Stories of town explorations.
We told Mom we were just heading to a resort down the road—that was a lie, and by the time we reached Bessang Pass with numb fingers and no extra-warm jackets, I realized we'd stumbled onto a battlefield we never even learned about in school.
• The sun was scorching in Vigan that morning, but hours later, shivering at the top of a mountain in June, I kept waiting to see my own breath while standing in front of pine trees that had no business being in our province.
• I borrowed my late aunt's cheap digicam, we took off with nothing but a tiny scooter and empty stomachs, and somehow ended up at the Great Wall of China—except it was just a winding road in Cervantes, and it was the most beautiful accident of my life.
WE LIED TO OUR MOM. WE ENDED UP IN A BATTLEFIELD.
The road wasn't supposed to lead here—but in 2010, my brother and I rode straight into a piece of history we never learned in school.
The heat in Vigan that morning was brutal—the kind that sticks to your skin and makes your helmet feel like an oven. But the higher we climbed, the cooler it got. By the time we hit Bessang Pass, my fingers were numb; and I was dreaming to see my own breath. Snap, it was a tropical cold. Nah, my warm breath does not freeze on air. But... it was the coldest air I've ever felt during a hot month in our place—yeah, that was June... June 12th of 2010 to be exact.
Neither of us knew Bessang Pass was anything special. We pulled over because I saw a random road.
📍 CERVANTES
We took many photos, then we argued about moving forward or backing down. Nothing cinematic. Just two idiots riding on a small automatic motorbike, shaken, realizing we had to take a scooter with small gasoline tank down 60+ kilometers of mountain road with no cell signal.
That's when we noticed the pine trees. They looked out of place, like someone had dropped them there by mistake. Then we saw the markers—old war remnants, faded signs mentioning the Battle of Bessang Pass in 1945. We were standing on ground where soldiers had actually fought, and we'd only ended up there because we were too stubborn to turn around.
I don't have a neat lesson from that day. But sometimes, when I'm stuck in traffic or sitting through a boring meeting, my mind drifts back to that cold air, those sudden pine trees, and the quiet realization that we'd stumbled into something older and bigger than us—not because we were wise or curious, but because we were bored and were careless kids.
The mountain town I couldn’t forget
The road to Cervantes was a death sentence I'd always heard about—narrow, unpaved, one wrong turn away from a cliff drop. But when I finally took it in 2010, I found myself standing at a pine-clad mountain pass, alone with my brother, staring at what felt like my own province's secret Great Wall.
Oh yes... I'm from Ilocos Sur, and I had heard about the town of Cervantes several times. I always had the urge to go, but there had never been a chance; besides, it's too far from the city where I live.
I had always heard that the road going to Cervantes wasn't good. It was a matter of life and death! The roads were too narrow, with falling rocks from the mountain. The roads were unpaved; and a few steps away, it was KABOOOOOOOOOOM! You're falling off that cliff! If it rains, the town is literally isolated!
📍 CERVANTES
"Fifteen years later (rewriting and editing this story on 2026-July-10, five months after moving to America, I still catch myself drifting back to that random road."
📍 CERVANTES
My brother also lay on the concrete block, emulating what I had done. Using a cheap digicam I had borrowed from my late aunt, we were able to document our first experiences in Cervantes.
...that was before, but traveling through this road now is as smooth as silk. It is a beautiful winding road. If you're at a higher altitude, the road below may look like the Great Wall of China (or at least like what I have seen in photos). You may say, "I'm at the Great Wall of Ilocos!"
The highway was not busy. Most of the time, my brother and I were the only ones traveling along this highway. This scenario may change, though. Who knows? Cervantes might boom later, and the road will become busy. Lucky me, I witnessed it this way.
📍 CERVANTES
I love taking photos of myself. Sometimes, my self-photos become more important than the views. I took every opportunity to have my photo taken at each stop we made.
📍 CERVANTES
The first time I saw this marker of Cervantes, which was identical to the rest of the markers in all the towns in Ilocos Sur that year (a project of then-Gov. DV Savellano), I went over to have my photo taken
📍 CERVANTES
It was my first time seeing a mountain of pine trees inside my own province.
Although Baguio had already given me this kind of sight, it felt different to see pine-clad mountains for the first time in my own province. It was something I did not expect.
This was in 2010, when I was still new to this kind of traveling.
WE FOUND HISTORY BY ACCIDENT
They said the road to Cervantes would kill me—I rode it anyway and found my province's secret Great Wall.
Going to Cervantes that day was an accident. I just asked my brother to join me for a joyride. We reached Cervantes unexpectedly. We never thought we could.
We are not bad people, but we had to tell lies to pursue this adventure. We told our parents we were just going to a resort nearby because we knew they wouldn't let us traverse the highway. They said it was risky. One more thing: we were the only good-looking, boys-next-door in our village. The whole village was afraid its boys would get into an accident (this is my secret, keep it between you and me, lol—enough daydreaming).
📍 CERVANTES
Fifteen years later (rewriting and editing this story on 2026-July-10, five months after moving to America, I still catch myself drifting back to that random road.
📍 CERVANTES
My brother and I stopped at Nakayang view deck, where we saw the beautiful valley of Cervantes. .
📍 CERVANTES
My brother was enjoying the view of the beautiful Cervantes valley from the Nakayang view deck.
It was a hot day in Vigan, where we came from. We just decided to go to candon City, only to find ourselves already reaching the remote town of Cervantes with our scooter. That day was hot, and the sky was clear. There was no time for rain drama. But even though it was summer, it was cold in Bessang Pass.
