Sunday, January 30, 2011

966 KM



It was time for White’s first 1000 kilometer preventive maintenance service schedule!  ^_^

 As early as last week, I already got my schedule in Honda Alabang through their customer service number (02)902-9439 and soon after I received a confirmation message sent to my mobile.  I was told that the service involved checking, cleaning or adjustments of fluids, brakes, hoses, connections, battery and joints (malay ko ba sa mga yon?).  Everything went OK and when I drive White again – perfect! Parang mas gumanda! LOL (psychological lang ata, pero in fairness, hindi na ako namatayan ng makina) Next schedule is on the 6th month.

Hitting two birds in one stone, Joy was able to test drive Civic – as she was planning to buy one. “Joy, great choice!” Ken, Jo and I had free-lunch at Pancake House in Filinvest courtesy of Joy!

On a side sad note, may bago na ulit galos si White :-(

“I’ll make up to you na lang…”

---

The other day, I went to SM for bills payment. :-D Given that I am a parking-engot, I decided to wake up early and have the whole parking lot empty for me Hahaha :-)) here’s a picture of my parking…

 

Toinks! 

 

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Bagnet


Heard of Ginataang Bagnet? Or Bagnet Sisig? I still chose Bagnet Original as my order together with Ensaladang Talong. I had dinner out with Ron, Mike and Warren last night and we tried 8065 Bagnet along Estrella Street in San Antonio Village. What makes it more interesting is that the place is owned by the family of Kitchie Nadal. And undoubtedly, they are serving delectable Bagnet dishes!

The place is not that big, just enough for five six-seater tables and a couple of benches outside. The ambiance is so homey with the old paintings on the wall and vandals as design. We were so tempted to write our names on the wall but we were more interested with the food!

 

Their shrimp-looking pastillas (sabi ko) are heavenly too!


Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Double Anniversaries


We celebrated my brothers’ and sisters’ back-to-back anniversary celebration last January 23 at Kartini Hotel. We were supposed to enjoy their dinner buffet but we arrived too early. I drove the whole family with my White for the first time. Pasado na daw ako hehehe ^_^v

 

doll+joel’s 14th!
jhoy+piwi’s 7th!

Kartinihotel.com

Located along Centennial Road in Gahac, Kawit, the place is very accessible. I used to pass by this hotel during my driving lessons in A1. ^_^ The food is good and ambiance is okay.  And I am still quite intrigued with the Casino at the 3rd level  ;-D ang daming oldies na pumupunta.



And then I spent the rest of the evening playing God of War in PS2!


Greetings pala for my bayaw, Kuya Regie! Happy happy birthday!

 

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Another Night of Cardiac Delight


We had another winning presentation in our company’s last year-end party.  I am so proud of our team’s participants! Although second placer, we still bagged P17,000.00 in cold cash.

We had a supposed-to-be-roof-top-party but it rained yesterday so we just had a third-floor-party. And look who’s the lechon butcher?





 

Thursday, January 20, 2011

A Busy New Year Starter



Jan 1. Let me rewind to you the first half of my January 2011 by starting off with our New Year celebration! It was a simple yet special January 1 for us at home because we are still happy and healthy together like we always pray for. Dith and Kuya had overseas calls earlier that day to avoid the phone line clogs by night. It was a shabu-shabu dinner for us, inspired by one of our dinners during our family reunion last year – yummy! The day before, that was the first time I drove White all the way to SM and parked! Hehehe.

Parking is … driving me crazy!!!

I also bought Tequilla, first time for our own consumption. I used to buy this spirit as gift! As expected, I only had 5 small shots; just an itsy bitsy tiny sip for Ate Doll and Ninang Nina and the rest went straight to Kuya Joel’s throat until the next day. Hahaha!

Jan 3. Until now, I am still excited about having my first car. Trust me it is way more than having a new laptop! On the first week, it was funny that I got obsessed with car-wash! Hahahaha. I got White washed twice in just a week!

Jan 4-7. I also got a one week of driving practice from home to work and from work to home, accompanied by Diko Ermie. It was fun. I got to learn a lot of stuffs. But I still suck in overtaking, hanging and parking! Grrrrr. I need more and more practice. That is why Tatay did not allow me to use the car alone this week going to Makati.

Jan 8. At the first weekend, we enrolled White at Big Bert’s Professional Detailers in Ortigas for their OptiGuard paint protective maintenance program for a year. Too bad Marc mistakenly caught of beating red lights just a block away from Home Depot! P200.00 straight to someone’s pocket! Then we went to Megamall after for a bunch of cleaning stuffs. We also got lost in C5 while almost running of gas and work waiting for me at home! Hahahaha.

