Happy Holidays!!

Thing's a bit different this time of year. We missed our youngest sister in our dining table on Christmas eve. Yeah, she has to go to work at night.Poor child.. Tch. I've experienced the same thing exactly 3 years ago-- and I hate being away from my family during Christmas.. It's pfft! Anyway, we have to face every phase so we can feel and experience ALL the things that this world has to offer-- be it good or bad.

To my friends, family, to you who's reading this post, and to my dearest/sweetest love I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday! Cheers!!!

Now it's time to recharge and get ready for the New Year! and oh, by the way, I'll be spending New Year's Eve at the office..  

Much Love,

Baguio Wanderings

The City of Pines flickers with a gorgeous style of wonderful magic in December. Last Friday, I set off to Baguio (for 4 days) as I usually do every December with some mates. 4 days of having fun with my friends, visiting my favorite places and spots, I could never be more excited and jumpy. I’ve been telling this a million times with my friends and colleagues—I so love Baguio. Ahhh! The chilly breeze that touches my skin, the greens through the fences and lawns, the lights strung along doorways and balconies and benches. The entire thing feels blithe and jolly.

I've always dreamed of living in Baguio City. The oomph, the art, the chaos — I love it all. So, what’s one of the greatest parts of my recent spree? Roaming along random streets with Jackie and Lhot—and yeah Dexter (who tried to catch up on our last day). We had our itinerary printed just before we leave Makati, but of course no matter how packed our schedule, we should always pencil in some time for ourselves, hehehe —itins needs to be changed a little bit. But those changes made our feeling puffed up to the nth degree.

We tried boating at the Burnham Park- I’m a little nervous knowing that I have these 2 ladies with me who doesn’t know how to make this creepy-clackity-thing move. Lhot grabbed the paddle and tried her luck—but we we’re just circling around. So we had no choice but to ask someone to row it for us, of course we have to pay him for the 30min ride plus a little tip but yeah, it’s worth it.

 

By now I've been captivated by The Manor. I love the suites, the lights, and the garden and of course the happy faces of the people around. The hotel staffs are nice and approachable. I was extremely blown away by the kinds of friendships that make you feel light and valiant and altogether understood.

We tried Glenn 50’s Diner; an old diner located in General Luna Road. We basically high-fived our way through every park and restaurant and street, and it was perfect.

We hopped through La Trinidad to see the ever famous strawberry farm and to experience strawberry picking. We tasted the best wines that the locals offer and make. I just bought few bottles as it’s a little heavy and I don’t wanna risk those bottles in an 8hour trip plus I have to travel back to Laguna—see how risky that would be. But yeah, elegance can now be as simple as having a supply of these wines in the house. J

It was much cooler last year, but that’s fine. I still love the weather there versus the weather here in the Metro. I have a lot to share about Baguio-- Jackie and Lhot and Dex and late nights at Burnham and Session Road—There are more to see and eat! Stay tuned for my next post :)

xx

Ash

Blue

I am so scared when thing is unpredictably shifting and I am not ready yet. I know that nobody cares, but to keep track of my life, I decided to put up this blog. I love the feeling I got each time I read my old posts. Every so often they remind me of how juvenile I was or how much I changed since then.

As of this very moment, I'm feeling a little bit blue. All and sundry can feel lonely and lost at certain times and I am no exception.It's a common thing, yeah? Life is filled of so many what ifs and it's all baffling and frustrating and thrilling and disheartening. I know...Maybe I just worry too much… Alright, I'll try to do my best.

Alright, I think I should be thankful and happy that I am alive!

Chicken Curry

Just like any other chicken curry dishes, this has a nice rich flavor and aroma that you will surely love. This recipe is an excellent source of vitamin C-- a nutrient that helps fight common infections. Another Filipino Recipe that has a resemblance with Chicken Curry is “Ginataang Manok” (chicken cooked in coconut milk).

Cooking really isn't that hard, so don't be afraid to try something new. Plus, if you do mess up, who cares? There's always cereal. (Or takeout.)

