Had the most amazing trip ever last week! Juk, Trish, Ric and I went up north to Ilocos to spend 5 days of fun and frolic, not to mention Juk’s birthday and lots of photo ops. We can’t feel the excitement of our trip yet earlier in the week -not until we were actually in the airport to depart for Laoag- because we were all (pati ba si Ric? hehe) swamped with so much work. Juk and I actually stayed ‘til 1:00 am last Friday in the office to finish off tasks to be turned over while we’re gone.
Come early morning Saturday, I was awakened by the sound of rain. Juk even texted that it’s raining hard in her location and she fears that her place might get flooded. I was a bit disheartened by the sudden uncooperative mood of the weather, good thing that it’s a totally different story in Ilocos.
Day 1 – Laoag
(September 15, Saturday)
We’re finally here!
We arrived in sunny Laoag at around 2 pm. Of course, we wouldn’t miss an opportunity to have our pictures taken at the tarmac and at the very quaint airport.
Upon exiting the airport, we were approached by a Manong asking if we have a ride going to our hotel. Having no option for a ride going to Aurelio’s Mansion (our hotel in Laoag), we’ve decided to ride his jeep for just 37.50 each. We learned later on that his name is Manong Cely. We got his cell phone number just in case we would need his services to tour us around the city. 
Yummy bagnet and poqui-poqui After settling our stuff in the hotel, we already went out to start off our adventure. We rented the hotel van to tour us around. The Receptionist recommended La Preciosa as a good place to eat, so that’s where we had our first meal in Ilocos. We ordered the local fare which is bagnet and poqui-poqui. I must say that bagnet is a lot like lechon kawali only crunchier. Poqui-poqui is something which we’re all (except for Juk kasi hindi siya kumakain ng gulay hehe) excited to try because we’ve been reading a lot of good reviews about it. We were also intrigued with the name. hehe And the reviews were all correct. We loved the perfect blend of the eggplant, tomatoes and egg. Super yummy. Kahit si Juk napakain namin! To finish off our meal, we ordered their sans rival for dessert. Wala kasing chocolate cake eh. Hehe
La Paz Sand (pronounced as Seynd) Dunes After our very hearty meal, we’ve decided to go first to the La Paz Sand Dunes since it’s a bit far. Manong Lawrence (our driver) seemed to be not so familiar with the road going there so we had to stop and ask for directions. A helpful local showed us where it is. He (or was it a she? hehe) told us that the “saynd dunes” was that way. We all had a confused look on our faces. What? Saint Jude? Aaaahh Sand Dunes. Haha Super funny moment.
We traversed a what seemed like a never-ending road with mounds of sand and grass all over. There weren’t any signs that indicated that we were already in the Sand Dunes so we just assumed that what we’re seeing is already it. Hehe We asked Manong Lawrence to take us to a perfect spot to take pictures. The spot we picked provided a perfect green background because of the grassy land. The setting sun also gave a nice effect for the pre-nup shots I took. Yes, pre-nup shots naming tatlo with Ric. Hehe :P
On our way back to Laoag, we asked Manong Lawrence to pull over by the bridge ‘cause it’s another good photo op spot. We had to leave shortly after ‘cause the tricycles and jeeps passing by zoomed like crazy.
Laoag City Tour
Next stop is Laoag City. We went to see the Sinking Bell Tower, Saint William’s Cathedral, Tobacco Monopoly Monument, Laoag City Plaza and Laoag City Hall.
Fort Ilocandia
Next is a tour of Fort Ilocandia, the only first class hotel in Ilocos. We had dinner at one of their resto outlets which is Boss Jax Sports Bar. It’s a sports themed bar-restaurant. The place was nice but the food was just okay. After dinner, we toured the place and had a fun time taking wacky and pre-nup pictures all over.
Day 2 – Vigan
(September 16, Sunday)
Our second day is slated to a tour of Vigan and the nearby attractions.
Batac
First stop is at the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum in Batac. We went to see Marcos’ various memorabilia from the time he started his political career. Of course not to be missed is his mausoleum. It was closed when we arrived but it opened just in time after we’re done touring the museum. I personally felt a little apprehensive to enter his mausoleum because it was so creepy. The place was cold, dark and smelled funeral parlor-y with the bouquet of flowers sprawled all over the place. But what the heck, a tour of Batac would be wasted if I didn’t get to see Apo Marcos’ remains. So we entered the dark room not knowing what to expect. As we tip-toe our way inside, there was a sudden loud sound of a Gregorian chant-like music. I was so startled I nearly woke Marcos up from his grave. Hehehe Super laugh trip talaga yun. Hindi talaga namin mapigilan na di matawa every time we would recall that one-of-a-kind experience.
