Creating your own Avatar

It is fun and easy to create your own avatar. Though easy, hehehehe, I decided to let our graphic artist create it cause she can clearly see me and decide which features best fit. Hmmm, another option to create it is find a picture of yours and compare which facial features are yours. Or you can use a mirror to look at and choose. Hehehe....

But I would surely use it, and right now I'm creating one for my officemate beside me. Hahaha...

Check this website of Face your Manga.

And below is my new avatar, yahooo!!!

Ilocos Day 2 Part II

Half hour drive from Saud Beach is the Blue Lagoon Cove or what they call "Maira-ira" beach which has a clear and tranquil water.

Patapat Viaduct is an elevated concrete highway constructed along winding/rocky headlands near the northernmost roadway section in Ilocos Norte (could be considered second northernmost roadway section in Luzon) This viaduct was constructed to solve the problem of landslides in the area which have caused so many vehicular accidents in the past. Footed on the rocky seashore just several meters from the mountain side it gives motorists a spectacular view of Pasaleng Bay.

How to get there

The Patapat viaduct is about 16+ kilometers from Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. From Pagudpud, simply head northeast towards Cagayan. This will take you through winding mountain roads that have lush vegetation on both sides and occasional views of the sea until you reach the patapat viaduct.

content source: http://www.waypoints.ph/detail_gen.html?wpt=patapt

Going to Cebu

I'm pretty excited for my trip this coming thursday. My tatay and sister would be attending a funeral of grandfather's brother. It saddening that I havent' met him personally but on the other hand I would be seeing my other relatives and my cousin's in cebu. And I'm looking forward that my tatay would be touring us in Cebu. It's very seldom that this happens. :-)

Quick facts about Cebu:
- known as the Queen City of the South
- has a total population of more than 3 million.
- native language is Cebuano
- great weather to visit from December to May; hottest months from march to may; rainy season starting from July

Ilocos Day 2

The next day, we woke up early to see another tourist attraction the Kaibigan Falls. It can found in the town of Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. It was a calming environment relieving myself from my usual daily routine at work and the life in the city. Fresh air to breathe, peaceful, it was really refreshing. It was about a 30 minute walk to the falls. Along the way, we passed some farmlands, streams and as we move close to the falls it was getting colder. Finally the Kaibigan falls.

our trail to the falls

my tour buddies

Kaibigan Falls

At the falls, we swim for a few minutes even though it's summer the water is too cold. After having a nice splash on the falls, we walk back for about 30 minutes to reach our tour bus. When we got back to our bus, we stall for a few minutes for a halo halo and a fresh buko juice.

Moving along, next is the Bantay Abot Cave located along the seacoast of Sitio Gaoa, Balaoi, Pagudpud. Bantay Abot Cave(Female) means “a mountain with a hole.” Few meter away from bantay abot is the Timmangtang Rock(Male). They are collectively termed as “Lover’s Rock”.

Ilocos Day 1 Part II

Next destination - Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, Capurpuraoan Rock, Bangui Windmills, Polaris Beach house.

Burgos has a heritage structure called the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, also known as Burgos Lighthouse. It is the highest-elevated lighthouse in the Philippines and the northwesternmost in location (the northeasternmost being Cape Engaño Lighthouse in Palaui Island, Santa Ana, Cagayan). It was established on March 31, 1892 under the Spanish government on a high hill overlooking the scenic Cape Bojeador, where galleons passed by. Its purpose is also to guide ships away from the rocky coasts of the town. It still continues to operate with new lenses run by solar panels. Originally the light was provided by pressurized kerosene lamps, very much like the current " Coleman lamp". In 2005 the old pressure vessels and wicks for the light could still be found in the shed.
The octagonal stone tower, being the most prominent structure in the light complex, is 65 feet (20 meters) high. It is recommended to visit in the months of November to January, when the cold winds from winter China are felt throughout the normally hot Ilocos Region.

