Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beach. Show all posts

Monday, March 5, 2012

Western Luzon Road Trip (Cavite-Pangasinan-Zambales-Bataan-Pampanga-Cavite Series) [Part 3 of 3]

 

Bataan Sisiman Bay

We reached Bataan at 3:00 PM and picked a resort to spend the night. We stayed at Raven Resort and Log Cabin (www.ravenresort.com.ph). The place is nice and the houses inside are big. It is more of a subdivision with a pool. ^_^ As soon as we pay for our room at the guard house, we went straight to Sisiman Bay in Mariveles, Bataan to catch the *sunset*. While all our bags were still inside the trunk, we immediately hiked the way towards the shore. Unfortunately for us, the sun was behind the cloudy skies, so no sunset for us. Another thing, the famous lighthouse along the beach was washed out months ago by a storm. We just enjoy what we had – ourselves, the mountains and the rocky shore.




We were the only visitors around the area. Medyo dulo na kasi ito ng mabatong beach. We could even see Manila area. We did not catch the sunset again because it was cloudy, so we just made fun of ourselves. Hehehehe!



Joseph was so sick when we went back to the resort; he has fever and barely spoke because of headache. Wifey Khen was so there to-the-rescue, such a nice view. With our little portable stove and lots of groceries at hand, we cooked our dinner inside the room! Hahaha. Parang bawal pero tinuloy pa din namin. LOL. We ended up filling the whole room with the smell of fried egg and hotdogs.

 

Bataan Mt Samat

The next morning, after we finished our breakfast and packed all our things, we checked out at the resort and headed straight to our next destination – Mt Samat in Pilar, Bataan. The road to the mountain was quite a challenge; I think similar to Baguio. I searched in Google map and found this that made my eyes got bigger! Oh my, parang roller coaster. No wonder madaming riders ang nakasabay naming paakyat.

 


They allow people to climb up to the top but just a few minutes before we reached this door, the guard put the "No Power" sign board in front. T_T

Mt. Samat souvenirs


We spent most of our time taking pictures of Blue kasi biglang sumikat ang araw. It was cloudy the whole morning.


Because Jospeh has acrophobia LOL, he was not able to do this jump shot!


Bataan Pawikan Conservatory

When I knew about this next place, I almost jumped! Hello??? I love turtles!!! … not as much as I love cats but …they are turtles!!!!!! Century old creatures, sleepy, slow and they are precious.

Before we reached Pawikan Conservatory, we stopped by at a local Japan Surplus store along the highway. They have pretty interesting stuffs there like bikes, appliances, cabinets, tables, chinawares and almost everything!

There are bikes!

Different kinds of china wares

Just before the sunset, we reached the conservatory. Oh my! We learned that Pawikans breeding season is from October – February! Weeee. The day before we went there, there were few eggs hatched and gave baby turtles we let go to the shore!

Here are Dory and Nemo. Hehehe. Wala na kaming maisip na name eh


Bawal tong ginagawa ko dito kasi nangangagat pala tong oldies na pawikan. Don't worry, hindi ako nakagat. Hehehe.


If you visit Bataan, please do include this place in your itinerary. It is nice to help the people who run this place, which from what I learned were former pawikan eggs busters who were selling eggs for their living, eventually left that kind of job to help conserve our precious Sea Turtles. Spread this! 

Subic Dinner

As we reached Pampanga, we had our last stopover at KFC Subic. We were all pagod and almost lowbatt lalo na yung mga drivers. May nakaaway pa kami na mommy sa counter LOL… ^_^v  I must say I enjoy this trip a lot. If I would be given a chance to do it, I would do it again with the same people. Maybe we could try the Eastern part next year J

 

To Marc, Khen and Jo:

