I’m sure you all went to the beach, the mountains, spend it with family and what not. But, I also know that a few of you, needed to work on the Holidays? Isn’t that right? I am no exception! I had a few paperworks and write-ups over the Holy Week.

But, Saturday came and I’m finally free!  So, I wanted to drive some place to surf.  According to magicseaweed.com, West Side isn’t happenin’ and East Side of the Philippines got some decent swell.  I couldn’t drive to Baler or Bagasbas coz I heard it will take quite some time… and I lack sleep because I’ve been doing a marathon for Breaking Bad.

Anyway, my next option was Real, Quezon.  A new acquaintance who I met through one of our surf trips in Liwa, told me that he goes frequently to Real.  He said it takes 2 hours. — 2 hours what??!?! I drove for 3-4 hours!  The trip was longer than I expected, it was full of zigzags.  I had to drive at night on our way back home – dark, no street lights.  But I found it quite relaxing, I drove windows down, with music on full blast!

Stoked with my banana board.

It’s a 6’10” but it’s not really your typical short board.  It’s short, but you can ride it like a long board and pick-up waves at will.    It works for both big and small riders.  It’s manoeverable and easy to paddle

Map from SM Megamall to The Park, Real, Quezon

View My Saved Places in a larger map

zoom in and zoom out 😉

Location:

The Pacific Recreation Park or The PaRK, Real Quezon

Km 115, Bgy Tignoan, Real, Quezon

Real Quezon Surf Spot review

• Waves – decent and clean, consistent (for a msw forecast of 2-4 ft.)
• Crowd – for Holy Week season – not crowded at all (line-up at least, but there were a lot of other people swimming, camping
• Facilities – Could be improved, outdoor showers weren’t working, too few toilets
• Activities – Surfing, river rafting, camping and other beach sports
• The drive – smooth roads from Ortigas Ave ext., 2-laned, but really dangerous because of a lot of zigzags and curves so you have to be careful.  I was averaging 40 kmph to  60 kmph on the curves and was only running at 80 kmph because of tricycles, and it was pretty dark at night
• Travel time: 3 – 4 hours
• Restaurants and dining areas: this I didn’t have any chance to explore.  They have a store that might prepare pancit canton and other stuff for you but as for real restaurant, haven’t chanced seeing any in this area.  So I guess it’s best to say, bring baon if you need to.  I didn’t need any because I went on an afternoon trip
• Accommodations: I did a day trip so I never got to experience this.  They do offer overnight stays at affordable rates.

The Pacific Recreation Park or The PaRK, Real Quezon

Entrance Fees

• Adults – P35 (day), P50 (overnight)
• Kids – P20 (day), P35 (overnight)

Open Cottages

• Medium for 10 pax – P400 (day), P600 (overnight)
• Large 20 pax – P700 (day), P900 (overnight)

Tents

• Tent Pitching (personal tent) – P50
• Tent Rental (2-3 pax) – P300

Guesthouse

• Rooms [3] (2 to 3 pax) – P1,000
• Sala 2nd Floor (10 pax) – P1,500
• Porch w/sink and toilet – P1,500
• Whole house – P5,000

Facilities

• Open Area for Recreation Activities
• Basketball, Woodball, Lawn Bowling, Speedminton
• Bonfire & Cooking Areas

Contact: 

Teody Villaflor

Mobile: +63.920.924.6102

Email: pacificrecreationkamp@gmail.com

River rafting

Water resistant, beach speakers I brought with me for review 😉

Only two of us in the line-up, the rest are swimmers

My bum says “Hello World!”

Rest

Sunset at Real

My name is Hannah Villasis, and I am addicted to surfing.  Check all of my surfing blog posts here.

picture by Philippe Villareal and Cheryl of LittleRunningTeacher.com

There was a time when I would surf every week for 3 months.  All my savings went to surf trips.  It was a whole lot of fun… I WAS BROKE haha!  I do sound like a legit addict.  I got busy though and I had to forego surfing to earn real bucks travel and stuff.

The sea has been calling me lately.  I do think that I’m a mermaid or a gypsy in my past life.  I just love to travel and I love the ocean especially.