Vigan City ProperWe finally arrived in Vigan after about a 3 hour trip from Laoag. We arrived just in time for lunch. Unfortunately, we can’t find any restaurants which served local food so we resorted to Chow King to have our lunch. After having lunch, we toured the nearby commercial complex and Cathedral to take some pictures.
We even found a Smart Wireless Center and had our pictures taken there as well. Talk about being loyal.
We also grabbed the chance to take some fun pictures at the Arzobizpado Cuartel.
Chavit Singson’s Baluarte
Next on our list is Chavit Singson’s Baluarte. The first thing we did there was ride a mini calesa being pulled by a mini horse. The experience was fun because we got to go around the majority of the land area of Baluarte with the ostriches running side by side with us. After which, we went to see the lazy tigers, cute white geese, adorable monkeys and the butterfly farm. A good spot where we took most of our pictures was by the wishing well. There, the Pulubi and Prinsesa saga began. More on this later. Hehe
Paburnayan
We proceeded next to Paburnayan or the pottery makers of Vigan. We saw how a pot gets created. It looked easy but Juk, Trish and Ric can attest that it’s not, they tried it out themselves. Naaaks! Ala Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze in the movie Ghost.
Calle Crisologo
Then we went to Calle Crisologo, the famous street/calle in Vigan where the houses and the whole street stretch were delicately preserved to evoke the olden Spanish times. Walking on those cobblestone streets made us feel as if we were back in the 1890s.
To complete the Spanish era vibe, we had our picture taken in a studio which had costumes for rent. After donning the costumes we picked, we felt like we were a totally different person. I felt like I was a Crispina, Ric, a Ricardo, Trish, a Trishabella and Jucyn, a Juliana…the Tilde Family. Hehe :p
Of course, the Calle Crisologo experience would not be complete without any souvenir shopping and of course, more picture taking!
Bantay Bell Tower
And last on our Vigan itinerary is a stop at the Bantay Bell Tower. We rode a calesa to go there. Ric and I went together while Juk and Trish rode on another. The Bantay Bell Tower as the locals said would give you the whole view of Ilocos. Too bad it was closed when we went there so we just had to settle at taking pictures at its steps.
Day 3 – Pagudpud
(September 17, Monday)
Check-out at Aurelio’s Mansion
Day 3 is slated for our trip to Pagudpud so we had an early morning breakfast, after which we already checked out from Aurelio’s Mansion. Bye, Aurelio’s! :P
Bojeador Lighthouse
First stop on our way to Pagudpud is Cape Bojeador. We were lucky because the caretaker was there and he allowed us to go up the 20 meter high lighthouse. The spectacular view of the South China Sea can be seen on top. Of course, we did not miss a chance to have lots of pictures taken in this magnificent place. Funny kasi nagreminisce pa si Manong caretaker while watching our pre-nup photo shoots. Naalala daw nya when he proposed to his wife who was about my age daw at the time, which is 20! Mwehehe! Kung alam lang niya how young I really am. :P
Bangui Windmills
Another on the way attraction is the Bangui Windmills. This was one of the sites that I’m really excited to see in our trip. We really can’t help but be awed by these towering structures. The windmills were said to be the first of its kind in all of Asia. Wow! That’s something that we should all be proud of. Another fact is that it provides power and electricity to the whole Ilocos and other neighboring provinces. Galeng!
Saud Beach Resort
The almost 3 hours of traveling and photo shoots made us all hungry so we made a stop at Saud Beach Resort to have lunch. The place was also very nice. I can describe it as having the tranquility of Palawan and the semi-commercial feel of Boracay. Kumbaga sa venn diagram, siya yung intersection. Do I sound like a nerd or what? :P
Kapuluan Vista Resort
Finally, last stop was our home for 2 days in Pagudpud, which is Kapuluan Vista Resort. It was Manong Cely’s first time to bring a guest there so we had to ask the locals for directions. Super haba ng biyahe and we were all getting anxious, thinking that we might have missed it already. Super layo niya talaga kasi it sits at the tip of the Blue Lagoon resort strip. But the long trip was all worth it! The place was superb! Syala! We were greeted by a bald, shirtless man in board shorts. We learned later on that he was Mike, the owner; pretty young and cool-looking for a resort owner. We checked in and we were given our welcome drink and complimentary breakfast coupons. After which, Mike led us to our room. The room was super nice. The bed was huge and comfy (proof of it was the good sleep that Juk, Trish and I had while we’re there), the room smelled fresh (failed to ask what freshener they’re using), the bathroom was nice and big, Ric, on the other hand had a world of his own on the loft, lastly was we were able to watch real TV via Dream Satellite (we were deprived of such while we were in Aurelio’s hehe). After settling our stuff, we already headed out to explore the area. We noticed that the other guests at the resort had surf boards sitting in front of their rooms. Our trip to the beach and the sight of the waves concluded that it was indeed a surfer’s turf. Ngayon lang ako nakakita nang ganong kalalaking alon! No wonder, dinadayo talaga siya ng mga surfer dudes. hehe
Ric’s Dinner Blowout
Before it grew dark, we decided to head on back to the resort for dinner. As agreed prior our trip, Ric would treat us to a dinner blowout! Naaaks! So we were all looking forward to our dinner that night. We ordered fish sisig, grilled chicken, and pancit. We also had butterscotch banana for dessert. Ric and Trish even had margaritas. The food was yummy, though we waited for quite a while before it was finally served to us. Our tummies were really stuffed with the delightful food we ordered and our eyes were in for a treat as well with all the surfer cuties in the resort. Sorry, Ric. Hehe :P
After dinner, we already went to our room to sleep as we have a lot of activities in store the next day.