Jan 13. I also got my non-pro driver’s license at last! … With the help of Kuya Peter and a lesson of Karma, big time! Hahhaha!

Jan 14. I did my very first hands on car wash for White – followed carefully the instructions from Big Bert’s! I had Ailyn as my assistant. Tire black na lang kulang sa cleaning stuffs collection ko. Had dinner with Marc at Sultan Mediterranean Cafe a.k.a Sinbad and caught the waitress puting extra amount on my bill! Duh!? Hindi mo kami maloloko. Prices are cheaper compare before, ranging from P160-P400. Food is less tastier than before.

Jan 15. After a week, we went to Honda again for the installation of the backing sensor. Sucked again in parking at Alabang, watched entertaining Tron, got lost again in Festival mall, got Cruzee car washed in the middle of the night, had a blast at Jo&Kristle’s place while videoking and then it rained! Wahahaha. Carwash goodbye. We were supposed to go to Buon Giorno but time did not permit.

Jan 17. I caught Putol peeing at White’s tire!!!!! Grrrrrrr. I had to seriously talked to him (i hope he understood!)

Jan 18.  I had hilarious chats with Ate Lanie, Ate Rina, Tinay and Sheh! I was really laughing my heart out! and later that day I had car care session with Warren.

Jan 19. I practiced parallel parking again at home. Bagsak daw sabi ng Tatay. I have been pigging out with food this week O_O. Worked to the extreme and planned crazy stuff like Skydiving in Clark, Pamapanga on December 2011.

These were my busy weeks! ^_^

 

Sunday, January 9, 2011

A 2010 Year-Ender


In our company’s Newsletter last September 2010, I was asked to write something about what I really wanted to accomplish before the year 2010 ends. Here's my answer:

 

What do you want to complete in the last quarter of 2010?

 

Upon reading the question, the first thing that popped in my mind was to challenge myself to be able to complete the last quarter of this year with no tardiness and unplanned leaves at work. But there is something more important that I want to achieve this year and that is to buy a car. I have been saving money for half a year now, enrolled in a driving class and got my driver's license, too! So these are the things tops my to-do list this year.

 

… And just before the year ends, I got a hold on the things I have been asking for all these years, actually everything :-) I really DID it!

Here's white when I first saw him while we picked him up at Honda Alabang.
... then we went straight to Tagaytay! ^_^v

 

The lazy cat is greeting you a…

Happy new year everyone! ^_^v



Friday, January 7, 2011

Another Year


So, another year has gone by, another Angelsversary for us! 10 years have passed and the angels are still here.


And look who's late! It's me! Hahaha. It was really a busy week for me. I never had Christmas shopping this year because of White. Ninang is so poor! But I managed to get some little presents for the kids. SM saved me! 


The party hosts! Our group's mommies - those who keep the little sisters well taken care of. Thank you!!! This year, we got to have special events to celebrate aside from our year-end party, it's Pauline's birthday. Ate Lanie took care of the awesome foodies!

Ate Rina also cooked for our lunch-dinner party


The games! Sheh prepared several games as always and we had so much fun: Pinoy Henyo E-Zone Edition and Guessing Game.

... This picture can prove it!  

These kids are always present and every event, they get bigger and bigger. Manang mana sa mga ina! 

Here's what I got from Sheh, a teflon! 

Next year, we are going to spend the year end party at Miciano's Residence!!!!!

In three years of my blogging career, I have written several posts about the precious memories I have shared with the angels.

Year-end get together with Sir Noel…
http://meeyeow.multiply.com/journal/item/18/Exchange_Gifts_of_the_Cat_the_Angels_and_the_Birthday_Boy

Fiesta c/o Ate Rina in 2008!
http://meeyeow.multiply.com/journal/item/26/Food_Galore

The very first get together we did at Ate Rina’s place. The one that started it all two years ago 2008…
http://meeyeow.multiply.com/journal/item/201/Birthday_With_the_Angels

Gabu’s 3rd Birthday Party
http://meeyeow.multiply.com/journal/item/207/Gabus_3rd_Birthday_Party

Our first year-end get together party, that was 2009!!!
http://meeyeow.multiply.com/journal/item/226/Happiness_Is_Having_Dinner_With_The_Angels

Mine and Ate Lanie’s 2010 birthday celebration!
http://meeyeow.multiply.com/journal/item/264/3rd_4th_of_July

Me, Sheh and Ate Malou’s Tagaytay weekend…
http://meeyeow.multiply.com/journal/item/275/A_Weekend_Less_Planned

Raphael’s Christening
http://meeyeow.multiply.com/journal/item/285/The_Joys_of_Mothers

Melay’s Despedida!
http://meeyeow.multiply.com/journal/item/102/A_Weekend_With_My_Families



 

Happy Birthday, Kuya!