Try this Chicken Curry Recipe and send me your feedback.


Ingredients :
- half a kilo of potatoes, cut into chunks
- 4 pieces of medium size carrots, cut into chunks
- cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2pc medium onion,minced
-1kg chicken thigh/wings, cut up
-oil
-1 pouch Del Monte Quick n Easy Curry Mix or 2tbsp of curry powder
-1 Cup thick coconut milk
-2pc small red or green bell pepper, cut into cubes
-154ml of evap milk

Cooking Procedure:

-Fry potatoes and carrots until cooked. Set aside.
-Pan-fry the chicken and set aside.
-Saute garlic,onion and chicken in oil for 10mins. Add Del Monte Quick n Easy Curry Mix and coconut milk
-Cover and simmer in low heat until the chicken is done. Add milk. Add fried potatoes,carrots and bell pepper.Simmer for another 5 mins or until the sauce thickens.
-Serve and enjoy :)

Sheena & Ely's Forever

She’s been one of the sweetest friends I have since we met in our training as a Subject Matter Specialist. Sheena or Pacey as we call her has one of the most compassionate, amorous hearts I know.  She’s my travel buddy and we shared TONS of secrets—she’s a woman with a happy heart.

I watched as Sheena and Ely fell in love QUICKLY—yes, quickly and effortlessly as if they‘d known each other forever. I knew that she finally found her other half, I can see it in her eyes and actions—with Ely, she’s a better version of herself, and for that, I want to thank you my dear Ely for making my friend happy and for loving her for exactly who she is. Thanks :)

Their wedding ceremony was one of the most beautiful, out of the ordinary, crazy cool/fun days I’ve ever had. And I couldn’t feel more blessed to have been standing at Sheena’s side when she said I Do to a life time with ELY.

Last Sunday, they we’re united as one—a trouble-free yet a very expressive slash emotional civil wedding ceremony. There were a few tears and of course laughter, yeah BIG laughs! What a cool wedding Ceremony. I never thought that Ely’s more emotional than Sheena… Ely’s crying while Sheena’s smiling and just being the cool gal I know. She kept on looking at my side as she murmured some words that made me chuckle too! Crazy girl- she made everyone feel so comfortable/relaxed and REAL. I told her that I-don’t-wanna-cry-on-your-wedding-day but pfft that’s impossible... I mean, the vows they have for each other is really sweet--I saw her mom cry too— ahhh.. Weddings!!! Wedding vow’s really the heart of the ceremony…

Really, that's all we're waiting for ... just one. One moment. One person.

Again, best wishes to you both and congratulations!!

Orange xx

Who's Getting Married?!

Oh my G!! I can't emphasize this enough! Four more days, and one of my best bud's getting married!

I am seriously freakin out.. I mean, Sheena and Eli have been together since they met each other.. It is weird and exciting, terrifying and thrilling that one of my girl friends, my travel buddy, my sweet Pacey is actually getting married. Wow. Of course I am so happy for her and for Eli.. Hopefully, i wont cry on her wedding day, tss, coz she means a lot to me. 

We're coming to Oriental Mindoro this Friday and I am really excited about it. Mindoro's Sheena’s hometown by the way. We went July last year and we really had fun and now we're coming back to the same place with a different reason/purpose -- something really important that I cant afford to miss.

I remember her saying, "If your heart is hurt, it can be healed again." And yes, she's right. We all deserved to be happy and to be loved..

If you read this girl, I love you and I cant express how excited I am for you! Best Wishes and congratulations.



Sheena & Eli



Orange xx 



Few Little Things I've Learned Today

[Photo: my FLICKR]

-sleeping almost half of the day during your rest day is good for the soul--really.

-you have to check your mobile phone every once in a while coz you might be missing some important text messages from someone special miles and miles away.

-you dont need to be a master chef to cook some delicious/mouth-watering dish.

-a recipe of joy and serenity can rather be simple: open windows,balmy weather,a book,a guitar,and those little sweet kisses from your beautiful nieces.

