Day 2
Before heading to our real day 2 journey, we took photos of the nearby views as our place was nearby farm, mountains and sea.
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| A few steps to a quiet sea |
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Pre-Day 2 Journey at the North
Good that we have a friend who is a local of this town, we won't have any problem in directions and hitting the good spots to visit.
This day our first spot to be visited was at Bangui, Ilocos Norte. In Bangui Bay, we were able to see the Bangui Windmills. This is considered the first 'Wind Farm' in the Philippines consisting of wind turbines on-shore facing the South China Sea and is the biggest in Southeast Asia. Each wind turbine is capable of producing electricity, an alternative source of energy indeed.
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| Bangui Windmills at Bangui, Ilocos Norte |
Tourists are allowed to swim in Bangui Bay but the only problem is that there are no cottages here nor public toilets so you might want to think that first before drowning yourself to water.
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| Enjoying the views at Bangui Wind Farm |
So as to catch up with all our planned tours for the day, we headed to our next spot after a few minutes and that was at Burgos, Ilocos Norte. The famous national historical landmark can be seen here, the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse (also known as Burgos Lighthouse). |
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| Cape Bojeador Lighthouse at Burgos, Ilocos Norte |
This 65-foot-tall (20 m) octagonal stone tower can be seen as far away as Pasuquin town in the South and Bangui on the East on a clear day. It is not the tallest lighthouses in the Philippines but considered to be the most prominent structure in the vicinity.
It's lunch time when we headed here so we were not able to enter the peak of the lighthouse. But we enjoyed the moments of taking pictures and we even spotted some Kablog (one of GMA 7 shows at that time) stars at this landmark who were also busy taking good shots for their show.
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| At the base of the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse peak |
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| The Lighthouse Models :) |
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| With Kablog stars - Lucky Mercado and Andrea Torres |
After our heavy lunch, we headed to our next destination, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte.
Lying in Barangay Balaoi (close to Bantay Abot) is the Kabigan Falls. The Falls is about 1.5 km from the national highway or a 30-minute walk.
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| Long walk to Kabigan Falls |
The name is derived from the word 'kaibigan' (friend) or 'magkaibigan' (friendship) showcasing its lovely views where you could see the green farmland, vegetation and streams, water buffalo, rice paddies and more along the way.
There's an entrance fee of 20 pesos here. A fun trekking was somewhat expected. Good thing was that we're wearing shorts and we didn't have problems in crossing several small streams. Finally, we were able to see the heart of this road trip - the falls. It was so relaxing to see the waterfall. Swimming is allowed here and we've seen many teenagers enjoying the cold and crystal clear water.
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| Photos at Kabigan Falls |
After a long walk from Kabigan Falls, you will come across a stall selling a sweet dessert, Halo-halo. Time to reward oneself and be refreshed before our next journey. This stall is also showcasing native bags. You might want to buy souvenir bags as well (sorry I can't remember the actual price).
On our way to our next spot, we couldn't help but to stop at the Patapat Bridge, the bridge that connects Ilocos and Cagayan. The place is very scenic. I never knew then that you could see Taiwan Coastline from there (at least now I know).
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| View of Patapat Bridge |
Before we headed to the White Beach, we stopped at Paraiso-ni-Anton (Anton's Paradise). The cool waters of the mountain stream are reputed to have miraculous healing properties (try them and see for yourself). Many people stop here to take a sip of these waters and others fill up containers to take home (just like what we did).
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| At Paraiso-ni-Anton |
And finally, the moment of truth. Our summer getaway would never be completed without the water fun at the Pagudpud. Pagudpud is well-known of its prestine white sand beaches that is comparable to other world class Philippine destinations. It lies on Bangui Bay, about 60 km. north of Laoag (Capital City of Ilocos Norte).
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| Pagudpud here we come |
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| One of the white beaches in Pagudpud |
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| Fun at the White Beach |
The main beach attractions in Pagudpud are the Saud Beach and the Maira-Ira Point with its famous Blue Lagoon. No doubt that while walking to one of these points, you'll immediately feel the sting of the sun and the refreshingly cool water even under the mid-day sun.
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Bantay Abot Cave
Bantay Abot Cave is just a few minutes away from the Blue Lagoon. This cave is more of a mountain with a hole. Strong waves would greet you as well as the fascinating view of the sea and the islands therein. A good place indeed though not a good fit for swimming. |
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| The beautiful White Beach at the North |
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| White Beach Memories |
Before the sky has darkened, our day-2 trip has concluded. It was undeniably fun! I never dream that I could be able to reach the farthest geographical point from Manila without leaving the island of Luzon. If you're really longing for a comparatively perfect charms to visit, try Pagudpud.
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