You know what, I just realized that I don’t have to spend so much on surfing anymore.  I can just drive 3 hours to Zambales, stay at a cheap hostel that fits my budget and worry about nothing else – just fun, surf, swim oh and a whole lot of art and friends!

Oh thank heavens for The Circle Hostel.

It’s not your ordinary accommodation.  Here, you don’t get a fancy room with A/C, TV, fridge and all the fancy things a regular hotel room offers.  Nope none of that.  But let me tell you something, it was an experience that surely brought out the best in me.

 It’s not your usual hotel accommodation, but it definitely has its charm!  It is ranked high on TripAdvisor as well!

Typical budget for overnight (including gas or bus fare, accom, food, etc) – P1,000!

This was my bunk bed. It was surprisingly comfortable!

I often sleep alone at my solo apartment – it was quite lovely to share this huge cabana with friends and new acquaintances!

If you’re iffy about your belongings, they have a locker for you 🙂

An alternative to the luxury you get from a regular hotel accommodation is nature, art, fresh air and new friends.  On our stay at the Circle Hostel, I didn’t even get to use my gadgets!  Poor iPad – I never touched it at all.  It’s a shame how we have so much to enjoy in this world – and they’re free.

– The smile of a stranger

– The laughter of friends

– The air that we breath

– The sea that gives us a good ride

– Creativity through art and painting

– Good food

– and awareness of our body through Yoga and meditation

It’s also amazing how you can create a game out of throwing a plastic disk – Ultimate Frisbee time!  My glutes were activated so badly, they were swollen the next day – good work out! I should do this more often!

I brought my hoop to take a few videos of me hooping by the beach – just for vanity’s sake really.

I can share with you my experience about this place all I want but bottom line is, you need to experience it for yourself 🙂  Spread and share the love!

First-time surfer Cheryl got some good rides! woohoo!

The Circle Hostel Contact Details

Email: thecirclehostel@gmail.com, lu@thecirclehostel.com, zambales@thecirclehostel.com

Website: www.thecirclehostel.com

Twitter: @thecirclehostel

Cel: zambales 09178611929, la union 09178326253

Facebook: facebook.com/thecirclehostel

The Circle Hostel Directions and Location: https://www.facebook.com/thecirclehostel/notes

The Circle Hostel, Zambales Accommodations

Bunk bed: P350 / night includes bananas and toast for breakfast

Hammock: P250 / night includes bananas and toast for breakfast

The Circle Hostel, La Union Accommodations

Bunk bed: P400

Hammock: P300

Mommy Phoebe’s Place, Sitio Liwliwa, San Felipe, Zambales

Contact no.: 09173200700 and 09185458007

Surfboard rentals: P200 per hour

Surf instructor: P200 per hour

His name is Garfield and he lives to the song of Bruno Mars

translated to lolcat language:

“Ohai! Todayzzzz I dun feel like doin anyyything”

“Me juz wanna layzzz in my bedzzzz!!!”

The girls are ready to surf!

\

Vanity shots by the artful rock cubes!

Okay fine! It looks better without my face in the photo!

POSERS!  There weren’t any big waves on our first day, except for some little bumps by the river mouth good enough for the beginners.

Thank you Nivea and Watsons for this awesome SPF spray! It’s water proof and when you’re super in a rush to get on that surf just spray away!

Easy application – especially when you need to retouch some sun protection!

Once again, thank you to Watsons PH for this Water and Sweat (coz I’m a sweaty one) resistand SPF 50 sun block!

This is best applied 20 minutes before basking in the sun.

Oh and thank you Celeteque for the awesome after-sun gel!

Everyone in the team loved using this after getting a little burn from the sun

Eli loves it so much he wants to drink it for sustenance! Crazy guy Eli >.<

Chow time!!! Our meals – homecooked with love by Mommy Phoebe’s

Here’s the facade of her humble canteen

This was where we had our meals because we were a big group!

Team WhenInManila!

Thank you foor the good food!  We felt so at home 🙂

My favorite!  I couldn’t get enough of this!

I forgot to ask where they got the garlic longanisa – it was yummy!

Sunset by Liwa beach, Zambales

Thank you Sanuk for these cute designed play cards!

