More so than being a leisure, my yearning to visit Ilocos is inspired by a desire to know more about the Philippines, and generally, to gain a wider understanding of life, especially, now that I'm in my adult years.
My yearning to travel north was recently realized. My family, whom neither any have been to Ilocos before, planned a 4 day trip to cover Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, in celebration of my sister's college graduation.
Accompanied by my godfather; whom also is a close friend of my parents, we are to travel north up to Pagudpud, then go back south again to visit the notable cities that we will be passing through.
My next series of posts will cover this recent family trip. Documenting the sights, experiences and insights brought about by the journey. It will start this week on our long drive from Manila, up to the tip of Luzon.
* * *
We left Manila on a Friday night, hoping to escape the city traffic. By 12 midnight, until sunrise, we traversed the North Luzon express way passing through Bulacan, then Pampanga, then Pangasinan Until we passed through Luna, La Union, the farthest I've been up north.
Soon, we arrived at Tagudin, the first municipality of Ilocos sur, where we stopped for a while beside the welcome arc.
Officially now in the province of Ilocos, I felt enliven to see more of what lies ahead.
* * *
Our drive continued along the rural roads of Ilocos. Passing through provincial barangays, mountain slopes, rivers, and an ocassional view of the West Philippine Sea. Ilocos sur surely is a big province, as we were driving nonstop for 4 hours now but we were yet to graze Ilocos Norte.
A scenic view merits our stop at Quirino bridge in Santa, where, aside from capturing beautiful photos, we also got to take a breather (a fresh one at that) from our long drive. The bridge overlooking the mountains of Abra above and the Lagben river below, was a sight to behold.
There are two bridges by the way, the old one is now closed but remains a tourist site for people passing by Ilocos. The new one, the one we will be passing through, falls no short of being majestic. Both of them, as I have expected, and soon learned, holds a special place in Ilocano culture as a symbol of their pride and resilience.
At the other end of the bridge comes the municipality of Bantay and, just a few kilometers after, is Vigan, which we will be passing through for now.
* * *
A few more hours of driving and we soon arrived at Badoc, the first municipality of Ilocos Norte. Ilocanos surely has a thing for arches. Because this one, at Badoc, like the one in Ilocos sur, is as grand as a church's facade. Like a church, it is decorated with statues, and hints of rich faith and history. As expected, vehicles are also pooled in this part of the town to take pictures.
As we have more driving ahead of us before we reach Pagudpud, we continued our journey passing through Currimao then unto Paoay (which we will also visit on our way back) and into the famous Laoag city, home of the sinking bell tower and Museo Ilocos Norte.
Laoag city, unlike the towns and municipalities we have passed, is the busiest. Vendors, tourist, and locals sprawl the city's streets. It is a major city in the north after all, and all the fast food restaurants, malls, and shops line up the city complex. The city plaza attracts people too, as it is close to a cathedral, Saint Williams's, under the diocese of the bishop of Laoag.
* * *
We continued on and passed through more towns of Ilocos Norte: Bacarra, Pasuquin, Bangui-and soon, the famous windmills of North Luzon are now in sight. They are scattered across mountain tops, hills, besides the road, and on the coastal shore lines.
They were fascinating to behold, even for us, whom have seen similar ones in Pililla, Rizal.
* * *
After several more minutes on the road, we are again greeted by another welcome arch, the arch of our main destination, Pagudpud. We arrived at around 12 PM, 14 hours since we left Manila. Since we stopped over for rest and food, we estimated that our time on the road took around 10-11 hours.
The northernmost town of Luzon feels remote and detached from the congestion usually felt when in Metro Manila. In here, there are no towering sights but the mountains and the windmills. No noise but the sounds of nature and the occasional buzzing of passing vehicles. It is truly a place where city people can take a breather.
* * *
Before we stop for lunch, we decided to go first to Patapat Viaduct, one of Ilocos's most popular photo stops. There wasn't much of a crowd when we get there, so we were able to spend minutes taking photos.
The 1.3 km bridge lines in the coast of Luzon's tip, at the foot of the Cordillera mountain range, and serves as a connector between Cagayan and Ilocos.
In front of the bridge is a stunning view of Pasaleng Bay, portraying a wide expanse of sea, with no speck of land in sight. Looking at it feels like a fitting end to our long road trip. With the view on our mind, the breeze on our skin-I personally, can't help but feel rejuvenated, being surrounded by all these natural sights.
Fittingly, we were drawn to have lunch in the same manner, under the cover of the trees, grazed by the breeze, and gazing at the Pasaleng bay in the distance. And we found such a place, just beside the road, not far from the Patapat Viaduct. It was an eatery owned by locals, offering seafoods and Filipino pork meals.
Surely, dining is enjoyable from time to time when done outdoors. The fresh meals, the sounds of nature, the shades of the trees-everything was simple, yet also inspired happiness at the same time. It was an al fresco dining experience that all of us enjoyed.
* * *
It was time for us to rest. With noon approaching, we had to find a place to stay.
A local referred us to the rental houses in the coast of the nearby Blue Lagoon. A beautiful sand beach, that is literally at the top of Luzon. It isn't as popular as the ones in La Union but it stands out because of it's azure waters, and also because of the view of windmills whirling just behind it on top of the hills.
The clear blue waters, the soft sand, and the view of the windmills portrayed a view unique to Ilocos. And I took my time to bask it in, while lounging in the beach together with my family.
It was a quiet and peaceful night for sure, a perfect time for all of us to rest. We still have several days of exploring to do in Ilocos, but I can't help but feel already full, in spirit, but also in enthusiasm, to know more about this northern region of my country.
From Pagudpud, we are now to go down south. My post next week will cover our tour of the other landmarks of Ilocos Norte: natural rock formations, a historical cape, rolling sand dunes hills, and the famous windfarm in Bangui.
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