Breaking-in My New Travel Companion - Kronos!

Revisiting Pagudpud - Laoag City - Paoay - Vigan City - Bantay - Sta. Maria - Little Batanes

August 17 - 20

I just got a new DJI Air 3 Drone I named "Kronos" and I thought of breaking it in somewhere safe to fly Drones. It was just in time for the August long weekend and the first Drone friendly destination I had in mind was Ilocos beaches and heritage sites. 

Kronos Drone

I decided to quickly get a bus ticket and travelled right away to Pagudpud, my first destination. This is a peaceful place where the white sand beaches are and few other popular tourist destinations such as the Kapurpurawan Rock formation, Burgos Light House, Patapat Viaduct and of course, the Windmills all over the place. All of which a perfect spot to test flight Kronos.

  

August 17: Travel from Manila to PAGUDPUD

Took a bus in Sampaloc bound for Pagudpud. Travelled at night and reached Pagudpud early morning the following day.

August 18: PAGUDPUD | Beach Time

Upon my arrival at the bus terminal, contact a friend, Jerry Galat, for the usual tricycle ride from the bus terminal to my favorite accommodation few steps away from the municipal white sand beach in Saud. I checked it at Polaris Beach Resort and started to unpack my things, setup Kronos and made my first flight under the clear blue sky moving back and forth along the shores of Saud.

It was my first time to handle an Air 3 aircraft and so I decided to stay in the area for the whole day to familiarize  my self with the Drone before testing it in the tourist spots.

August 19: Travel to LAOAG | PAOAY | VIGAN | BANTAY | STA. MARIA

Early on the 19th August, I travelled to the City of Laoag, Kronos with me. Plan was to fly Kronos at some popular heritage spots and see the beauty of the place from above. 

At the Laoag City proper, I passed by and took photos of the Sinking Bell Tower before proceeding to the Cathedral to say a short thank you prayer. I was tempted to fly Kronos around the Belfry, however, given the setting of the area, I decided not to. Kronos is equipped with omni directional sensors to avoid any collision but I decided not to fly given my lack of flight experience yet.

 

From the Belltower, I proceeded to the Cathedral opposite the highway. Just like before, the Cathedral is clean and orderly. 

After saying my thank you prayer, I decided to walk towards the market to see Auntie Elie and try a dozen of her special Laoag Longaniza and sweet curly Balikutsa.

 

From the market, I took a tricycle going to the Jeepney terminal bound for Paoay. Travelled to Paoay and checked it at Dreamtime Inn located few steps away from the rear side of Paoay Church.

After fixing my things inside the Inn, I prepared Kronos for a flight at the church Plaza and headed immediately to the site to start my drone break-in flight. I was so excited and so happy to be able to fly Kronos and take a shot of the magnificent structure from above.

Paoay Church Master Shot

As part of the break-in activities, I also took a Master Shot video of the church and few more Quick Shots. It was a very nice experience, having to pilot a very nice, stable drone equipped with a 4K resolution camera.

From Paoay church, I decided to travel to Vigan City. Flying a drone along Calle Crisologo requires a permission from the City Police office for security. I decided not to fly Kronos along Calle Crisologo and instead took few selfie shots while walking towards the City Center.

Took a quick refreshment at MCDonalds while viewing the facade of Vigan Cathedral being repaired as a result of the strong quake.

From Vigan plaza, I decided to take a tricycle ride to Bantay Church and Belltower. These two structures were badly damaged by the earthquake. Good thing, repair was on-going at that time starting with the facade and side wall of the church. 

The Belltower still stands and with cracks. It was still off limits to the public for safety.

I decided to fly Kronos and performed "Point Of Interest" encircling the belltower and then took a shot of the Bantay church from above.

Bantay Bell Tower Master Shot

It was a hot and humid day. From Bantay, I took a van towards Sta. Maria. My plan was to take a Master Shot of Sta. Maria Church. I was so happy to see that the church situated atop a hill is so intact, no damage seen at all after the massive earthquake - standing true to its UNESCO title as Baroque Church, an earthquake-proof structure.

