A Sweet Escape (Part 2)

Hello there, ETC readers! Are you ready for the continuation of my family’s Ilocandia Tour? Let’s get it on!

(Day 2)1^st destination: Malacañang Ti Amianan, Paoay, Ilocos Norte! One of the best places to revisit the past is by going to the Malacañang of the North, a two-storey rest house of the late President Ferdinand Marcos. The mixture of Spanish and Ilocano influences is evident in the design of the mansion and by using some of the rooms in the house to showcase the different items related to the Marcos regime, its historical value has been highlighted more. Upon visiting, a local tour guide about my age accompanied and told us many stories about the Marcoses and their contribution to the country. Unfortunately for us, many tourists were also there during the time of our visit, so my mom and I were not able to get many photos of the interior of the house. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed roaming around the house, taking in the beautiful scenery outside, and gaining more knowledge about the late president and his family.

(Day 2) 2^nd destination: Batac, Ilocos Norte! Upon arriving at Batac, we immediately went to the so-called “Empanadahan” where the authentic empanadas are sold. Among the variety of empanadas available, I chose to eat the simplest one with young papaya shreds, egg, longganisa and mung bean sprouts as fillings and the sukang Iloco as its sauce. I enjoyed eating the empanada so much that I actually forgot to take a picture of it! Anyway, after our merienda, we visited and prayed for a moment at the Batac Church, which is a short distance away from the empanadahan. Mind you, the aisle of the church is pretty long so you might want to consider it for your wedding!

(Day 2) 3^rd destination: Paoay Church, Paoay, Ilocos Norte! After visiting Batac Church, we also went to the renowned St. Augustine Church of Paoay, an old church made out of egg whites, coral stones, and bricks. There are twenty-four buttresses on both sides of the church, which provide the support needed by it to withstand earthquakes. I was really amazed by the architectural design of the Paoay church and the ingenuity of the people who have built it. Paoay Church is easy to fall in love with that’s why many tourists have taken the opportunity to either take a photo of it or have a picture in front of it so as to flaunt the amazing beauty of the church.

(Day 2) 4^th destination: Paoay Sand Dunes, Paoay, Ilocos Norte! Visiting the sand dunes was one of the activities that I was really looking forward to when my mom has planned this trip. I really love trying new things just for the fun of it, so I was really excited to try the 4x4 ride and sand boarding in the Paoay Sand Dunes. A person is charged five hundred pesos to be able to ride the 4x4 including the unlimited sand boarding experience. The fee was already a great deal but my mom has been able to get a discount, so we got the whole ride for just Php1500 for 6pax!! The whole ride was so thrilling because the humps and hills that we climbed were extremely high, it was almost like riding a rollercoaster while standing! After which, some time is allocated for picture taking purposes and we were lucky that we have been able to take amazing shots with the sunset! Then, we went to the sand boarding station, it was really scary at first because the sand ridge was so high and I do not know how to balance on the board. Luckily, there was a sand board allocated for the people who want to sit and slide through the sand and I was able to enjoy the unlimited sand boarding experience. After sand boarding, we climbed the 4x4 again and experienced, for the final time, the thrill and excitement as we went back to the starting point while hanging on to our dear lives (kidding!).

(Day 3) 1^st destination: Ruby Jar Factory (Burnayan), Vigan, Ilocos Sur! Our first destination for the third day was the Ruby Jar Factory where we have been able to see an actual creation of a burnay or pottery using a manual wheel. According to the demonstrator, the clay used for the pottery is mixed with the help of a carabao but during our visit he said that the carabao was having its day-off. As we watched the jar making process, I have heard a lot of oohs and ahhs from the audience including myself because it was really astonishing that the demonstrator was able to make a jar in less than five minutes! My brother and I are really keen to try making one too but unfortunately, we were not given such privilege because of the limited time allotted for the destination.

(Day 3) 2^nd destination: Calle Crisologo, Vigan Ilocos Sur! The best way to end this trip is to revisit the past by strolling or taking a calesa ride along Calle Crisologo. The Spanish-era houses of Calle Crisologo are the perfect background for picture taking purposes and evidently, many tourists really grab this opportunity. My mom also enjoyed looking at the antiques and products of Vigan that are sold in the stores of the street.  While my dad, brother and I are captivated by the amazing architecture of the houses and the vibe of the place itself.

And that ends my family’s trip in the Ilocandia and I hope you have been able to get some insights about the destinations you might visit when it is your time to explore the area. Honestly, if I were given a chance to stay and explore Ilocos Sur and Norte longer, I would not hesitate to grab that opportunity. This summer trip has been really an AWESOME ROADTRIP and I wish that many tourists would still continue to visit the area because there are so many things to do, see and try in Ilocos! Until my next post, ciao!