The Trio in Ilocos

August 2, 2015January 11, 2016Leave a comment

This is my last post of our Ilocos Trip. I just want to share to you guys how we (lynsey, jas and I) are too much of camwhores 😛

From North expressway to Ilocos Sur to Ilocos Norte let me show you how we rock our Ilocos trip with these pictures. How childish we are and how fabulous we are!

Before it’s just me and Lynsey but as of now, we have Jasmine as an addition. It really feels good that I can be an ate to someone special (my brother’s someone special :P) before, I can say that I am really spoiled, I can’t contain my temper and I really am a bitch! yeah, sorry for the word. but as we grew older, as we realized that it is not good to be bad at your own stories. I realized that I should change. I may not say that I am a saint nowadays. Of course I am not. I curse, I say bad remarks, I am still a bitch, but a well educated bitch I guess. I can also say that when growing up, we siblings are close, but not as close as we are today. I don’t know how but I think it is because we’re matured to handle things on our own way.

Today, I gain another sister. I gain another travel buddy and I gain another friend. How cool is that right?

Warning: lengthy post ahead (because of the pictures!)

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Do you have someone who worth being with you when you travel? Comments are love!

From South to North of Ilocos: Patapat Viaduct to Bangui Wind Farm

August 1, 2015January 11, 2016Leave a comment

Our last destinations in Ilocos was the mini waterfall near the road going to Cagayan Valley and the Bangui wind farms wherein my macho called it electric fan. hehehe.

Though this was the 3rd or 4th time that I went to Ilocos, this was the first time I went to this mini waterfall. The water is cold as ice and yeah, it’s drinkable. My cousin tried to fill a 5 gallon container, few had reactions about my cousin’s doing, but being an Escalona (again) we always have witty comebacks that the only thing you have to do is to hate us or laugh with us. And by the way, it has a little grotto too, we visited it and prayed.

You may wonder why my little macho had few pictures, well, being my son, he is also sleepy so yeah, he’s inside the van and sleeping. hehehe.

After a few pics in the mini waterfall in the boundary of Cagayan Valley and Ilocos Norte we leave the place and decided to go to the windmill farm for our last destination before going home.

I don’t know why but I love taking pictures with the deserted place and me on the middle. It’s like (for me) you see, I am alone and this is me under my own sun. Alone but happy #whogoat. Something like that! Get my point? If not, just leave it like that and yeah, nevermind.

Along the way, we stopped at the Patapat bridge to take some pictures. We do (again!) childish act that for our eyes only *wink*

Here we were in Bangui Wind farm. Though I really like to remind you guys that the sands are too hot since we went there around 2 or 3 I think. and it’s really hot, but we’ll do anything for photo op. So, nevermind the tan, nevermind the sun, nevermind if we’re going to be negra for the entire year. The essence of the summer is to be tanned after all. So yeah! nevermind all that, Tan will fade but memories will remain right?!

I just like also to remind again to bring lots of water because you’ll need it after going to the windmills.

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After going to wind farm we went to Vigan Heritage to eat dinner. Guess where we ate our dinner? tentenen! We ate at Mang Inasal! hahahhaha.. of all places right? mang inasal! the reason was that it’s the only restaurant that offer unlimited rice and since we had more boys than girls and girls who eat like boys, we decided that we could save lots of money if we eat there. Even if Mang Inasal is too overrated (I think) my tummy was still happy.

At 8 pm we decided to go home. We arrived in Manila at 6 AM the next day.

PS. if you like or decided to have a vacation in Ilocos via land with your car, I would like to remind that you should let someone check your car if you don’t know how to check it , have a spare tire and full your tank. It’s a long drive and most of the time especially when you’re in a secluded area, you can’t find a gas station. We experienced a flat tire along Pangasinan when we’re going home. It’s really nice to have road trips and go miles miles away from home and see new places but we all have to be safe! Please enjoy and be safe.

Do you have something you wanted to share so we could go there and try it? Places? Restaurants? adventures? activities? Name it we’re game! Comments are love!

From South to North of Ilocos: Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

July 26, 2015July 25, 2015Leave a comment

This is my third post to the last! yey! I can smell the success of completing my blogposts about our Ilocos trip. #clapclap 😛

We arrived in Pagudpud at 8 pm, May 1, 2015. It was a long drive considering that we leave the Sand dunes in Paoay at 4 or 5 PM. I didn’t know how we got in Pagudpod because the 4×4 and the sandboarding experience got me and I’m so exhausted that I started to doze off already after settling on the van. When I woke up, We could see the windmills. then I slept again, and when I woke up, we’re in Pagudpud already.