-last but not the least, it's entirely possible to re-fall inlove multiple times.

Semper Fidelis,
Ash

Kare- Kare

Kare Kare is a dish that seem complicated to do, but compare to other stews, it's not too difficult at all-- and today, I tried this recipe.

If you're on a budget, you dont need to buy Ox tail/tripe, you can use pork pata or any type of pork, it's really up to you. ***

Ingredients:

-Ox tail/tripe,pork pata,or any beef meat ***, cut into serving pieces

-5 cloves garlic, crushed

-1 onion, sliced

-3 tbsp oil

-4 to 5 pieces of eggplant, cut into 1/2 thin slices

-a bundle of sitaw cut into 3 inches long

-banana heart, trimmed and sliced

-100 to 150 grams of pechay

-a pouch of Mama Sita’s Peanut Sauce (Kare-Kare) Mix, dissolved in a cup of broth

-salt and pepper to taste

-2 tbsp Patis

Procedures:

1.Rub pata/pork with garlic and patis. Boil in enough amount of water, boil once and discard the water. Boil again, until tender.

2.In another pan, sauté garlic and onion in oil, add the pre-cooked meat.

3.Add Mama Sita's Peanut Sauce.Bring to boil with constant stirring.

4. Add the vegetables except for pechay, simmer until the veggies are cooked. Add salt and pepper to taste.

5.Add pechay. Simmer once.Serve.

It is best served with bagoong and hot, steaming white rice.

You dont need to go to Barrio Fiesta to taste this delicious dish, if I can do it,so can you!

Munch on lovelies ♥ ♥ ♥

Semper Fidelis,
Ash

Juice Mio

Hello lovelies.. How's your week?


I have been starting my mornings with light breakfast for the past few days and I love it. Last sunday, after an hour of brisk-walking, I checked the fridge and saw some apples and few bottles of Yakult. I decided to make this yummy apple/yakult smoothies... yum yum

An apple and a glass of this yummy smoothies keeps me full till lunch time. I made another glass for my cute niece. She loved it too ♥.


I had a fresh lumpia from goldilocks for my snack and a glass of milk tea -- which i dont like, ugh!  Sorry,but i would rather have green or white tea.. I just cant understand why I actually bought that at the supermarket-- and i still have few sachets of it.


The next day,i tried another nutritious/yummy drinks.. aaahhh!! It's carrot and yakult plus a few slices of this crunchy cucumber and cheese..

I'd like to know, what do you have on your food log? Stay  fit and healthy lovelies ♥♥♥.


Semper Fidelis,
Orange

Healthy Living

  My joints are those of an eighty year old woman--it hurts.. I hate running coz I am soooo lazy and my gigantic boobies cannot be contained by the likes of a mere sports bra..Nyahaha.. I'm just kidding and over reacting.. :D

Okay, I worked out-- at last. Oh yeah. It feels so good - I have never felt more alive! I gained a lot of weight for the past four years, I knew it, I felt it and it's for real. I was only 90lbs when I started working (2008)  and it's a hundred and sixteen 116lbs now ! Like what?!  I wasn’t really that conscious, but I’ve noticed that my jeans and blouses are screaming for justice! But seriously, it’s kinda alarming!

So, together with AgentX44, we hit the mat, hit the weights, do the bike, treadmill and the likes.. I wanna try swimming too, but pfft.. I would have to say, GOOD LUCK. I don’t even know how to swim. Anyway, I’m just so excited to see the result.. wohoooo!

look at that flabs.. ewww!!!



I am sorry about the picture above.. Hahaha.. I had his permission to post this crazy photo...Yes, that's agentx44...I know you'll be like "eff! that's agentx44?!! Dont worry, he's expecting those reactions.

summary : You wont get bored with exercise if you're willing to try something new. You don’t have to force yourself to do anything you wont enjoy.. 

Midnight Musing.

Today I...