Without you guys, this road trip won't be as fun as what we had. I'm looking forward to many more years of adventure, thousands of mileage, taste local foodies, swim in nicest beaches, catch beautiful sunsets, burn hundred gallons of gas and count many more stars at night with you three!!!




~~~***~~~




Sunday, March 4, 2012

Western Luzon Road Trip (Cavite-Pangasinan-Zambales-Bataan-Pampanga-Cavite Series) [Part 2 of 3]


The Search for Potipot Island, Zambales

Trust me when I said Pangasinan was the only one on our “sure” list. We never reserved any boat or booked any hotels to stay in for the night – we only kept our precious tablet PCs and cell phones with GPS and Internet!!! Technology ruled in this road trip.

We travelled south from Pangasinan to Zambales via Dasol and Santa Cruz for about 2 hours. Potipot Island lies within Barangay Uacon (pronounced as “Wacon”). As we reached Candelaria in Zambales, we knew we were very near our destination because according to our GPS, we were. At first, all of us were very confused as we saw several sign boards about boat rentals/resort banners, but none seemed caught our instinct to choose them. When you visit Potipot Island, you have the option to check in on a resort along the shore line of Brgy. Uacon and hire a boat that will take you to the island.

We were originally planning to camp on one of the islands in Hundred Islands but we decided to do it in Potipot. So instead of checking in to any resort, we only looked for a boat that will take us to the island. It was around 3:00 PM, we ended up entering a small road with a sign board “To Potipot Island/ P400.00 Boat Ride”. It was a remote place, which has a bunch of kids and most people were so confused to see us – which, by the way, bothered me a lot. O_o We asked someone that could take us to the island and it seemed that what we were doing was something that is not normal. Hahaha! But then, we finally closed a deal from a local bangkero for P800.00 (back and forth). Since no resort for us, our bangkero offered a nearby lot to park our car. At first, I was not convinced to do that but we all took the risk even though we were so scared that something would happen to our car.

After the car fiasco, we immediately loaded our things to the boat. I think, for the rest of us, I was one of the most excited about the camping!!!! After 5 minutes, we hit this small patch of land with fine white sand surrounded by clear waters.


These are the things that you could do in Potipot Island:

1.    Swim in the clear waters

2.    Throw physical games at the beach

3.    Picnic with your family or friends

4.    Build sand castles

5.    Lie under the sun

6.    Take pictures, tons of pictures

7.    Pick fruits within the island

8.    Camp overnight

9.    And my favorite….stargaze under the magnificent sky at night


We spent the night cooking hotdogs, eggs and worrying how we could fit into a tent with only 3-person capacity. Hahaha! Marc ended up sleeping outside the tent… awwww. The night was very very cold. Joseph was not feeling well that night and we all hardly taken decent bath. Mga gusgusin kami. :-)). But if given another chance, I would definitely go back there. That is how I love camping!




The next morning, we had back aches and colds :)) Hahaha! We had one last round of early morning swim. The water was very cold and calm. That morning was a gloomy,cloudy one. Unfortunately, no sunrise for us in Potipot...


The boat picked us up at around 9:00 AM the next morning. Thankfully, our car was safe – just with hundreds of small hands, finger, nose and forehead prints on all windows! Hehehe.

The original plan was to go to Anawangin and Capones Island right after. But plans changed, we decided to visit Bataan!!!


Subic Pampanga Side Trip

Geared up with our GPS, we decided to go to Subic for some groceries and to gas up our car before heading to Bataan. The gas was as low as P46.00 pesos around the area! I could not believe it is as high as P58.00 pesos now as of this writing.

Before we hit Subic, we encountered areas fogged with white dust in the air. The wind was crazy as we passed this bridge along a very large open area along San Narciso. We could see where the dusts coming from.

After completing our grocery list in Pure Gold and gas up at Petron, we headed straight to Bataan.

 

Western Luzon Road Trip (Cavite-Pangasinan-Zambales-Bataan-Pampanga-Cavite Series) [Part 3 of 3]

 




~~~***~~~


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Random Thoughts


 

ChaTime Philippines

We have visited two branches so far, in Landmark and the other one in MOA. There are always lines on their stores, because people are willing to wait for their teas! Try it and I know you’ll love it! Don’t forget to ask for their loyalty card coz you might need it for you next rounds! ;-)

 

Secret Garden

We had another special dinner at Sonya’s Garden for the second time. This ‘worst-kept-secret’ garden never fails to bring out the romantic mood in us. During our first time, most guests were couples but this time – big families! But in spite of, um, happy noise from the other tables, we find our perfect spot just near the kitchen – with easy access on refills and requests. ^_^v


After a funny movie, Johnny English, from Rowan Atkinson at SM Dasmariñas, we arrived at Tagaytay just the perfect time when all the lights at restaurant are sparkling on. For two hours, we really enjoyed the food, the ambiance, the sound, and the mushy talks. Love, love, love.

 

Ideal Weight

Did you know that I am 4 pounds away from my ideal weight??? Hell YEAH!!!! But I still need more workouts to spread the fats on their perfect places. 0_o

 

Bora Hindi Natuloy

My close friends knew that I was having the vacation of my life in the islands of Kalibo and Boracay! I planned it for more than two months. Everything from the plane tickets, accommodations, budget and even the itinerary were planned by yours truly. But but but… I had to make way for my Brazil trip. :-/

I realized that fate is still getting aligned with my rule that “Pupunta lang ako sa Boracay kapag may ka holding hands na ako.” Hahaha!  I said it to myself for about two years ago… Well, I still yet to grant it to myself in the future…

 

Joseph Birthday

Oh how we really love to sing! For Josephs birthday this year, we ended up at Center Stage in Makati City to belt our favorites songs after our dinner at Sinangag Express (SEx). Belated happy birthday, Joseph, even though our Boracay party didn’t happen, we still have a lifetime to plan for it ;-)

 

 

 

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Boracay Preparation


 

Almost a month left before I hit the beach again in the middle of rainy season. Hahaha! Tickets are purchased; hotels booked and confirmed; itinerary prepared! I just love preparing things and getting ready for something. Tadaa!

