepare for tour

0600H Breakfast at white beach

0700H ETD Vigan City

0800H Start Tour

          Walking tour within the heritage city

          Kalesa tour around city outskirts

1200H Lunch at Hotel Luna

1330H ETD Sta. Maria Ilocos Sur

1400H Explore Sta. Maria Church (World Heritage Site)

1430H ETD Sta. Maria Ilocos Sur

1500H ETA Santiago Ilocos Sur; Check-in at the Villas

1900H Dinner; Bonding

Nov 06

0600H Breakfast at the Villas; Bonding

1200H Check-out; ETD Candon City

1230H Lunch at Bistro Candon

1330H Explore Candon Church (NHC)

1400H ETD Sta. Lucia

1430H Explore Sta. Lucia Church (NHC)

1500H ETD Manila

2200H ETA Manila

Nov 04: TRAVEL TO ILOCOS SUR

At exactly 2100H on the night of the 4th of November, we traveled North onboard a tourist bus from Makati. We were 39. 

Santiago in Ilocos Sur is approximately 315 KM from Makati, according to Google Maps. Estimated travel time was 8H including traffic in Manila.

It was a Friday and as expected, traffic along EDSA was horrible. Fortunately, the bus was comfortable. While braving the heavy traffic along EDSA, we had fun using the onboard videoke for a couple of hours.

We had our first stop to refuel and for refreshments at a Shell Gas Station along NLEX. From NLEX, we took TPLEX and reached San Fabian, Pangasinan past 1200AM and had another stop for refreshments.

From San Fabian, we traveled further north via Pangasinan - La Union Road. We were at the vicinity of San Fernando, La Union past 0200H and had our final bust stop before reaching Ilocos Sur.

There was a detour along the way because of a road accident and so we took Luna road and traveled up north all the way to Tagudin, the first town of Ilocos Sur coming from Manila.

At 0512H, we reached Santiago Cove in Santiago Ilocos Sur and proceeded to the White Sand Resort opposite of Vitalis Villas. We stayed at the resort for 2H to prepare for the heritage tour in Vigan. It was still dark when we arrived at the resort.

We got a room for shower and we had a sumptuous breakfast near the beach. We had few photo ops and for the first time, we had a view of the Vitalis Villas which we dubbed as "Santorini of the North" at the opposite side of the cove. It's like white rocks on a rocky mountain side overlooking the calm sea.

 

We were thankful that the weather was excellent at that time. There was complete clearing of the sky.

At exactly 0700H, we took the bus and started our journey to the heritage city of Vigan.

Nov 05: HERITAGE TOUR IN VIGAN CITY | BONDING AT VITALIS VILLAS

HELPFUL TOUR GUIDES
We meet sir Janoh and sir Mark at our first tour destination in Bantay. Before we reached Bantay, sir Janoh had already texted me that they were waiting at the entrance of the Bantay Church for us.

 

I am so thankful of them for helping me organize the Vigan City tour very well.

BANTAY CHURCH

From Santiago, we reached Bantay at 0850H. Our first destination was the Bantay Church and Bell Tower.

Sir Janoh suggested that we divide the team into 2 groups to better manage the tour. There was ongoing church activity at that time.

 

Sir Janoh handled the first group to explore the Bantay Church while Mark handled the second group to explore the Bell Tower and vice-versa. We had photo ops in front of the church Facade and Bell Tower after the tour.

VIGAN CATHEDRAL

At 0918H, we boarded the bus and then proceeded to the City of Vigan. We alighted infront of the Provincial Capitol facing the Cathedral.

 

From there, we walked towards the Cathedral and explored the Cathedral's interior.

CALESA RIDE

One of the highlights of our Heritage Tour in Vigan was the experience to ride a horse drawn carriage called "Calesa/Kalesa". I got 14 Calesas for all of us including sir Janoh and sir Mark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Calesas took us to Pagburnayan, Inabel Weaving place, Calle Crisologo and finally at the Museum Complex.

