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On the 13th of November we took the kids (and the yaya, and the driver) on a road trip to Northern Luzon. Our first stop was Baguio for a buffet breakfast at The Manor in Camp John Hay (great food and a wonderful view, at only P300/person!).
I have an aunt who lives in Baguio, and it just so happened she was booked at The Manor for a neurology conference (she's a neurologist, and her husband's a neurosurgeon; I've always found that to be so amazing!) so we stayed at their hotel room while the kids went out to go horseback riding.
Cobblestones and Clay Jars
Before noon we were off to Vigan. It was a 4-hour trip including the lunch break (which we had at about 2:30pm ) at Jollibee in Candon. We were all hungry by 1pm , but we couldn't find any nice places to eat in any of the northern towns past San Fernando. It's a good thing we brought a lot of munchables in the van.
By the time we had finished checking into our hotel - a Bahay na Bato painted a bright orange and all decked out for Christmas - it was too late for us to visit any of the museums (which close at 4pm), but we hired a calesa that took us around town for P225.
We stopped for pictures at the cathedral and the 16th century bell tower that was lovely from afar but inside was marred by vandals' scribbles and scratches. We also visited a pottery workshop where I got to pretend I was Demi Moore in Ghost until I totally ruined my project, about 5 seconds into the attempt.
Traveling by calesa down cobblestone-paved Crisologo Street and peering into hundred-year-old stone houses was so surreal. I really should relearn oil painting and pack along a canvass or two the next time I go.
The Lighthouse
On the way to Pagudpod the next day, we made a detour and headed for the Lighthouse at Burgos. It was a long climb up and we were out of breath by the time we made it to the entrance. It was locked, and over the doorway was a sign that said: DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE!!!
We spent time just enjoying the wind and the view until the caretaker came in and led us into the tower. The Lighthouse itself is still functional; the caretaker says it was his mother who used to work the machine, and now it's his job to maintain everything.
From there it was just a couple more hours to Saud Beach Resort in Pagudpod.
Pagudpod
Pagudpod is one of those beaches where you go to lose yourself in the moment. You can just sit by the terrace, stare out to sea and forget about everything but the wind and the waves.
We left the kids at the resort and drove around looking for this resort called The Blue Lagoon. We were listening to the radio, and one second it was Whitney Houston, but in the next we were listening to Taiwanese radio! After a couple of wrong turns, we finally stopped to take pictures at this rocky cove with a breathtaking view. Facing that was a cluster of hills which we scaled just for kicks and to poke fun at the cows. We also swam in this deceivingly unassuming little beach which had us feeling like clothes tumbling around in a washing machine. A lot of fun but definitely not for kids!
The trip back to Manila took about 13 to 14 hours, but we had a lot of stopovers: the Marcos Mausoleum, Vigan again to pick up our pasalubong (longganisa, cornik and bagnet) and to sample the local empanada, and Paoay Church. We were at the foot of Kennon at around dinnertime, and we discovered this new cafe right beside Rivervue, with Starbucks-like prices but really good pasta.
. Stop over while in San Fernando if you don't think you can make it all the way to Candon -- which is a good 2-3 hours away -- on an empty stomach
. The roads in Ilocos are in pretty good condition, so it's good driving. Just make sure to bring a lot of music CDs, pillows, water and snacks to make it more comfortable, because you'll be in your car for a loooong time.
. If you're going to Pagudpod, bring cash! The nearest ATM is at least an hour's drive away from the beach. Saud Beach Resort (and most probably the others as well) doesn't accept credit cards, so load up while in the bigger towns.
Check out the pictures from our trip:
Baguio and Vigan pics
Pagudpod and
Paoay
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