Backpacking: Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte (Part 2)

Hello again, friends! It's been a while since my last post. I didn't have any blog-worthy adventures until last weekend.

I spent more than half of my summer planning a trip to Ilocos with my relatives. Yes, you read that right - Ilocos! I fell in love with the north too much, I just had to go back. Haha!

Since I was the only one who's already been to Vigan and Laoag, I took it upon myself to do all the planning. And it was nerve-wracking, I tell you. I had to book a hotel, rent a van, reserve bus seats and budget the expenses. I used to love travelling when all I did was tag along. Haha. But the weird part was, I loved every minute of it. I even found packing the best part of the trip.

I patterned our trip after my Ilocos adventure with my friends from law school. We left Manila Friday night, arrived in Vigan early Saturday morning, spent most of Saturday going around Vigan, left for Laoag, checked in to our hotel, spent Sunday morning swimming in Pagudpud, toured the rest of Ilocos Norte Sunday afternoon, took a bus back to Manila that same night, and arrived in Manila Monday morning. Whew!

Calle Crisologo at dawn is a sight to behold.

We took the same bus, but checked into a different hotel - Mira de Polaris Hotel. For a cheap hotel, it was very nice ha. The staff was very accommodating. The rooms were clean and spotless. I also managed to rent the same van and enlist the services of the same driver - Kuya Mario! Visit Ilocos Travel if you want to rent a van or go sand boarding. The owner, Ms. Marie, is the sweetest! She gave in to my every request and even prepared our itinerary. Haha.

So, since I've been there already, I served us our pseudo-tour guide. I took them to places I've already been to, but added a few stops on the way. We visited a pottery-making establishment where they allowed us to try our hand at pottery. But we found the mold sticky so we just posed for pictures. Arte lang. Haha. We also went to a placemat-weaving place where they taught us how to "manually" weave placemats and blankets. I took videos which I've tried countless times to upload, but it refuses to work. Don't know why. Sad because I actually took the videos with the intention of posting them here for all the world to see. Oh well. I guess pictures'll have to do.

Unlike last time, I was able to go to Pagudpud. Finally! My cousins and I went swimming for two hours in the Boracay of the North. I actually forgot to apply sunblock on my shoulders so now I'm nursing a major sunburn.

Sun, sand and sea in one photo. I've never seen clearer water before.

And I finally have a decent photo of the Bangui Windmills. Haha. Last time I was there, it was already past five o'clock in the afternoon. I wasn't able to take good pictures 'cause it was already too dark.

This statue is the latest addition to the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation. It's Ang Biag ni Lam-ang. If you look it up, it's an Ilocano legend/ epic poem about an extraordinary being who battled a huge fish. But if you ask me, it looks more like a crocodile than a fish.

This last photo was taken at the top of Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this view. I kept wishing I could put the view in a box and bring it with me back to Manila. 

Ilocos is simply breathtaking. No words can describe how blessed the Ilocanos are to have such beautiful scenic spots. Makes you believe in God's greatness even more.

I can keep coming back to Ilocos. Never mind the seven-hour bus ride. Somebody from Ilocos adopt me, please.

From Musings to Adventures

Hey there!

In case you haven't noticed (if you're one of the few people who regularly visit my blog site), I changed my blog description from "musings of a damsel under stress" to "adventures of a damsel under stress". I just think my posts here are too shallow to be considered musings. My posts usually talk about new food finds, restaurants, books, films, and travel. They can hardly be considered musings. Yes, I've posted twice or thrice about my personal issues, but believe me, I thought about the decision to do so a thousand times before I hit the publish button. So tonight I've made another decision. From now on, I'm going to write about my "real" musings on my other blog. I've stashed it in a very private location so no amount of guessing will get you there. Ha!

Like other [strange] people, I keep a lot of blogs, and by a lot I mean more than two. I find that weird myself. I mean, who keeps three or four blogs?!

I have that may blog sites 'cause I do a lot of writing and I have a lot of target audience - varying target audience. This blog, for example, is free for everyone to read. My other blog is a Tumblr blog where I usually just reblog other people's posts. My last blog is my "personal" blog. Most of my posts there are private, and yes, that's the secretly hidden blog site you'll never find!

Counting the number of blog sites I have made me realize how much I love to write. I'm talkative in cyberspace! I can go on talking and talking here without even noticing that I haven't made any sense, like now. Haha.

I used to think about using my blogging skills to earn money, but every time I try, I back out. I love writing so much that I was afraid if I use it to earn money, I won't love it as much any more. I didn't want writing or blogging to be a chore. I didn't want to be forced into writing. I wanted to write just because. Plus, I wasn't very confident about my writing skills.