 

 

Ooops! I still have to file vacation leave! Matuloy sana at wag lang babagyo please. T_T I am already crossing everything I can cross – fingers, legs, arms and even my eyes! Hihihihi.

 

“Bora was a sacred place for me but things have changed –
Palawan is my new Bora!” ^_^v

 

 

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Here Comes The Sun – Oasis Hotel and Resort


In our family, we never miss going to the beach during summer. This year, our search for a new venue took us to Tanza. Formerly known as Mount Sea Grand Resort, it is now renamed to Oasis Hotel and Resort located along the coast line of Cavite. We used to go several times at Mount Sea Fiesta Resort, a sister resort, in Rosario so we know that this place is going to give us the best service.

We were supposed to stay at Water Camp in Kawit but the place was so full – no available parking at all! Kuya drove west and we finally arrived at Amaya, Tanza.

Day tour fee is P200.00 per head – for the use of beach and pool and P700.00 for the cottage. I don’t really like Cavite beaches; they are dark and muddy – in addition to the garbage at shore line.





 

The pool is okay. I really love the caving at the back, it really looked natural and it gives you a beach-feel. We did not try the slides because of my injured foot since I was not able to swim. I only let them to swim nearby.

It was fun, fun, fun! Happy Summer everyone! ^_^v

 

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Instant Subic Road Trip


I slept and woke up the day with the stamina and determination to experience my very first long drive. Together with my very supportive partners in adventure, nothing is impossible… even for an instant Subic Road Trip!!! Yebaaaaah!

Mind you, it was supposed to be “Baguio” Weeee! The plan was to stay at a cheap hotel, just buy few shirts and drive to the highest city! But Joseph, dominated by the coffee during our three-hour stay at Starbucks, got too scared to say the magic word “YES”. Hahahaha! He has a lot of worries but the girls think otherwise LOL! ^_^v

Until we all agreed… it should be S-U-B-I-C! For a city which has a lot to offer, it is no surprise to be the tourist destination among the southern-ers. It is absolutely considered as one of the face of tourism in the north. At this point, I imagined myself racing at the express way! ASA.

After White’s spa engagement at Big Berts, we headed straight to NLEX and had our buffet lunch at a Mocha Blends coffee shop – their rib steak is really GOOD. However, the service is poor enough to make Ken turn red. ^_^v. The crew was FORCING us to get some shake instead of our order, Mango, just because they run out of ingredients and the milk allegedly won’t last after being opened and we had to order shake that uses that special ingredient!  “Eh kung may allergy kami don?!” Taray! Go girl! LOL And why do we have to pay for something we did not order???? Duh?! Anyway, we did not touch the additional bottle of water served to us – “alam nyo na… baka may masamang ginawa dun sa tubig na sinerve sa amin” Hehehe.

Feast Lunch

Ubos


Then we headed straight back to our trip with fully charged stomach and emptied bladders. Mahirap na! hehehe. Just after DAU Exit, SCTEX is almost there. The same view when we had our North Luzon trip but time, instead of turning right, we went straight. And White went ballistic as I reached 134kph somewhere along the bridge. ^_^v it’s a must try! HAHAHAHA. I felt so good and in control. Speed Radar vans are all over so those over speeders like me won’t abuse the place. It is for the safety of all travelers. ;-)

After a three-hour drive from Manila, we finally got to Subic Freeport. It was in 2007 when I last visit Subic during La Salle’s summer outing. The experience is different now because I am more focused on road direction. Being a new driver gives me different perspective on my trips. :-) Naks! Subic has a very strict traffic rules! One mistake and you’ll get ticketed. Good thing I have good instructors! Subic has a lot to offer - from beach to modern needs. It was really the perfect place for me to experience White’s first official road trip.

As we go along the seemingly endless road, our first stop was Camayan Beach Resort where the forest meets the sandy beach. We were so amazed to see the fishes along the sea wall – absolutely stunning! Picture, picture!


It would be incomplete if we couldn’t give White the spotlight. Joseph found the first interesting spot at the LTO grounds. It was an open space with dirt colored floor, perfect with trees background and blue sky. White had its photo shoot.

 Since it was too early to visit the resto, we went to Pure Gold for some shopping and saw PBQ736. And another perfect spot we hit on the side of the road facing the sea.


To slow down a bit, we headed to the beach near The Lighthouse resort. We saw beach wedding at a distance. We bought souvenirs and more pictures. Soon enough, we went to Giligan’s and had my most dramatic dinner in Subic. ^_^v


We went back home at 8:00pm and arrived Cavite at around 12:30am. It would be earlier if not for the road accident at Balintawak.

To sum up, our TRIP was not just about the getting there but also to enjoy each other’s company as well. We have necklace/bracelet keepsakes to remember this short getaway. And that made up our Instant Subic Road Trip. :-)



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