Credits:  All papers by Crystal Wilkerson

There’s something about white sand and strong waves crashing on the shore that evoke memories of my childhood.  Perhaps because my earliest recollection of the beach was when I was 4, living in the US with my family (of course), vacationing then in Miami Beach.  I played with the waves, trying not to get my feet wet by outrunning the waves crashing on shore.  Fun but futile because I think I ended up wet anyway.

Approach to our resort — Hannah’s (shhh… it looks better from afar!)

We arrived at Maira-ira point practically sundown and oblivious to how pristine the beach across the street from our resort was.  We woke up to an overcast morning, greeted with strong amihan winds.  Perfect for surfers, I thought.

Well, there you have it… it was the first time I saw kiteboarders in action.  I learned about this sport from a friend J a few years back.

And what do you know?  It was J surfing the waves on his kiteboard.  It was fascinating to watch and I’m sure more than thrilling to be on board.

That’s not J!  Tee hee!  

J’s been convincing me to try it… yeah, yeah!  Perhaps someday… for now, I’m happy wading through the waves.

The Blue Lagoon, as it is aptly known, is nestled around hills on a crescent cove that can be truly private and hidden from the mainstream beach-combing crowd.

I like my beach that way.

From the road, partly hidden from trees and other vegetations, a sign pointing to some stairs leads to the beach.

sand up close

Sand definitely not “Boracay” fine but I like it that the tiny white pebbles stay put in super strong winds.  God knows best, doesn’t He?

Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel, never ending or beginning, on an ever-spinning reel… kept playing on my head as we approached the windmills in Bangui, also known as… Bangui Windmills!  

Lunch noodles consisting of crispy pork (bagnet style), eggs (sunny side up) and liver

After a simple lunch of Pancit Batil Patung (a noodle dish supposedly unique to Tuguegarao and is strangely being served in a Kitchenette along the way to Bangui),

we drove a little further and followed a dirt road leading to the bay, the majestic windmills already visible growing more majestic as we got closer –

15 wind turbines arranged in a row on the shore of Bangui Bay facing South China Sea.

Each turbine is roughly 70 meters high with blades 41 meters long and spaced approximately 200 meters apart,

our smallness so apparent against its imposing structure.

It is the 1^st “wind farm” project in the Philippines owing to the poor quality of power supplied to Ilocos Norte by the National Power Corporation back in the late ‘90s.

Built by the Northwind Power Development Corporation and inaugurated in 2005, this project provides 40% of the power requirement of Ilocos Norte today.  It is also considered the biggest in Southeast Asia.

A sight one must see in person to experience first hand its grandness.

A cafe in the midst of windmills

Before heading to our final destination for day 1, which is our resort, we saw signs that points to Kang Kang Windmill Café.

Brewing our coffee

Curious and at the same time badly in need of some caffeine in our veins, we had a go at it.

Best with Chef Tony’s Belgian Butter Honey Roasted Popcorn… heavenly!

Curiosity has its rewards – freshly brewed Kalinga coffee in a small café named after their small sitio… our 3^rd best find of the day!

Click on the icon for more scenic scenes from around the world.

Got its name from the word “kapur” which means white in Ilocano, I am guessing that Kapupurawan means “whiteness” if I got my grammar right.   Correct me if I am wrong, anyone.

We almost missed the turn off on the left side of the highway.  The road sign was somewhat faded and didn’t seem to lead anywhere.  But we took the road anyway armed with only instructions gathered from the net and different blog sites.  As the road got rougher and narrower, we decided that walking might be a better option.  It was a short unremarkable trek to the make shift shed, nothing that would prepare you for what lies ahead.

From the shed look to your right and you will see a tiny speck of white rock formation, waves dramatically splashing against its base.

We are facing the South China Sea and suddenly I understood why this hidden gem got into the pages of travelogues and travel blogs.   Unaware of such a site until a few months ago, it was a discovery that made our long drive to Ilocos worthwhile… thanks to the world wide web.  We traveled this road some 12 years ago and had no idea that there was such a treasure tucked away from the main road.

