When I Went Loco in Ilocos (Save the Best for Last: Pagudpud)

The next morning, we woke up early and excited for our ultimate destination, Pagudpud. We met for the second time our tour guy, Heinrich. He told us we would be riding the shuttle first and then get off where our service trike would be waiting for us. After a quick breakfast and some time of waiting for passengers, we finally hit the road. We were seated in front, so we had a good view of everything, which was mostly highways and roadsides with a lot of greens. Somewhere along the way we caught glimpses of the Bangui windmills and the Cape Bojeador lighthouse, which would be part of our tour later on that day.

After about two hours, our best travel adventure in such a breathtaking part of our archipelago began. Here are the highlights of Pagudpud, Day 1:


We paid P1000 for this package tour. Not bad!

Patapat viaduct, the boundary between Ilocos
and Cagayan Valley


Wooohhhoooo!!



Pagudpud, here we are!

Richie in our 'wheels'



Strike a pose!

Lunch na! (We asked Heinrich, the tour guy, to join us.)

Sinigang and Lapu-lapu

Mura na, masarap pa! :)
The breathtaking Bangui windmills ♥

The windmills on the palm of my hand


Miniature windmills for sale

Kapurpurawan rock formation

Beach and rocks


Can you find me in this pic?

Below the Cape Bojeador lightouse



Richie swears this spot gave him goosebumps!!
Good for me, I didn't dare go up. :))





Back to Blue Lagoon, Pagudpud

Hannah's Hotel. We would have loved to stay here, but . . .


This cutie little house faces Pagudpud beach!

Thank God for homestays!

Street food anyone?

Tired from the tour, Richie bought and sipped his
beer in a plastic!!
A small crab(let) on the shore

Big waves


Playful on the first dip

Me on the shore

Cool

Our food provider

The night falls . . .

Hello, sunset.


Seafood dinner
We slept pretty well the previous night, and the next morning, we woke up just in time to enjoy the beach-mode weather of the day. Manang (our gracious landlady) cooked breakfast just as we had requested her the night before. After a hearty meal, we wasted no time going out for a walk and a swim. After all, we were already going back to Manila in the afternoon. Ikr. Sooobrang  bitin lang!!!!! :(

Good morning, Pagudpud!!!!!!





Suuuuwweeettt <3



Tsk, uwian na maya maya :(


The road leading to our homestay

With Manang and her apos

Pang profile pic!


Banana boat exclusive to Hannah's Hotel

Huling hirit pa sa Pagudpud. 
Thank you, B, for such a wonderful time.
We did okay travelling back from Pagudpud to Laoag considering that we took an ordinary non-air conditioned bus. In Laoag, we made another mistake of riding with Fariñas transit bound for Manila. It was already nighttime when we reached Pangasinan, and that was when the bus allegedly started having engine problems. All of a sudden, the bus stopped and wouldn't move. Shortly after, the conductor disappeared, along with the passengers' payout on fares. According to the driver, the conductor went to get a mechanic. We waited quite patiently at first, thinking that there was truth to what the driver had told us. But after about an hour and a half in literal darkness, we started to think that these people are crooks. It really seemed that they had no intention of paying us back for the rest of the trip. We eventually managed to pressure the driver because quite soon enough the conductor resurfaced and gave the passengers their money back. As we walked towards the highway to get on another bus, we could hear the Fariñas bus rev up as if nothing happened. Did their plan work? I don't know, but I hope the management of Fariñas transit looks into such modus operandi. It's such a shame, really.

Across our stranded bus

Shape up, crooks!!!!

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