Baguio Escapade

Where were we? Ah yes, our 4D/3N journey in the North. That was a month ago but I want to blog it so I wont forget all the fun that we had. And Riley can read all about our exploit when he's older, so here it goes. After we had the best two days of our lives sightseeing Ilocos, it was time to leave and embark on a new adventure. Next on our travel plan - the "Summer Capital of the Philippines!"

We've been to Baguio before as you can see in our throwback photo. That was in Lourdes Grotto and I think may be I was in my high school years on that picture. It was a long time ago so we thought of revisiting the City of Pines and set it in time for Panagbenga. Panagbenga, which means "season of blooming", is a month-long annual flower festival. We feel festive already just by being in Baguio but witnessing the Panagbenga Festival makes this trip a truly memorable one. On our first day in Baguio, we saw the street dancing parade and I am impressed with the costumes adorned by beautiful colorful flowers. On our second day, we woke up very early to be sure that we have a nice spot to see the Grand Float Parade. Our efforts were rewarded and we were able to see the floats up close. They are so beautifully (I'm running out of adjectives!) decorated and so gorgeous. World class craftsmanship! Yung tipong pang Rose Parade sa US. All I can say is "bravo!" Filipinos are really talented and artistic. You must see Panagbenga, it is so worth the time!

There are more or less 30 floats and they are a feast to the eyes. After the parade, we went to the usual Baguio hangout places: Mines View Park, PMA, Lourdes Grotto, Burnham Park, The Mansion, and Strawberry Farm in Benguet.

at Lourdes Grotto

wearing Igorot costumes at Mines View Park with these two rascals

at PMA

a boat ride at Burnham Park

at Strawberry Farm

It was a fun-filled quest with my family. I wish we can do it more often. Eddie-boy pakasal ka after mga 3 years para umuwi ulit sila ate! Hehe. Vacation is more meaningful when you spend it with your family in your own dear country. Discover Philippines and you discover your heritage. :)

I already miss the cool weather and the lush scenery. Sigh.

Romper Refashion

Let's take a pause from all the travel blogs that I've been doing lately, shall we? Today is another refashion blog! Yey! This is a dress kind of nightgownish that I have in my closet for a long time now.

The dress is ugly as you can see. So I thought of turning it to a romper! First, cut it just below your waist. Make some allowances so when you attached the bottom, the length will be just right. 

Then measure the bottom fabric. You can use your own shorts to make the necessary adjustments.

Cut, sew and when your shorts is ready you can stitch it with the top fabric. When sewing it together, leave a space for the tie/ribbon that will serve as your elastic. Rompers have that so just look for any piece of fabric. Finally it's done.   

I'll try to make a clearer explanation about how to sew a shorts soon. But in the meantime, you can experiment and just have fun with your sewing machines! 

The Great Ilocandia Tour Day 2

This is the continuation of The Great Ilocandia Tour of our family. You can read what happened in Day 1 here. Our Day 2 started out great! We're excited to discover Ilocos Norte more. The day was perfect and I remember waking up in a chirpy mood - singing Titanium while taking a bath. :) I am always the second one up (my mother is number one) and all set ahead of our call time. And that says a lot about me because I am not (and will never be) a morning person. Riley is in a happy mood as well. He's always ready for any adventure!

6:37 AM (Friday)
Ate breakfast courtesy of NorthView Hotel. Then checked out.

Well GOOD morning!

8:30 AM

Our first stop: Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. It was built in 1890 and still serves as a guide to international ships that enter the Philippine Archipelago from the north. A cultural heritage established during the Spanish Colonial period. It's on a hill so the view from above is spectacular! 

9:18 AM

Next is Kapurpurawan Rock Formation in Burgos. The wind is blowing wild in this part of Ilocos. There are two ways in reaching the rock formation. By walking or by riding a horse. I had no choice the moment Riley saw the horses. He was pointing at it persistently and yelling "horse" over and over again! A mom has got to do what a mom has got to do. 

10:20 AM

Bangui Windmill is the most anticipated part of this trip. I told my sister "di bale ng hindi mapuntahan yung iba wag lang Bangui!" When we saw the windmills from a distance we were filled with eagerness to reach it fast. It's just awesome! These "malaking bentilador" (as Kuya Jerwin called them) are towering on us majestically. It was a heady feeling. 

11:48 AM

Less than two hours from Bangui is the Pagudpud Arc. Now, I say arc because we didn't go to the actual Pagudpud beach. We have little time to spare since we'll still have to travel to Baguio. It would be a hassle going to the beach and not be able to swim because of time issue. I wish we can see the beach but at least, we can say we've been to Pagudpud, right?

1:38 PM

We're back in Paoay for the famous Paoay Church. It's a picturesque church no wonder it is one of the tourist destination in Ilocos Norte. Built in 1710 (man, this church is old!), it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as one best examples of the Baroque Churches of the Philippines in 1993. I pray it won't collapse or anything if ever an earthquake hit it. 

2:38 PM
Lunch!!!! We have foods during this trip but nothing beats sitting down and eating leisurely. We had lunch at - oh, oh I don't remember the name of the restaurant. It was something Rafael's or Rafaelito's? Nothing outstanding about the food. But we were hungry folks so we attack the food ravenously!

