Chronicles of our Ilocos Norte Visit

One of the best, i mean THE best places to visit in the Philippines is Ilocos Norte. The place is filled with visual poetry and history. And we were so blessed to have been invited by my mom and my dad to experience it with them. My Dad Steen has a rest house in Pasuquin, just a few minutes from Laoag and that’s where we stayed for the two short days of our stay (our work schedule was really, really tight at that time but because of our desire to see Ilocos, we made a great and worthwhile effort to slip it in our schedule).

I and Jun left for Ilocos Norte at around 9pm via the Florida Bus Lines (they’re the pink and periwinkle buses) and arrived at around 6:30am the following morning. So thats roughly 9 hours of travel.

We were welcomed by my Mom who just had her daily morning exercise (hahaha) and i was immediately infatuated by the place. It was full of the most beautiful bougainvilleas i have ever seen. And the house was super lovely as well.

I and Jun after settling in our things, went outside and took some pictures. Jun looks happy. I look tired!

My sister, Aljosa who arrived a day earlier (but had no camera) immediately made the most out of our camera and took some headshots using some infamous Friendster poses. Hahahaha.

After a hefty breakfast, we were pleasantly surprised that our itinerary for the next two days was already laid out, planned, and prepared. And we have the best tour guide to accompany us.

First stop: Bangui (where the famous Ilocos Norte Windmills are!)

Even if the sun is scorching and i forgot to buy sunblock, nothing can stop us from taking pictures!

The windmills of my mind! Finally… round like a circle in a spiral… like a wheel within a wheel…

The windmills were an overwhelming sight to behold. I never thought that such place exist in the Philippines; well i always see te Biyahe Tayo TV Ad with Regine Velasquez singing with the Ilocos Windmills as background, but seeing them for the first time is really something else. They’re huge!

We were informed that they actually supply a certain percentage of Ilocos’ electricity. And they’re about 15 windmills now. They’ll be adding an additional 5 or 10 more. So, Wow!

Jun trying to grab one of the wings/blades of the windmill (hehehe).

Welcome Arc (Hmmmm.. not sure if that’s what its called really) going to Pagudpud.

Saud Beach in Pagudpud. The sand is not as white as Boracay’s but hey i’m no complaining.

Me taking the dip with my sister Aljosa. I look freezing and i need to do some ab workout. Hahahaha.

From the Saud beach, we passed Patapat Viaduct. Great sight to behold.

Then we went to what they call Blue Lagoon (ala the Brooke Shields movie!) but i think its really Dos Hermanos Island (not so sure, correct me if wrong).

We went home and got some rest after going to the Blue Lagoon and then got an educational treat by going to the salt making site of Pasuquin.

The salt water undergoing the process.

The formed salt (rock salt!).

Early the following morning, we went to the Cape Bojedor Lighthouse in Burgos.

The lighthouse from a distance.

After the lighthouse, we went down and went to where the gigantic coral reef formations are. We heard that a lot of movies were shot in this location. As a matter of fact the locations we have visited are some of the sights that Reyna Films used in their past movies like in Hihintayin Kita sa Langit and Ligaya (two of the best Reyna Films’ movies!).

We also visited Fort Ilocandia, the used-to-be hang-out place of Marcos and Imeldiffic. Proof of which are the various pictures and paintings of the Marcoses displayed in FIR. Now, it is being used as a resort-hotel-casino mainly targetting the Korean/Japanese market.

Mini zoo at Fort Ilocandia.

After FIR, we dropped by Paoay Lake.

(I was sleeping the whole time we were traveling because i was really tirrrrreeed! Look at my eyes in the picture below, they’re a bit dreamy.Hehehe.)

Fronting the Paoay Church (my mom and dad steen).

We climbed the tower to see this sort-of historic bell (i guess what made it historic is that almost everybody (excluding us) who climbed the tower and saw the bell left imprints on the bell itself by writing their names on it!hahaha).

The sinking tower of Bacarra.

Our bag. Preparing to go home.

On the way home, we dropped Marsha’s. I swear, they sell the best bibingkas and puddings there! Loved them!

That’s why i bought a couple….. a couple of boxes. (hehehehe)

Some great random shots during our trip.

We’ll surely go back to Ilocos and hopefully get the chance to drop by Vigan and see the ancestral houses there. We were also told that from Ilocos, one can also go to Batanes or Camiguin via motor boat which excites us even more to go back! When we get back, we’ll surely tag along some of our best friends para mas masaya ang trip at mas maraming pictures!