We carefully trekked the spiky corals until we reached the limestone formation made more dramatic with each step.

We stayed atop for a while trying to keep steady from the strong winds.

I could stay there forever marveling on God’s great creation but we have more on our agenda.

Going back, we were discussing how this place would be great for fashion pictorials.  I can imagine the gowns blowing against the wind with water splashing in the background.  Then we saw people with cameras, lenses, tripod… the works walking towards us.  I heard my name and lo and behold, it was a friend.  They were doing a pre-nuptial shoot.  Those who know of the place apparently have the same thoughts.  We left them to do their shoot wondering how long this gem will be kept hidden from the majority.

Credits:  Frame by KPertiet

Credits:  JSprague Cre8 kit template; JCrowley Beautiful Evidence papers; JSprague Kraft paper; KPertiet Botanist No. 4

We decided to explore Seward and have breakfast in town.  Instead, we stumbled upon this 2 story high building situated on the shores of Resurrection Bay.

Apparently, besides the gorgeous Resurrection Bay and the spectacular Kenai Fjord National Park, The Alaska Sealife Center is another well-known attraction.

Resurrection Bay

Built in 1977 mainly by funds from Exxon Valdez oil spill fines, this center is a non-profit organization dedicated to understanding and preserving the integrity of Alaska’s rich seas and diverse sealife and was in fact designed to combine research with public education.

Alaska’s only aquarium and ocean wildlife research center houses live animals in a

naturalistic habitat and allows visitors close encounters with

Sea Otters

Puffins

Stellar Sea Lions

Harbor Seals

and others.

The interactive exhibits help visitors understand and appreciate the essence, operations and findings of current and ongoing projects.

It was truly an enjoyable and informative visit.  When in Seward, don’t miss out and skip a visit to this very impressive center.

After a hearty breakfast of longganisa in Vigan, we wasted no time and found ourselves back on the road heading towards the northern most province on the western side of Luzon.  At some point along the narrow coastal road in Burgos, a big brown marker on the right lead us to a winding road up a hill.

Sitting on top of the hill is a Spanish-era “parola” or lighthouse overlooking a dramatic view of the northern-most tip of Luzon.

Cape Bojeador, it is called, is one of the famous historical landmark of Ilocos Norte.

This 19^th century lighthouse is still standing today serving ships passing by the northern part of South China Sea.

One off the list of many must sees of this road trip.

A week of goal settings, team building activities and loads of adrenalin rush.  Here’s a sneak peek on the week that just was.

Vigan Longganisa

Credits: Papers by Pou You from the Pink & Me Kit.

Food can be a landmark as surely as any monument ~ Patricia Volk

If food can get a landmark status, I bet Bagnet will surely be it for the Philippines.  A favorite of many and if you are Filipino, more likely than not, you’d know what it is and where to go to get it.

One long weekend a few months ago, we ventured on a road trip up north to have a taste of Ilocos.  An experience involving more than the sights and activities, our taste buds had a feast as well.  Here’s a short list of our flavor adventure.

Breakfast from our hotel – Hotel Salcedo de Vigan

Vigan, Pampanga, Lucban, Cagayan, Bagiuo… all proud of their version of longganisa, a Filipino pork sausage which I also posted a few months back here..  The Vigan version is a mix of ground pork, garlic, vinegar and spices.  Some like it sweet, I like it a bit sour with loads of garlic flavor, just how Vigan makes theirs.  We arrived at Vigan in time for breakfast just as we planned it.  Longganisa, rice and eggs (sunnyside up for me) – is breakfast hard to beat.

Bagnet

Bagnet from Cafe Uno

Sometimes called Ilocano chicharon, it is essentially double-deep fried pork belly that is crispy on the outside, tender and juicy in the inside and certainly heart attack material.  Double fried because after boiling the piece of meat, it is dried in the oven before it gets deep-fried in low heat.  To serve, it gets deep fried again, this time in high heat.  Forget about healthy eating when in Ilocos, this crispy pork meat is hard to resist especially when served with a side dish of tomatoes, fish sauce and onions or what locals call KBL.  Every bite sends me (literally) closer to heaven.  Teeheehee!  

