Agyamanak!

I have been to Ilocos (Norte and Sur) many times already. But photos of my past travels there are in film, and tucked safely now in my photo album. So to have Ilocos entry in this blog, and because I wanted to remember my sashal na pagsabit sa byahe ni AiL, share ko here ang aming mga photos from that trip. Andami kong time dati, andami kong byahe eh at nahahatak talaga ako, kaladkaren lang talaga ang peg. 

We took the night bus travel, less na ng 1 night sa hotel, public transport para tulog lang. Ang sashal sa trip na 'to, mag-stay kami sa Fort Ilocandia lang naman. Noong araw ito na ang vonggang hotel sa Northern Luzon. Sabi ni TripAdvisor this Deluxe Resort Hotel sprawling over 105 hectares of land amidst gentle sand dunes and pine forest with a 2-kilometer sandy beach.  With 290 well-appointed rooms with private balconies offering sceneries of the sea and landscaped gardens. It's just a 10-minute drive to the Laoag International Airport and a 15-minute drive to the City Proper. O hala, silipin na sa'king mga larawan ang chicka ni TripAdvisor.

yan ang center green field area

hindi ko nagalugad ang animal sanctuary, umulan kasi

at dahil sabit lang naman ako sa trip na 'to, habang working si AiL, ako naman ang nag-e-enjoy ng mga freebies sa resort hotel na 'to, kagaya nyan, habang umuulan sa labas, mag hot-bath tub 

ang itsura ni Fort Ilocandia Resort (FIR) pagdilim

favorite ko ito sa mga hotel stay ko, yung buffet breakfast (at free yan or kasama na sa bayad), gusto ko yung nalilito ako kung ano ang uunahin at yung antagal ng breakfast kasi ni-ta-try lahat....yummy, hanggang lunch na yang busog =P pero makakain pa din naman

this is the back area, going to the beach, the pine forest siguro na ito sa chicka ni TripAdvisor

ayan ang trabaho ko naman habang nag-ta-trabho din si AiL, MariangGALA nga di ba?

And ng matapos ang work days ni AiL, gala days naman, first ikot namin is here in Ilocos Norte. Alam nyo ba na ang mga ka-TODA ko dito ang bahala sa mga gala nyo? The amazing tricycle ang nag-i-ikot ng mga turista dito, may package package ka ng ma-a-avail. At since pareparehas lang naman ang rate nila (standard kumbaga) kung sinong nasa una ng pila, siya na ang lucky tour guide at driver mo. 

pang-TODA collection

meron ding jeepney pero pang-long travel sya, kagaya nyang na-spotan kong nasa pangalan ko, akin pala yan =P

Napaka-daming pasyalan dito sa Ilocos Norte, like dulo't-dulo pwedeng galugarin. And amazing na nag-blend well ang natural at man-made sa mga tourist spots. Very province ang look, with sea, landscapes, structures such as bridge and yung windmill, andito yan. So tara, AGPASYAR tayo ditoy! (Pasyal tayo dito! in Ilokano)

Patapat Viaduct at the municipality of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, 31-meters elevated over sea level, 1.3 kilometers long, 9.42 meters wide, and connects Maharlika Highway from Ilocos Region to Cagayan Valley, it was completed and opened to traffic in October 1986, sabi yan ni Wikipedia

Bangui Wind Farm, ang naglalakihang bintilador ng Ilocos, sabi ni Wikipedia, this wind farm uses 20 units of 70-meter high Vesta turbines, arranged in  a single  row stretching along a 9-kilometer shoreline

Kapurpurawan Rock Formation is a natural rock formation in Burgos, kapitbahay sya ng Bangui Wind Farm, PURAW which means white in Ilocano

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse aka Burgos Lighthouse, the lighthouse was first lit on 30 March 1892 and is set high on Vigia de Nagpartian Hill overlooking the scenic Cape Bojeador; declared a National Historical Landmark on 13 August 2004 and a National Cultural Treasure on 20 June 2005

at tinapos ang aming gala sa Ilocos Norte sa pagbisita sa mga kamag-anak ni Tita Au dito sa Laoag, sila ang mga Odeste, parang Bayog yung community nila, malapit sa dagat, namangka kami dito, kung saan nagmimeet ang river at sea, inabot na kami ng sunset kaya may naimas (masarap) na hapunan na din para sa'min =)

ang ilan sa mga natikmang pagkain sa Ilocos: Vigan longanisa, bagnet, tulya, dinigding, inihaw na bangus, pinakbet, at isdang alat

ready na ulit gumala si Marianggala =P

At dahil dinaanan lang namin ang Vigan, nag-bus naman kami pabalik ng Ilocos Sur para dun naman gumala. First stop siempre ang mga old houses ng Vigan, anjan din ang pottery making at ang malawak na zoo ni Chavit Singson. Intayon! (tara! in Ilokano).

A walk to remember hehe, Calle Crisologo or Mena Crisologo with its cobblestone pavements and old Spanish structures, was added to the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999...it is called "Mena Crisologo" because Vigan was the birth city of the famous Ilocano writer and politician Mena Pecson Crisologo

 

Bantay Church or the Saint Augustine Parish Church and Bantay Bell Tower or Bantay Belfry; this is said to be the people's watchtower for invading pirate (tambayan ng lookout)

Vigan Empanada, you can taste this in stalls everywhere in the market or in the plaza, your snacks for 35 pesos each

Burnayan of Vigan (kapitbahay ni Calle Crisologo); Pagburnayan, which comes from the root word BURNAY, refers to the handcrafted earthenware pots made from Vigan

Baluarte Resort and Mini Zoo of Chavit Singson

And to make sulit the day, balik Ilocos Norte to visit other sites na hindi namin napuntahan the first gala. Todong gala ngarud!

Paoay Church or the Saint Augustine Church (ulit?), completed in 1710 and famous for its distinct architecture highlighted by the enormous buttresses on the sides and back of the building, was declared a National Cultural Treasure and a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the collective group of Baroque Churches of the Philippines in 1993

Malacanang of the North (Malacanang ti Amianan) is the presidential museum in Paoay, it was the residence of the family of Ferdinand Marcos when he was the President of the Philippines

And I thank you! Agyamanak kay Aileen =)

Agkita ta ti kabiitan a panawen! (Let us meet soon!)