We had a fantastic night playing card games and random games

Thank you Raf of The Circle Hostel for hosting our games and drinks!

Here’s another cute kitty from Mommy Phoebe’s place.

Everyone was doing their own thing in the beach – surfing, skim boarding, swimming, chillin’, frisbee, sunset photography etc…

It was quite a relaxing sight!

‘Til the next surf trip!

Backpacker surfing, backpacker accommodations, Zambales, Liwliwa, Liwa, San Felipe, The Circle Hostel, Circle Hostel, Budget accommodations, hostel in zambales,

CONCLUSION: Great function at reasonable price!

AEE Magicam Underwater and Sports Camera

I got a chance to review the new AEE Magicam underwater and sports camera.  It’s less known to the public than GoPro here in Manila, but after using it, I conclude that it’s a pretty good contender.

Pricing is not yet set here in the Philippines since it is new but it will soon be available in Pixel Pro.  It should cost lesser than the GoPro and unlike GoPro which doesn’t include the LCD attachment in the initial purchase, this AEE does.  It also comes with more accessories included in the box such as the remote control, lcd monitor and extra battery pack.  For GoPro, you would have to buy these separately.

Mounting and Installation on a Surfboard

I installed everything myself! You need to buy an extra accessory for surf board mount.  GoPro uses suction tube, whereas AEE uses 3M adhesive.  Mind you, this adhesive is pretty strong.  It’s pretty safe especially if it’s new.  It comes with two parts so that in case one gets detached, you still have another one clinging to your camera.  Be sure to have that safety thread hold on 🙂

Installation was very easy.  Just make sure the board’s surface is dry, wax-free, dirt free.  Clean it well first before sticking the 3M mount.

Comes in 2 pieces, in case one part gets ripped. Unlike the suction where although secure, when it’s gone – it’s gone.

*thank you so much to Kristel for the photos above 🙂

AEE Magciam sports camera put to test (Surfing Video)

AEE Magicam SD21 Specs

• With LCD glass screen: real-time display various status
• External TFT display screen， real-time display video content or play recorded content
• With IP68 standard waterproof case, and the waterproof depth is 60 meters, two kinds of housing design
• Support setting, replay, delete ect. operations with connecting to 1.5″ TFT display screen
• With built-in dismountable high-capacity lithium battery, it can be re-charged
• HD video recording/photo snapping function with various models
• Self-time function with front indicator and timing recording
• Laser indicator function make record and snapshot easlier. 
• 1/3 inch CMOS sensor 8.0 Mega Pixels
• Recording MOV videos, to be directly played by PC or uploaded onto video websites
• Auto exposure, auto white balance, easy to operate;
• F/3.0 aperture, and support nightshot
• 10x Digital zoom
• 170°extra-large wide-angle lens
• Auto recording when acceleration occurring (function as the black box of the car) *optional
• Auto stand-by for power saving
• Supporting fast forward and fast rewind, and skipping of contents in the next segment (when connecting with TFT screen player)
• Supporting time setting (RTC function) and time superposition function;
• Supporting USB2.0;
• Built-in microphone, forming high-quality stereo voice recording effect
• HDMI output, AV-OUT function
• Support TF card (max. 64G)
• Build-in buzzer for sound indicator
• Photo 180 degree reversal function
• Low battery alert
• Memory capacity alert
• Wireless remoter (record, stop, photo snap, laser indicator)
• Various sport accessories, truly realizing the video recording of sports;
• Good seismic resistance;
• Support system: Windows 98SE/2000/Me/XP/Vista/Mac OS