...feel I could blow up any second
...had a rough,yes, a very ROUGH day
...am ticking like a bomb
...am extremely DISAPPOINTED!
...feel being neglected, rejected and taken for granted
...want to cry---a good cry.

But then...
I realize that there are other people in the same world I live in that have billions of things bothering them-- moments in their days could be life threatening, other people hurt more than I do. 

Therefore...
I should be thankful for every moment I take a breath of air.
I should be more optimistic about life
I should be grateful for every moment in my life- whether good or bad

Oh life! 
I just wish that everything would go back to the way it was.
I wish there's such thing as happily ever after.

Semper Fidelis,
Ash

Torn

Lately, I've been a little lonely and it kind of sucks! I have been somewhat busy with work and such but I don't know.  Yeah, I have friends and family to fill the spaces where you are not- but sometimes I wish you'd fill them. I want everything to be okay, and I want to work it out. I'm afraid to talk to you. :/ Alright, I'm not gonna lie -- my heart's a little torn up. I dont feel like giving you time, it's all you've gotten lately. I don't know. I wish you'd tell me more-- dont leave me in the dark,leave me out of the loop. Sometimes I get so frustrated at you.I'm so tired of the curveballs you've been throwing me.

On a happy note,i'm super duper excited for this coming weeks.. yep WEEKS! Te he!  I just cant wait to go to the beach again- that would be a wonderful escape. I just hope that the weather will be a little considerate [puhleaseeee!!] ..lol! My weekends will be a somehow busy with some plans/itineraries, I guess that would help me map out my life ..

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend. :) Thanks for dropping by lovelies. Love love love!


Semper Fidelis,
Ash

Pagudpud/Vigan Tour (Part2)

*Sorry for this super late post about our trip last April. Hahaha :) This has been sitting on my drafts for quite some time now (obviously!) and I have just decided to publish it. So let me show you the 2nd part of our Ilocos Tour! Lesgowwww :)

We woke up as early as 2am on Monday.. We decided to go back to the beach...Lloyd tried to go outside to check but it was super dark so we waited for another couple of hours before going to the beach. It was so beautiful! We're the only folks at the beach - it was really early for other peeps to take a plunge.

One last Shot in Saud before going to our next Tour

We had a yummy breakfast - tuyo with sukang Iloco which I enjoyed the most ,fried rice, coffee, tocino and scrambled eggThat was a very satisfying meal.  Full breakfast is necessary especially when you'll be travelling all day. We bought some pasalubong and souvenirs as we wait for our tour guide- Manong Gilbert. We left Saud around 9am. 

Our first destination? 

On our way to Bangui

Bangui Windmill -  Bangui Wind Farm is a wind farm in Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. The wind farm uses 20 units of 70-metre (230 ft) high Vestas V82 1.65 MW wind turbines, arranged on a single row stretching along a nine-kilometer shoreline off Bangui Bay, facing the South China Sea. The Northwind Bangui Bay Project is located at the municipality of Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. Located at the north-west tip of Luzon island.

Phase I of the NorthWind power project in Bangui Bay consists of 15 wind turbines, each capable of producing electricity up to a maximum capacity of 1.65MW, for a total of 24.75MW.

Phase II, was completed on August 2008, and added 5 more wind turbines with the same capacity, and brought the total capacity to 33MW. All 20 turbines describes a graceful arc reflecting the shoreline of Bangui Bay. --- thanks Wikipedia. 

Bangui Windmill

Bangui View Deck - This is a deck place on the mountain. The best place to experience and witness the panoramic view of farms,mountains,Bangui community, South China Sea and nearby coastal towns. 

View Deck

Next : Kapurpurawan Rock Formation : Aside from the Bangui Windmill, Kapurpurawan Rock formation caught our attention and according to our tour guide this is one of the famous attractions in Burgos,Ilocos Norte. After we parked our vehicle, we hiked down the cliff just to see this beautiful formation of rocks,hills,pool of sea water etc. And we saw this reminder. as per RA7161 Taking of mangroves and other form of vegetation from the area is prohibited under the Philippine law.

