HOLY WEEK GETAWAY: Pangasinan,Laoag,Kang-kang,Pagudpud,Vigan

One unplanned North tour of the Philippines.

A new discovery.

True Nature. True Creation.

To experience north would justify every positive word that I am talking about. I have few adventure of my own country, but this particular tour somehow filled-in [for the mean time] my urge to tour Philippines. For the mean time, I got pretty much satisfied with what I have seen and experience. Even up to this point, I can't still get over it. I miss it...

9... 10... 11... 12, those are the numbers that are most of us are guilty having it encircled on our April calendar of 2009. I sure you look forward to that date, but my initial plan for that is to have time to relax and more time to offer for sleeping. But that didn't happened, I didn't know, that there is a better way to relax.. and it is not to put my body to peace, but to fill those eyes with great scenery. My Holy Week getaway of 2009 is trully a hit!

We are heading north, excitement filled my system... coz we are not going to my usual north trip that offers coldness, lot'sa vegetables and great ukay-ukay buys (pertaining to Baguio), now its way way up... way way different, ILOCOS [Pagudpud] is our main destination. We are travelling by land, but I have no idea, that to experience Paradise would entail you to give those ass several cramps, as to my computation, 15 hours or more... that spells out ILOCOS. But no complains.. it was certainly worthit.

What makes this trip more fun, is that I am not expected to open my wallet and share some couple bills for the bills, its a Trip Treat, thats the best thing when travelling with family [thanx to Mr. & Mrs. Whitney]. A couple of hours was spent, it was tiring, not to mention that I slept late and have to wake up early to avoid the traffic w/c is a normal situation in Philippine road. Surprisingly, we did, but the long gap did not made our reach fast. Our first stop was in PANGASINAN, the very famous Manaoag. Since its Holy Week, we owe some prayers and a divine intervention vis-a-vis to our planned getaway... it made the travell longger, but the scenery, the delecacies there... no complain... certainly a plus to our trip.

I lost count about time, but I am serious, its eff'n long when we reached Laoag. We plan to have some early beach encounter, stop by a public beach to have some quick snack and some bone stretching. Everyhting is so fresh, the air, the view, the water.. I mean everything. As soon as I got out the car, I went rushing to the beach shore to feel its virginity. My eyes kept telling me about Treasures, even rocks there can be kept as a souveneir, its so amazing. After that, its getting late and dark. Uncle who does the driving is also tired [I feel for him, and I felt bad not knowing the skill to drive]. We could have reached Pagudpud that same day, if only there is a substitute driver. So we planned to search for a resort at that very moment, and we found GERTES RESORT. I guess to keep everything in balance, it is always required to experience a not so good one along the trip. Gertes resort is a 5 thumbs up rating.. on the negative aspect... Poor service, over priced poor cooked food and the place? just avarage, but to consider their pricing, its below average. Sad to say... but it was quite an experience.

Another day has come, and couple of hours will be spent for some travel again... but hey... another 3 hours is nothing compare to what we have gone through. Counting times, then I am beginning to see an attraction. Huge Electric Fans... ooppps Hell NO! I am just not used to it... never thought that we have it here, WINDMILLS is what I see. In the modest place like KANGKANG... behind the very smelly place name hides a very marvelous spot. Windmills along the beach. Darn Amazing, it is very huge, its very modern and its unusual. I love it.

Pagudpud is now in reach.. my eyes can spot now the blue ocean from afar. The air is very much different now... sun striking so wild, and I can wait to dip my bodies on to that water and sand. As we park down the car, I rush outside and digest every wonderful scene my eyes can capture. We are in SAUD to be exact, where the Beach hotel, party strip is located. We spoted ARINAYA resort since it is in the top most row to have our late lunch. This time, food is better in terms of taste and price... their watermelon is the most remarkable dish, the 50 bucks fruit quenched my entire body with its juice and right sweetness. I so darn love it!

The next story? I swim myself out... trying to maximize my time to be with Mr. Pacific Ocean, I can't help it, but the strange sun heat has no effect on me. I am so ready to tan, nothing can stop me at that very moment.

We went there with no reservations at all, all of us are Pagudpud novice. So first things first... hotel searching is our drama. Every hotel of the top most row are fully booked, a blessing in disguise I have to say, as we end up renting the Penthouse room of the Mediterenean Inspired Hotel resort on that same strip named TERRA RIKA.

I drown myself, got some henna tatoo, fiest to the great food the place offers, fiest my eye with the great scenery. Camera whoring, buko sipping, sun bathing, sand castle, souveneir shopping, watched Bikini Summit and Party hard that night. My happiness was well defined.

Sad to say, great things come to an end, that is the time that we have to leave pagudpud... I am just a step away from my goodbye... i felt the miss for the place. I fell in love with Pagudpud. That is how wonderful the place as well as the people living there.