Parameter List

• Pixel: 8.0M CMOS SENSOR(3200*2400)
• View Angle:170°
• Snap mode:3M(2048*1536)/5M(2560*1920)/8M(3200*2400) 
• Record mode:1080P 720P WVGA QVGA
• Frame rate:1080P/30fps 720P/30fps WVGA/60fps QVGA/30fps
• Record format: MOV(H.264 video compression)
• Snap format:JPEG
• Memory medium: Micro SD/MMC(Max 64GB SDHC)
• Store Consumption:(2GB SD card)  Snapshot3M(1900pcs) 5M(1160pcs) 8M(770pcs); Record:720P/60min, WVGA/135min
•  Display: LCD screen
• laser power:1MW
• digital zoom : 4x
• AV OUT :support NTSC/PAL VGA and HDMI 
• USB Jack:  USB2.0
• Microphone: Support Built in 2 Microphones
• Power consumption :500mA@3.7V(MAX) 
• Lithium battery :1000mAh
• Record time: 2.5h/ battery
• Operation system:  Windows XP SP2/Vista or Above/Mac OS. CPU:Pentium4  1.5GHZ above, RAM:1GB above 
• RTC function :support
• Store temperature : -20℃–60℃
• Operation temperature :  -10℃—50℃
• Operation humidity :  15~85%RH 

AEE Magicam vs GoPro Hero

I have also tried GoPro Hero  and by comparison,

• AEE seems sharper than GoPro.  Some experts say, it’s GoPro’s case design that ruins its sharpness and color.
• GoPro is wider than AEE. Some experts say, too wide – too distorted and they’d rather have AEE.

for video testing side-by-side between the two cameras, check this out:

As for AEE Magicam, it gives sports and film enthusiasts an an option with great function, quality at a very reasonable price 🙂 

AEE Magicam will soon be sold at Pixel Pro branches in Manila.

Follow them on Facebook for updates: https://www.facebook.com/pixelproinc

Comparison Chart between AEE and GoPro Cameras

*click to enlarge chart

Here are some important tips you need to know when you want to take surfing photos.

1. Wipe-out shots look cool!
I’m not going to hold back this trick that I realized by myself when I was taking surfing photos. This is no secret, but many fail to realize how awesome the shot is – when your target gets wiped out! Most surf photographers focus on “capturing the moment” but this is just basically “luck” and timing! Patience is a virtue indeed – and just keep on shooting.

This is actually a wipe-out shot.  It’s me and I’m about to fall in .01 seconds

Looks cool though!

2. Try shooting on water.
When you do, make sure your camera is either water-proof or has a secure camera casing. Taking shots while you’re on water gives a more real photo with splashes of water here and there and you get to capture your subject in different angles – up front, sideways while the wave is making a barrel, underwater and many other angles!

Just be sure to hold the camera still. Switch to video mode at times – just in case!

3. Light is your best friend.
This is important when you are shooting by the shore. The best light usually happens early morning. Sunset shots usually just give you silhouettes and unless you are taking an “artistic” surf shot, try to avoid taking photos at this time and maybe, enjoy the time to surf yourself!

This was taken at noon.  And you think the lighting is best at this time, well – it is not! Notice the shadows that cover the surfer’s face and body.

4. Zoom lens!
Zoom lens is important if you are taking shots from the shore. You need at least a 200mm lens or an 8x zoom digital camera, or higher.

5. Be patient and alert.
Get ready to take photos when you see your subject paddling and getting a wave. Try to put your settings to “burst” mode so that you can capture every move without missing any happening! Remember to take even the wipe-out shots!

6. Move!
Don’t just shoot from one angle. Try to find the spot with the best light, but also move around and try taking photos on different sites.

7. Respect.
Don’t publish unflattering photos like nipple slips or a really ugly facial expression or an awkward wipe-out position. This is very unprofessional.

Best of all, have fun taking photos! If you want to make this a career, enroll in a photography class in your local area. But if you just want to have fun and try this, just remember the tips above and have fun shooting!

It just sank in… it’s our last day… I’m going to miss the girls and all who went with us.

Here are the memories captured of our last day in Baguio.

The day started with us girls walking along pine trees 🙂

From shorts, skirts and sleeveless tops we wore scarves and bonnets.

Here’s a quick tip for travelers:

When you travel to different places with different temperature, you need to consider bringing stuff you can use for both.  If not, just use lighter alternatives like bringing scarves instead of a bulky heavy jacket,  leggings instead of maong jeans and a cute cashmere hat or bonnet for style 😛

I pack light and bringing unnecessary stuff is a no-no to me.  I love traveling alone as well so that means I carry my own stuff… I need to be able to carry all of my luggage myself 🙂

We had breakfast at our hotel in Baguio – Bloomfields hotel.