Day 4 – Pagudpud
(September 18, Monday)
Happy Birthday, Juk!
It was Juk’s __th birthday! Ayan ha, hindi ko nireveal. Hehe :P Mukhang swerte ang birthday girl ‘cause while we’re waiting for our breakfast to be served we saw Marc Nelson pass by! Wow! Not only that, his room was just right beside ours. Apparently, Sports Unlimited will shoot an episode there in Kapuluan. Swerte talaga!
The food we ordered was taking quite a while to be served so Juk, Trish and I just busied ourselves by checking out the surfer guys who were also having breakfast. Sorry again, Ric. :P Juk and I were talking that we find this certain guy cute. Coincidentally that time, I was also viewing our pictures in my camera. The next thing we knew, this cute guy we were talking about was walking towards our table. He asked, “Hey, what kind of camera is that?” I told him that it’s a Fuji Finepix S9600. He went to check how my camera looked. He also asked if the lens can be changed. Told him that it’s just a prosumer camera, not a DSLR. Then he said, “But it looks like a DSLR. I’m sure it takes good pictures.” Told him, “yes, it does.” Haha Gusto ko pa sanang sabihin na, “Wanna have it tested? Let’s have our picture taken together!” Bwahaha J Tawang-tawa sa ‘kin sina Ric that time.
After breakfast, our sundo, Manong Joseph was already there to take us to a tour of Pagupud. We saw his tricycle and we realized that we’d have a hard time going about in it if all four of us would ride it. Kawawa naman yung nasa corner and yung nasa driver’s back seat. Buti na lang, another tryke came along at the resort. He immediately agreed to take us on a tour as well, convoy na lang kami with Manong Joseph.
Kaibigan Falls
First stop is a trek going to the Kaibigan Falls. The trek took about 30 minutes. Enjoy naman kahit malayo ‘cause the view of the scenery was spectacular. We would often stop and take pictures of the rocky road, the river, the locals, even the carabaos. Ang ganda! Dahil nga malayo at mahirap yung lalakaran namin, we had to constantly encourage Juk that she can do it and that we’re almost there at the falls, muntik na kasi siyang magpaiwan sa may store where we started off para maki-bonding kay Manong over a bottle of coke. Hehe :P
The trek was tiring but it was super worth it! The falls was maginificent! We enjoyed taking lots of pictures. Perfect pre-nup spot din dito! Ric, btw, accidentally took a bath as he slipped while attempting to go to a rocky spot to have his photo taken (Casualty #1). Hehe :p
On our way back, we decided to stop and rest for a while in a makeshift tree house. In order to go there, we had to go down a slopey gravel surface. This time, I was the ill-fortuned one as I slipped on my way down (Casualty #2). My hand hurt a bit with the fall, good thing that I didn’t had any major scratches or I didn’t break any bones. Hehe
Pagudpud Attractions
Next on our Pagudpud itinerary is a stop at the Patapat Viaduct then we went to Aqua Paradiso, Paraiso ni Anton, the Big Boulder and Cave. These spots were perfect for what else? More pictures!
Blue Lagoon Lastly, we hang out at the Blue Lagoon. The place was really reminiscent of the place where the movie Blue Lagoon was shot. The sands were fine and the waves were spectacular. We were lucky ‘cause we had the beach all to ourselves so we went crazy with all the poses that we made for our photo shoots.
Kapuluan Shoot
Back in Kapuluan, we had some snacks because we grew hungry from all the touring we did. After which, we took a dip at the pool. After a quick dip at the pool we then prepared for dinner. While waiting for the others to get ready, (since we had to take turns in using the bathroom) we just watched the people by the pool. Then suddenly a gay guy approached us and asked us if we would like to join the yoga session. I thought that the resort offers a free yoga session so I said sure. Then there was this snobbish artista who confronted the gay guy and asked him what he planned to do. She said that the place would be too crowded if we joined and we were not in proper yoga attire. Yun pala the yoga session would be shot for a segment of Sports Unlimited. Sensing that the snobbish artista doesn’t want us in the shoot, I just told the flushed gay guy that it’s okay, we’d just watch them. Kala mo kung sinong maganda yung artista na yun! Hmpf! Anyway, oks lang. We just swooned over Marc Nelson and Corey Wills as they performed those sexy yoga poses. Haha!