Capurpuraoan Rocks which means “White Rocks” were naturally carved by time. The massive mounds of rocks are made of corals that jut into the sea. Burgos officials have made the dazzling white rock a dramatic backdrop for photo shoots with visiting movie stars namely Jericho Rosales, Heart Evangelista and singer-actress Regine Velasquez. The sight of the massive rock-mountain could be mistaken for a scene from a sci-fi movie or could be an ideal location for the legendary Panday movies.

After Burgos, we reached Bangui Ilocos Norte where the famous wind mills are located. The first inhabitants of Bangui were the Tinguians and Malays who settled in Bacruyen (meaning to carry) now called Baruyen. Others moved to Bamban (split of bamboo) now called Banban.

Bangui was derived from Bangi, a band of fighters which periodically attacked the coastal settlements of Luzon. They borrowed the name Bangi from a well known edible seaweed that grows abundantly in the area.

The windmills in Bangui provide 40% of electricity to the entire Ilocos Norte which has a estimated population of 600,000. They do not cause pollution, require no fuel, do not create greenhouse gases, and produce no waste. Each kilowatt-hour produced by the Bangui wind farm is also seven centavos cheaper than fossil-fuel power. In 2006 alone, NorthWind Power Development Corporation, the Manila-based company that runs the farm, reported a P70-million annual savings passed on to consumers in the form of cheaper power rates.


After a long day, we reached Polaris Beach Resort for a long nap and be ready for day 2 of our trip.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org, Northern Philippine Times, http://www.pcij.org/i-report/2007/wind-power.html, http://northwindspower.com/

Ilocos Day 1

It's been long overdue to post this but finally I did manage to have a time. My trip to Ilocos last April 5-7 by Travel Factor International Ventures Corp. You can visit their site at http://thetravelfactor.multiply.com/ to know more about their available tours.

Our first stop, the St. Augustine Church of Bantay & Bell tower. St Augustine church is one of the oldest churches of Ilocos Sur built in 1590.The Augustinian friars named it after St. Augustine, the Patron Saint. The church was damaged during the World War II but was reconstructed in 1950. The bell tower sits on a hilltop (atop the Calvario Hill) overlooking a pastureland and the mountain view of the Province of Abra. It was used as a watchtower for invading enemy forces during World Wars I and II. Evidently, the Bantay Church and bell tower are the monumental witnesses to various atrocities, uprisings and staged revolts.

St. Augustine Church of Bantay, Ilocos Sur

Bell Tower Bantay, Ilocos Sur

Desert? Yes, you can find it in Ilocos Norte which stretches in the shores of South China Sea. The Desert of the North as some may call it have attracted some local and international movie industries to shoot their film here. The likes of Nora Aunor's "Himala" and Fenando Poe Jr's "Panday". And for international movies of Mel Gibson's "Mad Max" and Tom Cruise's "Born on the Fourth of July".

La Paz Sand Dunes

Next destination, walking Tour at Ilocos Norte Capitol, Laoag (Sinking Bell Tower), St. William's Cathedral, Tobacco and Monopoly Monument. Our bus drop us beside Ilocos Norte Capitol (Ilocos Norte Capital) which in Laoag. "Laoag" (Ilocano for "the place of light or clarity"), is an old, flourishing settlement known to Chinese and Japanese traders when the Spanish conquistador Juan de Salcedo arrived at the northern banks of Padsan River in 1572.

Ilocos Norte Capitol

Pamulinawen at Aurora Park

First we headed to Aurora Park. It is located south of the Ilocos Norte Provincial Capitol and at the center is where the statue of the maiden Pamulinawen is strategically placed atop the fountain. If you remember way back in grade school history Pamulinawen is a popular Ilokano song. At the fountain you could see a young woman holding a basket which is believe to be Pamulinawen. During the month of February 04-10 Laoag City celebrate the Pamulinawen Festival. Straight ahead is where the Tobacco Monopoly Monument stands.


When the Spaniards discovered that the land and climate of Ilocos is perfect for growing tobacco, they forced the people to plant only tobacco and no other crop. The sakadas were also forced to sell the tobacco leaves only to the Spanish government. This has lead to numerous resistance among the locals. There were also stories of untold abuses done by the authorities. For one hundred long years, 1781 until 1881, the tobacco monopoly existed in Ilocos. A period of dark history in Ilocandia.