There are patches of bonsai mangroves on the area that adds a little color on the place. Kapurpurawan in Ilocano means WHITE. And this was caused by sand blasting, sedimentation and weathering. The action of the natural sandblast carves distinctive features such as pits, grooves, and facets upon various rock surfaces.

Bonsai Mangroves on top of the rugged coast

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse - also known as Burgos Lighthouse, is a cultural heritage structure in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, that was established during the Spanish Colonial period in the Philippines. It was first lit on March 30, 1892 and is set high on Vigia de Nagparitan Hill overlooking the scenic Cape Bojeador where early galleons used to sail by.The Cape Bojeador lighthouse was part of the Spanish government's master plan of illuminating the Philippine archipelago. The project commenced with the execution of the lighthouses in the northern and western part of the Philippines and those around Iloilo and Cebu. The Burgos lighthouse was first lit on March 30, 1892. The lighthouse was first designed by Magin Pers and Pers in 1887 and was finished by the Lighthouse Service under Guillermo Brockman.  Again thanks to Wikipedia for this post a lot easier. 

We took a bus en route to Laoag. We were standing from Burgos to Laoag City, but I enjoyed it, believe me :). It was already lunch time when we reached Laoag. So we're thinking where to eat- and there we saw Macy's. I never expected that there could be this "american diner" in the area. There's Elvis, the Beatles and neon lights all around. Cool. I was actually waiting and expecting that our food will be served by ladies on roller skates. LOL!

Next stop VIGAN : The only surviving colonial town in the entire Philippines, Vigan is being developed as a primary tourist destination in Region I. We took a calesa ride (1st time!!) to explore the city of Vigan and paid a hundred fifty pesos (150Php) for an hour ride/tour. 

We went to Shrine of our Lady of Charity Saint Augustine Parish Church which is one of the oldest churches of Ilocos Sur which was built in 1950 and the famous Bell Tower. It was  said to be the people's watch tower in the French colonial period- part of the city’s defense that helps in alerting it against possible enemies. Unfortunately, we're unable to check what's inside the tower -- oh rain! what a timing 'eh?? Tsk. 

The Bell Tower

Calle Crisologo-  This is the major attraction of Vigan. We enjoyed the walk through the blocks of cobblestone streets lined with heritage houses. Twas filled with Spanish-style houses (which reminds me of our ancestral house..sigh). I was so in-love with the place since we once live on a house such as this. Anyway, along the street,you can find several stores of souvenirs and pasalubong. Most of the old houses were turned into museum,souvenir shops and Inn. and A must-try would be the famous Vigan Longganisa. I bought 4 packs of it and half a dozen of chichacorn. We also bought bagnet and few souvenirs. As much as we want to explore the area we cant because of the heavy rain. Oh goodness! Still, we had FUN--Bigtime!!!  

We left Vigan around 8pm with a smile on our face. Over all rating : THUMBS UP! It's more fun in the Philippines :) 

Tired but HAPPY :)

_ADashOfAsh

a SILVER CROWN experience

Me and my 2 friends Marge and Jayce went to Silver Crown Caloocan mga 2 weeks ago na.Eto kasing si Marge,ilang beses na akong tinatakam sa camaron rebosado. “bakla,jam-packed ang hipon nila sa camaron rebosado nila.panalo.kain tayo minsan dun if you want.” As if naman aayaw ako,eh kasalanang mortal sa kin yung nagugutom.. So yun nga nagkayayaan kami na itry yung restaurant na ibinibida ni Marge. Di ako kumain nung lunch break ko (bale 130am MNL time ang lunch break ko bilang isang nocturnal na empleyado.)Medyo binigyan ko ng space yung mga kakainin namin sa Silver Crown. I supposed to log out by 530am..pero sa ngalan ng lafang,naghintay ako hanggang 830am kasi dun pa lang sila magla-log out. Nagsayang ng konting kuryente sa office,kwento kwento,pamatay oras,ganyan.

830am MNL.Honda! “bax,log out na..lesgow!excited na ko kumain..”

