Vigan, Ilocos Sur-Pagudpod, Ilocos Norte
We left Manila very late at night of Wednesday for a three-day tour to Ilocos Sur. It's my very first time to join a company outing like this and my first time too on a long drive vacation.
Our first stop is at the Max's Restaurant, Hacienda Luisita, found along the highway of the long stretch of Tarlac. We just stop to pee then we continued with our journey. We finally reached La Union at 6:30am and had our complimentary breakfast by the DBM Region 1.
The itinerary started in Vigan, Ilocos Sur then to Ilocos Norte to Pagudpod.
Day 1: Vigan, Ilocos Sur
We arrived at Vigan at exactly 12noon, it was a sunny, hot and crowdy day and we were all hungry.
First thing I saw upon entering the city is an all-ivory painted church called the Chuch of St. Paul also known as the Vigan Cathedral.
Kuya Ronald on his signature pose hahaha!
Vigan City is a picturesque image of the old Spanish village rich with heritage and culture. Places to visit are the Crisologo Museum, the Heritage Village, Leona Florentino House, and the Baluarte Mini Zoo.
Here are photos from the Crisologo Museum, the old ancestral house of the Crisologos in Vigan (taken by my brother on his recent trip):
We didn't spend much time here because we had to continue with our journey to Ilocos Norte where we will spend the night.
Day 2: Pagudpod Beach, Windmill, and The Lighthouse
This, I must say is a very very long drive, under the heat of the sun and the humid air..we got so excited to reach the beach and swim to our hearts content. At 10am, the tour started with a drop at Fort Ilocandia.
Then heading straight to Pagudpod beach, had lunch and didn't waste anymore time to swim!
Due to time constraints, unfortunately, we only stayed at the beach for 3 hours...
Up to our next destination...the Bangui Windmills. wow! the only word I first uttered upon seeing this site..I never imagined there's such wonderful engineering like this in our country.
Back during the time of the Marcos regime, this is said to be the first windmill farm, the biggest in southeast Asia, that supplied electricity in the whole country. And it is not just one windmill but several huge gigantic wind turbines aligning the shoreline as they face the South China Sea.
Next stop is the prominent lighthouse in the north, the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse.
A cultural heritage built on top of the hill during the Spanish colonization, I read through its gates that it was first lit a hundred of years ago and is still to welcome international ships from the north and guide these ships safely away from the rocky coast of the town.
photo from: outoftownblog.com
We climb the stairs to the top and found a nice view of Cape Bojeador, the South China Sea and the courtyard down where we came from.
There's a spiral staircase that lead us to the lantern room that can accommodate a certain number of guests at a time.
photo from:seekingfelicity.com
We went back to our lodge, slept early during the night for the next day's escapade to Ilocos Sur.
Day 3: Ilocos Norte Countryside
These are the places we visited on the way back:
Malacañang of the North: Otherwise known as the White House of the North, is the residence of the deposed dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his family. During the rule of the Marcoses in the country, this place has been a venue for the elite's gathering and social banquets.
What is so impressive about this residence, though a bit old and worn out, is the way they preserved the furniture and fixture which still pictured it's classic extravagance and royalty. The little palace is now a property of the government after it has been sequestered from the Marcoses along with their other properties.
We got the chance to enter the Marcos Museum, here you can see the artifacts of the Marcos rule in the country, some collectibles of arts and literature.
Of course the visit will not be complete without a glance of Marcos' controversial mausoleum (we were not allowed to take photos inside). At first look, we suspected that the body was just a wax figure of the late President, but the guide said otherwise..that it's Marcos' real body preserved the way it was done to the bodies of the late Lenin and Stalin of Russia and Mao Tse Tung of China.
Our last stop is the old Paoay Church, named a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is considered as one of the baroque churches in the country.
And we're finally heading home!
The Church before it's renovation
Thank God for this beautiful day..the sun is up and shining through out our Ilocos tour!
Happy Trip!