Backpacking: Ilocos Norte

So here's the second part of our great Ilocos adventure. I loved Ilocos Norte better than Ilocos Sur. But don't get mad, 'cause that's just my personal opinion. And I'm sure nature lovers will agree with me.

Ilocos is so beautiful it's just breathtaking. So far, the most beautiful province I've been to. Now that doesn't count much because I haven't been to that many provinces in the Philippines. Haha. What I'm saying is it's worth the nine-hour bus ride all the way from Manila.

Once you see the sights there, you'll wish you're a professional travel blogger. Or that you have all the time and money in the world to visit other places as beautiful as Ilocos. And I am not exaggerating, trust me.

Anyway, here's the story. We left Fort Ilocandia at around three o'clock in the afternoon. We were ready to leave after lunch, but we couldn't get a ride out so we had to wait for over two hours. Good thing the security guards in Fort Ilocandia were kind enough to introduce us to someone who can give us a tour of Ilocos Norte. In case you find yourself lost there, give Ilocos Travel a call. They have the warmest, kindest tour guides and drivers there.

First Stop: Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. The lighthouse wasn't really included in our itinerary. Come to think of it, we didn't really have an itinerary. Hahaha. But I've heard about Cape Bojeador from friends, and they were simply awed by it. So I suggested we make a quick stop just to see for ourselves. 

  

It's so beautiful, no? I'm actually thankful we made a visit to Cape Bojeador 'cause I got to conquer my fear of heights (again). If you've read my post on Ilocos Sur (shameless plugging. haha!), you'll know I first beat my acrophobia when we climbed the bell tower. 

Seeing how old the lighthouse is gave me goosebumps. It's a bit eerie 'cause it's really old. Some parts of the roof are already dilapidated. But they say the lighthouse still works just fine. If it weren't made of bricks, it would be long gone by now. I'm actually thankful we came by in the afternoon. Who knows what we'll see there at night. Haha.

  

  

The climb to the top was worth it. Just look at the view! We weren't allowed to reach the highest point 'cause it's off-limits to tourists.

Second Stop: Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. I wasn't really looking forward to this part of the tour. I mean, what's so great about big rocks and white sand? Boy, did I regret what my sentiments. Haha. Our visit to Kapurpurawan was actually one of our best stops. If you're one to be easily amazed, you'll agree me.

According to the tour guide assigned specifically to Kapurpurawan, the Rock Formation was supposed to compete alongside the Puerto Princessa Underground River for a slot in the list of the new wonders of the world. Sadly, we were allowed only one entry so Kapurpurawan had to give way. O diba, ang selfless lang. Haha. That just goes to show how beautiful Kapurpurawan is. Level sila ng Underground River.

Quick Trivia: Some of our local films have shot their scenes here - Si Agimat, Si Enteng Kabisote at Si Ako and my favorite, Suddenly It's Magic.

See how chalk-white the sand is? It's like Boracay sand turned into a huge boulder. Haha. We were scared to touch it for fear of ruining this God-given gift. No words can describe how pretty Kapurpurawan is, and I'm sure our photos didn't do it justice. You'll have to see it for yourself.

Third Stop: Bangui Windmills. Who goes to Ilocos and passes up the chance to drop by their famous windmills? No one. An Ilocos Norte trip is incomplete without a stop in Bangui. 

They might look like your ordinary electric fans, albeit a thousand times bigger in size, but the windmills are simply stunning. Up close, they're more than huge propellers. They 're overwhelming, your heart will skip a beat when you see them. Again, this is no exaggeration. It was just sad that we got there while the sun was already setting. If we got there five minutes later, we wouldn't have been able to take photos. 

Fourth Stop: Laoag City Sinking Bell Tower. It was already night time when we got back to the city. So we had no choice but to visit the bell tower while it was dark. Surprisingly, it was a blessing we got there precisely at that time, or we wouldn't have noticed the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary on the side of the tower.

Do you see the image? Amazing, right? This bell tower is the only part of the cathedral that's still standing up to this day. It's said to sink at a rate of an inch each year. It'll probably still be there on my next visit, though it wouldn't be as tall as it is now. Haha.

My relatives are planning a trip to Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte this summer. If I tag along, hopefully I'll get to visit some of the stops we missed, like the Paoay Church and the Marcos Museum. Keep you posted! 

Credits to my friend Tracy Leaño for some of the photos.