“eh pano kung wala palang camaron dun ash,anong gagawin mo?”, sabi ni Marge

“maglulupasay ako sa sahig nila.kunan nyo ko ng video para i-upload natin sa youtube,sikat!” with matching action pa...Tawanan naman kami sa kalokohan na medyo corny.. pero keber Lang :)

“baliw..seryoso ko.paano kung wala nga,hindi available today?”

“eh seryoso rin naman ako ah,maglulupasay ako..hahaha”

Gora to the max na kami. Tatlong bakla ang magkakasama.. (joke lang,2 kaming girl tsaka isang pa-girl na 5' 11..peace bax!) . Sakay ng jeep papuntang buendia,then LRT hanggang monumento. Lakad ng konti.. Time check : 930am.. “ay,mukhang close pa dun.paano yun?”,etong si Majo minsan di ko ma spell eh...Puro negative ang sinasabi sa kin..inaalis nya excitement kong kumain...nagdidilim na paningin ko init,gutom,inip...arte lang :)

“problema ba yun,eh di hintayin nating mag open. 30 mins na lang naman..nahintay ko nga kayo ng ilang oras eh.kakainis kayo.pinapasama nyo loob ko..”

Pagdating nga namin sa place,ayon CLOSED pa sya.. ang saya. Buti na lang may BPI, dun kami tumambay..lol..syempre buhay kliyente muna ang peg namin..nag deposit ng milyones..charot lang :) as in kung ano anong updates ang chineck sa BPI maubos lang yung oras ng di naman namamalayan .. Parang sobrang tagal ng natitirang 5 mins. Nakakaramdam na ko ng gutom kasi nga di naman ako kumain the night before and tanghali na rin..raaaarr!!  Balik kami sa silver crown..OPEN!!

Ang bilis naming tatlo.akala mo may sale,akala mo mauubusan ng table...mga hampas lupa! dead hungry!! Hanap ng table.kuha ng menu..isip isip kunwari..*Dont expect too much sa place,kasi simpleng kainan lang sya,pero sabi nga,don't judge a book by its cover..

Marge,Jayce and Me @ SilverCrown Monumento

“iready mo na ang sarili mo.medyo matagal mag serve dito kasi nga niluluto pa nila. Pero pag naserve na promise,sarap lusubin nung pagkain.Parang may gusto mo lahat tikman agad.”sabi ni Marge na nakakaasar sa pangtatakam.

Sa dami ng nakasulat sa menu,di kami magkanda-ugaga sa dami ng choices. Panalo ang menu,panalo rin ang presyo. Super affordable sya! Kakaloka..

We decided to have camaron rebosado since dun ako nag crave ng wagas,lechon kawali,lapu-lapu escabeche,nilasing na hipon,and special fried rice. Marge ordered 2 bowls of special fried rice. Akala ko kulang,kasi tatlo kami plus the fact na mga halimaw kami sa kainan at malalaking tao yung dalawa kong kasama,oopppss I mean, hindi size 24 ang bewang nila..hahaha :)  We waited mga 15-20 mins after namin umorder... Nakakainip,pero since we expected it na,ok lang… When the food were served..ay te! panalo..! ang dami ng servings nila,as in halos mapuno yung table namin. Nakatingin sa min yung ibang kumakain,kasi 3 lang kami pero punong puno ng food yung table namin. 4 types of ulam lang yung inorder namin,pero bongga sa dami.parang good for 5 people yung bawat serving ng food nila. The food is uber lavish and yummy…

Nilasing na Hipon

Nilasing na hipon is perfect! I super love the sauce and the shrimp itself is super tasty and malaki for its price huh?Ang ganda ng hatian namin,tig one piece lang ng shrimp si Marge and Jayce then the rest akin na...Pinilit nila kasi ko..hahaha :) Ayan tuloy di ako tumanggi...hating kapatid lang..10% sa kanila,akin yung 90%...nice nila no? sweet.. By the way,lumaklak muna kami ng anti-histamine,unfortunately di yata kinaya,ayon mukha kaming makakating babae,kamot kamot,rashes rashes,akala mo mga tisay.. LOL! feeling anak mayaman- may allergy! 

