Ilocos Sur/Norte

With Philippines being a Spanish colony for over 300 years, it has always been my dream to go to a place where Spanish heritage can still be seen. Thus came the idea of going on a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) trip to Vigan and nearby places with my officemates/friends/travel buddies from Cebu.

Planning of the trip took 8 months. We did some research of the places of interest in the Ilocos region and nearby places. We had a lot in mind until we narrowed it down to a few that will fit our 5 day escapade and 5k budget which will cover Enchanted Kingdom, Ilocos region, Baguio and Manila.  We waited for Cebu Pacific Air to give us some decent rates. And for php 1500 each, 5 of us were finally able to book roundtrip airfare tickets from Cebu to Manila. The cheapest we can get at that time.

Then came the most awaited date, Oct 21, 2011. Thank God the typhoon was already out of the country. First day was spent at Enchanted Kingdom. By 10pm, we took the bus headed for Vigan. Although there is a Manila to Laoag flight, Laoag being the nearest airport and just 2 hours away from Vigan, we opted for the night trip to save on fare and hostel accommodations though it will definitely eat up our time. The De Luxe bus accommodation cost us more or less Php800 each.  Bus was spacious and the entire trip was spent sleeping although not comfortably.

ILOCOS SUR

Vigan

We reached Vigan by 6am and took a tricycle to Casa Teofila Lodge where we had reservations for the night. We were welcomed with coffee and their famous Vigan longanisa for breakfast. Didn’t quite appreciate the taste as I am more into sweet tasting food as opposed to their sour tasting longganisa.

Vigan longganisa for breakfast

Calle Crisologo

First stop for the day is the well-known Calle Crisologo which is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites. Five of us immediately got busy finding our picture perfect spot. What with the Filipino-Spanish architecture that dates back to the 18^th century, cobblestoned streets, Capiz made sliding windows and calesas passing by every now and then, one simply cannot help but be amazed and taken back in time to our Spanish roots. Around the area are also thick wooden chairs for everyone to sit, souvenir and local food shops, and pension houses.

ILOCOS NORTE

Okay. So enough of the picture taking and historical appreciation and back to our itinerary. We headed next to Paoay where we took a Vigan-Batac bus and Batac to Paoay jeepney. We arrived past noon just in time for lunch. One of the must do’s of travelling is trying out the local delicacies. Although Paoay Church was right in front of our eyes already, we opted to satisfy our gastronomic needs first.

Herencia Café

Across the Paoay church is this fancy, classic looking café. Although there were other food stalls in the area, this one was a standout plus the fact that the place is airconditioned and we badly needed one after being expose to the sun and all. One of the foods that we ordered is the local dish Bagnet with KBL. KBL I believe stands for Kamatis, Bawang Luya or tomatoes, garlic and ginger in English. Bagnet is like chicharon and pork liempo combined which is crunchy and crispy on the outside, nice and tender in the inside. KBL for me tasted like a fish preserved sauce, a bit salty but very appetizing that you won’t hesitate ordering extra rice. Food was scrumptious. Ambiance was great. Our bodies energized. We’re definitely ready for some picture taking frenzy now.

Paoay Church

Another UNESCO World Heritage site, the church dates back to 1896. I can’t help but wonder how it managed to withstand all the natural calamities. I am just simply in awe of the structure.

We commissioned a tricycle for the next 2 destinations. Five of us just have to fit in one tricycle as the asking price of php700/tricycle is just so expensive.

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

A cultural heritage, Cape Bojeador is located uphill. It looks very rustic, abandoned and slightly creepy. Tourists weren’t supposedly allowed inside the topmost part of the lighthouse but the caretaker made an exemption to our group. So off we went up the winding staircase and what a magnificent view it is at the top. The view of the South China sea is beyond words.

Bangui Windmills

It was somehow getting dark that the driver hesitated in taking us to our last destination which is the Bangui Windmills. It’s far and it’s all but rough road due to an ongoing road construction near the windmills, the driver told us. We pleaded or better yet insisted (in a nice way) to the driver to take us to the windmills. We’ve come this far and why not go all the way.

The driver was right. It was far and bumpy and rough roads it is. It was a good 1 hour or so before we reached the windmills. Our bodies were already sore from the one position we had to keep inside the tricycle. It might be because the windmiils are also one of my dream tourist spot, that for a few minutes, I forgot the soreness that I felt once we reached the site.

I’ve seen the Bangui windmills on TV and in pictures. I thought there were just a handful of them but there were more than 10 or 15 lined up along the shores. It was a massive structure with the turbines slowly turning to supply electricity to up to 40% of the Ilocos Norte region. If we came earlier, it would have been a better experience and more pictures could have been taken. But we have to content ourselves with the few pictures that we took.

 It was really dark now. The driver was speeding up in the national highway and we somehow felt scared for our safety. Not sure if his tricycle had headlights but there were parts of the road that were extremely dark. Our bodies became sore and numb again. Thankfully, each of us arrived at the bus terminal in one piece. We decided to give the driver extra php200 for the unforgettable ride.

Took a bus going to Vigan and arrived at around 9pm. Me and my hubby called it a day although we originally planned to experience the night life at Calle Crisologo. But the agonizing body pain especially for my hubby was just too much to bear. Went to sleep with no dinner and all while 3 of my friends went with the original plan. Tomorrow’s going to be another adventure. Next stop Baguio.