Falling In Love Further North: Ilocos

Aside from Baguio, Ilocos was one item on my travel bucket list of year 2013. And it was such an amazing experience having to cross that item off of my list with the funniest (and the most "gentle" and "non-raunchy") bunch of friends I have ever met.

And yes, I am very painfully aware that I am posting this blog more than a month late but in my defense, I was busy...procrastinating. And dealing with writer's block, which I haven't fully recovered from, mind you.

With the help of e-Philippines travel (Brian Sacamos, our agent, and Kuya Allan Ong, our driver and tourist guide), we were able to smoothly buy a package tour for Vigan, Laoag, and Pagudpud of mid-December last 2013. So, thank you, Sir Brian and Kuya Allan! :)

So, what fascinated me about Ilocos? What drove me to put it on my travel bucket list? The place is a cultural gem. When I think of Ilocos, I think of Spanish colonization, Ferdinand Marcos, romantic and lovely lamp-lit streets lined with Spanish-style houses, "dinengdeng", and bagnet. My father is an Ilokano and although, I do not speak the dialect, I was raised eating dinengdeng, bagnet, and pinakbet. Of course I wanted to visit this place of interesting food names and a common household flavor. Of course I wanted to visit the hometown of many of the most famous politicians of the country. Of course I wanted see it in person, to experience it, to live it. The allure, the romance, the charisma of hearing the place "Calle Crisologo" alone was enough to transport me to a scene of a beautiful Spanish-inspired wedding. I was resolute. I was pee-my-pants excited with the mere thought of it.

So without further ado, here are the places we've visited in Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte! :)

By the way, guys, photos are mine, otherwise duly credited. So, please don't steal them.  ;)

Places

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Bantay Belfry and Church

Burnayan Pottery

Baluarte

Marcos Mausoleum

Church of Paoay

Malacañang of the North

Fort Ilocandia

Bangui Wind Farm

Saud Beach

Calle Crisologo

Cape Bojeador

Food

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The Hidden Garden of Vigan

La Preciosa

The Ilocos region offers so many places worthy of visit; so many food hubs worthy of a try. There were still a lot of places in both Sur and Norte we wanted to visit like the Pagudpud Viaduct, Paoay Sand Dunes, Crisologo Museum, and a lot more. But because of our limited time, we only have to prioritize a few. So, if you plan on going on an all-out Ilocos vacation, do yourself a favor and do it in a week or more if you want to. If you're going to explore the place, live it and love it! :)

Calle Crisologo: The Muffled Life of a Simpler Past

When we speak of Vigan, it has always led us to the famous Calle Crisologo. A little background: "Calle" is Spanish term that translates to "street". Calle Crisologo was named after the famous Ilokano poet and politician, Mena Pecson Crisologo. This district is lined up with Spanish-style houses drawing out the Spanish colonization era.

We only got the chance to visit Calle Crisologo on our last day in Ilocos. Kuya Allan told us that the best time to visit the district was at night when the lamps are lit, shadows are cast, and the streets are quiet and romantic. But since we are pressed for time, we visited it during the day and on a very short time. Nevertheless, seeing the famous Calle Crisologo in the flesh was definitely remarkable.

Calle Crisologo

Of Sunsets, Sands, and Saud Beach

To end our second day in Ilocos, we checked in at the Rinnovati in Pagudpud to experience the growing-famous Saud Beach.  This beach is considered by many as the "Boracay of the North" because of its powdery white sand.

Before getting to the accommodation, we dropped by at the town's marketplace to buy food we can cook at the resort. We proceeded to the Pagudpud Rinnovati before sun down. The Rinnovati is housed within a compound of lodgings along Saud Beach. Right after finalizing our room assignments and setting down our bags, our group went to the beach for a quick afternoon dip.

Saud Beach, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Personally, I do not think the sand of Saud Beach were as white as that of Siquijor's beaches (and much less of Boracays? I wouldn't know, I have never been to that party-fuelled island). Though the sands are very very soft, its color is more yellow-ish and the setting sun gave it a coral hue. 

Saud Beach at sundown

The water was bluer than I have ever seen and the waves are strong and unrelenting. Alas! I did not get to experience them because I was having a...monthly crisis. But according to my friends, the water was warm and I guess that's how far I can describe it.

My boyfriend's hair having a terrific windy day

Was the beach crowded? Hmmm. Not in a way Puerto Galera is crowded but yes, when the sun had set, the night-owls came out, mostly foreigners, lounging around but it was not anything hectic. We still managed to reserve a spot for ourselves.

More on Ilocos here! :)

The Invincible Winds of Bangui

Let's get the cliché out of the way: the winds of Bangui blew me away. For me, one of the highlights of our Ilocos tour was visiting the Bangui Wind Farm.

It was noon when we got to the wind farm and we were hot and a very hungry bunch. We just came from the windy steps of the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse and we were looking for a place to gratify our growing hunger.

High up at Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

When we first came to Ilocos, in my mind, the place quickly turned from "the hot and sunny province of the North" to "the warm and windy paradise of the North." I kid you not, in the right places, the winds here are a little different--more cheerful and more welcoming. It gives you the feeling that once you succumb to it, it will take you to places you've only dreamed about.

The Cape Bojeador Lighthouse is where I truly felt the omnipresent wind embrace me. It proudly stands tall atop the Vigia de Nagpartian Hill overlooking Cape Bojeador where Spanish sailing ships used to sail by.

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

The lighthouse was first designed by Magin Pers in 1887. It was fitted with a first-order Fersnel lenses as its source of light. But an earthquake damaged it and was replaced by a solar-powered electric lamp. And no, that was research. We didn't get to see the actual lenses.

