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One dandy Wednesday morning, me and the Lakbay Norte gang had breakfast in Malacañang. Not quite “Malacañang Palace,” the official residence of the President of the Philippines. Neither did we get the privilege to dine with the President himself. I’m referring to Malacañang of the North, the lakeside estate in the charming town of Paoay, Ilocos Norte.
Main entrance of Malacanang of the North
La Tabacalera is a new dining and lifestyle center in Laoag, the capital city of Ilocos Norte. There were a handful of food and retail shops open during our visit. We spent dinner and the rest of the evening hanging out at La Tabacalera.
I get excited about developments like this (in towns and cities across the Philippines) because it means another cool place to hangout when I get to visit the area.
La Tabacalera added a cosmopolitan flavor to Laoag but not so much as to overpower its provincial charms.
I couldn’t contain a sudden *gasp* of excitement when I found out we were suring in Pagudpud during Lakbay Norte.
Getting drawn into surfing culture thanks to movies like “Surfer Dude,” “Blue Crush,” and “Into the Blue” convinced me (and I know most people share the same sentiment) that surfing is one of the coolest things to do on this earth.
It was exciting to know that I may be one wipe out closer to actually learn how to surf!
Inching closer to surfing nirvana
We were on our way to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. From the moment of wake on the long bus ride, I had been eagerly awaiting the final uphill road and sharp bend that would take us to the Blue Lagoon, a place I’ve been craving see under excellent weather.
I was impressed at how the Blue Lagoon retained it’s perfect-azure hued waters even under cloudy skies on my first visit to Pagudpud. This time, the sky was clear and the sun was peaking. it was the perfect time to spend the day at the beach!
I’ve built up high expectations and I was curious to discover if I would still be amazed when I got to see the Blue Lagoon again.
Blue Lagoon / Maira-ira Beach in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte Read the rest of this entry »
I had just returned to my empty hostel room in a small town in Southern Palawan when I got a call from the North Philippines Visitors Bureau. They broke the news that I was chosen as one of the lucky travel bloggers joining the 3rd edition of the Lakbay Norte media tour. I was overwhelmed with excitement but I had to keep it to myself … I was traveling solo and there wasn’t anyone around that could relate anyways. The timing couldn’t have been better. It was the perfect way to kick-start my 2012 season of traveling.
I found out later when I got the chance to go online that I was going to be stuck with five other amazing travel bloggers on the Lakbay Norte 3 tour … that’s 8 whole days across 11 provinces in North Philippines! I almost fainted at the thought of traveling with Gael from thepinaysolobackpacker, Ed from soloflighted, James from journeyingjames, Angel from lakwatsero, and Christian from lakad-pilipinas.
Photo-op with the Lakbay Norte 3 Bus at Patapat Viaduct in Pagdupud, Ilocos Norte. Photo taken by Gael.
The Malacanang of the North built at the shores of the Paoay Lake was one of my major destinations in Ilocos Norte.
I spent half a day for this trip since it was a bit out of the way. The experience was well worth the effort though.
Commuting to Paoay Lake took a while. Most tourists visiting the Malacañang of the North usually have their own ride or rent a tricycle / van from Laoag.
I didn’t have that kind of luxury. The locals pointed me to a jeepney stop located near the approach of the Marcos Bridge. It was just a short walk past McDo.
A full jeepney had just left. The next one waited a loooong hour before leaving. It seems I’d have some commuting problems because of scarce transportation options.
View of the Marcos Bridge while waiting for the jeepney to leave.
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
