I’m back!

Hello bloggers and avid readers(if I even have one)!

I'm back from my Northern Luzon trip with my Mom, Sisters, and Brother.

We spent 3 nights in Pagudpud, an afternoon in Vigan and 1 night in Laoag for the whole of Saturday, Nov. 11 til today Wednesday, Nov. 15. So obviously absent ako sa school ng apat na araw, nag-give-out ako ng 8-hour shift from work, at nag-leave rin for one day. Kararating lang namin kaninang hapon through Cebu Pacific.

Anyhow, ayos na ayos ang bakasyon. Medyo di maganda ang "opening act" dahil ma-ulan nung dumating kami sa Pagudpud, accompanied by my unstoppable nose-bleed. Pero gumanda din naman ang panahon as the days went by at tumigil din ang nosebleed ko pag-dating sa resort.

Pagudpud is a nice place. The beach is a fine, beige sand, maraming puno, at blung-blue na dagat. Since off-peak at "Ber-month" pa, mabibilang mo siguro sa daliri ang mga tao nung weekend. When Monday came, it seems kami nalang ang tao, solong-solo namin ang beach.

Some must see places aside from the "main" beach stretch ay ang Winding Patapat Bridge, Bantay-Abot "Cave", at Blue "Lagoon". (-may apostraphe ang cave at lagoon dahil hindi naman talaga sila kweba at lagoon, you'll see once I post the pictures)

You should also see the windmills for electricity a few towns before Pagudpud from Laoag if you can. I think they're really cool. Di lang namin napuntahan talaga coz of the public bus we rode. Yun yung nasa TV ad ni Regine Velasquez for Smart and Dept of Tourism.

It was Tuesday morning when we left for Laoag to check in to one of the Hotels dun, andun kasi yung Airport, and by 11:30 am we rode the bus for Pasay City for us to get to Vigan. Dumating kami mga 1:30 na. As we all know, Vigan is home to some of the surviving Spanish colonial houses built way back 1500s.

As far as I know, dahil sandali lang kami doon, isang street nalang ang in-tact talaga at yung mga bahay ay ginawang souvenir shops, museums, etc. This street is Calle Crisologo, with its cobbled-stone streets, Calesa lang actually ang pinapadaan dito. Ang sarap sa tenga ng sound ng clip-clop-clip-clop ng paa ng mga kabayo as you walk along the street. P150 lang per hour ang kalesa.

A nice place to eat here is Cafe Leona, nasa bukana lang ng Calle Crisologo. Turo-turo style siya pero masarap ang pag-kain, you should try the Bagnet (Ilocano crispy-fried pork knuckles) and Spicy Beef Stir-fried na sobrang sarap. Ok din ang iced-tea nila dahil parang smoothie, may shredded ice.

Other must see places here ay ang Shrine of the Lady Charity-something sa Bantay, separate town na siya from the city of Vigan but you can still ask your kutchero to take you there. Ito ang oldest church sa Ilocos Sur ayon sa historical marker na nasa facade nito.

Sa tabi nito matatagpuan ang second oldest bell-tower sa Pilipinas. Ayon sa guide doon, dito daw nag-shoot ang "Panday", tsaka "Ang Pagbabalik ng Panday" ni FPJ, at ang Panday TV series ni Jericho Rosales. Ahehe. Isang malaking bell nalang ang natira at ilang smaller bells around it, ninakaw daw kasi yung iba. As you climb the winding staircase nito, may mga butas sa walls, dito daw nilulusot ang mga kanyon noong World War II.

Towns away from Vigan din - but still kalesable - ay ang "Baluarte" ni Luis "Chavit" Singson. Ito yung bahay niya, may pangalan, parang "Never Land Ranch" ni Michael Jackson. May mini-zoo dito at nakita namin ang mga tigers, macak monkeys, urangutans, pythons, pygmy horses, at ostrich. Libre sumakay sa mini-kalesa na hinihila ng kawa-awang kabayo na mistulang aso lang ang laki.

On the way there, napag-usapan namin ng mga kapatid ko sa kalesa na baka nandun si Chavit, sabi nila ay ok kung ma-interogate namin siya tungkol sa mga isiniwalat niyang panloloko ni Erap. Sakto at nandoon nga siya, naka-tambay lang at nagpapa-photo-op sa mga bisitang tulad namin. Wala kaming nagawa, hindi namin siya na-interview, nakipag-kodakan nalang rin ang Mama at Kuya ko with him.

Another attraction in Vigan nga pala is Padre Burgos' former residence that they turned into a Museum to honor him. P10 ang bayad, may mga binatilyo at dalagita silang tour-guide doon na mag-uunahan pa sa kung sino ang makakapag-tour sa inyo.

Mga 4:30pm ay sumakay na kami ng bus papuntang Laoag to spend the night. We ate at this fine dining restaurant called La Preciosa, just in front of our hotel La Elliana. Kitang-kita ang espanyol influences sa mga pangalan nila, ewan ko lang kung may historical value or trip lang nila. I'm not sure if their back-packer friendly in terms of prices though. Mama ko kasi nagbabayad.

Guess that's it for now. Will give you more about my Ilocano trip once I post the pics from my camera along with my sis' and mom's cameras din. Ciao!