But two weeks ago, something inside me pushed me to give it a try. Just one go. I figured, if it works out, then I'll have extra income. If it doesn't, then I can go back to loving writing the way I used to. Surprise surprise! It worked out!

Last week, I got a job as part-time online article writer. To date, I've finished a couple of articles and so far, I haven't received any violent reactions and degrading comments from my boss. Haha. The better news is: I didn't fall out of love with writing. I became even more in love with it. I get to practice my writing skills everyday. It's just like blogging, only more frequently. And I'm even doing that other thing I love: research! Wow! I'm so blessed to be able to practice my two loves at the same time!

Hopefully, by the time school starts again, I've already gotten used to this new job of mine. Wish me luck!

And, a word of advice: if you're thinking about giving something or any thing a go, just give in. You never know how things are going to go. Best case scenario: you get what you want. Worst case scenario: you lose but you've gained the experience. Just my two cents.

So... Does this blog post count as a musing or as an adventure? Do I keep this post here or do I move it to my other site? Hahaha.

Dine In: Cool Beans Cafe

Most people spend Friday night partying, dining out, or doing just about anything to welcome the weekend with a bang. I am most people, I think. Haha. There just seems to be something wrong with staying at home on a Friday night. Well, I'm in my mid-twenties so you'll have to understand. For the record, I'm way past partying so that leaves you with dining out and doing-just-about-anything-to-welcome-the-weekend. Haha.

I'm not a foodie and I'm not adventurous when it comes to trying out new cuisines, but I do love to dine out. My sister and I love to spend Friday or Saturday nights trying out hole-in-the-walls or just hanging out. Last Friday was no different.

During one of our strolls along Maginhawa, we spotted a newly opened cafe which really caught our eye. Cool Beans Cafe is the newest addition to the ever-growing Maginhawa restaurant family. The best thing about Cool Beans is that their customers can borrow their books while they're eating or having coffee. Really cool, right?

By the way, you'll have to excuse my photos. They were taken during one of those rare times when I was caught unprepared. I didn't bring my camera so I had no choice but to use my Blackberry.

 

I once dreamt of owning a business like this one, but I guess someone already beat me to it. Haha. This is place is my ultimate dream hangout. I would like to commend and offer my heartfelt gratitude to the owner for coming up with Cool Beans and combining my two loves: eating and reading. 

Their book selection is quite commendable. They have everything from Archie comics to biographies to popular novels. Aside from the selection of books, I also like the way they've set up the place. I like its interiors 'cause it gives you a homey feeling. It's really conducive to reading. They have wooden chairs and tables for people who only come there to eat. Those who'll only want to read can sit anywhere on the two sets of couches. 

Ate and I went there hoping to do both, but given it was a Friday and the place was almost packed, we had no choice but to sit on the wooden chairs. And just when I was really looking forward to lounging on the couch. Haha. Anyway, here's what we ordered:

Iced Tea and Iced Chocolate. They may look the same, but trust me, they're not. The one on the forefront is my iced tea and the other one is Ate's iced chocolate. My tea was a bit sour for my taste, but it was ice cold. If you want a sweeter one, you can add syrup for twenty pesos (I think). Ate's chocolate tasted like your regular iced Milo. 

Pan Grilled Chicken Fillet. When I saw their serving of this dish, my eyes instantly popped out. See how big that cup of rice is? It was impossible for me to finish it all up! The fillet was okay, though it was a bit bland for my taste. Health conscious people, on the other hand, will definitely give it two thumbs up.

Vigan Longganisa Penne. I liked Ate's pasta better. The red sauce was made with Vigan Longganisa, but we were hardly able to taste the longganisa on the pasta. It tasted like regular ground meat. The penne was cooked al dente, and the herbed foccacia was good.

The place is still on soft opening, so I guess they're still trying to get everything right. The food prices aren't all that bad. But I do hope they add more choices to the menu. So far, they have two pasta dishes, sandwiches and paninis, frappucinos, and a few rice meals. All in all, I think the place is worth going back to. Three out of five stars.

Visit Cool Beans Cafe at:
67-A Maginhawa Street, UP Village, Quezon City
Mobile number: 0917.706.4711
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/coolbeansph

Kitchen Battle: Calamansi Loaf

I confess. I have no use in the kitchen. With the exception of eggs and canned and instant foods, I don't know how to cook anything. I'd love to enroll in a cooking class, but my frugal self just won't allow me to. Let's face it - cooking classes may just as well be as expensive as film classes.

