All this talk of our recent family Ilocos trip got me looking back at old photos. These were from another trip about a year ago, still to the same place, with my college friends. It was cool that there were photos that looked really good to me now, but they didn’t looked much to me back then, when I took and processed them (did that make sense?XD) and I just couldn’t help but post about it, haha. Anyway, it’s just weird how people change their perception about things with time. Okay, before things get too deep, I’ll end this post now. Oh the first and second photo was at a Pagudpud beach, Ilocos Norte, and the third one are my friends, obviously in Vigan. :D Cheers!

6:45 pm  •  19 June 2010
Tags: Travel People Personal Ilocos Photography  • See all tags

Finally, our last stop for our Ilocos trip was at Vigan City. Now, all of the previous posts were located at Ilocos Norte but Vigan is in Ilocos Sur. It is best known as one of the country’s Heritage Sites since a great number of buildings were relatively preserved since their establishment during the 16th century. This makes the city one of the best examples of a preserved Spanish colonial town eventhough I think they have already rehabilitated and modernized some of the structures, which maybe is out of neccessity. Just looking at the old Spanish style houses/architecture is a real treat and seeing it blended with the modern environment is just amazing (spanish-looking fastfood stores and other botiques! :D). Oh there’s also a street (shown above, which I think is named Crisologo St.) where you could buy all sorts of stuff like souvenirs, shirts, etc. Oh, not only architecture, but it is also in Vigan where you could see and ride the renowned Kalesa (Filipino-style chariots, shown above). The last two photos were taken on a different trip last May 2009 and this was during the Kalesa Festival. Okay, caption too long. haha. Enjoy! :D

8:45 pm  •  18 June 2010
Tags: Travel Architecture Animals Ilocos Vigan Heritage Village Kalesa Philippines  • See all tags

Next in line is Cape Bojeador Lighthouse which is situated at Burgos, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. This was designed on the year 1887 and was built on 1892 where it served as a guide for travelling ships for a great number of years after that. It’s a very nice place to visit if you want a great view of the whole region from up top and it’s also a nice place to wait for and watch the sunset too. Did you know the Tagalog/Filipino word for lighthouse is Parola? Anyway, cheers!:D

8:49 pm  •  17 June 2010  •  1 note
Tags: Travel Architecture Nature Ilocos Cape Bojeador Lighthouse Photography Philippines  • See all tags

Alright, next! This next entry, which is still from our Ilocos trip, is about the Kabigan Waterfalls which can be found at Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. Now, going to the falls would entail a 30-40 minute trek through the woods but I assure you it is not that hard (maybe you need to find a more challenging trail if you’re an adventurous one) and the trek is just as wonderful as seeing the falls itself. You will be guided by very kind and helpful tour guides and the view of the mountains, the forest, and the creeks/streams is just plain splendid.:D When you get to the falls you can have picnic in the huts situated around the area and of course, you can bathe in the cool waters coming from the falls. Just keep your garbage in check when you visit the area, alright? I have to say this particular destination is one of the reasons that made our trip really worth it. :D Yay!

6:25 pm  •  16 June 2010
Tags: Travel Nature Ilocos Pagudpud Kabigan Waterfalls Photography  • See all tags

Next stop on our Ilocos trip is the Bangui Windfarm, or officially the NorthWind Bangui Bay Project, which can be found in Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. I don’t know the exact details but I think there were about 20 windmills, each 70 meters high, and they supply 40-70% of Ilocos Norte’s power requirements. Not only do they provide clean, renewable energy, they also help reduce carbon emissions of the country. Talk about going “Green”, eh? :D

6:20 pm  •  15 June 2010  •  1 note
Tags: Architecture Bangui Ilocos Nature Travel Windmill Panorama Philippines  • See all tags