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Entry No. 0.7
My friends and I went to a summer trip to Ilocos on the 23rd to the 24th of April, this year. To tell you honestly, it was my first time to go on a trip that far without the supervision of an adult. Technically, I am now an adult, but why is it that I do not feel like it?
Anyway, the experiences we had were quite enjoyable, and it was joyous to think that I can finally have these memories in a far place with friends that I can fully recall and not one that goes back in my childhood.
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Paoay Sand Dunes
The 4x4 ride cost two thousand, five hundred pesos for five passengers, each of us paid five hundred pesos only. (But, you can still enjoy the ride even though you don't reach the maximum of five people per ride, so long you are prepared to pay more to fill-up the total amount of the entire experience.)
The ride was exciting and stomach-lurching! It was really an experience. There were stop overs for you to take pictures and enjoy sand boarding, which was already inclusive of the ride fee.
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Paoay Church
Unfortunately, I was not able to get a photo in front of the church. We came in by the side door, and we were not able to stay there long enough to walk around.
I really do love old Spanish style churches with their wonderfully patterned floor tiles.
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The Malacanyang of the North
This mansion served as home for the Marcos' during their regime. Few years after their power fell, the government got hold of it, and now this is one of the most visited places in Ilocos Region.
The house was truly a house for the wealthy and powerful, with its countless receiving areas, large open spaces, expensive chandeliers and furniture and expansive and comfortable bedrooms.
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The Marcos Museum and Mausoleum
The museum houses all the important memorabilia during Marcos' regime.
Tourism is one of the major contributor to the income of Ilocos region. Because of that, they are now trying to train young men and women to become the future tour guides in the region.
Trainee tour guides are the ones who welcomed and toured us around the museum. We also learned about the astonishing eleven-day romance of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos.
We were able to see Ferdinand Marcos' remains in the Mausoleum, as well. Taking pictures was prohibited inside, and we were not allowed to stay inside for long. We only walked along the guided path around his remains.
According to the tour guide, the Marcos' hired an Egyptian embalmer to maintain the remains of Marcos as is. For years, he even underwent seven surgical wax application to keep his body intact.
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Burgos Light House
The light house served its purpose for many years. It was one of the best place to look at the scenic view of the lake in Ilocos and the wonderful open field near it. My friends decided not to go up the lighthouse itself, but being an explorer myself, I took the chance and went alone. There I was able to appreciate the beauty of that old light house that holds decades of history of people visiting it.
There were rooms upstairs to where workers were said to have stayed during the Spanish era. Inside those rooms were old, worn-out furniture and creepy ghost stories.
The flight up was quite steep and a challenge for myself, being fearful of heights, but I did it! The heat of the sun was really painful to the skin. Luckily, I had with me my handy scarf and that was what I used to cover myself while taking the flight upstairs.
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Kapurpurawan Rock Formation
For me, this was one of the most magnificent sculpture of nature, with its perfectly smooth, white stone formations.
The path to the rock formation was quite a trek. But, my friends and I took the option of riding a horse to the rock formation for one hundred pesos only, instead. The owners of the horses we rented waited for us until we satisfactory inhaled that beauty. There were also available hats from the stores which we borrowed for a bit of donation.
The rock formation was absolutely amazing! My friends and I tried to jump from rock to rock to reach the other side of the formation, but it was a bit slippery for me (since I was wearing sandals) so I did not pursue going there anymore.
It was indeed a pleasure for us to have looked at every single direction, because everywhere we looked at was nothing but beauty. At the right were windmills in the mountains, on the left were other rock formations with plentiful flora, in front of us was the vast blue sea and at our back was the marvelous Kapurpurawan rock formation.
One tour guide told us to stand at a certain place in the rock formation. After taking our picture we were astonished to what we saw! Above us was a rock that looks like a crocodile! So, thanks kuya tour guide!
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Bangui Windmill
After the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation we went to the Bangui Windmill and though it was hot, the wind that circulates under the windmill brought soothing cool air around us. We just hid beneath the windmill where the shadows became our shade against the sunlight.
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The Sinking Bell Tower
The Burgos Bell tower was said to be built on a sandy land. They said that every year, the tower sinks about one inch into the ground. Through the years of sinking, the once entrance door is now a window-like opening.
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The Hidden Garden
The Hidden Garden was a wonderful surprise! It is where we ate delicious, authentic Ilocandia dishes.
My friends and I ordered the famous Poque-poque, which was an eggplant dish that tastes like laing. I do not know how to better explain it but it was definitely delicious and unforgettable.
Inside, there was a path through the garden where I have decided to explore (leaving my two friends behind). In the garden, I saw different kinds of Bonsai and other plants and flowers. I can say that it was a haven for plant-lovers, because people were able to buy affordable plants, which prices start at forty pesos only, from what I have seen.
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Baluarte ni Singson
Owned by the powerful politician, Chavit Singson. He previously used Baluarte as his shooting range to practice his shooting skills. He then decided to bring in different kinds of animals and opened the place to the public. However, because it was really hot and humid during our visit there we were not able to see a lot of animals in the field. Most of them were hiding at the cool, shady spots under the big trees.
We also took the ride to the museum where Singson kept his prized memorabilia of shooting in South Africa. There were various kinds of animals like dears, bears, elephants and rhinoceros for people's amusement and awe.
We were also able to watch a bit of the animal show which was really exciting and unexpected. I think anybody should not miss this one!
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Pottery Making
Pottery making in Ilocos is now a dying culture, according to the artist. Only a few of them are still surviving. In here, we saw hundreds of pots lined in rows drying.
The maker made this pot in their local Burnay in just few minutes!
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Calle Crisologo, Vigan
This place was the one I was most excited about because I have seen pictures of this since I was a kid, and it was a well known fact that I really love places like this. We have decided to visit the place at night because the tour guide told us that the place was so much better at night. It was not a wasted time going there really.
It was said that these houses were previously owned by low-income families, but since it was protected by the government, they can no longer pay for the maintenance of these houses and so they sold them to the affluent families in the region. Now, it houses shops per shops of souvenir items and restaurant places.
One restaurant we went to was the Lampong's. Our tour guide recommended this to us and we sure enjoyed the food, though the place is quite small and the service is bit of a wait. We still enjoyed the our time eating outside in the streets with their famous and affordable Sinunglao, yum!
When in Ilocos...
Remember to wear the following:
1. Comfortable flats or rubber shoes. Do not wear sandals especially during your trip to the Sandy places. You do surely do not want to have stinky feet, if you know what I mean.
2. Sunblock. Lather on good amount of SPF 30 on your skin thirty minutes before exposing yourself to the sun, and remember to reapply every two hours. It is very hot there, trust me!
3. Scarf or Umbrella. Though you have that extra SPF 30 to protect your skin, you still need the extra shade from these things because the heat from the sun is really painful!
4. Loose, light, comfortable clothes. Wear clothes that are airy and light, so you won't feel suffocated in those tight-fitting clothes and feel warmer in those dark, thick shirts.
Thanks for reading!
Hope that you enjoy these, or if you are going there I hope that you will have the time of your life! Just grab every opportunity and don't miss a thing! Be always prepared and take care!
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