Thursday, January 6, 2011

I Survived Makati


I went to Tagaytay twice last week with White and last night… in Makati! Weeeee. Little by little, I am learning the world of driving and getting more acquainted with my new bestfriend on the road!

Gems: “madami ka pang bloopers na pagdadaanan, good luck! Hahaha!”

Gems and Che had so many stories to tell last night during our dinner. Wala pa nga ako sa kalingkingan Hahaha! White and I still have a long way to go and together we will embrace our new partnership. Aribbaa! ^_^v

 

 

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Abby!


From time to time, people who have touched your life will come back, make you realize how lucky you are to have them since the start of your relationship, and give you more inspiration in both big and small ways. They will be your constant reminders how your life has been blessed by God even if distance made them walked out for a while.

Abby has been my very first best friend (and a loyal “kalaro”) and together we made our childhood very fruitful! Name it, we shared all “toys” and “gadgets” – from board games to Filipino games to home-made toys! Our childhood had so much excitement!

“I am so lucky to have you, Abby!”


Next Monday, she’s going to have her flight back to California. So long, Abby!

 

Monday, January 3, 2011

Northern Luzon At Its Best


I’m back! Weee.

As promised, I am sharing with you our most exciting northern Luzon trip last December 18-22, 2010!!! Forgive me for being so late posting this entry and I might miss out some details but I will make sure I will never leave out all the juicy parts. With almost 30 beautiful places we have visited all throughout this road trip, I was previously planning to write about it one day trip at a time but I realized it is better to give it in one blow! This is definitely a challenge to me to describe how astounding all the places we have been in my own humble words; “Northern Luzon… you absolutely deserve way better than this”!!!

Going on a road trip has been in my wish list ever since and doing it with wonderful people is absolutely a plus. Being new among the original trippers -– Joseph, Ken and Marc, I was just invited more than two months ago to this road trip I never thought would be, for me, the ultimate (technically 6-day) road trip evaaaaaaaa!!!! ^_^

Sure, long driving can be veeerrry very stressful, but having our two conditioned drivers, long playing Parokya Ni Edgar songs, amazingly accurate GPS installed in Samsung Galaxy Tab, two amazing girls, very efficient ice cooler, lots of foodies and beautiful Region 1-3 landscapes, this road trip was all about excitement, awesomeness and fun!!! (Let’s just forget about the gastos na lang! Hahaha!)

The planning took us a month, but the details were only finalized just a week before. Since medyo sabit lang talaga ako, I really don’t know when and how this idea came to them. A week before this trip, despite of the busy schedule on year-end parties and stuffs, our itineraries and reservations/bookings were all well organized.

Day One

The first hour (from the time they picked me up from our house) was a bit of an adjustment to me. ^_^v Medyo may kaunting awkwardness… kaunti lang naman. Kumbaga, nanimpla pa ako. Hahaha! I don’t know if the three of them felt it, but yah know, soon enough, I realized it wasn’t that hard to reconnect!!! Ken really did a great job in telling stories about their previous trips.

We have to sacrifice the sunset in Grotto in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur because we were behind by 4 hours. The heavy traffic of the Christmas rush the night before was really unavoidable – wala pang tulog ang driver namin in other words. We also had to stop by at the malls along the way to buy tripod, charger and foodies.

How can I forget (no one from the four of us ever will!) our goofy-scary moment while we were in SM Pampanga. He left his precious tripod at home so we had to drop by and buy a new one at the mall. Since nasa SM na kami, we also bought some of the things we needed for our trip. Sa sobrang init sa labas, madami kaming mabigat na dala, gustong gusto na naming makaalis sa place at makatuloy na sa byahe! It was nice to see that hot red gorgeous car waiting for us at the parking lot. ^_^

Joseph unlocked the trunk…
The car didn’t respond…
Marc tried to unlock the thrunk…
Pero hindi pa din bumukas T_T

Watda!!!? We were just starting the journey and what is this?!!! Yiay!!! He assured that the battery of the ignition key is definitely working. And just before we lost our minds, he noticed that the car had a plate number and concluded “hindi si Cruzee to!!!!”

Hahahaha! Cruzee was parked at the next block! Tawa kami nang tawa! Muntik pa kaming maging bukas kotse gang! Mabuti na lang at wala yung totoong may ari. It turned out, Cruzee was not alone in SM Pampanga at that time.

