Rough Groove

A brief sojourn to Ilocos

Ryan suggested visiting the windfarm of Bangui, Ilocos Norte and check out these massive structures that has been featured just recently in the newspapers. Why not? With nothing to do last weekend, we headed out to Laoag early morning last Saturday. We would have proceeded at around 0500H but my mobile phone did not ring off on the designated alarm time that I was only able to wake up 0520H, not 0415H. But anyway, we headed to the bus terminal of Partas in Cubao.

We were not able to catch the 0600H with the next at 0800H that we decided to ride the one going to Abra at 0645H and drop by Sta. Maria to do a shoot of that famed church which was delcared a UNESCO World Heritage site. And it was just awesome! Its the second time that I’v been to this church. The first a few years ago when I was still toting a film SLR. This time, I was able to enter the church as well as go to the ruined chapel a few meters below.

The buses going to Laoag were quite few that I decided that we take a Vigan bound bus and from there, catch another bus to our destination. While we were able to at last get on a Laoag bound bus, it was already about 2100H that we arrived there. We stayed at Hotel Tiffany (P780) and had dinner of sumptuous empanada followed by two pieces of delicious Laoag longganisa.

Early morning, Sunday and we proceeded to Bangui for the windfarms. We decided to ride a Cagayan bound bus since this will be faster instead of a jeepney which will still wait to have ample passengers. There, I did some shoot and bathed in the rough waters. 1000H and we proceeded back to Laoag, had lunch at La Preciousa restaurant for authentic Ilocano cuisine, had a glass of banana-strawberry shake at Macy’s Diner, checked out and headed to Paoay.

The Church in Paoay, another UNESCO World Heritage site is another earthquake baroque church that is an architectural gem. Did some shoot there, headed to Batac to view the preserved remains of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos (I doubt if this is the real corpse - just looked like a wax figure) and headed to Vigan where we were to catch the return bus to Manila.

Vigan is lively, compared to a few years ago when I visited this place. The plaza near the church is now dominated by Chowking, Jollibee and McDonalds. There is now an eating area for empanada and okoy. We bought some chichakorn for pasalubong at the office and Vigan’s Royal Bibingka.

2000H we boarded the bus and we arrived 7 hours later.

Related post:
Ilocos sojourn: Bangui windfarm
Series 18: Windfarm of Bangui, Ilocos Norte
Ilocos sojourn: Delicacies and pasalubongs