Using Master Shot, I was able to record a video that can be readily shared on any Social Media platform. This is a beautiful feature of modern day drone equipment.

Sta. Maria Church Master Shot

From Sta. Maria, I took a bus bound for Laoag and alighted at a junction towards Paoay. Finally checked in at Dreamtime Beach Resort, took a nice dinner and then rest with a happy heart knowing I was able to fulfil all my plans for the day.

August 20: Travel from Paoay to PAGUDPUD

Early morning on the 20th, went to the bus terminal bound for Pagudpud and travelled back to the white sand place, checked in at Polaris Beach Resort and prepared to explore Little Batanes located at Brgy. Caparispisan in Pagudpud.

 

 

We had a short climb, up a hill and the view is stunning. It has a panoramic view close to that of the rolling hills of Batanes, hence, tourists call it the Batanes of Ilocos Norte.

From the hill, we travelled below and visited the Stingray monument. This is a World War II historical market.

 

Travelled back to Saud beach, get some few souvenirs and travelled back to Manila. I was happy and satisfied having been able to unwind in this peaceful, orderly place.

Dios ti Agngina!

-o0o-

Rediscovering Pagudpud, Paoay and Dingras

Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

21 December 2015

It was three long years since my last visit to the touristic province of Ilocos Norte. I was so excited again to see the place and rediscover the historic province.

In particular, I planned to see three major sites: The Wind Mills, Paoay Church and Convent and Dingras Church. With this plan, I considered staying in the province for three days.

From Manila I traveled to Pagudpud on the night of the 20th of December 2015. Travel time from Manila to Pagudpud is approximately twelve hours.

I left Manila at 2130H on board luxury bus bound for Pagudpud. Since it was a holiday, the bus terminal was crowded with passengers who were escaping the metropolis at that time.

When I reached the town of Burgos, I was amazed at the gigantic wind mills along the highway and many more scattered in the area. These wind mills are the newly installed units. I was assuming there are more or less than a hundred units installed and operational already.

At 0930H, I was at the bus terminal waiting for a tricycle to bring me to my accommodation. I checked in at a budget hotel. Then I asked the tricycle driver to move me around the wind farm by 1000H.

I started to explore the wind farm at 1030H. I visited the Bangui wind farm first and I noticed many cottages at the site. These cottages weren't there yet during my first visit to the site. According to the tricycle driver, the cottages are meant for tourists - there is a tourist information center, several souvenir shops and even accommodation. It was windy and cold at that time.

 

I was surprised to learn that there are three wind farms operational in the area already. Before there was only Bangui. Now, there are Burgos and Pagudpud wind farms.

From Bangui, I moved to Burgos and find a nice spot along the highway to take a shot of the scattered wind mills. I enjoyed the scenery and took several shots of the nice landscape.

From Burgos, I moved to the Blue Lagoon. I was surprised to see the developments in the area. A long zip line is now operational from atop the hill down to the Hannah's Beach Resort. Different resorts have also occupied the entire stretch of the white sand bar and there were constructions ongoing at that time. 

 

 

At 1500H, I had a late lunch at the cafeteria near the Hannah's Resort.

I left the place at 1630H and moved to Patapat Viaduct. It was drizzling at that moment so I decided to get back to my accommodation after taking a few shots of the winding highway sandwiched between the high mountains and the sea.

When I reached my accommodation, I was lucky to see the beautiful sunset with the Burgos wind farm at the foreground.

The scenery was so nice.

Rediscovering Dingras

22 December 2015

Ruins of Dingras Church
Photo source: http://museoilocosnorte.com/wp-content/gallery/dingras/dingras_church_1.jpg

On the 22nd of December 2015, I traveled to Laoag City from Pagudpud. It was a two-hour bus ride. I left Pagudpud at 0830H and reached Laoag City at 1035H.

From the bus terminal, I took a jeep from near the capitol building bound for Paoay. I reached the town of Paoay at 1115H and checked-in at a place few steps away from the Paoay Church.

At 1200H, I went back to Laoag City and took a jeep bound for Dingras. I reached the town at 1515H. I alighted at the municipal hall of the town near the church.