We were a bit woozy from going out the other night to Nevada square.  We had fun bonding with everyone!

Our morning started in Camp John Hay were we had our last shoot for the trip.  Good location 🙂  We felt calm around Pine Trees.

Interesting Trivia:

Ada said that Baguio has the lowest suicidal rate in the Philippines.

It’s because of the Pine Trees around… It gives a calming effect to people and its surroundings.

True enough, all of us just felt relaxed.

Lol… a shade of pink for each of us 😛

Behind the scenes of our TV clips…

let me know if you see one of our clips on TV 🙂 soon!

After talking to the camera and wrapping up our entire trip with Vaseline, they took us to some special relax time.

This picture was taken in North Haven Spa.

This place is famous for its strawberry body scrub/massage.

See all rose petals? 🙂

Nikki and me… getting giddy and excited… finally, a chance to pause and relax 🙂

Ada, Nikki and me with a bowl of lovely Rose Petals

They served ginger ale tea when we arrived

Ahhh… so nice… look at how relaxed I am… Jeleesss??? 😛

Quick tip – Alternative for an Oily Massage:

If you don’t the oily feeling when you are having your massage, you can request for your masseuse to use cream or lotion.

I used to take a break for work and go to massage parlors.  I don’t like oil because I knew I need to go somewhere else… So a cream or lotion would be a perfect solution.

Plus, it moisturizes your skin!

aaaaaahhhh… jeless?

then join our final contest for a chance to win this road trip of a lifetime!

(just subscribe and I will upload the contest mechanics soon)

You will get to experience EVERYTHING and I mean EVERY activity we did!

To know what adventures we had that you might get to experience for yourselves, just roam around my blog and read the latest posts about our Vaseline Road Trip!

PINK!… See what we’re holding?  These patterns on the clothing gives you a hint that we’re in Baguio!

Ahh.. will miss these ladies.. I hope we have a reunion.

One more cam-whore shot before we have our therapy

We’re sitting on a bath tub. fyi.

Okay, stop taking pictures already… we want to have our massage now,

ktnxbai

Oooh yes.. after massage is chow time!

I ordered Beef Burger with a startling big patty and potato fries for only P150.

Ada and Nikki ordered the White Pasta with lots of sauce and meat for only P150 each.

I KNOW!!!

SO CHEAP!

Love the clear mountains with clouds/fog arround it 🙂

Cam-whore time 😛

VTR-ing stuff

behind the scenes of another shoot 🙂

It was so cold!!!

 

The perfect ingredients of this road trip:  friends, adventure, cam-whore galore, protection from sun and dry skin with Vaseline 🙂

We can’t get enough photos…

Lord of the rings?

ADA so CUTE we wanna KISS!!!

*photos courtesy of Jeck Simbulan and Vaseline

 

Here are more pictures from my Camera

[flickr album=72157624158175806 num=70 size=Square] ]]> https://flaircandy.com/baguio-camp-john-hay-north-haven-spa-bloomfields-hotel-marcos-highway-palaisdaan/feed/ 5 https://flaircandy.com/vigan-to-baguio-sta-maria-church-bauang-bridge-session-road-bencab-museum/ https://flaircandy.com/vigan-to-baguio-sta-maria-church-bauang-bridge-session-road-bencab-museum/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 23:54:58 +0000 http://www.flaircandy.com/2010/05/vigan-to-baguio-sta-maria-church-bauang-bridge-session-road-bencab-museum/ I havent’t been here in ages.  Last time I was here was when I was 8 years old i think.

Anyway, it’s so nice here… So cool… and it’s just really a nice place to relax.

The weather is cool…

I was even surprised that a lot of people are living here.  There are houses everywhere.

Anyway, let the pictures tell the story 🙂

Started the day by applying Vaseline.

My skin is super dry and sensitive.  It needs to be moisturized, or else, my eczema might come out.

Also, I wouldn’t have to worry about getting dark while on tour and having photo shoots under the heat of the sun because it has SPF 24. Also, my mom would be happy because my mom wants me to be flawless white lol

See picture below 🙂 me and the girls love playing around different places.  We don’t need to worry about the sun ^_^

Playing along the stairs of Sta. Maria church in Sta. Maria.