Ilocos Empanada

Simply delicious!

My first experience of this crispy empanada was 10 years ago, bought in a stall along Plaza Burgos.  Didn’t leave much of an impression except that it was on the oily side, the fact that it is (again) deep-fried.  10 years later, walking along Salcedo St., we stumbled upon Irene’s Empanada, an unassuming eatery that boasts of their empanada (of course).  Hungry after a visit to the Syquia Mansion, we decided that this was a good time to have lunch.  Best decision ever.  Now I know why Ilocos proudly boasts of their empanada.  The shell was light and crispy, stuffed with grated young papaya, which perfectly compliments the skinless Vigan longganisa.  The best part was the egg inside, the yolk still soft.  With a sprinkle of sukang iloko (local vinegar), it was super.

Tongson’s Royal Bibingka

This one I read about and was on the top of my list.  A street away from the plaza and easy to spot.  After our delightful lunch of empanada, we decided that dessert was to be Tongson’s Royal Bibingka.  We bought a box and headed to our hotel’s coffee shop to pair it with coffee.  This got mixed reviews; some didn’t think much of it expecting a more traditional kind of bibingka.  This Royal Bibingka is more like native rice cakes, stickier and heavier than the bibingka we are familiar with.  I happen to be one of those who think it’s fabulous because I adore sticky rice cakes.

Torta

Perfect with the Tsokolate!

Something like mamon.  I’m not quite sure if this is a native if Ilocos but this one coffee shop called The Perfect Cup, served us torta and native chocolate receiving a high rating from all of us.  Yum!

More on Ilocos… stay tuned!

Alaska was a surprise.  Didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I enjoyed it.  It was a great choice of a destination for my “big trip” that I aim to do every couple of years.  What an experience. We would like to think that we did pretty well even though we didn’t achieve all that we’ve set out to see and do.  There were lakes, wildlife and activities that will have to wait till next time but I’m happy and whatever we saw beyond this point would be a real bonus.  Guess what, we got that bonus.

Orcas.  Yes the killer whale.  As suggested by the lady from our hostel, we had a great chance of seeing orcas in Kenai Fjord.

So soon after we got ourselves settled, we were on a boat headed towards Kenai Fjord just 15 minutes from town.

Not only does it have some of the most beautiful fjords and glaciers in Alaska, it also offers one of the best wildlife spectacles. Humpbacks and killer whales, sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions and puffins flock the park’s waters.

As promised, that boat ride never lacked wildlife sightings.  It was a thrill to see tons of sea lions basking in the sun,

birds flying all around and of course,

breaching humpbacks that never cease to amaze.

What capped it all however, were the orcas.  It was “goosebump” awesome.

A perfect way to end an awesome trip.  Well… ok, technically, we still had 2 more days in Alaska and a few more sights that are worth posting, but our Kenai Fjord experience has, without a doubt, left indelible memories.

Visit Scenic Sunday for more scenes from around the world.

The largest non-polar tidewater glacier in the world was one of the major highlights of our cruise adventure.  How could I have forgotten something that has made it to my “Top Picks” list?  Can I blame it on exhaustion from the holiday stress??

Now really… how could I have forgotten the day our ship approached Disenchantment Bay at the head of Yakutat Bay?  We were all bundled up on the gelid deck when the ship slowed down and the glacier came more into a breathtaking view.  As Hubbard advances, it moans and groans as huge chunks of ice moves and eventually crashes into the bay creating a sound the Tlinglits call “White Thunder”.  It does sound like thunder and it took me a while to realize that it was from the falling icebergs.  

Yes my friends, Hubbard is one of the eight glaciers that is currently advancing instead of retreating, thickening instead of thinning.  First mapped in 1895, the Hubbard’s huge open face is more than 5 miles wide and actively calves icebergs as large as 10-story buildings.  Once in 1986 and then again in 2002, it has twice blocked the mouth of Russell Fjord making it a lake as high as 90 ft above sea level.

Hubbard Glacier was a sight to remember and it indubitably deserves a post in this blog.  

More interesting mosaics here.