From the highway, I immediately noticed the imposing grandeur of the restored facade of the church. It's beautiful. I remembered the last time I visited Dingras, the church was still on a major restoration.

What impressed me the most was the way the facade was restored. The old bricks from the original facade wall were used on the new facade. Also, the ornate of the old facade was also restored. It's not completely a new wall after all.

 

I moved in front of the restored facade and gazed at the grandeur of the church for nearly an hour. I was happy to see it that way. It was a job well done for the church admin, the people of Dingras and the PGIN. I spent sometime taking photos of the church.

After exploring the church, I had a chance to explore the old house of Josefa Llanes Escoda which is a new tourist spot located near the church plaza and facing the municipal hall at the other side of the highway.
 

I love the ambiance of the restored old building and spent sometime inside siting on a chair looking at the windows made of polished capiz shells. 

I left Dingras at 1800H and moved back to Laoag City and then back to Paoay.

Rediscovering Paoay

23 December 2015

I reached Paoay at 2010H from Laoag City. At that time, the church facade and side walls had been illuminated with warm light.

After fixing my things at my accommodation, I immediately moved to the plaza with my camera and tripod. Taking photos at night of old structures nicely lit is one of my favorite photo moments.

 

A lighted scroll mark at the plaza ground was lighted making it very visible at dark.

The building at the right side of the plaza (facing the church) that was under construction when I last visited the place is now a souvenir shop and a food court.

On the 23rd of December, I moved around the Paoay church and explored the old convent that used to be in ruins and currently being restored at the time. The PGIN is transforming the building ruins into another tourist site in Paoay.

By the time of my visit, half portion of the old building had already been covered with a metal roof supported by metal columns and trusses. I was so happy to learn that the old convent ruins will be resurrected soon and will no longer be just a ruin.

 

I left Paoay at 1700H and traveled back to Laoag City and then later traveled to my hometown in the province of Isabela.

While waiting for the bus, I took the chance to move around and took photos of the Sinking Bell Tower and the Plaza.

 

 

As always, I had a busy yet enjoyable and relaxing quick trip to Ilocos Norte. I always look forward to see this place again as PGIN continue to restore old buildings and improve the province as a whole.

AGYAMANAK, APO ILOCOS NORTE!!

--o0o--

Explore and Discover Vatican - Day 03

City of Vatican
11 May 2015

Explore and Discover BASILICA DI SAN PIETRO | VATICAN MUSEUM | SISTINE CHAPEL.

Mondo Cattolico (Catholic World)

I considered my last day in Rome as the climax of my travel. I dedicated this day to explore and discover the gems of the Vatican City - the most notable is the magnificent Basilica di San Pietro, world's largest Basilica.

ST. PETER'S BASILICA

Entrance to Vatican City

I spent my last day in Rome exploring Basilica di San Pietro, the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel.

Swiss Guards

I started exploring the Basilica at 0812H. I had fun taking shots at the main altar, the ceiling and the paintings inside the church. It was nice to see beams of light from the Basilica windows lighting up th interior of the church.

Facade

According to Wikipedia, The Papal Basilica of St. Peter in the Vatican, or simply St. Peter's Basilica (Latin: Basilica Sancti Petri; Italian: Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano), is a late Renaissance church located within Vatican City.

Vatican City at Night

Classical Fountain

Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture and remains one of the two largest churches in the world. 

Roman Clock

While it is neither the mother church of the Catholic Church nor the Catholic Roman Rite cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, St. Peter's is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. 

Basilica di San Pietro Interior

It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom".

By Catholic Tradition, the Basilica is the burial site of its namesake St. Peter, one of the Apostles of Jesus Christ and, also according to Tradition, the first Pope and Bishop of Rome. Tradition and strong historical evidence hold that St. Peter's tomb is directly below the high altar of the Basilica. 

For this reason, many Popes have been interred at St. Peter's since the Early Christian period. There has been a church on this site since the time of the Roman Emperor Constantine the Great. 

Light Beams

Construction of the present basilica, replacing the Old St. Peter's Basilica of the 4th century AD, began on 18 April 1506 and was completed on 18 November 1626.

