The Ancient Ilocos

     Years ago, I went to Tagaytay, Baguio, Palawan and some other places here in the Philippines. One day as I browse my news feed in one of my social media accounts, I saw the Calle Crisologo in  Vigan, the Paoay Sand Dunes in Laoag and the amazing Bangui Windmills in Burgos. That’s when I clearly said to myself, “I wanna go to Ilocos soon. I wanna experience the 4x4 ride, the Calle Crisologo and the windmills.” Luckily, on my last year in college we had our exposure trip. The original place was in Cebu but we said that we already rode on the airplane and we really want to experience a long travel just like in Ilocos. So, we tried our very best just to join the said exposure tour.  In the middle of the semester, we feel so excited despite of the busy schedules in school.

            Nine o’clock in the evening of Monday, November 28 of the year 2016, we left Batangas City going to Ilocos. The excitement is getting nearer as we were travelling. It was (again) a dream come true for me since I really prayed for it for so long. I will finally see the beautiful Ilocos. We had some picture taking before leaving Batangas. In the pictures (below), we (TKB and Pabebe Boys) took some snaps. 



        We had a short prayer and our tour guide, Kuya J instructed us for the stop overs and some overview in Ilocos. Since, the travel is really long we need to take a sleep while travelling. I have a hard time on sleeping while travelling but my bus mate is Cindy, she’s always sleeping. Honestly, I am half-awake on the travel and I always look on the clock inside the bus. Our first stop over is on Caltex because we didn’t eat our dinner yet. After dinner, we continue our travel going to Ilocos and yes finally, I am now going to sleep that moment but before that, we had our laughs and jokes in the middle of the night. It was one of the best moments while travelling, teasing each other and making some unforgettable laughs that will surely miss. I woke up at 2:30 am and I saw that we finally reach our last stop over, Sison Pangasinan where we sip some hot coffee. We had 20-30 minutes break for the early breakfast and comfort rooms. In this picture, the oily faces of the squad taken by Nichelle Lorenzo.


            After Pangasinan, we decided to sleep again since its 5 hours more before reaching Ilocos. I couldn’t imagine that it was really a long, long travel. After hours and hours of travel, we reached the first province of Ilocos, Ilocos Sur at almost 6:00 am. In Narvacan, Ilocos Sur we saw the statue of Diego and Gabriella Silang, the hero of Ilocos. We also saw the beautiful West Philippine Sea which was the shooting location of Panday. There is a new bridge where you will stop breathing while passing through (this is for first timer only). We made it! We managed to stop breathing though it is really hard to do it. After a while, we need to arrange ourselves for the first destination, the Bantay Watchtower and Bantay Church.

   


         The travel is really long but the destination is amazing, really amazing. It’s worth the travel. After Bantay Church is our breakfast in Vigan where we can explore Vigan City especially the Plaza Salcedo. Every establishment in Vigan has an old class style; it was attractive actually. I never saw anything like that. It was good to experience your first breakfast in Vigan. Waking up to see the unforgettable ambience of Vigan City, Ilocos Sur is quite a teary-eyed moment for me. I never imagined that it will happen this year. Next stop was the Pagburnayan where you can see how to make pots, mortar and pestle. Some of my classmates tried to experience it; they were so funny especially their works. We also stop at the souvenir shops in Pagburnayan. The Crisologo Museum is the next destination and after that is the Baluarte ni Singson where we rode on a shuttle to reach the Safari Museum and the big dinosaur. We saw different kinds of animals like ostrich.



             I cannot say a word after seeing those places because way back then it was just a picture for me and now I really did make to see it. We had our lunch after Baluarte ni Singson; there were lots of foods and I can’t breathe after. The foods are delicious! Unluckily after lunch, my dysmenorrhea came along with me so I didn’t saw the weaving in Ilocos because my stomach is aching and I am not really feeling well. Thank God, we will have a long travel going to the hotel so I can take a rest. I’m a bit unwell that time but I am happy. So, after almost two hours, we reach Playa Tropical Resort in Currimao, Ilocos Norte. It was a bit disappointing; we didn’t experience the Playa Tropical on the other hand, it was fun to have a solo hotel that time. We were given special prizes like Enchanted Kingdom tickets and Iphone 4s.

            On the next day, we woke up with a smile on our faces since we were already recharged. We were advised to leave at 7:00 am that day unfortunately, the breakfast seems late so the itinerary changed. That day, we went to the histocial Paoay Church where the movie of Erich Gonzales and Mario Maurer was taken. It is really beautiful. The view of the church seems so really perfect.  Next, was the Malacanang of the North, old house of the Marcos with a perfect view of Paoay Lake. It was really a beautiful house. I’m proud to those people who really did effort to make it maintained. After Malacanang of the North, we went straight to Laoag City Church and Bell Tower and we had some snaps to the capitol of Ilocos Norte. After that, we went to Sta. Monica Church but I didn’t take some photos as I have a dysmenorrhea (again) that day. After Sta. Monica, we went to the restaurant where we will eat our lunch before checking-in to Java Hotel. I was too disappointed because my dysmenorrhea joined me in Ilocos but I need to enjoy it.

