runningpinoy

Monday, November 30, 2009, Bonifacio Day, a holiday and also our last day in Ilocos.  For this day it’s northward-bound to the ends of Luzon. But first we had to bring along some food for travel and the local Biscocho was the perfect: unlike its Manila counterpart that is hard, Ilocos Biscocho also comes in soft variety with distinct taste that’s really delicious without needing any fillings.

If you’re in Ilocos try both varieties of Biscocho from this bakery

First stop, Blue Lagoon.  This would be the northernmost point I had ever reached in Luzon thus also the farthest kilometer marker I’ve seen at 562 kilometers.  Blue Lagoon got its name from the color of its water, Blue.  I thought that water only turns blue because it reflects the color of the sky, but it was gray at that time due to thick rain clouds and yet the waters of Blue Lagoon remained blue, attesting to how pristinely clean its waters are.  Strong winds greeted us here but it didn’t dissuade us from testing the waters.  I could only imagine this place being a surfer’s haven.

Blue Lagoon

Another view of Blue Lagoon

Running barefoot at the fine beaches of Blue Lagoon

Survivor Ilocos?

Another self-timer moment, with Sir Faivo as our guide with this tour

Surf’s up!

After spending some moments at the Blue Lagoon we headed southward towards the famous beaches of Pagudpud.  All I can say was that the beaches were so beautiful I had to run on it, barefoot!  (That was the runner in me speaking, hehe)  Of course the waters were perfect for dipping and for some reason despite being a holiday we virtually have the beach to ourselves!  I can spend the entire day on this beach—it was my idea of a perfect beach getaway: company of good friends, an excellent weather and practically isolated beach!

The famous beaches of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Distinct Pagudpud Coconut trees

A perfect spot for barefoot running…

…which isn’t what people normally do at the beach!

In case you’re Garmin-curious of my barefoot run in Pagudpud, or simply want to find out where Pagudpud is, here’s my Garmin data: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/19889959

Lunchbreak!

Halfway into the day, still more spots to visit!

Did you see that? (Courtesy McCoy)

These are the popular wind turbines of Bangui, Ilocos Norte

The only wind farm in the Philippines located beachfront

Can’t resist the urge to run…to measure the distance between each turbine

Ever been to a lighthouse?  On top of a hill?  Well I haven’t so our trip to one in Cape Bojeador was another first for me, not to mention that it also had a historical significance.

Lighthouse of Cape Bojeador

History

Wonderful shot by Sir Rene

View from the top

Three days definitely wasn’t enough to tour Ilocos as there were still so many things we could do and places to visit.  Despite the nine-hour travel time from Manila it was well worth the effort as you get to do a lot of things here.  I have no particular favorite as I loved every place that we visited and for a food lover in me I loved all the food that we tasted.  Best of all was the hospitality we received from Sir Faivo and his wife Ma’am Babette.  Thank you Sir and Ma’am for giving us a wonderful tour of your province!  It was definitely an excellent experience and we look forward to returning to Ilocos.  Thank you as well to Sir Rene, Wilnar, and McCoy for the company and of course the pictures!

That’s the story of our peregrination in Ilocos

Pinakbet Chronicles:

• Laoag City and La Paz Sand Dunes (Day 01)
• Race Day, Paoai, and Vigan (Day 02)
• Blue Lagoon, Bangui Wind Turbines, Pagudpud, and Cape Bojeador (Day 03)