Because we're on a DIY trip, we decided to do a "tricycle tour", a common way to go to the different tourist spots in the town. I was able to contact Kuya Arnel ( 09127897797) ahead of time and he agreed to meet us at the town's landmark early in the morning.
Originally, if you're coming from Laoag, you'll take the Northern Tour first (P600 tour fee). Your meeting place would be in Burgos for the Karpurpurawan Rock Formation (and then follows the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse and the Bangui Windmills). But because it was raining really hard on our scheduled visit, we opted to try the Southern Tour first (also P600). Here are the inclusion of the Southern Tour:
1) Kabigan Falls is a ravishing waterfalls in Barangay Balaoi, a kilometer away from the National Highway.
It is a 30-minute walk from the jump point where guides would be waiting. (You need to pay another P100 for the guide and if it is raining, you can rent raincoats for P50). The scenery along the way was breathtaking. In spite of the muddy path and the unending rain, I really enjoyed the time walking there with my husband. Too bad, our pictures were limited because we needed to protect our camera. :(
2) Patapat Viaduct is several kilometers of road near the sea connecting Ilocos Sur to Cagayan Valley. In spite of the rain and the fog, I stood there for several minutes just looking at the waves and the rain. It was beautiful.
3) Bantay Abot Cave, Timmangtang Rocks and Agua Grande: These are the beauties that we weren't able to see and enjoy. We were shivering when we've reached these places. The only thing that I saw was black clouds and huge waves and a blurred image of Bantay Abot Cave and the rocks. It was really frustrating. (I'll see you next time, I guess).
4) Blue Lagoon: Armed with my small umbrella, we went and see the small "boracay" of Ilocos. Hannah's, the famous hotel and resort there, offers various kinds of activities for tourists (like the zipline that would pass by the sea---spell COOL! P700 for the zipline-woooh ohh.)
5) Saud Beach: Our last destination's the Saud Beach. For now, you know my line already: We weren't able to enjoy it to the fullest because of the RAIN. But we stayed in one of the cheapest accommodation available there-Cathy Homestay. It has been praised by many local travelers because of the quality service and affordable price. We paid P1500 for the night. The room was huge and is really intended for families. We spent our first Christmas together enjoying the sound of the rain and the waves nearby. (If you are on a budget,I suggest you buy food on the grocery store in the town. The restaurants in Saud Beach are too priceyyyyyy).
The next day, it was still raining in the morning, we couldn't even go to the beach and have a swim :( We have decided not to pursue the Northern tour (but inside I was grumbling and angry and mad--haha). So at 10am, we called Kuya Arnel again and on our way to Pagudpud town, the sun began to shine brightly. Hurrah! Here are the awesome places you'll see in the Northern Tour:
1) The Bangui Windmills:
2) Bangui Windmill View Deck:
3) Karpurpurawan Rock Formation: This one is my favorite--majestic!
4) The Cape Bojeado LightHouse: From the Karpurpurawan Rock Formation, our new guide brought us to the old lighthouse in top of a hill. From the top, you can see the shoreline of Burgos.
After a few minutes, we headed off to the nearest bus stop and we waited for a bus to Laoag. It took us 1 1/2 hour from Burgos to Laoag City (P75 fare). From Laoag, we headed to Partas Bus Station and went home to Manila after 5 days of wandering in the towns of Ilocos. It was an experience worth remembering.
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