 

But before that, we stopped over Bauang (or Bawang) Bridge :)  This is just right after Vigan.  The view is spectacular and it was so cold and windy!

Inserted portrait photo of me taken by Jeck… I love the green background! I’m one nature 🙂

This is outside the Bencab’s (Ben Cabrera) gallery in Baguio.

Nikki, me and Ada outside our hotel in Vigan – Hotel Salcedo de Vigan.

I was about to sneeze… then the shutter clicked LOL

Jump shot on Bauang bridge

Outside Sta. Maria church.  It was beautiful… The sky was perfect blue.

Lunch at Midway!!! I was so happy we dropped by here… I missed the baby back ribs ^_^…

I always eat here when I have surf trips in La Union

Really friendly dog outside the Bencab museum… He’s very friendly, I wanted to take him home.

I was WOW-ing :P  The individual paintings looked like Chinese characters.

We kissed Ada 😛

Trying to imitate the statues behind us 🙂

We love stairs for some reason lol

Bencab Museum / Gallery

Session Road – most famous road in Baguio

Time to kiss Nikki

Ukay-Ukay madness wee!

I will definitely miss this trip… I will miss the girls, the crew and everyone involved in this trip… it has been one great adventure 🙂

Wake up in the morning feeling like P.Diddy…

grabbed my glasses I’m out the door I’m gonna hit Vigan City.

Before I leave, brush my teeth with a bottle of positivity

‘Coz when I leave for Vigan, I ain’t comin’ back (yet).

Applyin’ Vaseline on my skin, skin…

Getting ready for the road trip to Vigan!  Of course, I have to take care of my dry skin by applying Vaseline Healthy White lotion.  It has triple whitening effect with an SPF24 which is super enough to protect your skin from harmful sun rays while touring 🙂

Anyway, I woke up early to view the sun rise 🙂

I was the only one up at that time 😛

I love sun rise more than I love the sunset 😀

Road Trip from Pagudpod to Vigan

From Ilocos Norte (Region I), we headed for Ilocos Sur (Region 2).  It took about 2 – 3 hours of road time.  All is good and fun when you are with cool, happy awesome people!  All the time, in the car, we just talked about many random things.

Two places at the same time

When we saw the Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, we stopped by to take pictures!  Talkin’ bout being at two places at the same time :D  Also, Philippine soldiers were deployed on the border and they were in charge of watching over the boundery.

Pottery Making

I really had lots of first time here in this trip!  Another first I did today was Pottery Making!  When the store owner demonstrated how he shapes clay into pots, it was amazing.  It looked so simple, so peaceful, so elegant.  When I tried to shape my own pot though, I had a hard time.  You probably need steady hands, inspiration and probably some music to get in tune with what you are doing.

Vigan – Calle Crisologo

This area is a very famous tourist destination.  The old houses are preserved, thus, putting us in another awesome time capsule!

All we did was take pictures and more pictures :)  The city is so photogenic 😀

Breakfast, Golf, ATV, Fort Ilocandia

Lunch at La Preciosa

Malacanang of the North and Paoay Lake

Paoay Church

Marcos Museum

Dinner at Sitio Remedios

 

Breakfast, Golf, ATV, Fort Ilocandia

It was a beautiful morning.  I love bread and that’s basically what I had at breakfast at Fort Ilocandia.  I knew that this day is going to be a blast!  And indeed it is because I just had two “first-times” just in the morning activities.  Our first activity for the day was to ride the All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV).  It was fun and hot.  I applied Vaseline sunblock in the morning because I knew we might be fried under the sun.  I was introduced to Vaseline sunblock last on March last year.  They had promo girls roaming around the beach who offered to put sunblock on us.  We loved the scent of the sunblock!  It didn’t smell like sunblock or the pool at all lol.

