1 Badoc Church | Black Belfry Over White Façade (in 30 Minutes)

Total Time Spent: 30 minutes (why there is a time given? Learn more...)

"Looking at the façade, there is always a sudden gush of instinct that the façade is only superficial and that the real worth of the church is seen within and in between the walls."

I was on a part where the road is about to curve to an angle where I can see the glaring white façade of a historical structure called the Badoc Church in the province of Ilocos Norte. It is a church made up of bricks and stones. The interesting feature here that caught my attention is the physical appearance and I believe you know what I mean.

La Virgen Milagrosa

The blackish belfry and the church aren't from different generations. They are the same with the age.

The only difference is that the age gap seems to widen because of the contrasting color.

Badoc church is the home of La Virgen Milagrosa which was seen floating at the shore of Dadalaquiten in Sinait (near the Badoc-Sinait boundary).

So why it was floating? History tells us that the image (together with the Black Nazarene in Sinait)  was sent floating in the sea by missionaries operating in secret in Japan (for fear of persecution during the Tokugawa Regime).

Before entering the church premises, there is an arch which looks very old, and seeing it closely, it is about to give up because of oldness. There was a crack showing me that anytime, this arch made of bricks can fall anytime and that the crack has served as a good warning.

Looking at the façade, there is always a sudden gush of instinct that the façade is only superficial and that the real worth of the church is seen within and in between the walls.

I tried to see the east side of the church and what I saw was just pleasing before my eyes!

It was a very classic elegance that made me feel so in love with old structures. I must say, that sudden gush of instinct that I felt while seeing the church's façade can not be easily overriden by paintings or any superficial designs.

 I stayed here and enjoyed Badoc Church in 30 minutes. It was a 30-minute full of ideas and thoughts clinging in my brain and seeing an old stucture that truly makes as proud.

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39 San Fernando, La Union Tricycle Tour | A Four-Hour Itinerary

"This 4-hour itinerary would not be possible if you are commuting in between the destinations since it would be time-consuming to wait for a ride one after the other, worse, if there will be other passengers, the pain of budgeting your time would hurt deeper."

Just happened to have a limited time in San Fernando, La Union but want to see the major attractions of this city? You might have stumbled in the right page. With this post, I am sharing to you my experience in San Fernando City and on how I managed to explore the city in a doable 4-hour tricycle tour itinerary.

The tricycle I rode into for the 4-hour tour with "kuya"

Walking tour is always my favorite and doing a walking tour is cost-efficient and gives you a chance to feel the heartbeat of the place. Baguio and Vigan are good cities to have a walking tour and I wanted to do it in San Fernando the way I am doing in Vigan and Baguio but I learned that the major attractions in the city are few kilometers apart. 

Aside from the fact that the must-see places are far from each other, San Fernando is also a hot coastal city with busy streets congested with smokes from vehicles that add an uncomfortable feeling under the heat of the summer sun.

Because of this circumstance, an idea popped out at the back of my mind, "Why not try a tricycle tour for my remaining time in the city?"

First 45 minutes (Balance: 3 hours, 15 minutes)

Ok, we'll start the 4-hour tour by chilling out at Halo-Halo de Iloko Balay. This restaurant is considered as a tourists attraction in San Fernando City earning a title as a museum-restaurant (Click here to learn more).

The concept of starting your tour with a cold dessert or drinks has health benefits actually. Heat stroke is not uncommon during summer so for tourists who are hypertensive or high-risk with this kind of condition, ingesting some cold drinks may help lower down the body temperature.

So before you face the heat, be prepared to combat the heat.

It may take some time to wait for your halo-halo order here so 45 minutes is the time allotted for you to stay in this restaurant. There's 2 hours and 15 minutes left.

Next 40 minutes (Balance: 2 hour, 35 minutes)

For the next 40 minutes, the next destination would be at the Taoist temple called the Ma-cho Temple.

Ma-Cho temple is actually a Taoist temple with a connection to the Roman Catholic faith - weird eh? [Click here to learn more].

This Taoist temple is located on a hill that allows you to see the view of the San Fernando Bay. 30 minutes would be enough to tour around the temple. Don't forget to go inside it. The other 10 minutes is allotted for the travel time from Halo-Halo de Iloko Balay to this Taoist Temple.

Next 45 minutes (Balance: 1 hour, 50 minutes)

See a tangible part of history as you head to Pindangan Ruins. Pindangan Ruins are the remains of a church built in 1786 that was destroyed due to an earthquake (Learn more about Pindangan Ruins, Click here).

