Shades of Blue

I am not a blue person. Except for a bag I permanently borrowed from my mom, a couple of shirts and one set of accessories to go with the regular jeans, most of my things are in the shades of green, red and orange. The flamboyant me finds blue plain and safe, unfeminine, sad, unnoticeable, unexciting… B.O.R.I.N.G!

But photography made me a convert. I would like to think that God must have used up too much yellow, red and orange to make sunsets more dramatic, planted too many pink flowers, roses and violets, created wide green meadows and thick brown forests. Left with nothing but BLUE in his palette, He didn't stop...and look what wonders He did with it. Amazing!

"How far can you see?" - Batad, Ifugao Province

"Boracay of the North" - Pagudpud Beach, Ilocos Norte

"welcome to paradise" - Aboard Superferry approaching Coron, Palawan

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Two Women



Mt. Tapyas, Coron, Palawan - April 2004

I am two women trapped in one physical body:
one craves for all the joy, thrill, adventure and excitement this life could offer; the other snuggles to life’s routines, to the certainty of repetitive work

one rides the roller coaster, feeling trapped yet delights in going up, down and upside down; the other rides the carousel, safe and secure in simply going round and round

one dreams of traveling the world and getting to the very top of the career ladder; the other wishes to stay home, read a book and enjoy the simplicity and comfort of family life

one leaps blindly, prepared to face the surprises of the unplanned; the other steps back from a cliff after peering over it, always on the side of things that can be planned

one faces the world with a sweet, happy smile; the other with a mona lisa

one is passionate and surrenders blindly to it; the other keeps her passion at bay and on guard

one is possessive, suspicious and selfish; the other is freeing, trusting and selfless

one publicly talks about herself; the other keeps a diary.

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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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