Boracay of the North: Pagudpud

From Bangui Windmills, getting to Pagudpud is only P10 bus ride, although its non airconditioned, you dont see people bringing chickens. In order to survive, you should have a cowboy personality, adaptive in every situation. Hahah. The bus ride isnt bad after all. 

Me inside the bus. Trip runs about 10-15 minutes. You will stop at Pagudpud Municipal Center from there you can take a trike going to the beachside. Trikes costs P50 one way, the only transportation in Pagudpud. 

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The waves seem very unfriendly, its so strong. Good thing I didn’t bring any extra clothes for swimming. Virtually I cant swim here. Haha.

Pagudpud has nice white sand but I was a bit disappointed because I thought its really like Boracay, you know crystal powder like sand.

The beach here seems to be very deep.

It is very quite this time around, you can count people on but according to resort owners, they are now fully book for the Holy week. After here, I went to the Blue Lagoon. You can hire a trike going there. It costs P600 but I closed the deal with half the price.

Blue Lagoon is a surfers destination. Waves can get as much high during stormy days. Surfers flock here during storm, now thats cool.

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Wow Windmills

The highlight of my tour yesterday was going to Bangui town where the windmills are located and Pagudpud so called the Boracay of the North. The tour package on this trip in our hotel was roughly about P4000 but I spent less than a thousand on this trip. If you are a budget traveller, you must not be choosy, the cheapest transportation will do. Although tour packages has lots of advantages, like its more convenient because you dont need to transfer rides or worry about being comfort.

Before hitting out, here’s the symbol of Isabela Suites, cute!

My first trip was in Bangui town, the site of the huge electric fan, not that by the way, they are windmills that supply power to the region. They say its one of its kind in South East Asia. Have you seen the Department of Tourism Commercial with Regine Velasquez? They shot it at Bangui. Getting here is very cheap. I rode a Jeepney for only P50. Travel time from Laoag is more than an hour. I enjoyed my jeepney rides here because the Ilocos countryside is also beautiful. 

I asked the jeepney driver to stop me to the entrance of the windmills. From there, I rode a trike going to the windmills. Its very cheap, P50 for round trip. The trike driver will wait for you and will be glad to take your picture. Haha. 

Paoay Church, Wow Ilocandia

As a budget traveller, high paying travel tours are unnescessary because in destination, the local people knows best than the tour guide. You yourself can make your own iterenary by searching online the best spots and tips on how to get along the place you wanna go. My favorite is Pinoyexchange.com, Ive been a member on this site for over 7 yearsm, until now Im actively posting into this forum.

My next destination in Laoag is the world famous church, a UNESCO heritage site. I always see it on post card or films that feature Ilocos province. This I got to see. 

Before Paoay Church, you can make a stopover to the old Marcos Town of Batac. You can find here Marcos’s preserved body or someway its a wax imitation. But I decided to go straight ahead to Paoay church and I was never disappointed. It was very majestic, I felt a different feeling when I saw it. It was like there’s some power or spirit that accumulated all over my body.

Side view of the church

Amazing talaga!

One of the best churches in the Philippines.

You should never miss this site when you are in Ilocos.

Incredible Ilocandia

Most of my friends have told me that I’m such a bigtime because despite the economic crisis I still travel. But little do they know that even with tight budget, it can’t stop you from traveling. You know there are lots of cheap deals you can see online. Just like Cebu Pacific’s All-in Zero fare. Try to catch them by visiting their website frequently or Philippine Airlines Econolight deals which can save you alot. Now, every Juan can fly with the Zest Airways (formerly Asian Spirit), they offer discounted fares too and soon SEAir which is expected to be a major low cost carrier.

When you arrive in your destination, it wouldn’t be much a problem because there are hotels that are cheap and clean. Just like my trip here in Laoag. Everyone thought that it would be an expensive destination but you are wrong. Laoag trip is affordable and worth every cent you spend. Right now, I stay at Isabel Suites located in the city-center of Laoag. It is a perfect location because its just beside the 24hour Jollibee, 1 minute walk to the bus and jeepney terminal. Single room cost about P700. Plus, they have free unlimited wifi.

Isabel Suites

I start the day with tour of Laoag City proper via the calesa. Its such a fun and cheap way to travel. Just P8 per destination. But later I realized that the horse is like being abused because the horse can inhale all the pollution from the street, the road must be very hot, it must be a calvary for the horse plus some rude drivers whipped some horses. But the calesa ride is a nice way to travel around town.

First we went to the famous symbol of Laoag, the Sinking bell tower. I was puzzled why did it call sinking tower but literally it sinks every year about half a centimeter. Finally I saw the tower not in postcard but in real life.

Just beside the tower is the famous St Williams Church.

But there’s a world famous church here in Ilocos and that’s where Im going next. But, lets stop first at the city hall and the Ilocos Museum.

The old municipal hall

Ilocos Museum

Sinking Tower view from the city hall.

Lovin’ Laoag

The Ilocos Province has always been one of my local dream destinations probably because its the birthplace of our dictator Ferdinand Marcos. As I Iearned from my history lessons, he was a  great president. The province has been featured in every travel shows on TV, truly it is a magnificent destination to visit.

My plane ticket was a promo from Cebu Pacific, its P1000 for round trip from Davao to Manila and taking me to Ilocos is Philippine Airlines with its new Econolight promo for only P800-900 round trip. Its a great deal considering the distance of the flight. It was like an amazing race feeling because I realized that I only have few hours to connecting flight from Terminal 3 where Cebu Pacific is and to Terminal 2 for PAL flights. Normally, you have to prepare P200 terminal fee for both terminals. 

I really enjoyed watching planes landing. I’ve seen KLM, Cathay, Air Macau and for the first time Dragon Air.

When I arrived in NAIA T3, I had a very long walk towards the exit. The travellators are not working. I pity those old passengers because the walking is like calvary. Ang haba haba ng airport. The airport is very long. Good thing it was very clean and the airconditioning system is working. 

Arrived in Laoag before lunchtime.

Arrived in Laoag before lunchtime. The airport was very old. I remember it was like the airport in Zamboanga. I think they should build a new airport. Laoag is such a premier tourist spot.

I stayed at Isabel Suites. The location is perfect, the place is very clean. It is just beside Jollibee 24 hours. They also have free unlimited Wifi. I will rest for awhile and tour the city when its not too hot outside. 

Travel Schedule for 2009

See you in one of my trips this first quarter of 2009.

January 15-18 : Manila, Tagaytay, Laguna

January 29-February 2: Laoag, Vigan, Pagudpud

February 23-26: Panglao, Bohol

March: Singapore

BUSIEST DUTY EVER!!!!

Today is my first day at Emergency Room Department and its the most busiest duty I ever had. I want to cry, I feel so depressed that I’m probably not fit for E.R. I feel so tired now. I don’t know, I wish I will survive E.R.