Yodis Phere: philippine travel guides

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Ilocos Tour - Guerilla Style » 5 Interesting Places to Visit On Your Way Out of Ilocos

If there is one lesson I have discovered over my travel experiences is that you need to be very creative when coordinating your gigs in order to cover and experience what a place can offer. For instance, a place like Ilocos offers lots of interesting spots to visit so if you are there for a quick weekend getaway you need to apply guerilla tactics to truly enjoy Ilocandia’s chopsuey of travel destinations.

So we’ve already successfully visited Ilocos Norte’s major tourist destinations starting from Laoag to Pagudpud going to Batac. Based on our Ilocos Tour Itinerary, our final destination before heading back to Manila is the famous Calle Crisologo in Vigan City – yep, we saved the best for last.

Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur (Laoag - Vigan) Tourist Map - CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW LARGER MAP

However, we found out that there are other interesting places in Ilocos that we can quickly visit on our way to the famous Vigan Heritage Village.

Here are the five interesting places in Ilocos that you can quickly visit on your way out going to Manila:

1. ILOCOS NORTE SAND DUNES – The Desert of the North

The Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes, also called the La Paz sand dunes, is unique on this part of the Philippines. It stretches from the municipality of Currimao in the north and winds it’s way to La Paz, Laoag City, then to Suba, Paoay and finally in Pasuquin in the south with a total of 52 square miles.

Ilocos Norte Sand Dunes

This is also the favorite shooting location for local as well as international films such as the Nora Aunor’s “Walang Himala” flick, Fernado Poe’s “Panday” and Tom Cruise’s “Born on the Fourth of July.” The area is now famous for sandboarding and other eco-adventure activities.

We got lost looking for this place and when we saw some sandy hills, we just took pictures and immediately leave because we can’t stand the heat.

2. MALACAÑANG PALACE OF THE NORTH

Along the lazy shores of Paoay Lake stands an imposing structure that remains true to the old-rich Spanish architecture of the province — the Malacañang of the North, also known in the local dialect as Malacañang ti Amianan.

Back Entrance of the Malacañang of the North

It romantically overlooks serene Paoay Lake and was the residence of former President Marcos and his family while they were in the North. It reflects the grandeur of the Marcos family - the power they once held, the wealth that they possess, and the love and reverence of the Ilocanos for the Marcoses. The Malacanang of the North is actually a "birthday gift" of then First Lady Imelda Marcos to her husband on his 60th birthday.When it was built in 1977, Malacanang of the North became the venue of the trendiest high society settings.

3. PAGBURNAYAN POTTERY

Potter showing his skills

For a quaint Ilocandia travel experience and interaction with the craftsmen, a visit to the Pagburnayan (pottery making) in Vigan City is a nice option. We quickly visited this place and was treated with a show of Ilocano craftsmanship in pottery making using old school manual potter’s wheel method.

Finished clay pots ready for shipment

The root word “burnay” is an earthenware jar crafted by a potter’s hands with the aid of a potter’s wheel. It uses fine sand (anay) as a tempering material and fired at a high temperature in a huge brick-and-clay ground kiln that makes it is harder and more durable than other terra cotta.

Curio items outside the pottery

This is also the place where you can buy clay pots, statues, home accents and other curio items at give-away prices.

4. BALUARTE – Chavit Singson’s Zoo

Baluarte ni Chavit - Main Ground

I am always against zoos and caged animals, but since we are at the area, we took a peek at Chavit’s expensive hobby – his famous Baluarte located in Salindeg, Vigan.

Showy Rare White Peacock is the favorite among the animals

It is a large chunk of Vigan set in rolling terrains, hills and mountain sides with structures and facilities that tries to imitate, without success, the natural habitat of wild and exotic animals - really entertaining for children.

5. The HIDDEN GARDEN in Vigan

Beautiful ornamental plants at the Hidden Garden

Hidden Garden is Located in Bulala (a barrio known for its making of bricks, pots, and other objects made of clay). It is a wonderland of greenery, with a mini-snack bar nestled somewhere in the middle. The whole garden is full of decorative flowering plants, bonsai, and other shrubs set in garden pots, appropriately accented by garden statues and decorations.

Hidden Garden Cafe and Restaurant serving Ilocos cuisine

Hidden Garden definitely has a relaxing ambiance. Hence, dining experience at their restaurant would be awesome but we are in a hurry so we just took some pictures.