 

Vigan Plaza
Vigan City, Ilocos Sur

We arrived at Vigan City around 9:00PM. Calle Crisologo happened to be closed already, so after we went around the Vigan plaza, we headed straight to Marc’s place in San Juan, Ilocos Sur where we spent our first night to get some sleep and be ready for the next day.

 

Day Two

As early as 5:00AM, we were already on the road heading to our Ilocos Norte trip. Most people were already out walking on the street for the misa de gallo.


Currimao Rock Formation
Currimao, Ilocos Norte

He has been telling me about the GPS we were going to use throughout the trip and I was quite impressed! Being the navigator for the first time, I missed the first corner that we should have turned left ^_^ hahaha. Good thing, according to my map, there’s another way around to Currimao kahit na lumampas kami. Hahaha. We arrived at the docking area just before the sun showed his beautiful orange rays to us. Eto pa lang, kuntento na kami sa naexperience namin :-)

Few meters from the dock, there lies such beautiful wonders of nature, the 5000+ years rock formations along the coastline of Pangil, Currimao, Ilocos Norte. The irregularly odd shapes of the rocks and the gift of low tide make the whole scene beautiful! We stayed for few more hours to view the long stretch of these rocks. At sa dami ng magandang angulo, hindi naming namalayan na naka 3 hours na pala kami sa place.




Paoay Church
Paoay, Ilocos Norte

I think it is very easy to navigate Ilocos Norte’s tourist spots because there are enough road signs to follow. Also, the Ilocanos are very accommodating and give very accurate directions. In no time, we reached the historical Paoay Church, also known as St. Augustine Church. We did not take more pictures of the structure as this was our second time. Instead, we tested the strobe at the plaza. We also had our breakfast there with Pancit Miki ala Ilocos (with sabaw) at the nearby local resto.

 

Malacañang of The North
Paoay, Ilocos Norte

The last time we visited the Malacañang of The North four years ago, we were told that the museum is closed during Mondays. Sigh! … This time, the place is under construction! Ano ba naman yan! Hahaha! Not meant to be talaga na makapasok kami sa loob ^_^.

Although disappointed again, we treated ourselves with Cassava cake which we bought the night before at Marsha’s Delicacies along Bantay, Ilocos Sur hi-way. Yum-yum! When you visit Ilocos Sur, do not forget to drop by for special pasalubongs!


Paoay Lake
Paoay, Ilocos Norte

Just behind the Malacañang of the North, you could find the very serene Paoay Lake. Even though the temperature outside was too hot, Joseph and Marc did not pass the opportunity to take pictures of the calm waters of the lake while Ken and I waited inside the car.


Tabacalera Ruins and Sand Dunes
Currimao, Ilocos Norte/ La Paz, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte

Unluckily, the people we have asked didn’t know and/or unfamiliar with Tabacalera Ruins, so for our next stop, we went to the dessert-like Sand Dunes. The temperature was very hot outside at 12 noon so I had to stay inside the car while the guys were taking shots. Historically, the place held local films like Panday and Himala! Cool!

 

Fort Ilocandia
Laoag city, Ilocos Norte

In search of a perfect place to rest, we stopped by the nipa hut at the playground and took more shots. For Ilocandia is a huge resort and a nice place to stay when you what to go around Ilocos Norte!!


Kapurpurawan Beach Rock Formation
Burgos, Ilocos Norte

Cruzee’s first challenge was the rough drive to Kapurpurawan Beach. At the end of the rough road, nobody could ever deny the amazing wide view from the mountain top of big marshmallow waves touching the rock formations. There we parked the car alongside with other 4WD vehicles! “Cruzee you are so tough!” We had to trek by foot going down to the rocky surfaces. The tide was low that the rock formations were very visible to us. At the end of the rocky pathway is a huge white rock mountain with smooth flowing curves, very distinguished from the rocks below. Ang lakas ng hangin! Sobraaaa! But the experience was so unique. Mainit na araw na may malamig na simoy ng hangin na nakakalulang bangin na may malamusikang alon – overwhelmiiiing!!!

 

“Kaya pa?”

 

Cape Bojeador Watch Tower and Rocky Beach
Burgos, Ilocos Norte

Cape Bojeador was supposed to be our last stop before heading to Saud White Beach in Pagudpud. It is also known as Burgos Lighthouse, another cultural heritage structure in Ilocos Norte. Unfortunately, the tower was under construction and tourists were not allowed to climb up the tower (“Warning: High Voltage”) All we could do was to take more pictures downstairs ^_^

After our exhilarating experience in Kapurpurawan beach, we happened to pass by another wide view of rocky beach. The view was so perfect with the approaching sun set. Complete with our photography gadgets, we trek down and captured the perfect moments!