It was only in 1881 when King Alfonso XII lifted the tobacco monopoly. The people of Ilocos then erected the Tobacco Monopoly Momunent as a thanksgiving to the Crown of Spain for recognizing the stuggles of the Ilocano people against the Monopoly. Until now, Tobacco remain a major crop of Ilocos Norte.


To the left across the street, is the Sinking Bell Tower. It is an old 45-meter tall bell tower built by the Augustinian Friars in 1612 and is one of the tallest and most massive in the country. It is called the "Sinking Bell Tower" as it sinks about an inch each year, because of its weight and and its foundation.

Tales by old people mention that a person on horseback once could enter its vaulted entrance without stooping. Now, a person of ordinary height has to stoop to enter thru the tower door, because the tower has sunk considerably and evenly, thus its reputation as "The Sinking Bell Tower of Laoag".

St. William's Cathedral

Close ahead, we could already see the St. William's Cathedral. Famous Church in Laoag, Ilocos Norte Philippines St. William's Cathedral is older than Paoay Church and even older than the Missions of California. Located in Laoag City, the church is famous for its Italian Renaissance design as well as its Sinking Bell Tower, which 85 meters away from the church. The top of the facade holds a recessed niche that showcases the image of the city's patron saint, San Guillermo (St. William). It has windows made from capiz with wrought iron screens. St. William's Cathedral was built by the Augustinian friars to support the growing Christian population in Ylaua. Ylaua (which literally means "light" or "brightness") was the first name of Laoag City, which served as a mission detachment of Vigan during the Spanish era. It was in 1612 that the foundations of the present church of Italian Renaissance were made replacing the former wooden chapel. The church was damaged by hurricane in 1640, by earthquake in 1706, by fire in 1843. The church was restored in 1880.

We headed back to Aurora Park to wait for our bus for our next destination.

source: Ilocos Sur Provincial Government Website, http://en.wikipedia.org

Not your ordinary dish

The next day after the pinatubo adventure, we decided to drop by to San Fernando to eat at Everybody's Cafe. Yummy food, hehehehe.... A taste of kamaru and stuffed frog.

kamaru (mole crickets)

Hmmm....

betute tugak (stuffed frog)

Mt Pinatubo Adventure

It was a grueling 3 1/2 hours trek up to Mt Pinatubo, that I thought we should have taken only for 2 hours. We weren't lucky because the Skyway, which would lessen our trek to 40 minutes or 1 hour, was not accessible because of constant raining.
Our driver kuya Edwin told me that it took 2 days for bulldozer to create a road for the 4x4. And it cost around 2,000 per hour, so it might take long before they could create a road again.

We had no choice but to take the longer path. It was really exhausting. So you should be ready to prepare yourself when you climb Mt Pinatubo. And when you reach the crater, you will be rewarded with it's panoramic view. All in all, we made a 3 1/2 hours walk to Mt Pinatubo and almost 4 hours back. It took long to go back because we got caught up with the rain. The rain could be an obstacle as the water would flow so fast coupled with stones. The best season to go is January to May when it's not rainy season.

For our expenses: P 3,000 - 4x4 rent from Dau to Brngy Sta Juliana (max of 6 persons)
P 350 - 4x4 fee at the PDC
P 150 - Barangay Fee
P 500 - guide
P 50 - conservation fee

Contact #09107227575 of Kuya Edwin for the 4x4 rent.

This is where 4x4 park and the start of our looooooooooooong walk.

Our group, seems excited to climb to Mt Pinatubo Crater

Our tour guide john waiting for us.

They use stone as markers for the path to the crater.

Lots of rocks.

we are already left behind by our tour guide.

Taking a break.

Finally, our way up to the crater.

At last, we reached the crater.

Swimming...
If you're gonna hire a boat be sure to inquire at the PDC, also for the life jackets. The clouds are low, better pack up it's gonna rain.

After the rain, it's time to go home.