            After some rest on the hotel, we need to have our seminar about Ecotourism in Ilocos Norte. It was discussed by Mark Nicolas who was one of the discoverers of La Paz Sand Dunes. They were groups who try to discover some places in Ilocos which can use to promote the beauty of Ilocos. According to him, “Ilocos Norte is like a barangay but a beautiful place. It has 12 falls located in it. Most of the houses are for guests rooms.” As a fourth year student who had an ecotourism subject, I clipped some of his words about ecotourism in Ilocos Norte, “Ecotourism should have the conservation of the place, good relationship with the community, educate them (the local community) on how to promote ecotourism, build environmental and cultural relationship with the community, provide financial for local people, media will help the community, recognized the spirit of the community train them how to interact with the tourists well, and preserve the place.”





               After the seminar, we will go to Culili Point Sand Dunes. It was a bit of sadness as I will not experience 4x4 ride because of my damn health problem. I was really crying that time together with Nichelle and Juvy Luka. We were really disappointed and a bit of jealous to those who tried. To be honest, it was the reason why I joined the tour, to experience the 4x4 ride unfortunately, I never did. I’m a bit of sad but its okay maybe there’s a reason why. Too lucky because we were given a chance to have a picture inside it; for me, it was an experience too.


         Yes! Dinner is coming and we were at Arabella’s Events Place. The foods were cooked by the famous La Preziosa for our dinner and lunch the next day. It really, really, really delicious and the place is good. We were like attending birthday party. 


         I couldn’t imagine that this will be the last day of our tour. Too short though we were all tired. We actually leave 7:00 am in the morning to reach all the last itineraries. First, we travel to Burgos to see the Bangui Windmills and next is the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation which will leave you really speechless! It was really beautiful, amazing, wonderful and a lots of beautiful words. I’ve never seen a place like Bangui and Kapurpurawan! Oh my gosh! I wish I could express here the feelings I’ve felt when I was in Kapurpurawan. It was just beautiful, really beautiful! Heaven! It was like heaven, so peaceful! This is really the highlight of our tour.


           After Burgos, we went again to Arabella for our lunch before leaving Ilocos Norte. We had a great time in Ilocos Norte. We took some roadtrip going to Batac, Ilocos Norte to see Marcos Museum and to taste the Batac Empanada and the Batac Chichacorn. We stopped at Sto. Domingo, Ilocos Sur to get our pasalubong and went straight to Vigan City. We had a long time to explore the famous Calle Crisologo and to buy more pasalubongs; to experience Kalesa and to eat our dinner. I really can’t explain the feeling I have when I was in Vigan. It has a beautiful story from the past that the place can explain. The only words I can say is, “Wow! It’s really amazing especially the Calle Crisilogo and the Plaza Salcedo in Vigan”



I wish I can go back to the place and experience another adventure with my family. I wish the place will remain and will reach by the next generation. It is really good suggestion to go back to where we started; to experience how our ancestors lived before. I am into old class that’s why I loved to experience the history.  I’m really proud of to the government of Ilocos Region since they preserve the place well but it really needs more because it is beautiful; it might attract more tourists. The experience is really unforgettable though the travel is long. This last trip is one of the best moments I will cherish as I will graduate soon. The happiness I gained here (in Ilocos) will never ever be forgotten.















Location: Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte

Comments


  1. I will forever be indebted to the great Doctor TAKUTA for fixing my broken marriage after my husband left me for his mistress for 3 months. I never believed in spells until my friend introduced me to him. At first, I was skeptical about him because I heard a lots about false spell casters but I put my doubts behind me for i was desperate to get my husband back and I did according to what he instructed me to do. Now my husband is back just within 48 hours of contacting him. I'm living happily with my husband again after 6 months of divorce and I will not rest till he's known all over the world. He's also specialize in money spells, lottery spells, sickness spells E.T.C. Get connected with Doctor Takuta now, his email is takutaspellalter@gmail.com or WhatsApp on +27788634102

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you Dr Emu for what you have done for me i would have been nothing today if not for your great spell. i want you my friends who are passing through all this kind of love problem of getting back their husband, wife , or ex boyfriend and girlfriend to contact Dr Emu , if you need his help you can contact him through his private mail: emutemple@gmail.com or you can contact him through his website https://emutemple.wordpress.com/ fb page Https://web.facebook.com/Emu-Temple-104891335203341

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Unseen Beauty of Bauan

TKB goes to Shercon Resort & Ecology Park

How to heal a Broken Heart