 

To Pagudpud!
Ilocos Norte

From Laoag City, we headed straight to Pagudpud, which was roughly one and a half hour-drive, where we planned to stay for two nights. At the Saud resort, everything went smooth about our reservation. Marvin of Jun and Carol Beach Resort was very accommodating and easy to transact with. Day three here we cooome!

 

Day Three

Straight from the sixteen-hour road trip from San Juan to Pagudpud, we headed to Jun and Carlo Beach Resort for our two-day accommodation. Initially, our reservation was P2,500.00 per night, but since it was almost Christmas week, most travelers were spending their time with families at home, so we bargained for P1,500.00 per night. ^_^v Anyone interested may contact Marvin at +63(917)5471270.

Although we still need to wake up as early as 4:00AM to catch the sunrise at Bangui Windmills, our third day was the most relaxed among our daily schedule – almost half day on the road and the rest … was on the BEACH!

We spent the day visiting more of Ilocos Norte wonderlands!


Bangui Windmills

Bangui, Ilocos Norte

My housemate asked me this morning, “Ate, bakit ang aga mo nang gumising ngayon, napapansin ko lang? Dati mga 11:00AM”. And as of this writing, I am no longer mystified with the answer! ^_^v oh my gosh! For almost a week pala, I was fOrCEd to rise up from the bed as early as 3:00AM daily! Hahaha. And that was for the sake of FUN!

One of the things I am very pleased of this trip is that we were very punctual! Call time was 4:30AM and we were on the road by 4:30AM (except that it was very hard to wake Marc up!) ^_^v peace. Probably our best shots were taken in Bangui, under the great big windmills lined up along the coast line.

From Saud, we drove south to Bangui. It was the second time around that I have visited Bangui Windmills. With twenty majestic humongous windmills lined up along the shores of Bangui, I realized how Marcoses did a great job in aggressively pursuing such brilliant project.

To our desire to get the most perfect shots, we drove Cruzee nearer to the sandy shore and EeeeeenkK! Cruzee got stuck and later we knew that the car was already half foot deep in the sand! :-( Nung isang araw pa naming sya tinuturing na 4WD(remember Kapurpurawan?). Hehehe.

“1…2…3… tulaaaaaaaak!” When everything was fine, history repeated itsled and another EeeennkK! Cruzee was stuck again… deeper this time. The local rushed to us and immediately lent their helping hands. LOL!!! Ang titigas kasi ng ulo. Hahaha!

We also bought these hand-crafted mini-sized windmills over the mini stores lined up few meters away from the windmills, which are perfect as pasalubong!


Kang-Kang Coffee Shop and Restaurant
Bangui, Ilocos Norte

They say visiting Bangui would never be complete without dropping by at KangKang Coffee Shop and Restaurant. We were very early for the breakfast so we just played Monopoly cards while waiting for their cook. Yey, nanalo ako twice!

You could also see the windmills from this place. The food is nothing extraordinary and yet too pricey!!! Overpriced talaga. So the next time you bump into this resto, please ask for the price first or else you’ll end up feeling like robbed! I have seen blogs talk about this place, positive naman yung mga reviews nila, nasa P70.00 lang yung HotSiLog, pero nung time namin… P150.00 ang siningil!!!


Bantay Abot Cave
Bangui, Ilocos Norte

Thirty minutes aways from Bangui Windmills, we visited another magnificent landscape from thousand years of rock formations. (parang puro rock formations?! Hahaha). But this time, we found this worthy stopover, the Bantay Abot. The place is so stunning from its view from the road but technically, the cave is just a mountain with a hole. The exciting part is that you could go up to the hole and view of the sea is breathtaking! At the mountain top, it is a perfect place to bring your favorite book and spend the whole day reading it... or pwede din mag –emo lang. ^_^v The way to the mountain is through a dramatic staircase leading to the rocky shore.

 

Patapat Viaduct
Bangui, Ilocos Norte

Another splendid view is the long and winding Patapat Bridge, standing over the bay that leads to the beautiful South China Sea. When I looked at this bridge, it was as if I was looking at the Great Wall of China ^_^

 

Shipwreck
Bangui, Ilocos Norte

Near the bridge, there is another attraction along the bay – an old shipwreck which can be seen from the Patapat Viaduct. Medyo kinakahoy na ng mga tao yung barko kaya nauubos na yung bakal sa paligid…

 

Kaibigan Falls
Bangui, Ilocos Norte

Our next stop was Kaibigan Falls, which was also our last stop before we headed back to Saud White Beach. It was pretty much the highlight of the day for me. ^_^  The entrance fee collected from us was P10.00 each. There is a 30-45 minutes trek from the main road so we had to look for a reliable guide. During off peak season, tour guide fee is only P50.00 however, we were asked to pay P100.00 during our visit. December season daw kasi. Hmp!