FINAL NOTE

There are other interesting places you can visit in Vigan City, such as the Father Jose Burgos Museum, Mirra Hills and St. Paul Cathedral if you have time. But if you are on a two-day guerilla tour like us, you might want to trim the list down. Of course you wouldn’t want to miss Calle Crisologo which is the most famous (and overrated) tourist spot in Vigan.

On my next post, I will be sharing my memory lane walk at Calle Crisologo, which will be the last post on this Ilocos Tour series. Stay tuned!

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Planning an Ilocos Tour?

You might want to check out my detailed account of our Ilocandia Time Travel Series

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Citations:
» Laoag Vigan Tourist map courtesy of EZMaps

Friday, June 17, 2011

Allegory of the Bantay-Abot Cave and Timmangtang Rock » Is there such a thing as end-of-the-road?

"When you're at the end of the road, And you lost all sense of control,

And your thoughts have taken their toll, When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul

Your faith walks on broken glass, And the hangover doesn't pass, Nothing's ever built to last

You're in ruins"

[21 Guns – Green Day]

They are wrong. It is not a "Lover’s Rock," it is a metaphorical monument for our wrong choices in life. Bantay Abot Cave and Timmangtang Rock are solid reflections of us being victims of our own poor choices. Sometimes in our foolish search for greener pasture, adventure and material happiness we struggled to leave the protection and safety of the cave only to get stuck in the middle of nowhere, drowned by the sea of human ambitions, leaving us confused and beaten.

But would you rather leave and experience pain than stay? How would you know what’s the right choice? Is there such a thing as end of the road? Ahhh, another bouts of my dusty foot philosophy. Allow me to expound.

The prodigal rock

Timmangtang rock is like the prodigal part of the Bantay Abot Cave. He left the cave for foolish adventure, only to get stuck a few kilometers away from the protection of the cave, now immobilized along the shore and partly by the sea. This sad rock is now looking at the cave, longing to fill that hole he foolishly created when he left, longing to come back but he can’t, even if he is so near. That is the prize he pays for the poor choices he made. Then like the Timmangtang rock I realized that life is a one-way ticket – there’s no coming back.

That feeling of apprehension was what struck me on that particular day on our Ilocos tour as I approached and captured that scene along the seacoast of Sitio Gaoa, Balaoi, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. It wasn’t really intentional and I actually hate it when I see things differently. But I can’t help it, and maybe that’s the whole point of this mania for wandering. We travel to see things differently – others are just afraid to admit that.

Or maybe I travel to hunt and confront my own demon, because you can actually find your demon in some tropical paradise – those self-righteous priests who told us demons are in hell are fools. However, that thought makes me feel unsettled because when I find my demon I am not sure what to do with it. Say hi perhaps? Ask for guidance or wrestle with it? Because the last time I met my demon, it almost killed me by stoning me with regrets.

The hole in the mountain

On the far side across the dark waves is the Bantay Abot Cave. It is not your typical cave but actually a hole in the foot of the mountain like a mysterious gateway to the netherworld or some unknown universe. Then again I put the meaning of this cave into question.

I put the pieces together and realized that this hole was left by Timmangtang rock in his pursuit for pleasure, which bring him pain and misfortune. If we carefully examine this metaphor we will realize that we are actually connected with each other.

Ironically, when we try to get away from the discomfort by pursuing the supposed solutions we crafted, or to just pursue that nagging sense of adventure, we leave a hole in the heart and soul of those we left behind. So precious we are, in our physical imperfections - unique in our myriad selves that we leave behind us a gaping void when we breakaway for whatever reason. Sometimes it becomes like a tiny black hole, a vortex that can pull demons.

As long as we pursue the false hopes of finding happiness on worldly attachments, as long as we flee the infinite stillness that our personal cave can offer, how can this emptiness, this hole we created by separation be truly filled?

Many died without finding that missing piece, leaving this physical world without really discerning the true image of the puzzle.

But some find the answer and filled that echoing emptiness. How they do it, I don’t know.

Like a liar

So would you rather leave the cave and explore the world? If you find there’s really that end of the road would you come back?

And, if you return what would you find? Who would be there, at the center of the hole you created?

Maybe the pursuit of such questions in contemplation while visiting places will give us some answers.

Or we will end up "like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone…."

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HERE ARE THE DETAILED POSTS ABOUT OUR Ilocandia Time Travel

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Citations and Notes:

» Ending quotation was lifted from the lyrics of the song "21 Guns" by Green Day

» All photos are taken by the author: Samsung Galaxy S mobile phone photography
» Note: This post is the last part of the PAGUDPUD TRICYCLE TOUR SERIES.(Part III of III)