Melange D'aventures

A week already passed and it was just yesterday that I got to post-process and write a bit. I went to Lucban, Quezon with my workmates for Pahiyas Festival last May 15th. It's one of the most famous and most visited festivals in the country and is known for its iconic aranya. Aranya is a three-layered chandelier made of kiping. The festival is being celebrated in honor of San Isidro Labrador, the patron saint of farmers. When my workmate first mentioned it over lunch, I remembered how I first saw it printed on a calendar (I think it was Ajinomoto calendar lol) and how it caught my attention because of the colorful decorations and it looked really fun and festive. 

KAMAY NI HESUS

We took a side trip to Kamay ni Hesus since it's also in the area. Kamay ni Hesus is a very popular place for devotees especially during Holy Week. You have to climb a mountain and visit all the stations. I am not the fittest human being so climbing stairs is my weakness. First station and I already want to go back but had to push. My shirt was drenched in sweat.

Since none of us own a car, we had to commute to and fro. We had to walk from Kamay ni Hesus to the jeepney terminal but ended up sharing a tricycle because the line was really long. From the grand terminal in Lucena, we took a van to Sta. Rosa. We arrived at around 1 am and we had to take a jeep to Binan.

Tips:

• Wear light and comfortable clothes. Shoes that won't hurt after walking a lot is also a must. 
• Bring sweets and water, wear sunscreen, and umbrella. It was hot and humid when I went.

After Kapurpurawan, we headed to Pagudpud for lunch. We brought our own food to save money and just rented a cottage for P1500. I was excited to go back and finally be able to swim in the water but the waves were too strong. Some of my younger cousins wanted to swim so my cousin-in-law treated us to Hannah's. They added more decorations (should I call it that?) like the Statue of Liberty and a light tower since the last time I've been inside (2 years ago). They also installed a hanging bridge which was nothing compared to the ones they have in Adams but if it's made of wood (some were damaged), a few meters is scary. 

An adventure to start the year—a 4x4 ride experience. During this time of the year, we would drive to the beach for a day of relaxation but we already planned to go to Pagudpud the next day. The Sand Dunes are being developed for tourism which involves exploiting the natural beauty of the place by allowing local officials to establish recreational activities such as sand boarding and the one we got to try, 4x4 ride adventure (I found a tripadvisor page full of reviews that would be helpful for you). 

The kids and my cousins from MNL availed the 30-minute ride for P1500 but being with the cheapskates (I love you guys), we only paid P500. My older cousin was asking for discounts and we were told that we could go site-seeing for one-third of the price. We only wanted to see the sand dunes because believe it or not, most of us haven't set foot even though it's just a 30-minute ride from our homes so it's a good deal, right? The price we paid for covered a short trip to the sand dunes with occasional slopes that would send us screaming. It was so awesome and I'm definitely gonna do it again (and will probably pay for the whole price, too. jk)

I wasn't able to take many pictures because the wind was too much and I was afraid that sands or small particles would get into my lens so I let my other cousin and my sister do the photographing. 

I was born in Ilocos and I've been living here since then except for school days (I study in Baguio) but I've never toured the whole province especially the northern towns except for Pagudpud and Bangui as these towns are both famous tourist spots during school trips and such. I was fortunately allowed to tag along in a trip/vacation of two research groups that were focused on taxonomy. So before the semester started, we took a 3-day—4 including the travel time—trip to Adams and Pagudpud. My companions were from Baguio so they had to endure 9-hours of bus ride to Laoag and another 3 hours to reach Adams. We stayed at Ilyn's Homeyplace which I think is the only residence that offers a place to stay. 

Day 1

It was already dark when we arrived so we weren't aware of the view that would greet us a good morning the next day. 

On our way back, we stopped at a house that was selling ice candies and we saw the mayor. Their promoter is related to the mayor so they talked a little bit and we got invited to the mayor's daughter's birthday party. Haha. At first, we were worried that we're under-dressed but when we got to the house, everyone (as in all the residents) we invited and some were even wearing their pjs so it was all okay.

We also went for a swim in the river after eating lunch because why not? It was clean and cool and we're on vacation so we thought 'since we're here, let's just do everything'. 

On our next day, we went to Anuplig Falls, a two-hour hike from the town but it was all worth it because it was a freaking paradise. The water was ice-cold and I even drank it (before anyone could get into the water okay because that's just gross haha). We stayed for an hour or something before heading back because it might rain and our way would be slippery (thus dangerous).

It was already planned beforehand that we'll spend a night in Pagudpud since it's not often that they're here in Ilocos so after packing all our stuff and resting for a bit, we went to Pagudpud. None of us can afford Hannah's so we decided to stay in another homestay. It was P1000/night but it can house 10-12 people.

Even though some of us slept late, we all woke up really early to watch the sunrise but unfortunately, it was cloudy to see the sun. We had breakfast by the beach and afterwhich, we decided to head back to Laoag. Originally, it was planned that we'll take a tricycle to the main road and wait for a bus but the house we stayed at also offers a van to rent for P1000. The driver was kind enough to show us some tourist destinations like the Bangui windmills. I wanted to stop at Pasuquin for their famous biscocho but everyone was already exhausted that I didn't say anything (i was a bit shy to say something, too. lol).