Lechon Kawali

The lechon kawali has a perfect sauce but even without it ,masarap sya.. thumbs up.. No palate can resist Lechon Kawali talaga..isa sa mga pampabata at pampataba.. yay!! Dyan naman,medyo patas na ang labanan..Bawal maging sakim,baka mapabilis masyado ang buhay.. 

Lapu Lapu in Red Sauce

Lapu lapu escabeche in red sauce naman ang bet ni Majo slash Marge pota kasi gusto susyal ang name eh,hehehe..I love the sauce coz it has cucumber slices on it plus a lot of green bell pepper that's so crunchy!! We opt to have the red sauce kasi nga nakakagana kumain pag ganung color di ba? kaso nung na iserve na sa min,puro red sauce na pala order namin.pero ok naman,sabi nga ni Coco Martin YAMI!! 

Camaron Rebosado

I’m just a little disappointed with the Camaron Rebosado—hindi na sya jam-packed sa hipon.. 3 pieces na lang yung nasa loob,maliliit na hipon yun...But nevertheless the taste is still great and crispy pa rin.. so over all rating—THUMBS UP for Silver Crown!!

Special Fried Rice (good for 2 pax/bowl)

When we got the bill, we’re expecting a thousand pesos.. Guess what?! We only paid 503pesos!! Panalo..with 4 soda pa yun ah! Super sulit.. Parang nandaya lang kami.. Naka pag take out pa kami ng special fried rice, camaron rebosado and lechon kawali kasi nga ang dami ng serving nila…

                                  

We were super full…konting pahinga at kwentuhan muna blah blah...nahirapan kaming maglakad ni Jayce. Kakaloka! We decided na bumalik ulet dun one of these days,we’ll try another set of food naman.


If you want a delicious Chinese cuisine that is not too pricey, I would personally recommend Silver Crown restaurant. Manyaman keni!!

xx
Ash

Pagudpud Tour Cycle Part1

As what I have promised on my preceding post, I’m gonna put in the picture and give you an idea how much we enjoyed our Ilocos trip! And prior to this trip I told myself to go to a place I’ve never been my entire life; this out-of-the blue get away was an answered prayer!  We had a bad experience with Florida Bus, but upon seeing the place, we knew that it’s all worth it! The place is perfect—so comforting, so divine ♥

I never thought that a place like Pagudpud still exists.  It may be too far from the hustle and bustle of the city but if you want a breather, that place is just perfect! The place was a classic small rural area having ordinary folks- but as I’ve noticed they’re extra friendly and accommodating compare to those who live in the city. And I MUST say that ILOCANOs are one of the nicest people on earth. (Just an opinion lovelies)! We arrived at around 6am, tired and hungry but we all have a happy spirit knowing that we will truly have a very nice vacation. We were served Ilocano food right away upon arriving at the hostel we will be staying at. We chose Damayan House since it was recommended by our friends who stayed there before…The place is nice, the owners are very accommodating, the food are great and we got our room at a very reasonable price- we had a deluxe room with great amenities that includes air conditioning, hot/cold water, mini kitchen, veranda, comfortable queen size bed, and of course a clean comfort room.

After we had our yummy/mouth-watering breakfast, we went to the beach right away. I’m just uber ecstatic to give a plunge!! Saud Beach resort is a thumbs-up! Crystal clear water, white sand, not too crowded resort, wow that was just so calming ♥

We enjoyed the water for 2 or 3 hours only since we have to follow our itinerary. We’ve already missed a day unfortunately but kudos to Dexter for giving us an excellent itinerary, we hired a tour guide for 2 days for our North to South trip. We missed a day of the trip and having an itinerary is of great help-- We know where to go and what to do thus maximizing our stay with a whole lot of fun. Having an itinerary is a good idea and we had a very convenient check list! It’s a big advantage that Dexter and Lloydie can speak Ilocano and sometimes, well most of the time I heard them talking in Ilocano- I can understand some, I can somehow relate but I can’t speak in Ilocano, I have an accent and Dexter hate the way I talk. LOL! Anyway, let the tour begin!  

