My Northern Exposure

27-30 May 2004. It was a road trip. Laya, my classmate in UP who migrated to the States a few years after college, was vacationing and invited me and Eder to join her in a 4-day tour up north. We haven’t seen each other in years but that morning of our meeting day, we became best friends again. Eder and I spent the next 4 days together at the back seat of a 2-door Pajero with Laya at the front passenger seat and her cheerful and energetic dad as our navigator.

We spent the first night in Vigan, Ilocos Sur; second night in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte; third night in Tuguegarao. Each time we stopped by to check on what each town has to offer:

• Basilica of our Lady of Charity (Agoo, La Union)
• Bantay bell tower and the Shrine of Our Lady of Charity (Bantay, Ilocos Sur)
• Burgos plaza and museum, pottery shops, Crisologo Museum, the narrow cobblestoned streets of the UNESCO Heritage Village (Vigan)
• Malacanang of the North, Lake Paoay and Paoay Church (Paoay)
• Marcos Museum and Masoleum (Batac)
• Fort Ilocandia (Laoag)
• Saud Beach Resort (Pagudpud) - click here to read about our stay in Pagudpud
• Tuguegarao, Isabela & Nueva Vizcaya/Ecija

kalesa ride in and around Vigan

Top L-R: Shrine of Our Lady of Charity; Malacanang of the North; Paoay Lake viewed from Malacanang of the North
Middle L-R: Pagudpud Beach, Ilocos Norte sign; northernmost tip of Luzon
Bottom L-R: the busy street of Tuguegarao City; Laya and the manghihilot; our ride

Dalton Pass in Nueve Ecija

In Tuguegarao we stayed at Hotel Roma, had my first taste of pancit batil patong at a local carinderia and spent a wonderful night listening to a live performing band at "The Port."  During our walk of its busiest street, Laya twisted her left foot. The hotel "manghihilot" gave her leg an intense massage to sort of bring it back to place but even after that she has been limping  with each and every step. 

On our last day on the road we stopped by Isabela to have lunch at (where else?) Jollibee, drove through the long and winding road of Nueva Vizcaya and paid our respects to the heroes of World War II in the historic Dalton Pass. I slept from there and woke up only to have dinner in Bulacan. It was already past midnight when we quietly and reluctantly re-entered Metro Manila.

I’ve been to the Ilocos region twice before but this has been my most comprehensive northern exposure so far. We had many (mis)adventures along the way, tasted a lot of local food delicacies and brought home some souvenir items but what I will never forget are the quaintness of each town, the warmth of the people, the image of the beautiful terrain and the friendship I shared with Eder and Laya.

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