Road Trip: North Luzon Part 3

Day 5, Wednesday

• We went to the famed Mairaira Cove aka Blue Lagoon however I was not that impressed, probably because it's not as virgin as before like when the blogosphere is abuzz about it



• After driving down all the way thru Kapuluan Vista resort, we headed to Kabigan Falls


• After paying the entrance fees and getting a tour guide (it's not allowed to go to the falls without one), we started our hike


• The first part is thru ricefields on one side and the river on the other; it was about 11am and it was hot



• When we got to the shade and crossed the streams, the water was so cool it refreshes you


• The falls was beautiful, the pool below is a good size, it's not deep with pebble bottom, the water is cold; huge rocks block it as it goes downstream so it's very ideal even if you bring kids along



• We headed back to Saud Beach and after a nap we went to the beach again where there were 2 Spanish speaking guys who ran naked to take a dip hehehe I turned my back when I saw then pulling down their shorts

Day 6, Thursday

• We left Pagudpud on our way to Cagayan province around 10am


• Along the way we stopped by for photo op at Patapat viaduct



• There are beautiful scenery that we saw but didn't stop like Paraleng Bay


• We stopped by Claveria to see the beach and lunch at Sanchez Mira

Road Trip: North Luzon West Side Part 2

Day 3, Monday

• Left Vigan around 10am, 1st stop was Juan Luna shrine


• The shrine was closed as it is Monday so we just took pictures outside


• Lunch is at Herencia Café in front of Paoay church, food was good also



• Followed signs to Paoay lake and Malacañang of the North


• Again Malacañang was closed so we just went down to see the lake


• Coming out of we saw a sign to Batac (we went to Paoay first so we can have lunch there) and we ventured that way and did not go back where we came from


• I think it's a secondary road, we did see cars coming from where we're going nor anybody's following us


• It was quite a long drive until we got back to the national highway


• After visiting Marcos museum we got back on the highway to Fort Ilocandia


• After turning left just before the Laoag bridge, we felt that the road we're driving is the same one as in Paoay


• As we checked in, I asked the girl at the counter about the sand dunes and she told me it's in Paoay (where we came from), gosh!


• I read in the blogs that it's about and hour+ walking from the beach in Fort Ilocandia and that was my guide


• I think when we were in the Lake Paoay area we were near to the sand dunes - SUBA I think because I noticed signs going to the resort mentioned by the girl in Fort Ilocandia (I forgot the name)


• After going to our rooms which is huge but noticeably old, we went to the beach to try going to sand dunes


• After walking a few minutes we gave in that it will be dark if we continue on


• The staff advised us not to swim in the beach there so we just relaxed by the beach and watch the sun set, oh, I watched the sun set while hubby slept

I think this the best picture that I took throughout the trip

• We then took a dip in the pool under a full moon, there's only 1 other family there so it was quite fun and relaxing


• Dinner was bulalo and the price was reasonable


• There's not much choices in the cable channels that they have

Day 4, Tuesday

• Breakfast is included in the P5.4k room rate which I find expensive considering there's really not much to see and do there, well maybe if one would go gambling at the casino, which we did not


• After some picture taking around the place, we started on our way to Pagudpud


• Stopped by Cape Bojeador lighthouse which is clean and boy the view is breathtaking (what is it with the sea in Ilocos that it's so blue? is it that deep)



• The caretaker guy there also sells souvenir t-shirts


• The drive to Bangui Windmills will pass thru a rough road however the windmills, all 20 of them, is such a sight - white windmills with a background view of the blue sea and pebble beach

• A surprise was Kangkang Café (it's in Brgy. Kangkang) located on the 3rd windmill which has clean bathrooms and when we ordered coffee, it was only then that they ground the coffee beans, I didn't expect that (although there are foreigners/expat working at the windmill farm)


• After we had our coffee we headed to Saud Beach in Pagudpud


• We were able to get a room at Terra Rika with a very good location - beach front on the 2nd floor with our own balcony, it's very nice except for the bathtub which has a whole/break in it
• Room rate of P2.4k is already 50% as it is off-peak already, it's quite expensive

• The sand is brownish, the water is nice and cool

A sunset picture that I took by the beach with a fisherman on his raft as if standing on the side of the sun

Road Trip: North Luzon West Side

So finally hubby and I were able to do what we have long planned and that's to do road trip to Cagayan Province by way of La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. I'd say it was a successful trip (what's not successful though is Project Babymaking sigh...). Usually we travel out at around 9am or 10am then arrive at our next destination at 2pm or 3pm, then we'll take a nap and explore by 5pm or 6pm. It's not hectic and we're pretty relaxed. We didn't reserve hotels, didn't know where to eat. All I had was a list on mileage breakdown from Balintawak to our end destination and tourist spots that I gathered from my research of travel blogs.


Here's what we did:

Day 1, Saturday:

• We started our journey a little past 6am, pressed that thing :-) on the dashboard that records the kilometers traveled


• Had breakfast at Starbucks in Shell NLEX and left at 8amTraffic was light and we planned to drop by Our Lady of Manaoag so we decided to drive by SCTEX


• We were duped (not really) when we got to Manaog, we followed signs and turned right at a small corner, parking fee by the side of the road is P40


• After our visit and we made our way to the highway that would take us to La Union province, there we saw that there's a big parking space infront of the church and it's for free, arrrggghhh


• So we found our way cruising the highway going to Bauang which will be our first overnight stop. We haven't decided yet where we'll stay


• We got to Bauang and we decided to stay at Coconut Grove where my sister also stayed 2 years ago


• Overnight accomodation is P1.4K, the room is okey, the TV was small
• A disappointment though is the beach, my imagination was way different from it



• We weren't able to go to walk along the beach as it's going high tide so we just slept
• Late afternoon we took a dip in their pool and had snacks


• Good thing it was ballroom night so we stayed at the restaurant after dinner, had drinks and watched the ladies with their DIs dance the night away

Day 2, Sunday:

• On our way out of La Union, we were supposed to stop by San Juan to see surfers but it was late when we saw the sign and we thought there is still another spot where we could stop but there was none; I was disappointed not having a picture of big waves and surfers in San Juan
• Next overnight stop is Vigan and our way there we planned to visit churches however a lot of them are closed (I don't know why)
  





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• We stopped by hubby's relatives and they gave us garlic and onions, nothing wrong with that, it's just that we'll only arrive at hubby's place on Thursday and we don't have a styro box to put it in, just imagine the smell of our car and our clothes, yuck!


• We arrived at Vigan around 4pm and chanced upon a new hotel, Hotel Salcedo de Vigan
• We're very happy with the hotel, it's parallel to Crisologo St, has its own parking and has modern facilities and free wifi


• Room rate of P2.6k includes breakfast for 2; welcome drinks and hot towels were offered after we checked in


• No time for a nap so we immediately went out and got on a kalesa tour
• We enjoyed our tour and it lasted for almost 2 hours, we went to the Bantay tower, pottery shop, Hidden Garden and Balaurte
• The kuchero was honest, he kept time and for our 2nd hour he only charged us prorata, he didn't round it up so we gave him a good amount of tip
• Dinner was Café Leona, the weather was good so we ate al fresco
• We ordered the usual Iloko fare inihaw na sili and okra with KBL (kamatis, bagoong lasuna aka sibuyas), bagnet and cream of mushroom (well, this is not Ilokano food hehe)