See the images below. The ambiance was really cold. It would be so romantic for lovers to hug each other while driving (Huh? That sounds crazy). This time, it was my younger brother with me, whom I love; but hugging him while riding on a scooter would have been suicide! BRAGGGG!
📍 CERVANTES
Looking at this photo, it reminds me how chilly this spot was.
📍 CERVANTES
We went further, until we already started to descend. The road went zigzagging down to the valley. The cold breeze was replaced with hot air.
📍 CERVANTES
MY Honda Beat just made it!
We weren't able to see the must-sees of Cervantes, because we had no tour guide. We didn't know where to go. In fact, Cervantes is so historical. It was where a battle during World War II happened.
The town has the Yamashita Cave, McArthur Tunnel, Bessang Pass National Park, and Gambang Falls, which are all part of the history of the Philippines! For us, however, the scene we saw along the Cervantes highway was already a must-see, and the romantic, freezing breeze and ambiance of the town was a travel bonus! To my surprise, there were pine trees! It was an awesome view. It felt like I was in Baguio minus the crowd and commerce.
📍 CERVANTES
We spotted this rice field in the valley.
While we were on our way, there was a bike race going up to Bessang Pass. Bessang Pass is the highest point traversed by any highway system in Ilocos as of now. It is foggy and cold.
Cervantes is the crossing for the four provinces of Ilocos Sur, Abra, Benguet, and Mountain Province. Rice terraces are present in Cervantes too!
We didn't find closure or answers of our stupid side that day—just numb fingers, a borrowed camera, and a mountain that kept its secrets. But fifteen years later (rewriting and editing this story on 2026-July-10, five months after moving to America, I still catch myself drifting back to that random road, not because it changed me, but because for a few hours, I was completely, stupidly alive.
PHOTO GALLERY
NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.
Stories of town explorations.
Looking back at my 2010 travel journal, I still remember the exact moment Suyo's breathtaking mountain trails unexpectedly stole my heart.
• I hadn't planned on taking that winding detour, but the cool breeze and vibrant pine trees pulled me in completely.
• If you have ever wondered how a single accidental road trip can change your entire perspective, this is exactly how it happened.
Inside the Accidental Trip That Started It All
What began as an unplanned scooter trip with my brother in 2010 unlocked one of Ilocos Sur’s most breathtaking hidden gems (2010 context)—the serene mountain town of Suyo. Step inside this nostalgic travel diary to experience winding pine-lined trails, crisp high-country air, and the spontaneous adventure that started it all. Welcome to my first official blog post on this travel blog!
In 2010, I started this rebelious journey without any idea of what the town of Suyo had to offer. In that year, meeting someone who came from Suyo or Cervantes was a big deal for Vigan residents like me.
At that time, although internet was already common, we rarely saw content creators or mainstream media features about this town. I think it is safe to say the content creation at that time was not a "thing" yet. So, the idea we had from Suyo is through word of mouth and from the people who are actually from there.
I had heard about Suyo Mountain Resort from a mutual friend who lived there and was studying here in Vigan at the time. Back when I was a campus journalist in college, my senior editors even wanted me to visit Suyo to feature its local coffee industry. Still, my actual trip there happened purely by accident, and my journalism assignment did not materialize.
Never Planned and Never Forgotten
1234
| 1 | 🇵🇭 SUYO » First times are memorable. This is one of my earliest travel blog photos.
| 2 | 🇵🇭 SUYO » Entering towns for the first time is as nostalgic as childhood memories.
| 3 | 🇵🇭 SUYO » You welcome me. I'll come in.
| 4 | 🇵🇭 SUYO » Being welcomed, whether it's verbal or not, always feels good.
Like Baguio and Cervantes, pine trees also abound in this town. The inviting scenes along the winding mountain trail are a breath of life. They're all free, and you will surely enjoy them. You have to take the Tagudin-Cervantes-Sabangan Highway (Mountain Trail) to reach Suyo. The latter road will connect you to the Halsema Highway in the Cordillera Region.
56
| 5 | 🇵🇭 SUYO » This is the Suyo countryside. Welcome to Brgy Baringcucurong!
| 6 | 🇵🇭 SUYO » Nature's refreshing welcome is a love untold.
► Discovering Suyo: An Accidental Mountain Adventure
The air is cool. Bring a jacket, a long-sleeved shirt, or a sweatshirt because you will need them. This was the first time I had seen a highway with this kind of scenery, so don't think I'm over-hyping the place—this is really what I felt the first time I traversed this road. A motorbike stroll along this serene mountain trail made me realize what a blessing it was to be able to experience the wonders made by God! Bessang Pass in Cervantes is the highest elevation of any highway system in Ilocos Sur.In Brgy. Man-atong, there is a municipal resort. Sadly, we were unable to get inside because an event was going on. You have to climb several flights of stairs to get to the resort, as it is located atop a hill.
78910
| 7 | 🇵🇭 SUYO » Our faith should be like mountains. Big.
| 8 | 🇵🇭 SUYO » Mountain peaks remind us that we are small. Stay humble.
| 9 | 🇵🇭 SUYO » When roads and mountains meet, there's civilization.
| 10 | 🇵🇭 SUYO » My brother Edison was with me this time.
Well, the joyride was really fun. I suggest using either a bicycle or a scooter to feel the cool breeze and fully enjoy the beautiful view! Our scooter carried us so far.
NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.
NAGUSTUAM DIAY NABASAM/NAKITAM? MABALIN MO MET I-LIKE.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)
🔍 Type a keyword to search