ilocandia escapade

Finally, I've had my taste of summer. My high school friends and I have been taking these annual summer trips since 2009, so this would be our third trip in three years. I always look forward to it because it happens (no cancellation), it's pure bisdak fun with my real homies, and we always have the best drinking extravaganzas. Extravaganzas? We headed up north last May 13. Mind you, that was also a Friday the 13th and our presumed headcount was supposedly 13 as well. Good thing we ended up with just 12 of us, plus our drivers, and by 9pm we were on our way to Vigan. Our itinerary was quite demanding: Vigan, Laoag, Pagudpud, Bangui, and several other Northern tourist spots in between. Despite the heat, I loved the Ilocandia region. I dare say God did a very good job with Ilocos' beautiful beaches, skies, and cultural heritage. The almost 9-hour trip was totally worth it. Breathtaking.

This is Paoay Church, our second stop. We arrived in Vigan around 4:30 in the morning. It was probably the best time to experience the old Spanish architecture in Vigan. The lights were to die for. The alleys were so dim it was a bit scary to see the old windows wide open. I just didn't like the modern fastfood chains surrounding the place. It would be better to see more regional cafes and restaurants where authentic cuisines and delicacies would be served.

We don't usually go for resorts. We chose to stay in a public beach with cottages and just camp out overnight. A tent would house our belongings, and the sand is our oyster by night time. After a long hard drink, you'll hardly care where you'll sleep anyway. The only unfortunate thing was the power outage which destroyed all the bathrooms in the area. Taking a bath in the dark with as little water as possible is a nightmare.

The next morning, we headed for the Blue Lagoon also known as the Boracay of the North. Well that's a bit misleading because on our way you can see a bird's eyeview of the place and it was nothing like that at all. No, it didn't look like Bora to me. I want to exaggerate a little here. The overlooking view of Blue Lagoon looked like a Mediterranean coast, white sand in all its glory. I'm inarticulate so simply put, it was absolutely gorgeous.

The windmills of Pagudpud in Bangui are my favorite. Imagine yourself looking at a big ass 3D theater screen, but this time it's just endless skies and seas, with the large windmills brooding over the coastline. I stopped and just meditated on how amazing this place was. It feels really good despite the scorching heat. 40 degrees anyone?

And that's us! Till next summer please.