The trek towards the falls is just the teaser. We had to cross four streams so it was perfect that we were not wearing longs pants/rubber shoes. The cold water flowing from the stream was ranging from light to heavy. We had to be extra careful because each of us was carrying our photography gadgets and there was no room for any wrong steps!!! Oooops. May mga “mega-tili” moments pa din ako, kasi ang dulas ng bato!

If I am not mistaken, there are several ways to get to the falls. Good thing, our guide was giving us options if we wanted to cross bridge or take the shorter yet harder path or if we wanted to cross the streams instead. We took all of them during our way up and down. Saya! Lamig ng tubig!

At the end of the trek is the astonishing falls… tanggal ang pagod ulit!  Soon after we reach the perfect spot, we immediately setup our studio and we instantly became the attraction of rest of the tourists there. Hahaha! One by one, each of the four of us took poses in front of the falls. Models! Hahaha!

By the way, Cruzee’s misadventures did not stop in getting stuck at the sand in Bangui Windmills... The poor red car was parked just beside the office of Kaibigan Falls while we hike to the falls. On our way back, Marc and I happen to see a Toyota Innova from afar which I would say “nanggigitata sa alikabok” Hehehe. Of course he had to pride himself while we were looking at Cruzee and said…

Marc: “kahit madumi sya, mukha pa ding malinis”
Chiri: “korek!”

As we get nearer to Cruzee… we were noticing something odd with the car…O_O … mALiNis pala talaga si Cruzeee!!! Waaa!!! Nilinis sya ng mga tour guides na naiwan sa office! Swirl marks were all over the poor car T_T At first, I noticed two women smiling at us but as soon as Marc got disappointed with what they have done… they disappeared instantly! Walang umamin kung sino ang may gawa. So you guys be careful if you will be bringing car in this place. 


Saud White Beach
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

I was talking about the most comfortable schedule of this trip earlier and that was because we have the rest of the day at the resort! Pahinga muna from road trip! We spent the sunset at the beach, buried Marc on the sand and enjoyed the water!

Before we called it a night, we had a special dinner at the nearby restaurant beside Apo Idon along Saud Beach. Hindi pa kami tapos sa trip namin, nag paplano na kami ng susunod na trip… with White naman!!!

 

Day Four

The first three days gave us a relatively relaxed road trip-style tour around Ilocos Region. Day four was … hmmm… more challenging because none of us was familiar and have ever been beyond Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. We mostly relied only on the GPS to get to our next stop at Tuguegarao, Cagayan.  At some point of the trip, I was challenged by them to drive since the road was not that zigzag-y. “This is it!” Hahahaha.

Chiri: “… nasaan ang braaaaaakes??????”

Actually, I was looking for the horns! Hahaha, “brakes” ang nasabi ko! At sa narinig nila, lalo silang kinabahan kung marunong ba talaga akong magdrive! Hahahaha :-)) classic!Immediately, Marc took over wahahaha!

If without the power of GPS, we could have reach Aparri instead of Cagayan— and that could be a disaster!!! I noticed that after we crossed an intersection, based from the map, we were heading north not east! In no time, we turned around and fortunately got back on the right track ^_^

Ken’s friend, Sherman, a very hospitable Iguigeño, took us around Cagayan.  


Iguig Famous Pancit Cabagan and Meeting Up with Sherman
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

We reach Tuguegarao at around 10:00AM so that would roughly be 6 hours travel from Saud, Pagudpud to Tuguegarao… Sherman took us to a local restaurant to try out Cagayan’s Pancit Cabagan and we liked it! A serving could be shared by two average-eaters. Madami talaga yung nasa plate ko hehehe.

Sherman taught us the Tuguegarao way to eat the pancit ^_^v. Each serving comes with a cup of chopped red onion and kalamansi. First, squeeze the kalamansi over the choppedonions and put some toyo/suka and then pour the mixture over the mouth-watering pancit! Yum! Inuna ko yung quail eggs sa ibabaw. Hehehe.


The Calvary Hills and Cagayan River
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Sherman took us first at the Calvary Hills, our 20th stop, located at the back of Parish of St. James the Greater. The major attraction is the life-sized sculptures of Stations of the Cross. I heard that the peak of guests visitations happen during Lenten season. At the back of the fields, where the sculptures are lined up, is the Cagayan River. This wide river defines the Cagayan Valley Region.