Pinakbet and Poqui-poqui

That wraps-up our Ilocos Sur/ Ilocos Norte Tour. Happy times! I already miss my ate. :( She's the mastermind behind our travels. Anyway, our adventure is not over yet. Next destination: Baguio. It was "legendary" as well. I'll write about it as soon as I can. Ciao for now! :)

jump shot at Ilocos - checked and done!

The Great Ilocandia Tour Day 1

This tour is one I've been dreaming of for so loooooong. Yeah, the wait is that long! Even before I became a mom, Ilocos is on top of my list that I want to visit. Numerous vacation plans had been devised, but every time, it fails! This year when a "momentous" occasion happened in our family, I told my sister we just have to include ILOCOS in our itinerary. Nothing can go wrong this time. Please!

Wish granted and I was a happy camper! We were able to see the places I've only seen in photographs. It was a whirlwind kind of vacation (being a 2 day tour only) but we succeeded in going to our desired destination. Thanks to our driver, Kuya Froni, who willingly oblige to our every whims. We told him the places we want to go and he knows the shortest way and the best time to go. It's easier to rent a van all through your trip so you won't have to worry about going to one place to another. I highly recommend Kuya Froni if you plan to go to Ilocos. He's affordable too! :)

So here's our adventure and the sequential order of our journey.

DAY 1
2:00 AM (Thursday)
Getting ready to depart. Double checking the things we're gonna bring and needed. Feeling excited.

10:58 AM (Thursday)
Yey! Finally in Vigan. Our first activity is the Kalesa Ride. It's P150/hour and group of 4 per kalesa. The tour will take you to Burgos Museum, Bell Tower, a pottery place, Hidden Garden, Calle Crisologo and back to the plaza. How long the ride is, depends on the places you want to visit. We didn't get off the kalesa in some museums. We decided not to go to Baluarte too because we will pass it on our way to Laoag later that day. So it only took us 2 plus hours. And cost us 350 pesos.  

1:20 PM

Time to eat! We have a pack lunch so we just eat at one of the carinderias near the plaza and order empanada and okoy ala Vigan style. Nomnom!

2:00 PM

After eating and taking a rest, we stroll Calle Crisologo. You know what happens next - souvenir shopping galore!

3:28 PM

Baluarte is next. We ride ponies and took some photos of the animals. There are ostriches, deers, sheep, tigers and dinosaurs! The last not being real of course! Then we hurry up so we they can still sandboard at Laoag. It's a two hour drive according to Kuya Froni.

5:59 PM
Arrived at Sand Dunes finally. It costs us P2,500/4x4 vehicle but it was worth it. Roller coaster lang ang peg! I didn't have the strength (with all the screaming and the dizziness!) to try sand boarding. But my son Riley did! He's 3 and he did it twice with his cousin Nyle. He enjoyed that so much!

7:16 PM
Ready to hit the sack at NorthView Hotel in Laoag. We were all tired. We ate dinner then off to dreamland we are!

That's how our first day ended in Ilocos. From Bulacan to Ilocos Sur to Ilocos Norte. What a marvelous escapade! And it's not finish yet. Our Day 2 was just as exciting. But I'll save it until my next post. So stay tuned! :)

Daydreaming Boracay

Boracay. Ahhh. It's been almost a month since we step foot to this beautiful island. But the memories are still fresh on my minds. 2 1/4 days is not enough I tell ya. It's my fault actually that this vacation was that short. But never mind, my family and I managed to maximize our time there and it was one of the best vacation we've ever had!

Boracay was rank numero uno by Travel+ Leisure, a US based magazine, as "World’s Best Islands" in 2012. And it is, in my opinion! Well honestly, the first day, I thought the buzz about Boracay is overrated. I mean I have been to other islands like Hundred Islands, Potipot Island and Puerto Galera. There's nothing new. But the more I explore the island (a 1 hour walk from Station 2 to Station 1!), the more I like the place. And by the time we have to leave, I fell in love with it. What's not to love? The white fine sand, the crystal blue water, the spectacular sunset! That sold me - the sunset. The only thing that I slightly dislike is the crowd! And it's not summer yet when we went there. There are a lot of people from different nationalities. But places like these, we have to share it the world. If you've never been to Boracay, ano papatalo tayo sa mga foreigner? Go to Boracay because you're missing out on this amazing paradise!

I can just sit and watch the sun set all day and star gazing all night there. But I can't! So much to do in Boracay! We tried the ATV, went banana boating, almost went to a helmet diving (tagal kasi magdecide ng IBA jan! lol), got a henna tattoo, watched fire dancers, did some souvenir shopping, and of course swim to our heart's content! Oh my mom had a massage by the beach. We are on a tight budget (obviously!) so we didn't get the chance to try parasailing :( I promise, you my dear readers as my witness, that I am gonna come back to Boracay and freakin' PARASAIL! 

Food tripping is also a must in Boracay. there is something for every taste buds. We had dinner at Astoria Boracay on our first night. We tried Jonah's shakes and chori burger too. At night, bars served grilled seafoods and exotic foods.

My attempt to have a jump shot fails miserably (thanks to my sisters!) So I'll just leave you with my son and pretty niece instead! Such happy times.....^__^

Boracay - super check!

Update:

I found a jump shot of mine! Yipee! 

my jump shot at Boracay - pwede na yan!