Riding the ATV is awesome!  It is a bit slow as compared to riding a Go-Kart.  But still, anything automobile – I love!  I couldn’t count how many times I roamed around the track.  😛 I still enjoyed cam-whoring and I had an awesome panning shot taken by the photographer.  The view while we were ATV-ing was just breathtaking because we were riding by the beach 🙂

It was my first time hitting balls on the golf range.  :P  I learn fast and the staff of Fort Ilocandia were very kind to help me improve my form and my swing lol.  I don’t really like watching golf on TV.  It looks boring.  You wait for people to hit their balls.  That’s it. T___T so boring… Zzzzzz… One thing I learned from today’s experience though is that golf needs practice and concentration.  It’s also all about the form.  For the first time, I was super conscious of how I bend and the level of bending involved.  I was also taught how to do a very suave swing 😛

Lunch at La Preciosa

The locals said that people in Ilocos are very frugal.  Their lifestyle is also very very simple.  They rarely go out to eat at restaurants.  Therefore, those who go to restaurants in Ilocos are usually tourists.  The owner of the restaurant was there to greet us and explained every dish that was served.  My favorite was the Pukui Pukui and their Carrot cake is so good in this place – it’s a must-try!

[flickr album=72157624004938107 num=28 size=Square]

Malacanang of the North and Paoay Lake

Ilocos Norte is known to be the place of Marcos.  Their family’s involvement in the government started here with his ancestors as Ilocos’ congressman.  The Marcos family really built landmarks and it included this place of theirs – Malacanang of the North.  It’s a house made of wood basically and you will see the Spanish influence in the architecture.  The Furnitures are also something that you must observe.  Most of the furnitures were are made of wood.  You will see how old the furnitures are, but they still look sturdy.

Overlooking the terrace of the Malacanang of the North is Paoay Lake.  It’s a natural lake that stretches to 450 hectares area.

[flickr album=72157624129331680 num=17 size=Square]

Paoay Church

It was just breathtaking.  I usually take my camera and shoot immediately when I travel and see a nice landmark… but when I saw the church, I just had to stop, pause and relish the moment.  It was breathtaking… The church combined Baroque architecture and Filipino/Chinese craftmanship.

[flickr album=72157624005091723 num=35 size=Square]

Marcos Museum and Sony Bloggie Stills

We were not allowed to take pictures.

I stepped inside the dark room.  It was cold… then on the spotlight, lies the body of Marcos, coated with wax.  His body lies inside a glass coffin.  It reminds me of Snow White.

I had goosbumps when I saw Marcos.  His body was only 3 meters away from me.  It was so close… I felt a strong aura or a strong mood when I saw his face despite the fact that his body was preserved for 21 years now.

My Nikon D40’s Kit Lens is dying.  The Autofocus is not working anymore :(  Using manual focusing on the kit is just a pain to me so I had to resort in alternatives.  I took out the Sony Bloggie and tested out the stills.

[flickr album=72157624129322262 num=8 size=Square]

Dinner at Sitio Remedios

The ambiance is really something.  It somehow brought me to a different time.  Like that place was put in a time capsule and here I am now, visiting.

The story of the houses and rooms that you can rent inside the Sitio Remedios resort is very interesting.  They are really old houses from different places.  They were taken down, one-by-one into pieces and brought to Sitio Remedios Resort and reassembled one-by-one.

The houses tell so much story even if you just stare at it.

I was also at awe when I saw the chapel at the center.  The first thing that came to my mind when I entered the small chapel was “I think I want to be wed here.” lol not that I am planning to anytime soon :P  The church stole my heart.  It’s by the beach as well.  A perfect tropical-ish wedding (with a hint of reggae theme) would be perfect here for me…  It matches my personality

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Anyway, that’s it for now… gotta rush for our next destination!

What a day-ender!  We sneaked in some beach time to explore the area of Fort Ilocandia.  I documented my reaction whenI heard the waves.

The camera crew followed us and they were also there to capture that awesome moment.

Touchdown Laoag

Fort Ilocandia Lunch Buffet

Fort Ilocandia Room

St William Cathedral, Sinking Bell Tower, Tobacco Monument

La Moda Panceteria

Fort Ilocandia, Carabao, Waves, Pool, Beach

 

Touchdown Laoag

We met at the NAIA 2 Departure area at 7:30 am.  Our flight to Laoag was at 9:30 am.  We arrived in Laoag at around 10:30 (ish). I was heavily updating my facebook, twitter, plurk and foursquare.  I wanted to livestream ourselves via qik but I figured this would be much of a hassle for me.  Oh, and Direk won’t like cellphones around while filming.