You may consume 15 minutes in reaching Pindangan Ruins from Ma-Cho Temple. Be sure to keep silent here because there might be a mass going on next door. The ruined area is being taken care by the nuns of the Carmelite Monastery which is just located nearby.

Next 1 hour (Balance 50 minutes)

After exposing yourself to the remains of the past, let us go contemporary as you head to the Santorini-inspired Thunderbird Resort in Poro Point...

Going to the resort, you don't need an entrance fee but if you are riding a tricycle, you may need to undergo an interview portion under several security guards.

Just before you enter the Poro Point Economic Zone, security guards will ask you what are you going to do inside. Be honest, say you are a traveler, or a tourist who is going to visit the Thunderbird Resort.

Before you enter the Thunderbird Resort, the security guards will ask you again about your intent. I was initially disapproved to enter when I said that I am going to take photos of the resort but they let me come in after a second appeal [Read my complete story here].

Last 50 minutes

For the Finale, you need to see a place that will alleviate your tiredness and to relax your mind and soul. A good choice for this is to climb at the top of Pagoda Hill for you to see the relaxing San Fernando Bay Sunset.

I started the tricycle tour at 2:30 pm so I was able to capture the sunset as a finale for my last 50 minutes just before it turned 6 pm..

The tricycle driver ascended me to the hilly part of the city.

So how did I come up with this 4-hour tour with a tricycle? I just picked a tricycle randomly and talked to the driver if he wants to tour me around (the deal was 250 pesos).

Well he agreed and I think the prize is already fine especially if you are running out of time and you want to maximize that remaining time.

This 4-hour itinerary would not be possible if you are commuting in between the destinations since it would be time-consuming to wait for a ride one after the other, worse, if there will be other passengers, the pain of budgeting your time would hurt deeper.

So, hiring your own tricycle could be a good choice. Please do haggle for the prize and if you think it is too expensive, there are still other tricycle drivers out there who might like a cheaper deal.

My 4-Hour Itinerary Summary

Halo-halo de Iloko Balay (45 minutes)
Ma-Cho Temple (40 minutes)
Pindangan Ruins (45 minutes)
Thunderbird Resort (1 hour)
Pagoda Hill (Chinese Pagoda) (50 minutes)

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8 San Juanico Bridge and the Philippines' Loooong Battle Against Corruption

"I hope that our long struggle against corruption won't be as long as San Juanico Bridge."

There is a chain of islands, and you don't need to hop from one island to another using ferry or boats because an epic structure has been constructed to make island hopping possible by land travel. Yes, you can using the the longest bridge in the Philippines which is the San Juanico Bridge connecting two major islands -- Leyte and Samar. 

Maps by Wikipedia

Location Highlighted in Red

From above there are beautiful mountain ranges, deep-blue lagoon, lush islands and charming coves that exist at the San Juanico Strait, a narrow body of water that separates the islands of Samar and Leyte.

At the middle of that body of water is a narrow strip of silver-colored structure. It looks short from up above but hey! This is the Philippines' longest bridge when you are down! I had this feeling in me that the Philippines was rich before (?) because we were able to create a big structure like this that those times, South Korea,  Malaysia, Thailand or Indonesia can hardly make! It is just so disgusting today that as this long bridge signaled a powerful economy during the time of Marcos, it now serves as a reminder of our loooong struggle against corruption. 

I will not say that during Marcos' time, there was no corruption but at least, the Philippines was able enough to build a long bridge that used to be "rare" in Asia during those decades.

Now, I was just seeing a concrete testament of a once-vibrant-economy -- San Juanico Bridge, a very historical landmark. It was an economic milestone but today, just serve as a lasting memory of what was "good" and "wealthy" from the past.

I hope that our long struggle against corruption won't be as long as San Juanico Bridge. We need immediate changes because today, this bridge is just considered to be a short bridge in Asia because our neighbors have built bridges twice and thrice as long as our so called "longest bridge" which remind us that our neighbors have gone too far!

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3 Camarines Sur | I Ate Squid After 13 Years (Bicol Express Squid)

"I thought I will never eat squid again but my travel infection is manifesting that conquering your fear and eating the food you never attempted to taste (or eat again) is part of the symptoms."

