Ilocos Trip | Day 1 - Pagudpud

We took a plane to Laoag via Cebu Pacific since I figured that this city is between Pagudpud and Vigan so it will be easier to tour places. We checked in Gertes Hotel on Friday night and started our tour the next morning. I have a separate post about the hotel here.


Below is the itinerary we used:


Pagudpud Day - Saturday

0700 - Wake up!/ Shower
0745 - Breakfast
0830 - Leave for Pagudpud
1030 - ETA Pagudpud

We were picked up at bus station by Ruben Caliw. We hired him to tour us around using his tricycle. His number is 0921 310 4826. He offered us a tour package pictured below.

At first we thought the tour was expensive but we came to realize that it was just reasonable considering the distance of the attractions. The attractions in the northern part aren't far from each other but the ones in the southern are around 30 minutes - 1 hour away from Pagudpud.

This is Mang Ruben and his tricycle 291

Tour destinations and rates

We took the northbound tour and paid 600. We just wanted to see the Bangui Windmills and Cape Bojeador Lighthouse in the south so we just added another 400.

1100 - early lunch

1130 - start tour

Northbound:

Kaibigan Falls - The trek of 1.3 km to the falls was refreshing. I thought it was cool to see a merienda/ snack vendor along the road. I read before in a blog that you can just pay the tour guide 50 pesos but when we got there, it was already a fixed 100-peso rate per tour guide. Entrance fee is 10 pesos per person.

You can stop by for a quick rest. I loved the buko juice!

The breathtaking Kaibigan Falls

Patapat Viaduct - There are a very few vehicles that pass by so you can smell the cool breeze from the South China Sea and have a few minutes of photo ops. We didn't stay very long because of the scorching heat of the sun but that was better than a rainy day.

Paraiso ni Anton - The place is beautiful but nothing very special. You can drop by here if you want to take a rest or buy souvenirs and pasalubongs from the stalls.

Blue Lagoon - I love the fact that the place isn't crowded. The water is clear and the sand is white and fine. This is marvelous on a sunny day.

Bantay Abot Cave - This is perfect for picture-taking as it gives you a great view of the sea. It was relaxing to have cool wind blowing and hear the sounds of waves hitting the rocks.

Timmangtang rock

Southbound:


Bangui Windmills - These windmills are located in the town of Bangui, Ilocos Norte. During a chat with the tour guide, he related that these windmills were supposed to lower the cost of electricity but allegedly, nothing has changed to this date and the windmills just stand as attractions to tourists.

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse - This is located in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, just a few minutes away from Bangui. This is still functional since built in 1892.

1800 - Leave for Laoag
2000 - ETA Laoag/ dinner/ relax
2200 - Lights out


Notes: 

• If you are in Laoag, just ride a tricycle to get to the bus terminal. If you are already in town, you can just do some legwork to the terminal. Fare is 70 pesos per person. Pagudpud is approximately a 2-hour trip from Laoag.
• There are eateries/ stores along the road in Pagudpud at very reasonable prices so your lunch/ dinner shouldn't be a problem.
• We paid an entrance fee of 20 pesos per person before entering the village where Bantay Abot Cave, Blue Lagoon, and Timmangtang rock are located.
• From Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, Mang Ruben drove us to the main road where buses pass by, and took it from there to Laoag.
• I used this site as a guide and it was very useful:  http://www.pinoyislands.com/pagudpud-ilocos-norte-itinerary/. It has all the information you'll need about the attractions.

Gertes Resort Hotel Review

My boyfriend and I were in Ilocos on a weekend vacation last week. I will write a separate post about the trip; meanwhile, here is the review of the resort where we checked in.

Location: The hotel is inconveniently located far from the city. It is less of a hassle if you have your own car but inconvenient nonetheless. We were picked up from the airport by their staff and it was a good 20-minute ride to the hotel. Now you might say that that wasn't so bad. The problem is this: the hotel location is away from the main road (10-minute drive) and no public transportation is readily available. According to their staff, you can opt to rent their van to drive you to the city then pick you up and drive you back to the hotel but with the cost of 500 pesos. That was not an option for us because we were on a budget. We asked them to hail us a tricycle instead; we paid the driver 100 per trip, a total of 200 from and to the hotel whenever we needed to go to the city. That wasn't part of our plan but that was better than 500 pesos. The only positive thing I see with the location is peace. You don't have to worry about the noise of the city at night when you are tired.

Room: We stayed in their standard room because it was the most affordable choice (900 pesos/ night). The space was sufficient enough for two people. Air conditioned with a double bed.


For people who love mirrors, the room has two big ones: one hung on the wall by the bed, and one on the wall just in front of the bathroom. Funny, there was none inside the bathroom by the sink.


There was no closet inside. To some extent, I was okay with that considering the cost of the room but I think there should be at least a rail or hooks on the wall for the convenience of hanging the clothes/ bags. There was no small table inside as well. This kind of irritated me because we had to place our bags on the floor and if we would need to request to be brought hot water, there was no place to put the tray on. The only "table" inside was where the TV sat and there was barely enough space for our little stuff.


There was no phone inside. I couldn't find anywhere a note instructing us how to contact the staff should we need assistance. I just noticed a phone outside the hall and I wondered if all the guests on our floor knew about it and if all of us were to share it. When I used it, the numbers were busy so I had to go down to the reception to tell them what my request was. Very inconvenient.


I hated the bed! The springs inside were dying to jut out of the mattress which was very uncomfortable. A slight change of sleeping position would cause irritating noises too.


For me, there are basics that should be inside a room, whether the cheapest or most expensive, and these basics were not delivered during our stay.