Callao Cave
Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

According to the locals, Cagayan is known for its many caves. Callao is perhaps the most popular and the best known tourist attraction of the Cagayan Province. We conquered four out of seven chambers of the cave. The way inside the cave was a steep climb over cemented stairs, 184 steps according to our guide. I felt goose bumps as we passed the first chamber that leads to the chapel inside the cave. The familiar view of the chapel reminds me of the countless photos I have browse about this cave from the internet prior to this trip. The personal experience was still extraordinary. The spotlight coming from the roof hole of the cave and the stunning rock formations were the composition of the astonishing Callao Cave. Sadly, some rock formations were already dead.

It is just also sad that some visitors left wall markings and graffiti that have disturbed the place. The same goes with Calvary Hills in Tuguegarao and Cagsawa Ruins in Bicol. Filipinos should learn to value such beautiful natural environment and take care of them.

As we finished the trek back to the entrance downstairs, our little guide told me…

Guide: “May naiwan po kayo sa loob…”
Chiri: ”Huh? Anooo?”
Guide: “…footprints po.”

Oh well… the kid got me on that. Medyo matagal ko pa na-gets yung joke hahaha! ^_^


Alcala Carabao Milk Candy and More!
Tuguegarao City, Cagayan

We happened to experience the hottest city in the Philippines during our trip back to the city. Cruzee’s temp reading outside was 34 degrees Celsius. Nevertheless, we moved on to our next stop. Sherman brought us to this pasalubong center. There is a lot to explore about Cagayan, and one of them is the famous Alcala Milk Candy! This soft milky sheets made in carabao’s milk are so heavenly! Pwede din nyang hiramin ang tag line na “once you pop, you can’t stop!” Hindi ako nakapag uwi sa bahay nito kasi may umubos! :-P Hindi ko na sasabihin kung sino :-P

Hindi rin magpapahuli ang Chicha-Rabao (carabao chicharon) Thumbs upppppp!!!!!!


Day Five & Six

Our last day would probably be the most stressful of all trips which gave us the most exciting memories among the last 5 days.  

Road to Banaue!
Banaue, Ifugao

After the day tour around Cagayan, we continued our trip all the way to Banaue. Equipped with fully charged Samsung Galaxy Tab (Meet Tabz!), we were very confident that we will be able to find our way to the top! … with fingers crossed hahahha! ^_^v

It took us 7 hours to reach Banaue. The road from Bagabag(Nueva Viscaya)-Lamut-Lagawe-Banaue was the most challenging! It was very dark at 8:00PM (not the recommended time going up to Banaue). As we reached the town of Lagawe, we passed by a Delica van and I immediately noticed (suspected) that it was following us. Ang weird naman kasi na nakatigil sya at paglampas namin eh biglang sumunod! Ken and I noticed that the van had several guys inside. We were so paranoid, we asked Joseph to speed up! Oh no… 100kph at zigzag road!!!! Lahat na naisip ko – carnappers, hold-upers, killers! But Joseph is such a racer! Belaaaaat, hindi nila kami naabutan. I had to admit, It was such a very dangerous drive, kaunting error… pwede kaming mahulog sa bangin… T_T

We reached the Banaue View Inn, located at the highest point overlooking Banaue, at around 9:30PM. Thank God, we got there safely. Medyo naligaw pa kami ng kaunti kasi empty batt na si Tabz. 


Banaue View Inn
Poblacion, Banaue, Ifugao

We stayed here for P375.00 per person per night. The room comes with private bathroom and hot water (not bad since other rooms only have shared bathroom and you have to pay P50.00 for hot water). I mentioned earlier that this inn is located at the highest point of Banaue which allowed us to see the panoramic view of the place.


The Famous Batad Rice Terraces
Batad, Ifugao

The four of us were very excited to see the once tagged as one of the Seven Wonders of The World before Palawan Underground Cave get into the “New” list. We were up as early as 5:00AM since we have to take our breakfast (for more stored energy for the day!). I love the brown rice! They serve eggs and corned beef… perfect! The night before, we have arranged for a jeep ride to take us to the Junction and Saddle Point with our landlady. At 7:30AM, we were already on the road, packed with water, Gatorade and junk foods. Almost there when we realized that there was some landslide and a jeepney ahead of us got stuck so we have to walk going up to the Saddle Point. The same time I realized I was wearing my espadrille instead of my Tribu!!! T_T Paltos to the max!!!

It took us 1.5-hour jeep ride from Banaue town proper heading to the Saddle Point, plus thirty-minute trek going up to Saddle Point (because of the landslide) and another two-hour trek by foot to Batad. I remember we were supposed to stay at Batad from our first plan but good thing we decided to stay at Banaue instead.