Kabigan Falls – we paid 150PHP for our personal tour guide en route to the falls and gave a little amount of donation at the information counter/registration area. Manong tour guide told us that it’s a 30-min trek from the main road/info center to enjoy the verdant panorama. I had my pink umbrella with me and a sun glasses so I don’t really care if we will have a 2km walk. We had to go through an area of rice fields, we crossed/passed a river and a hanging bridge, and after more than 30 mins of brisk-walking we reached the 80-feet waterfalls. The water’s cold and crystal clear!  There’s a bunch of kids, families and group of friends enjoying the beauty of this super clear and cold waterfalls. I was super tempted to take a dip but the area is almost crowded, so I just enjoyed taking pictures instead.

Patapat Viaduct- is 1.3 km concrete coastal bridge that connects theMaharlika Highway from Laoag, Ilocos Norte to the Cagayan Valley Region. The bridge is elevated 31 meters over sea level. It rises along the town's coastal mountains, which is the starting point of the Cordillera Mountain Range that snakes through Northern Luzon. It is the 4th longest bridge in the Philippines. Thank you WIKIPEDIA! The view of the sea is truly amazing, there are birds flying along the area and there are limited or few numbers of vehicle passing by so we really had a great time taking pictures! The viaduct trailed the side of the panoramic mountains against the passing falls.

Agua Grande – (also known in Ilocano as dakkel a danum). This is a kilometer away from the Patapat Viaduct. Entrance fee is only 25php per person. Our original plan’s to take picture ONLY, but when we saw that attractive mini water falls plus a stony creek falling to the sea, I got my swimsuit right away! The water is so refreshing. You can choose any of the following: the mini waterfalls, the spring fed rock pool, the stream itself and of course the beach. But please take extra care through the pebbles and rocks as they are sharp and slippery under foot. I had a little cut in my hand because I stepped on a dicey rock and as I tried to save my self from bigger menace I grabbed a sharp-edge rock- anyway, it’s just a small cut so, the show must go on.

Blue Lagoon- The mystical one- that’s how I’d like to describe the place. The water is amazingly blue and I would say that I am so in love with the place! The place is really lovely. And if you’re a nudist, this is just perfect for you! It’s my 1st time in Pagudpod and I was truly awestruck by this lovely paradise. It’s like a secret paradise; you can reflect or have a quiet time…

There are few locals enjoying the majestic lagoon and all of them look so friendly. We took some pictures, play in the sand and I even attempted to take a plunge but the sea seems to be too deep for me, so I just stayed at the shore and watched the waves. The view from the blue lagoon is superb, aside of course from the seaweeds in the shore. Saud beach is lot cleaner, though.

Bantay Abot Cave – Locals call it “lover’s rock” for some reason. I’m too sluggish to ask Manong Gilbert (our tourcyle guide) the story behind those rocks. It looks like a giant donut for me. I’m so worn-out when we reached the cave. So I never had the chance to see what’s inside. I was so exhausted due to the long trip we had on the 1st day, plus we had an hour walk (back and forth) from KabiganFalls, so you really can’t blame me if I would opt to stay inside our vehicle. I fell asleep for 30 mins I guess. When Dexter and Lloyd came back, I can see the smile on their faces, they really enjoyed what they’ve seen. The only picture that I have is with the timmangtang rock (or what the called the prodigal son)

we went back to Saud around 2pm,took a shower,and sleep. I ask Dexter and Lloyd to make me up around 5 or 6pm so we can still go back to the beach,unfortunately, they fell asleep as well. And since all of us are really dead-tired, we woke up around 2am!! hahahaha.. there's more post, so sit back and relax... will post it LATER :)

Thanks for dropping by. 

xxAshxx