The lighthouse is still working but it's not safe to go up the tower any more so we settled for the courtyard and along the verandah of the lighthouse's main pavilion. 

Steps leading towards the pavilion

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

I heard that the pavilion was turned into a "museum" of sorts but it was closed when we got there. Besides, the wind was lulling us into a stupor so we took advantage of that and the spectacular view.

More on Ilocos here! :)

The Upscale Hotel of the North

On our second day in Ilocos, we visited the 5-star deluxe hotel of the North, Fort Ilocandia. According to their website "The only 5-star deluxe resort hotel in northern Philippines sprawling over 77 hectares of land amidst gentle sand dunes and pine forests with a 2km sandy beach facing the South China Sea."

The place is open to tourists who want to take pictures and explore the grounds but, of course, there are certain parts of the place exclusive only to guests of the hotel.

The resort complex also houses a casino, an upscale coffee house named "Cafe Ilocandia", function rooms, and a Golf and Country Club. There are statues, fountains, and endless grand staircases everywhere. On the walls are pictures and memorabilia of the late former president Ferdinand Marcos.

The place looks very grand and beautiful but I guess, I couldn't fully appreciate it because I was not a guest. If you're interested, you can visit their website here. 

More on Ilocos here! :)

The Romantic Allure of Paoay Church

The Church of Paoay, also known as the Church of Saint Augustine, whose cornerstone was laid on 1704, is one of the four remaining Baroque Churches in the country.  We got to the Church mid-afternoon and the place was breathtaking.

Paoay Church grounds

Its bell tower is detached and stands in its glorious gothic glamour few meters besides it. The wide vast grounds is littered with beautiful flowers (I'm sorry, I don't know what kind of flowers they are. If you do, please comment it. :D) and the vast grounds are calling out for a picnic.

The cobblestone path leading to the Church's entrance

And behold, we laid our eyes on the stunning Church of Paoay. Aside from its resplendence, another thing that will catch your eye are the thick Gothic buttresses that run along its sides. Buttresses are structures built agains the wall which supports the Church. Hence, a "fortress".

This is probably the most romantic Church I have ever laid eyes on, with its mix of gothic, baroque, and oriental structure. For those of you who does not know what a "Baroque architecture" means. This entails that the churches structure resembles a fortress. This is especially noteworthy for the Paoay Church because of its adaptation to European Baroque architecture which served as its protection from earthquakes. 

Paoay Church Interior

This Spanish-era church was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its cultural significance.  Its tower was also used as an observation post by Katipuneros during the revolution and by guerilleros during the Japanese Occupation. Okay, that does not sound very romantic but, my point is, it is one of the most impressive and elegant Church I have ever seen.

More on Ilocos here! :)

The First Glimpse of the Past: Ferdinand Marcos

Ferdinand Marcos is one of the most famous sons of the Ilokos region. Probably, one cannot find a Filipino who doesn't know who he is. Former president of the Philippines and dictator, along with being fiercly intelligent and aggressive in his political reign, his name almost always often represented the villainous dictatorship in the Filipino context. Although recently, I have been noticing a lot of bold, some may call it brazen, Marcos fanatics' sentiments emerge from social media. I don't claim to have the slightest clue about politics and the people, but I wondered if some are suddenly realizing how "good" the social system was during his time in comparison with the present. I don't have the slightest clue about politics, but I know whatever "good" this regime brought, it cannot outweigh the horrors it contributed to history.

I aplogize. I digress: this is not a blog about political agendas and analyzation of how Filipinos view and treat politics. A few years after his exile spent in Hawaii, Marcos died of lung, kidney, and liver complications. The government of President Corazon Aquino denied his return to the country thus, his remains was kept sealed in an air-conditioned mausoleum on Oahu, Hawaii. When Fidel Ramos became Aquino's successor, President Ramos granted permission for Imelda Marcos to bring her husband's body back here in the country. But she demanded that he be buried in the National Heroes Cemetery in Manila. President Ramos denied her insistence. Until such a time comes that the government will yield to Imelda's demands, the Marcos family had Ferdinand Marcos' body preserved and sealed in his hoemtown, Batac, Ilocos Norte for public display. And that was where we woke up to one hot and sunny afternoon in Batac City.

A Quiet Visit at the Burnayan Pottery

After our hearty meal at The Hidden Garden, our driver, Kuya Allan, took us to visit the Vigan Pottery or what is locally called "Burnayan". The term comes from the word "burnay" which is what the earthenware used is called.

Vigan Burnayan

A Peek at Baluarte

One of the first sites we visited in Vigan was Chavit Singson's privately owned Baluarte. The word "Baluarte" translates to fortress. When people speak of Vigan, it is almost always associated with Mr. Singson's Baluarte. The Baluarte is a privately-owned resort with areas open to the public like the mini zoo. They have lions, Bengal tigers, peacocks, ostriches, iguanas, pythos, and other endemic animals.

As you've figured, after the long hours of travel over night, we're probably on the threshold of our energies when we got there. We were a bit cranky and a bit devoid of energy. Nevertheless, it was as good as it got. We got there a few minutes after the place opened and very few tourists are around to crowd the area. The place was, generally, clean and well-kept. Props to Mr. Singson for that and the few staff were all friendly.

Baluarte

Battles in Bantay

It was a glorious Friday morning when we arrived at the warm province of Ilocos Sur. The skies are bright with a few clouds here and there.

After 9 hours of travelling and finding impossible sleeping positions in our rented van, it was a relief to finally get some fresh morning air. Thankfully, along with fresh air is a majestic view.