 At the Saddle Point, we stopped for a while, caught our breaths, took some more pictures and made calls of nature. :-) As our journey was a long way to go, our guide reminded us that we should start our trek soon. “Waaaa, this is it!” it was a very loooong walk and considering the espadrilles! :(( , it was a killer trek! According to our guide, it was raining there for almost three consecutive days and it was so evident on the condition of the trails. We passed by several landslides and the soil was so wet, “dumidikit yung tsinelas/sapatos sa putik”. We used echo our guide’s warnings along the trails… “stairs!”… “may bangin sa right!” … hahaha, para kaming si Chitae na ine-echo yung sinasabi. It help us a lot to familiarize with the track. Marc and Joseph were taking pictures as we went along. The trek was not easy, I would say! “Are we there yet?” Well, apparently we still survived!

We arrived in Batad at around 11:00AM. Visitors must register at log book and give donations to the locals. We stayed there for few minutes to drink water and few more shots! After that, we continued our trek down to the village. The track was more challenging this time because of the steep stairs downhill. Thirty minutes more and we were standing right above the rice terraces! I cannot describe how I was feeling while looking at the perfect sight with my own eyes which I only used to see in post cards and textbooks since first grade! Astiiiiig! I felt like so at home in Batad. There were constant sounds of flowing water in between rice terrace. We setup again our studio and rest was captured in pictures!

… At this point, my feet really hurt T_T

 

Tappiyah Falls
Batad, Ifugao

Another 45-minute hike from the rice terraces of Batad needed to experience the intensity of Tappiyah Falls. We were so determined to see the 30-meter high falls with 8 meters deep water at the middle. Some say that the hike to Batad is incomplete without going to Tappiyah Falls and indeed it is!!! The cherry-on-top of our Ifugao trip! Nakakawala ng pagooood!

The coldness of the water was perfect to relax our tired feet. We did not bother the slippery rocks and we got more shots here. We stayed there for another 30 minutes until our guide reminded us the trek going back to Banaue T_T

Probably this part was the most challenging, dangerous and draining trek we did. Ken threw up twice because of fatigue and heat. We have to do everything all over again, but this time, uphills!!!! T_T

To sum up, all the treks and ride took us 10 hours back and forth! What a tiring yet amazing day for us. My strength came from constant support from them..."kaya pa?" We all bought “I survived Batad” t-shirts along the way to give pride in conquering Ifugao mountains! WE DID IT!

Here is our trail... just follow the yellow lines!!! With more than 2600 kms!!! This road trip was a success! Weeeee ^_^v

 

 

To those who are planning to take the plunge, you may refer to our original itinerary (diligently prepared by Marc). We are happy to share it with you! Enjoy you next trip!!!!

 

Day 1 (Dec 18)

0700 - Meet up Guerrero's
0830 - Meet up Chiri
0900 - Departure Cavite

** Activities **
- Sunset in Grotto by the Sea
- Vigan Night Life and Food Trip

2200 - Night Stay Netxph

Day 2 (Dec 19)

0600 - Departure to Ilocos Norte (kelangan agahan)

** Activities **
- Paoay Church
- Fort Ilocandia
- Sand Dunes
- Tabacalera Ruins (bago)
- Coral Rock Formations (bago to, check ko kung maganda mag sunset dito)

2200 - Night Stay at Pagudpud

Day 3 (Dec 20)

0430 - Departure Pagudpud

** Activities **
- Bangui windmill sunrise and breakfast
- Bojedor watch tower and rocky beach
- Bantay abot
- Kabigan falls
- Patapat viaduct


1200 Pagudpud rest period and sunset

Day 4 (Dec 21)

0400 - Departure Pagudpud to Tuguegarao (sabi 3-4 hours)

** Activities **
- Callao Cave Hike (baka mahaba to, so gear up)
- Iguig Calvary Hi
lls

1500 - Departure to Banaue
2200 - Stay at Banaue Hotel

Day 5 (Dec 22) - Finally

0600 - Departure/Checkout from Hotel

**Activity **
Banaue Rice Terraces

1200 - Departure to Manila

2200 - HOME

Photos are provided by Marc, Joseph, Kristle and Me

©©©

[Updates] 14-July-2011

Here’s the video of our Day 1. Our busy editor, Joseph, said he was too early at the office and looking for something to do so he made this video, out of our Day 1 in Ilocos Norte. Enjoy!

http://meeyeow.multiply.com/video/item/6/Ilocos_Video

 

Attachment: f_002021.mp4