Just when I thought that its over, I was wrong.. Good things got extended. We are heading to VIGAN.

Who says that time machine is an impossible invention? the disclaimer here is that you can only go backwards. Your machine is just your car and the formula is your long hour travel patience and a bit of effort & you can definitely go back to time. I've experienced it through VIGAN. I felt like I am now involved in the Philippine history.. the place is so significant to our country, you can feel it and visualize it. I am very happy that there is still a place like this that exists.

We did a lot of camera whoring, thanks to my brothers DSLR that managed to capture the exact beauty of the place. But ofcourse, I was able to load up my lomo with film on our Vigan stay [can't wait to develop it]. We did a lot of shopping there... Vigan shirts, jars, antiques, bags and their famous longganisa and chichacorn for pasalubong. 3 hour stay is not bad enough to tour Vigan.. if we only have more time, it could have been better. :)

Well thats the end of my trip... hitting 4 place in one trip is certainly a bang!

Need I say more? just check out my holy week getaway pics.

My Sorry, My Mistake, My Explanation: THANK YOU

Just felt the need to create this writing for my self questioning status due to an unplanned holy week trip.


Have you ever stepped on a commitment, because of a sudden family gathering?


Yes! I am guilty of it, and I honor my mistake. I just want to say sorry for keeping you hanging that quick. But I just want you to know that this is not because I consider this as a better trip, but it's because, its family.


This is where my dilemma comes in, I hate being torn between two important entities of my life. I am a person brought with so much attraction with the family, this is where usually people see me differently. Most often the not, I always go for family. People often think that made them less important, I just can't help it. That is the most accurate decision I know. For this particular issue, I just know you would understand more. I know you have more understanding to give, more than the number of family members who will judge me for saying no. Not man enough, but intelligent I consider. And knowing I would suffer the decision with you, that made my choice man enough. (you think so?)


I have great respect for the word PROMISE, not as a defense but as an explanation. I always practice empathy rather sympathy, since I also know how it feels like to be stricken by a broken promise. THE GOLDEN RULE. Family is just a weakness.


I'll make it up to you. I PROMISE.

Holy Week: My Plan

Everyone is excited and looking forward for Holy Week. Since today, Semana Santa connotes a different thing, far from what it is ought to be. The expected moment of solice, silence and simplicity is now spent as a time to relax, to have fun, to spend and escape from work and pressure. Come to think of it, that is how wonderful and universal Jesus sacrifices for us, even up to this point we could still feel how his crucifiction result to a light and fun life for us. His week sets vacation for us.

There is completely nothing wrong with having fun during this season, but we should always keep in mind the real essence and how we are expected to behave towards this moment. If fasting can be performed, abstinence ect. it would be appriciated. Little sacrifices is still a credit than offering nothing. Offering a prayer, joining pabasa (if u wish) or attending significant church seremenials that honors Holy Week are some that we could do. As to me, it started last year, as I joined some friends who does Bisita Iglesia (Body of Christ:Church visiting) around Metro Manila. Walking long distance from church to church, striking heat of the sun, dehydration, a little starvation, jampacked churches, anything that pains me a little defines my Holy Week sacrifices. Its not as bad as I described it, since I am with my friends, a chance to visit churches that looks very good on my Lomo Camera is my little credit to that, and a chance to tour Manila.

Me and my friends are also planning to Beach a little on somewhere south... like Batangas. Somewhere cheap, fun and cozy to spend Holy Week. To Tan a bit could be a part of my sacrifice list. :)

Bout ya, whats your HOLY WEEK plan?

Buying Independence: A shift

Its been a while... My usual everyday blogging has now turned into a bi monthly routine.

Its no rumors, because I am really back in business. Just right on time even before novice fill in every job slots in town, and mine is really a big break, and I owe it to my answered prayers.

More than my new job that I am hoping to last (for a couple of years), I am now buying my independence. Yes, as my life turns its pages, along is my decision to live on my own. I am not under estimating my capacity now, besides this is the best arrangement I could think of to not tire and pain myself in everyday long travel, traffic, nasty MRT and how to get home dillema when its already late.

I am in a very demanding area of career, talking about fixed time in or out, that doesn't work for me now. I have to love Overtime and office sleep over's from now on. It sounds unhealthy though, but I am on my adjustment worth proving & learning stage (take that!), so I have to deal with it. So far, I am having a great time, and learning the craft is a bit clashing but tolerable and challenging.

Laundry, cooking, washing dishes and grocery is not so bad after all, my bounderies are extending and I am very happy with the result. This is not about renting a bed space and this is more than being close to work and the accesibility, this is about Buying my independence and I am loving the idea.