I have a mind to be poetic and eloquent about the whole weekend trip. Goodness knows we've been given plenty of reasons to be poetic about it. But I haven't the patience to write a lengthy entry detailing everything that I've seen, given that my body is still on vacation mode, thus lacking sense. So I'll keep the poetic details in my mind, and try to tell our journey up north, using my sleep-muddled brain.
We left Manila, giddy with excitement, full of Wendy's burgers from Espana Branch and armed with only a few bags (I only brought one pink bag, the size of Norm's pillow bag), at around 8:30 in the evening. After praying the rosary, Norms and I immediately drifted into sleep, much to Liza's chagrin. We stopped briefly in Tarlac, in La Union and in Laoag. Exactly 13 hours later, we arrived in Pagudpud, in a nearly deserted shed, with only two tricycles waiting for passengers. We boarded one and told the driver to take us to Saud beach.
looks like bora, except for the lack of nude people and the presence of those angry waves
After checking in and making arrangements for a day tour around Pagudpud, we immediately went to the beach and voila! It was Boracay minus the hundreds of nearly naked bodies doing mating rituals and the countless shops that littered the beachfront. Also, the presence of those big waves and the freezing water reminded us that this is a far more angry sea than the one in Visayas.
Packed with lunch and our cameras we hopped on a tricycle and the driver (also our guide) brought us to different sites in Pagudpud, the first of which is a falls that you can only see after a 30 min hike. Yes, me, hiking, in the woods. Pant, pant.
it's the long trek that made me appreciate this falls...
Rocky river, dirt paths and unimaginable things in the trees around us, and finally, we see the end of the river. Hah! I made it. Took very important picture as proof of me trekking, and we made our way back.
Then, trips to several sites. One was a rocky cliff that we have to climb across. But the breathtaking view is with the misty mountains in the background. Looks like a miniature New Zealand tourism pic, without the snowcapped mountains.
Can you feel the wind, hear the waves and taste that salty air?
Feeling hunger pangs, we decided to have lunch. Soggy fried chicken with ketchup and plain rice has never tasted this good. A few more pictures on the way and we went back to the resort.
Lunch near Cagayan...
The road to Cagayan from Pagudpud
The freezing waters combined with our weak legs and tired sleepy eyes, prevented us from going back to the beach. So we watched the sunset from our balcony. Hmmm, life at the province really makes you stop and think. No tv, no radio and nothing to distract you from feeling and living life itself. Being a city mouse all my life, I appreciate the simple life, but I have the bustling, vibrant city ingrained in my body cells, so I began to seriously crave for an internet connection and read my daily dose of Harry and Draco.
Alas, after dinner, I fell asleep and snored quite happily through the night. The earliest I've slept for years, I think. It was just a little before ten and our lights were off and all was quiet outside. (Note: Norms and Liza had an encounter with the 'unknown' and I'm so glad I wasn't a part of it, given that I'm such a huge coward at the mention of ghosts near my being)
The next day was like racing against the clock for we have to go catch the bus from Vigan at 3pm to Manila. (Thanks to Ayeen, who gave us all the tips and notes for this trip, we already know what time we have to leave and how much we have to pay) We left for Laoag at 8 and toured the city briefly from ten to eleven a.m. Then, we boarded the mini bus to Vigan, followed by another two hour trip. Our driver was exceptionally slow and seemingly want to take everyone who's standing by the road to his/her destination so it was almost a three hour trip for us. We arrived at Vigan at almost 2pm.
Disgruntled and unhappy that I'm not going to be back at Manila by midnight, I ate bagnet, igado and rice with gusto. But Liza and Norms giving me dirty looks disuaded me from leaving earlier than planned and we decided to leave by 4pm, I'll just have to accept that I'll be at my room by 1:30 am. We had hot chocolate afterwards, and then went out to the wet streets of Vigan. It was raining slightly and I have a list of pasalubong my sister wants me to buy.
sits down for a rest
getting ready for a pic...
Walking briskly and taking pictures along the way, we went to the Crisologo house. After walking through the old house, we boarded our fourth (or fifth?) tricycle to the Plaza to buy empanada and bibingka. Barely even have time for a breath, we found ourselves in the Partas bus terminal with the bus already getting ready to leave. Hmmm, one final stop at Marsha's for cassava cake and we slumped in our seats on our 9hr trip back home.
(I've had panic times, because it was raining on our way back and the bus is slooowly making the trip back to the city. I thought I couldn't make it back home at 1:30 am, but we did! Sleepy sleepy me, I just perked up a little when the bus picked up a group of surfers in La Union. Just a little. I couldn't help but grind my teeth at the thought of another delay...grrr...Eventually, Norms nudged me awake and before I knew it, I'm home.)
When we were in Pagudpud (around 560 kms away from Manila), I'm wishing for a laptop and an internet connection. Boarded in the bus to Manila, I wish we have a white-sand beach in Manila where I can have solitary moments once in a while. I breathed a sigh of relief when I entered my room, but I couldn't stop smiling at the adventure that was our trip up north in Ilocos.
Bora or Pagudpud? Don't make me choose. They each have their own charm and beauty and it will be so arrogant of me (or anyone else) to choose one above another. I'm just thankful I get to visit both.
Our next stop: Banawe? Palawan? Batanes? I know I'll be in Bohol with my family this coming weekend, and in Bicol to attend a wedding the next.
A very, very fine way to end the year indeed.
may mumu sa polaris!! buti na lang mahimbing din tulog ko nun (takot din ako sa mumu, hehe).....
ReplyDeletehey! glad you had fun too....... ganda talaga ng pilipinas!!