There. Now that you know I can't cook to save my life, I'm gonna share with you a little something I achieved over the weekend. I baked! *confetti*

Okay. I know it's not as big as learning how to cook, but hey, it's one step closer.

And this time I call it an achievement 'cause I didn't use ready-mixed ingredients! *more confetti*. Haha.

Mama is frustrated by the fact that I can't cook - even more frustrated than me. Haha. That's why she lets me hang around in the kitchen and poke my nose into her or our angel's cooking. Last Saturday, just because she had something to attend to, she let me do the baking all by myself.

I've heard about Real Coffee's Calamansi Muffins but I've never actually tasted them. And when I saw a recipe on PEPPER.PH, I knew I found my first ever serious baking project.

And before you react violently, yes, I didn't bake muffins. I didn't have a muffin pan handy so I had to improvise. The only baking pans we had were the ones good for making brownies or a loaf. I chose the loaf. It was, after all, only an experiment.

I had to make a few more changes to the recipe. You must be wondering why the color isn't exactly similar to the one found on PEPPER.PH. Well, it's 'cause I used coco sugar instead of the usual. Papa is a diabetic so he's not allowed to have too much sweets. I didn't want him to miss all the fun so I had to use his sugar. Also, instead of the required oven temperature, I baked the loaf in preheated 170 degrees Celsius oven for 30 minutes.

Mama and Ate said it was good but I could do better with more calamansi. And the next time I bake these, I'm gonna make sure there's a muffin pan somewhere.

So, how's that for a first-timer? :)

Throwback: Kalesa

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.

Check In: Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel

You know you've checked into a great hotel when you want to stay there more than you want to explore the world outside. Haha. 

I think it's a blessing in disguise that my friends and I failed to make a reservation at any hotel or inn before traveling to Ilocos. We spent a good two hours deciding on - more like arguing about - where to stay. Most of the inns there are fairly priced. Some are even cheap and backpacker-friendly. But, a lot of them are fully booked already. 

While searching the net for hotels in Laoag, my friends came across Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel. At first, we thought it would be absurd to check into a hotel as luxurious as that, considering that we were on a "budget vacation". We allotted less than a thousand pesos for our hotel. But after a while, we realized that it's probably okay to splurge on our accommodation since we saved a little from our discounted bus fare. Besides, touring can be really exhausting and we deserve to relax after going around two provinces in one day! So it was settled. We placed the call and made reservations at Fort Ilocandia.

Almost two hours after leaving Vigan, we found ourselves in front of the "Welcome to Laoag" arch. We rode a tricycle - yes, a tricycle! - to Fort Ilocandia. We were actually hesitant to get off right in front of the lobby! Imagine a ritzy hotel with guests alighting from tricycles. Haha. 

To be honest, there's actually one other reason why we chose to stay at Fort Ilocandia. Remember Thai actor Mario Maurer's movie Suddenly It's Magic? Well, some of the scenes there were shot in this hotel. And the die-hard fans in us wanted to see and experience where Mario had been. Pathetic, no? Haha. From then on, we started calling our tour the Suddenly It's Magic Tour or the Mario Maurer Tour.

It was a long - and I mean really long - walk from the hotel lobby to our room. Talk about a very sprawling hotel. I'd actually get lost if I try to take a walk all by myself.

The red brick facade and interiors gave the place a very homey atmosphere. It also gave the hotel a very vintage vibe.

The rooms are all neat and very cozy. They say all the rooms come with cable televisions, air-conditions, hot and cold showers, and individual balconies. The very cute balcony drove us all crazy! Haha. We were given a room with the perfect view of the pool and the rest of the grounds. Too bad we didn't have time to swim or even lounge in the pool.

The hotel also looked great at night. If you've seen the movie, you'll know this is where they shot the wedding scene. We were all shrieking with amazement at being in the same spot where Mario and Erich were. The hotel personnel were starting to give us their knowing looks. Haha. Apologies for being really big fans.

Our one-night stay at Fort Ilocandia was a once in a lifetime experience. It's actually one of the best hotels I've ever checked into. The next time I pay Laoag a visit, I'll try really hard to convince my parents to make us stay there. But next time, I'll make sure we bring our own car. Commuting from Fort Ilocandia to the city proper is next to impossible. And I don't plan on going back to this hotel by means of a tricyle again. Haha.


Visit Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel at
Barangay 37 Calayab, Laoag City,
Ilocos Norte, Philippines
www.fortilocandia.com.ph