As soon as everybody’s ready, we just proceeded to the dining area for our dinner. This time, tinry naman namin yung buffet nila. The food was really delish! I personally loved the chop suey, pork curry, fish sisig and the unique flavor of the Ilocano dish called dinakdakan. Nakakamiss tuloy yung mga food! Lalo siyang masarap kasi treat naman siya ni Juk because it’s her birthday. When we were about to be done with our dinner, nag-crave na naman kami for something sweet so we ordered again for the yummy butterscotch banana for dessert. Mike (the owner) stopped by our table to ask if we were enjoying the food. He also asked if the birthday girl already got her complimentary ice cream. We told him not yet. Perfect timing kasi saktong sinerve yung butterscotch banana, so he said that our dessert was already on the house. Wow! Super bait! Yun na daw ang present nya kay Juk. Niloko pa niya kami, sabi niya dapat daw pakita muna ni Juk yung birth certificate to prove that it really was her birthday. hehe
After dinner, we were finding the right time to approach Marc Nelson to have our picture taken with him kaso ang early niya matulog. He suddenly disappeared after eating dinner. We were disheartened ‘cause we were leaving early the next day, hindi na kami makakapagpa-picture with him. L
We just went back to our room and had a blast shooting the Pulubi and Prinsesa saga! :p
Day 5
(September 19, Wednesday)
Icing on the Cake
We asked Manong Cely to fetch us at around 6:30 am since it takes about 3 hours of travel from Pagudpud to Laoag. We also needed to leave early because we would still drop by the market to shop for pasalubong. So we were already prepared by 6 for breakfast. As what we consistently experienced, the food at Kapuluan takes soooo long to be served. To think that we already gave our orders the night before, even informing the receptionist that we would be checking out early. Ang tagal talaga nila mag-prepare ng food. Well, come to think of it, naging blessing in disguise siya in a way kasi nakachikahan namin yung cameraman ng Sports Unlimited habang nag-iintay. Manong cameraman had so many stories to share, he told us about their shoots in different locations here in the Philippines and abroad. Then out of nowhere he asked if we’d like to have our picture taken with Marc. Hahaha parang bigla kaming nanalo ng lotto nina Trish and Juk. Kitang-kita how our faces lit up with excitement. Sabi namin, after breakfast na lang kami magpapakuha. Sabi ni manong, “walang problema, basta 50 pesos each lang.” Sabi namin, “manong, kumick back ka pa ha!” haha
After we’re done with breakfast, we hurriedly went to Manong cameraman and asked him if he could ask Marc to have our picture taken with us. Ingglisero si Manong, sabi niya, “Marc, they want to have their picture taken with you.” Marc said, “sure.” And while we were getting ready to position ourselves beside Marc, bigla ba naming humirit si Manong, “Marc, take off your shirt!” Da best talaga! Haha J
What a way to end our trip! Truly saving the best for last! :P
The Tilde Family
The 5 day trip made all four of us (Ric, Trish, Juk and I) closer than ever as friends. The bond we shared were more than just about traveling to far-off places, having fun photo shoots, sharing good food and drinks, it’s about being surrounded with people whom you can be goofy and share a good laugh with. Natutuwa ako kasi our personalities all blended together…pare-pareho kaming baliw! Kaya wag na kayong magtaka kung paano nabuo ang isang masaya at baliw na pamilya… the Tilde Family!
Apart from these, I also realized a lot of things during our fun trip to Ilocos:
- Don’t believe everything that’s advertised on the internet.
- There existed a hotel with a centralized channel and water heating system.
- A hotel can charge you with just about anything on a whim.
- Ric can’t have enough poqui-poqui.
- Ric’s kapal-ng-mukha can be contagious.
- Tilde is a good Hispanic-sounding family name.
- Constant motivation and words of encouragement can make Juk walk in the forest for 1 hour and walk up a 20 meter high lighthouse.
- Trish has a cutey dude radar which can make her oblivious of the events that’s happening around her.
- Juk and Trish have good acting potentials.
- Ric poses on cue as soon as he sees a good photo op spot even if the camera is not prepped yet.
- A camera can be a good dude magnet.
- “I’m sure it takes good pictures.” is a perfect pick-up line.
- The tripod is a trusty piece of equipment.
- Bringing along a yoga outfit can potentially give you TV exposure.
- Making friends with the cameraman can give you easy photo op access with a shirtless Marc Nelson.
- Hunger, heat, dangerous locations and shame can all be defied just for the sake of a good photo op.
- We’re all prepared for our “real” pre-nup pictorials.