That’s right, the Vaseline team had a production team to follow us around.  Cameras, boom mikes, lights etc.  Trust me, I felt like I was in a reality TV!  Or maybe I am… 😛

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Fort Ilocandia Lunch Buffet

Alas, we arrived at the 5-star luxury hotel in Laoag – Fort Ilocandia.  This hotel (it’s also a resort as you can say) has almost everything!  Let’s just say they have all the necessities of a 5-star hotel plus the pool, golf range – and the beach that has waves!  Please do check out my next blog post.  I will upload a video blog about surfability in this area.

Food is always good.  The lunch offered all Filipino food.  They served Pinakbet, Chicken Pork Adobo (CPA), Lengua (this was my fave dish served), and their famous native dish – Bagnet.

Bagnet is like lechon kawali to me.  I don’t know if there is any difference.  To me they taste the same.  Really oily dish though since it’s pork and it’s fried… But it’s yummy so what the heck 😛

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Fort Ilocandia Room

After a hearty lunch, I was so glad to come up to the room and finally have a quick rest (or so I thought).  I was planning initially sneak in a blog post, but we really lacked time.  Anyway, check out the gnarly rooms!  I wish I have my special someone here, or some friends… My, oh my, it could fit a lot of people here… If only I can host a party here lol.

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St William Cathedral, Sinking Bell Tower, Tobacco Monument

St. William’s Cathedral

St William’s Cathedral (or St. William Cathedral) is one of the largest Cathedrals in Asia.  Its bell tower is detached  50 meters away from the big dome of worship.  St. William, in whose name the Cathedral is named after, is an hermit.  That is probably the reason why this church is said to be so serene.

Sinking Bell Tower

This detached bell tower form St. William’s Cathedral is said to be sinking one-fourth of an inch every year.  It is one of the largest bell towers that the Spaniards ever built here in the Philippines.  You can see how chubby the tower looks as compared to the other bell towers you can see in different provinces of the Philippines.

Tobacco Monopoly Monument

This monument was built in honor of King Alfonzo XII.  Ilocos Norte is known for Tobacco production.  Back in the Spanish era, the Tobacco industry is monopolized by Spaniards.  King Alfonzo lifted this monopoly which made the people very happy.  Until today, the gratitude of the Filipinos is displayed in the humble city of Laoag.

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La Moda Panceteria

Refreshments!

I lost energy from the heat.  I’m glad we paused by to stop and recharge to the best Restaurant that offers Pancit Canton.  La Moda Panceteria was awarded as one of the best restaurants in Laoag last year.  What’s good about their noodles is that it has absolutely no preservatives.

For only Php 55, you can get one plate of their famous Pancit Canton.  It was enough for one happy tummy :)  The noodles had “Bagnet” toppings which really added to the uniqueness of the flavor.

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Fort Ilocandia, Carabao, Waves, Pool, Beach

The heat was really something this day and we were relieved to arrive at the hotel to recharge.  Fort Ilocandia looks like a big Spanish mansion.  Everything about it reminds me of my Philippine History books.  It’s overwhelming!  Especially that, you could see an old man wearing an old-school Filipino “magsasaka” (farmer) costume, and a Carabao.

I love animals… and I instantly fell in love with the Carabao.  You can see how sweet and hardworking it is.  It is just pretty quiet and it allowed people to ride on its back.

To end the day, Ada, Nikki and I decided to go out of the itinerary given to us and explored the beach in Fort Ilocandia.  We took quite a long walk to the beach.  While on our way, I could hear the waves crashing in… I got excited – SURF TIME!  I wish I brought with me my surf board.  Or at least they have surfboards for rent.

True enough… I found waves… I was at awe… I felt relaxed, revamped, calmed…

The camera crew followed us.  We didn’t mind.  I don’t mind my happiness being captured! 🙂

We just did some few jumpshots… then sat down.  We were just all silent as we all listen to the waves.

It was indeed one way to end the day 🙂

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