| Tourism - 111 with Chef Emman, Mr.Vita & Mr.Aymard :) |
Before our 2-3 day Ilocos trip started, I decided to buy and drink some beer because I was informed that it'll be a long boring hour of travel (6 hours I guess). It helped me out to sleep even though it wasn't comfortable to sleep inside the bus. When we arrived in Ilocos we ate a heavy breakfast at near Fort Ilocandia Restaurant (can't figure out the name). I really enjoyed the foods especially the egg plant dish called "Puki-puki" (sounds funny though).
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| TM-111 boys @ Fort Ilocandia |
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| Malacanang of the North |
On the 1st day of our tour, we went to Fort Ilocandia and Malacanang of the North owned by Marcos. We also went to Batac, Ilocos Norte where the Museum and Mosoleum of the former President Marcos is located (They
didn’t allow us to take some pictures inside) And from there, we bought &
ate some sweet potato kamote chips and the popular empanada made of
monggo sprouts and green papaya with Vigan longganisa and eggs which is deep
fried and eaten while it’s hot with the usual vinegar. I also bought some souvenirs for my family like Crackers, Chips, Malagkit, and “Tinubong.” At first, I wondered how Tinubong will be eaten.
I was surprised; the vendor banged the bamboo container against the wall to
crack it open (Isn't it cool?).
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| Empanada - one of the best foods in Ilocos |
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| "Tinubong" |
We ate buffet set up lunch at Playa Tropical Resort in Ilocos, Norte. This place is pretty awesome. I tell you, you will really enjoy the scenery and you will not get bored when you get there.
The Nipa hut style rooms are really cool. They have a standard swimming pool which everyone will enjoy. They also have other amenities like gym, billiards, basket ball court. You can also do and
enjoy long walks on the beach.
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| At Playa Tropical Resort with Channe, Avy, Paps |
After that we visited some different churches like Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Sarrat
Church and St.Agustine Church for some taking pictures. Then, after a long running tour, we checked in at Java Hotel to get some rest. I really love the ambiance of this hotel. A very relaxing place indeed.The facilities like basket ball court, gym area, swimming pool are all good and most especially the rooms that they offered to us. I can definitely say that the people there are very hospitable. The dinner they served was really mouth-watering. I think I almost ate 3 plates in a row that night (I'm not hungry though, I just love the food).
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| Java Hotel - Where we checked in. |
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| Paoay Church |
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| Sarrat Church |
On the 2nd day of our tour, we went to Ilocos Sur. We visited Pagudpud Beach Resort, from there we ate lunch. We also visited Bangui Windmills and took some photos. We didn't had the chance to swim on the beach because of the bad weather. Before we leave the place, I bought some souvenirs. We also went to some museums in Vigan like Padre Burgos Museum, Crisologo Museum and many more. Then we checked in at Vigan Plaza Hotel. Then the rest was history. lol (tired of sharing).
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| Vigan, Plaza Hotel - Where we checked in and stayed for a night. |
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| Vigan at night. (Pretty cool huh?) |
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| I went to Ilocos without bringing slippers. (Stupid!) |
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| Bangui Wind Mills (Credits to: Sheng) |
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| Over-looking of Hannah's Beach Resort formerly owned by Jericho Rosales |
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| Souvenirs from Pagudpud |
It was really an educational tour. I gained some knowledge while having fun. I got the chance to bond with my classmates whom I'm not close with. I will treasure all the memories that I had during that tour. Being able to see, experience and enjoy the beautiful sceneries of Ilocos Norte & Sur is all worth it. I love Ilocos! :)