I remember, I was 10 years old when I last ate squid (that's 13 years ago). It was not even a real squid because the squid I used to eat when I was a child was the dried one then sweetened. I used to buy it for 1 peso per pack and I was actually after the "sweet" thing and I was not aware at all that the core of that sweetened food was squid. Personally, just smelling the odor of any squid dish disgusts me. I really don't want the odor and I developed that response since childhood.

Naga City Food Trip: Bicol Express Squid

Maps by Wikipedia

Location Highlighted in Red

Until I landed in Naga City in Camarines Sur where eating a food that is not common in our province was the craving of my heart, naks!

Asking the locals where can we have a good eat for lunch, they have pointed the way to SM Naga. The bus (where I just hitched) took us to SM Naga. Without too much adieu, the food court was my target. The people I was with (mostly my first time to meet) shared a table with me. At first I know myself that I am not a squid-eater but I gave it a try since Bicol Express is not common in our province.

SM Naga, where I ate Squid Bicol Express

Of course at first I thought Bicol express was just limited to vegetables and meat with spices. But I was wrong. Anything could be a Bicol Express meal, just add some gata or siling labuyo and there you have it!

Taking the first spoonful of my meal that day, hesitation seemed to be out of my senses. The tip of my tongue was hurt though -- because it was so spicy!

This time I was actually suffering of Gastrointestinal disturbances that eating spicy food is contraindicated but never mind about it. It may take me a long time to go back to Naga again and eat this.

Naga Garden was the name of the restaurant, ironically, I never saw any garden, lol!

About the taste, of course it was spicy -- that is given! The spice is very prominent that I can not honestly distinguish the taste with the spice.

Some foods that I also ate are Chop Suey and my favorite Halo-Halo.

I thought I will never eat squid again but my travel infection is manifesting that conquering your fear and eating the food you never attempted to taste (or eat again) is part of the symptoms.

So this is it, I ate squid after 13 years -- I ate squid without me vomitting!

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18 I Didn't Know there's Tupig in Villasis, Pangasinan

"Villasis is booming, many industries are flourishing, trade and commerce are doing well, but tupig, one little cheap food remains to soar high with pride from the community."

I can say it is a booming town due to it's strategic location. Little players in the market and business sectors tend to vanish being replaced by bigger investments. Like Urdaneta City, Villasis in Pangasinan is a town loved by traders. I checked out the Villasis Public Market and Bagsakan Center and it was a busy place. Sacks of agri-products, mangoes, etc are dropped there. But in spite of big businesses and trades, I noticed a little part of their economy that until now manages to survive - the Tupig vendors and makers!

Tupig Vendor for a minute

Maps by Wikipedia

Location Highlighted in Red

Coming from Urdaneta City, I told the bus driver to drop me to Villasis, Pangasinan.

As usual, I always end up walking along the streets of new destinations at high noon and it was undeniably hot.

I was dropped at the Bagsakan Center of the town and everyone seemed to be very busy. Since I am rushing to accomplish my 112 on 2012 travel challenge wherein I am set to explore 112 towns and cities this 2012 and create a blog entry about those 112 places, I tried my best to discover what Villasis has to offer (Sayang naman ang punta ko dito kapag wala akong ma-blog about Villasis).

At the side of the market, I noticed an array of stalls usually with yellow color and I approached those. The vendors were waving before me saying, "Dito ka na sir! Bili ka na dito!"

I had no idea what they were offering me. So when I decided the right stall to see, I did not expect that tupig is the star of the day!

I really never have thought that tupig can be found in Villasis, Pangasinan too and I was just happy to discover it. It was also interesting that this little business continue to survive and compete with the market.

Tupig is made up of glutinous rice and grated coconut wrapped with a banana leaf and then cooked over coal.

I have been eating tupig since I was a kid and it is nice to know that tupig is a thriving local product and delicacy in this part of Pangasinan.

Another photo-op, thanks to manang Lumen for taking this photo :)

So the lesson I learned in Villasis is that never underestimate the little things because the role of the small could be as big as you could imagine.

Yes, Villasis is booming, many industries are flourishing, trade and commerce are doing well, but tupig, one little cheap food remains to soar high with pride from the community.

It was cheap at 5 pesos each but it carries the whole big town of Villasis, so if we say Tupig Pangasinan, people will turn their eyes to Villasis -- that was the rule, small commodity with huge impact. Rock and Roll Tupig! \m/

About the Taste: Tupig is a sweet kakanin,  it tastes like a bibingka with smoother texture and that the coconut-ish taste is prominent. It is common in the Ilocos Region and to Ilocano-speaking provinces like Tarlac and Nueva Vizcaya.

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