PAGBURNAYAN

At 0947H, we took the Calesa. We had 14 Calesas. From the Cathedral, the Calesas took us outside the City to visit the Vigan Pottery called "Pagburnayan". 

We reached Pagburnayan at 1001H. Pagburnayan in the Iloco vernacular comes from the word "Burnay" a hand-crafted unglazed clay jar (pot) made in Vigan.

The Pagburnayan, according to sir Janoh, is owned and managed by Apo Fidel Antiporda Go. In 1990, the National Commission on Culture and Arts recognized him as a National Folk Artist.

Apo Fidel conducted a live demo on burnay making then a funny Q and A followed. I was lucky to answer a question and got a small pot as souvenir from Apo Fidel.

Accoring to Apo, it will take days to dry a freshly made pot and several days more to bake it.

ABEL WEAVING

At 1031H, we left Pagburnayan and then went to see the Inabel Weaving in Camangaan. The Inabel or popularly known as Abel Iloco is a handwoven cloth. Abel in Iloco is the process of weaving while Inabel is the finished product. Inabel is made from Cotton and other Natural Fibers, as sir Janoh explained. Inabel is the traditional Iloco fabric.

We were lucky to see the actual weaving process using the traditional "Pagabelan". There are varieties of Inabel like table runner, pillow cases, blankets and many more.

We left the weaving place at 1059H and proceeded to Calle Crisologo for the walking tour.

OLD PROVINCIAL JAIL

At 1140H, we boarded the Calesas once more and proceeded to the Old Ilocos Sur Jail (now restored as Museum) for the final leg of our heritage tour in Vigan. 

http://pamana.ph/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/nmv_feature.jpg

At the lower level of the museum, there are paintings depicting the Basi Revolt in Ilocos. Also displayed inside the museum are important Iloco heritage collections one of which is the "Pagdapilan" (old sugarcane juicer).

Sir Janoh carefully explained the history of the Basi Revolt and the way the executions were carried out. "Basi" is a native Iloco wine made from sugarcane.

http://www.imgrum.net/media/973450562903139517_10219024

http://www.imgrum.net/media/977156804276316013_10219024

At the second level of the museum is a showcase of collections from the late President Elpedio Quirino and his wife Alicia Sy-Quia Quirino.

At 1240H, we left the museum and walked towards Hotel Luna for lunch. 

 

Along the way, we had a chance to take few shots at the Plaza Salcedo.

HOTEL LUNA

We finally had our lunch at Hotel Luna at 1315H, which also concluded our heritage tour in Vigan City. Hotel Luna is actually a "Hotel Museum" located at the center of Vigan City.

 

While having lunch, I received a call from a mobile number which is not on my phone book and I was surprised to know that it was V-Andrei's father asking me to visit their place in Vigan to pickup the Vigan longganisa.

I was touched and so much thankful of their kindness and hospitality.

BAGNET FACTORY

We left Hotel Luna at 1401H back to Santiago. Along the way, we visited the Bagnet factory.

I believe this place is called "Pagpartian" in Iloco meaning slaughter house. This is where Bagnets are usually made.

Photo source: https://wanderlen.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/bagnet-factory-1.jpg

Photo source: https://wanderlen.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/bagnet-factory-2.jpg

It was around 1610H when we checked in at the Vitalis Villas.

 

 

We enjoyed the place, the pool and the good food.

Nov 06: TRAVEL BACK TO MANILA

Early on the following day, we went out of the resort to attend the Sunday Mass at Sta. Maria. We were 6. We went out at 0500H.

 

The mass was at 0630H. The Sta. Maria church is 1 of the 4 Baroque churches in the Philippines inscribed by UNESCO as World Heritage Site. We left the church after the mass at 0745H and traveled back to Santiago.

Before checking out, we had final photo ops as a team at Vitalis Villas.

 

 

We checked-out at 1200H and then prepared for the long trip back to the city. We had lunch at Bistro Candon near the Candon church at 1308H and then finally traveled back to Manila at 1350H.

We took the same route via TPLEX and had our dinner at KFC Shell Gas Station along NLEX past 1900H. We were back in Manila at 2220H.

-o0o-