Altar

St. Peter's is famous as a place of pilgrimage, for its liturgical functions. Because of its location in the Vatican, the Pope presides at a number of liturgies throughout the year, drawing audiences of 15,000 to over 80,000 people, either within the Basilica or its adjoining St. Peter's Square. 

St. Peter's has many strong historical associations, with the Early Christian Church, the Papacy, the Protestant Reformation and Catholic Counter-reformation, and with numerous artists, most significantly Michelangelo. 

Main Altar

As a work of architecture, it is regarded as the greatest building of its age. St. Peter's is one of the four churches of Rome that hold the rank of Major Basilica. 

Pieta

Contrary to popular misconception, it is not a cathedral because it is not the seat of a bishop; the Cathedra of the Pope as Bishop of Rome is located in the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran.

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VATICAN MUSEUM and GARDEN

At 1004H, I bought a ticket for 21Eur from the ticket booth at the entrance of the Basilica. This ticket was for the Vatican Museum and the Sistine Chapel.

The entrance to the Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel is at the rear of the Vatican City. There was a long queue of tourist at that time.

Before getting inside the building for the museum and the Sistine Chapel, I explored the Vatican gardens. I was amazed at the rotating globe at the middle of the square.

According to Wikipedia, The Vatican Museums (Italian: Musei Vaticani) are the museums of the Vatican City and are located within the city's boundaries. They display works from the immense collection built up by the Popes throughout the centuries including some of the most renowned classical sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world.

Pope Julius II founded the museums in the early 16th century. The Sistine Chapel with its ceiling decorated by Michelangelo and the Stanze della Segnatura decorated by Raphael are on the visitor route through the Vatican Museums. In 2013, they were visited by 5.5 million people, which combined makes it the 5th most visited art museum in the world.

There are 54 galleries, or salas, in total, with the Sistine Chapel, notably, being the very last sala within the Museum.

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SISTINE CHAPEL

The passage to the Sistine Chapel is a long narrow corridor. 

Vatican Museum/Passage to Sistine Chapel

The ceiling is painted with biblical figures. I walked through corridors passing through several doors and then finally reaching the Sistine Chapel.

Fresco at the Ceiling

I was completely blown-out looking at the paintings on the ceiling and walls of the Sistine Chapel. The works of Michael Angelo.

Winding Stairway

According to Wikipedia, The Sistine Chapel (Latin: Sacellum Sixtinum; Italian: Cappella Sistina) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the Pope, in Vatican City. Originally known as the Cappella Magna, the chapel takes its name from Pope Sixtus IV, who restored it between 1477 and 1480. Since that time, the chapel has served as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity. Today it is the site of the Papal conclave, the process by which a new pope is selected. The fame of the Sistine Chapel lies mainly in the frescos that decorate the interior, and most particularly the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment by Michelangelo.

Sistine Chapel
Image source: http://shotbyanangel.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/WebSisteenChapOn.jpg

During the reign of Sixtus IV, a team of Renaissance painters that included Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Roselli, created a series of frescos depicting the Life of Moses and the Life of Christ, offset by papal portraits above and trompe l’oeil drapery below. These paintings were completed in 1482, and on 15 August 1483 Sixtus IV celebrated the first mass in the Sistine Chapel for the Feast of the Assumption, at which ceremony the chapel was consecrated and dedicated to the Virgin Mary.

Between 1508 and 1512, under the patronage of Pope Julius II, Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling, a masterpiece without precedent, that was to change the course of Western art. In a different climate after the Sack of Rome, he returned and between 1535 and 1541, painted The Last Judgement for Popes Clement VII and Paul III. The fame of Michelangelo's paintings has drawn multitudes of visitors to the chapel, ever since they were revealed five hundred years ago.

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I ended my tour in Rome at the Sistine Chapel.

I was completely amazed at Rome. The experience that I had was beyond my expectation. Rome indeed is a romantic, majestic and an amazing city!

Grazie mille , Roma. Ci vediamo!

--o0o--

Majestic Rome
Explore and Discover Rome - Day 01
Explore and Discover Rome - Day 02