Security: I only saw one security guard during our 3-night stay. There was a CCTV camera in their restaurant and maybe there were more that I just didn't notice. I felt unsecured when I noticed that our room did not have an extra lock or bolt installed; just the doorknob lock.


Dining: The resort has its own restaurant. The room rate includes free breakfast good for two per day. This is good but the challenge I had were the meals because I've decided to go vegetarian more than two years ago. You will only be served what the chef cooks. You will not be offered a list of preference to choose from. You can order your own meal from their standard menu but of course, you will have to pay for it. I decided to do just that so I asked the lady staff that I'll just have a vegetable dish and pay for it separately. Guess what? She said they did not have any vegetables available. Now what restaurant in this world does not have any kind of vegetable in its kitchen? Their restaurant.

Amenities: Here's what's listed on their website with my comments on some italicized:


Fully air conditioned rooms
TV set
Telephone  - They should be clear where this phone is located.
Private Balcony - They should indicated that this is not available in all rooms.
Toilet and Bath (Hot/Cold water)
Security Guard
Hair Dryer - None in our room. They should indicated that this is not available in all rooms.
Working Desk - None in our room. They should indicated that this is not available in all rooms.
Conference room
Function area
Billiard table
Hot and cold water
Swimming pools (Adult and Children) - Only 8-10 people can use this pool without overcrowding it.
24hours security
Bar and Restaurant
Live band
Spa
Free internet access
Videoke

Overall: It's a clean, quiet, and peaceful place but those do not make up for the inconvenience we had. I will not recommend it.

Hotel website: http://www.gertesresort.com

Adidas Fluid Trainer Shoes-- LOVE 'EM!

Two weeks ago Adidas launched their new collection of shoes called the Fluid Trainer.
For a smoother stride, the adidas Fluid Trainer shoes get you in the zone with flexible FLUID MOTION™ tooling and an ergonomic design that works with the foot’s natural movement during workouts. Features a sock-like fit and feel, and allover mesh breathability. www.adidas.com

I got my pair (pictured below) yesterday, and boy, I love them! I got these babies for Php4, 295. I also saw ones for Php3, 895.

Not only are these perfect for training, but also cool for pang araw-araw pamorma!

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World - Official Trailer

UniversalPictures

http://scottpilgrimthemovie.com
Meet charming and jobless Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera). A bass guitarist for garage band Sex Bob-omb, the 22-year-old has just met the girl of his dreams...literally. The only catch to winning Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead)? Her seven evil exes are coming to kill him. Genre-smashing filmmaker Edgar Wright (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead) tells the amazing story of one romantic slacker's quest to power up with love in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.

Scott Pilgrim has never had a problem getting a girlfriend. It's getting rid of them that proves difficult. From the girl who kicked his heart's ass—and now is back in town—to the teenage distraction he's trying to shake when Ramona rollerblades into his world, love hasn't been easy. He soon discovers, however, his new crush has the most unusual baggage of all: a nefarious league of exes controls her love life and will do whatever it takes to eliminate him as a suitor.

As Scott gets closer to Ramona, he must face an increasingly vicious rogues' gallery from her past—from infamous skateboarders to vegan rock stars and fearsome identical twins. And if he hopes to win his true love, he must vanquish them all before it really is game over.

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It'll be released in the Philippines on November 4th. Argh!

Splice | Movie Review

Category:	Movies
Genre:	Science Fiction & Fantasy

Don't expect much action here because it's not an action movie.. It's a horror movie.

I won't say that it's something new, something I've never seen before. This movie is about a couple of scientists who splice animal genes with that of human DNA without permission (for the sake of science, yada). It's not one of the best summer movies, but what I like is that it actually builds a good story and revolves it around characters who are very much involved with each other. The individual connection of each characters with one another attaches you and somehow affects you with every progression of the movie.

Bottom line: It delivers what it advertised it would.

 

3 out of 5

The Expendables | Movie Review

Category:	Movies
Genre:	Action & Adventure

I was so looking forward to seeing this movie. All my favorite stars are in here, especially Jason Statham and Jet Li. The movie did not disappoint me in terms of explosions, actions, and gun and fist fights.

But I gotta say, I was a bit disappointed. With the cast, I guess I was expecting more than what it delivered. You got this cast that they got together, actors who perform well individually, and that just gets you thinking: what more if you put these men together in an action-packed film?

The plot wasn't very strong. With that said, I was expecting for the movie to bank on other elements. This movie focused on Stallone and Statham, some Jet Li on the side. There had not been much of character-building and interaction or connection. I'll be honest that I did chuckle on some lines, 'cause I felt that this movie was really trying to inject humor into it. But it just failed to connect. There are lots of parts where you just don't see any point to it anymore.

Bottom line: The cast was good, but Stallone could have really done better on this one. I still liked it, though.

 

2.5 out of 5

The Ghost Writer | Movie Review

Category:	Movies
Genre:	Mystery & Suspense

I was glued to this movie, that much I can say. I'll begin by saying that I dared myself to watch a movie that I didn't think I would like, and this is it. I only saw the trailer once, and I wasn't expecting very much from it.

First, the characters were well acted. It was refreshing to see Kim Cattrall delivering non-sex related lines, though her character wasn't one of the stronger ones-- not that the movie really intended for it to be.

Another thing I liked is that this movie holds real suspense and tension. As the movie progresses from one event to another, something gets mysterious, something gets unveiled. It makes you plot your own predictions especially with the identity of the characters and what their roles really are, then surprises you because you realize that it just fucked up your mind.

And the ending-- I'm not spoiling it-- but man... It disappoints you... in a good way. Like you have this hope in your heart and it just blasts off right in front of your face.

Bottom line: One of the best mindfuck movies I've seen lately.

 

4 out of 5