(3rd week of September, 2009.. just after my 26th birthday)
It was a cloudy Thursday. I wasn’t going to work since Wednesday evening as I was scheduled for a 3-day leave. And though there are no final plans yet, I packed my stuff while Bon was constantly checking the weather update serviced by PAGASA and supplementing it with his own semi-reliable predictions. I know it wasn’t the perfect time of the year, I know planning for an Ilocos trip may not be appropriate on this absurd rainy season and I know the two of us may be absurd and not perfect, yet, when it didn’t rain on that Thursday afternoon, we packed our bags, rode a taxi and went to the Florida Bus station in Cubao bound for Pagudpud.

Travelling light.. a back pack for each on 4-day adventure
After hurdling the usual Manila traffic monstrosity, fretting under overcast skies brought about by an impending stormy weather and Bon almost leaving his camera battery at home, we finally left Manila at around 9:30 in the evening. It was a trouble-free 11-hour bus ride. The Florida bus, the same bus I rode during my Banaue trip was comfortable enough except for some minor and tolerable interruptions which I haven’t got to notice most probably because I was sleeping.

a stop-over for some seafood snack.. a delicious fish "inihaw" for P50 only!
We arrived at the humble town of Pagudpud at around 8:30 in the morning. It will take another 10-minute tricycle ride going to Saud Beach where we stayed in Jun and Carol Beach Cottages. This resort is situated in front of a breathtaking scenery of blue, crystal-clear water and with waves gently splashing on the rocky seashore. The Bangui Windmills can also be seen from this place, the sand is soft and dirty-white, the water is cool and refreshing and the breeze is as invigorating and healing.

Welcome to Pagudpud!

Paradise found...A View from Jun and Carol Beach Cottages, Pagudpud

Late Afternoon Pagudpud by kAt
Part of our exploration was to also visit the windmills of Bangui so despite gloomy skies, we took a tricycle ride going to the town of Bangui, approximately 15 kilometers away from Pagudpud. The windmills aside from being very nature-friendly (electric) power-boosters, are a magnificent sight. It is not everyday or everywhere that we get to see these giant structures so we really were astounded and amazed in its hugeness and realness.

Super Power (taken by Boon)

photo taken by kAt
We haven’t got to shoot perfect sunset sceneries since it was always cloudy and it went worse when on the next day, the rain was pouring hard and the wind was propelling enormous waves along the shore. Yet, despite this condition, there’s always this picturesque beauty of the ocean tearing up those rocky edges.

Saud Beach, Pagudpud after a stormy Saturday morning
We left Pagudpud at around 11:30 on Saturday morning and then took a local non-airconditioned bus bound for Laoag City. The rain had stopped this time, the places we passed by are a scenic collection of vast farmlands with the mountain ranges as a backdrop, numerous siting of grazing cows by the roadside, wide stretches of rivers and beautiful old churches.
It takes about an hour from Pagudpud to Laoag and first thing we did was to eat our lunch at Dap-ayan ti Ilocos Norte as suggested by a local whom we asked for a good place to eat. Dap-ayan was not some kind of a plushy resto but rather it looked like a food court, “turo-turo” style. We had bagnet, puqui-puqui, longganisa, pinakbet and Ilocano empanada all of which are famous Ilocano foodies all worth less than 200 pesos.

A must- see... Entrance Fee is P30
After a brief sightseeing in the heart of Laoag City, we took another local bus going to Vigan, Ilocos Norte. After the enjoyable two-hour bus ride with all the provincial sceneries, we arrived in this epic city on a quiet Sunday afternoon.
The place is readily known for being tourist-friendly especially for having the famous Vigan Heritage Village that takes you a stroll back in time. What I truly appreciate about this place was that they were able to preserve these Hispanic relics that stood most probably way back in the 16th century. It’s nice walking around the village where once, was a part of our ancient Philippine history. Where once upon a time, rich mestizos rode on calesas, their pointed noses on the air while the poor Filipino men were toiling and lifting giant masses of rock that built the hundred year-old churches that we see until today.

St Paul Cathedral, Vigan City (pic taken by Boon)

Calle Crisologo at night (photo taken by Boon)
There are several musuems in Vigan and we got to visit Father Burgos’s house. Man, they’re rich! We also got to visit Chavit Singson’s (he’s also rich) Baluarte zoo but I have to be honest, I didn’t enjoy it that much. The animals don’t seem to be comfortable with people flocking on them around.
The Ilocos escape was the longest bus ride we ever had by far. It was literally an escape to the storm “Ondoy” that hit Manila at that time. We were blessed to have been spared. We were blessed that the storm didn’t reach Ilocos or else we would definitely be stranded with no enough money left.

Bantay Bell Tower

Yummy Ilocos foodtrip...