We stayed in Casa Victoria Beach Resorts and Restaurant in Brgy. Saud, Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. This may not be the most luxurious or prettiest resort that we stayed but in terms of services and friendly staff, this is one of the best so far, they treated us like VIP even if we’re not. I didn’t know if it’s because of my mother’s power or because they are all friendly. My mom’s contact is Kim Santos who is so friendly, The aircondition on our room was broken that time. he gave the room free-of-charge! You see, how many resorts will give you that offer? We stayed in numerous hotel and resorts, some of the resorts have problems. We experienced broken aircons not once but four or five, I think, but didn’t get anything like 50% discount or something but with the Casa Victoria, they gladly gave them to us. They were even sorry because of the broken aircon. Food aren’t allowed inside the resorts but again they exempted us. All you need is a good communication and a mother like mine 😛

We found a party place on the shore at 10 pm. We stayed there for hours. We jammed, we danced, we talked and of course we laughed. Though 70 php per bottle of sanmig flavored beer, tanduay ice and redhorse is a little too pricey for my liking. it was like 100 % profit, but nevertheless we enjoyed the night.

We woke up at 7 am the next day. To have a longer time to swim. Before I’m not really fan of beaches. I don’t like sands sticking into my skin and I can’t open my eyes under the sea but that changed when we’re in Pagudpud. Why? because I can flaunt my swimwear! hahaha! but honestly speaking, taking pictures with swimsuit on the beach is better than taking it on the swimming pool. But of course it may depends on the scenery.

We decided to stay for another day unfortunately, there’s no vacant room in the resort so we decided to packed up. After all, our Ilocos trip isn’t done yet. We have Bangui Windmills waiting for us 🙂

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Family is my number one priority, no doubt about that, no questions ask. I’ll kill for my family! that’s for sure. This Ilocos trip was one of the best trips for me because this was the longest trip we had with the Escalona’s. You see they are not fan of long trips because of their (my aunties and uncles *ehem* *ehem*) age but since they can’t say NO, we pushed this trip and I’m so glad that we pushed it since it was a really really great time!

Do you have a family that’s same with mine? Did you tour in Ilocos? How was it? Comments are love!

Sidneyenyen x

PS. If you want to contact Casa Victoria Beach Resort and Restaurant here’s the contact details

Kim Santos (Marketing Head) | Email add: info@casavictoriaresortandresto.com | website: casavictoriaresortandresto.com | contact # 0917-505-1462 / 0908-869-6434

From South to North of Ilocos: Paoay Sand Dunes 4×4 ft. Sandboarding

July 24, 2015Leave a comment

Our day 2 in Ilocos was jumpacked with road trips and activities. After Paoay Church, we went to Paoay Sand Dunes for the reason that we’re going to try the 4×4 and sandboarding. We arrived at 3 pm I think. If you ask me what’s the best time you should go there, I would say 3 pm or so because tourists will come at 4 or 5 pm. We were like 20th on line or so but having a mother like my mom, we were next in line after she talked to someone in charge.

I wasn’t a fan of extreme activities until I became teen for the reason that I can easily be dizzy and eventually I puke so it’s a relieved when I started to overcome such weakness.

Since we were too many (a total of 9 including my niece, Mika) we were divided into two vehicles. I asked the man in charge if we can leave at the same time he said okay but unfortunately I don’t know what happened, it didn’t happen. So the 4×4 vehicle 1 consists of Me, Kenneth, Daboy, Jas and Mika, and the other one consists of Kuya Bing, Ekang, Renzo and Lynsey.

This was the most extreme activities I experienced so far. The screams and the laughs! never mind the body aches and the blazing heat. It was one hell of an experience for us. You can feel that the mobile was flying and you can feel your spirit and your heart leaving your own body. The experience were like happy that it can throw our body without our consent. Parang tinatapon yung katawan namin kung saan saan, good thing there are foams in the mobile because if not, I have bruises all over my body.

We asked to step out of the vehicles for picture taking, it was a relief that our driver knows how to use touch screen phones because the pictures weren’t blurred. Plus he knows what his doing, he instructed us to pose here and pose there. He even asked us for jumpshots! how cool was that. We thanked him after plus gave him tip.

After manong driver gave us a one hell of an experience, he delivered us safely to where the sandboarding is. My sister tried once or twice due to the reason that my brother became sick after the 4×4. He felt dizzy, maybe because of the heat. They leave as the next mobile came to fetch tourists. Good thing, the Filipino tourists were so kind to let them leave first (it’s a fall in line basis if you want to leave the sandboarding place)

For us, who were left behind, we tried the steep area, it was super duper okay. I didn’t try to stand up of course because I’m still afraid, My brother (before he became sick) and my boyfriend tried it though. After the third try, we decided to fall in line and leave the place.

We travel via 4×4 mobile again, and it was one hell of an experience again! If given a chance that we will go to Ilocos again, I will try it AGAIN! and AGAIN and AGAIN!

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Hope you enjoy reading this! Till next time 🙂 How was our experience? Comments are love!

Sidneyenyen x

From South to North of Ilocos: Baluarte- Vigan City, Ilocos Sur to Paoay, Ilocos Norte

July 19, 2015July 22, 2015Leave a comment

Our day 2 in Ilocos was really really tiring but we enjoyed every bit of it, we went to Baluarte, Batac, Loaog, Paoay and Pagudpod.

We leave Vigan Heritage at 9 am, then went to market to buy turones and longganisa, then to Baluarte. I went to numerous zoo when I was a kid so this was not new to me but for my macho, this was his first, I saw how he adore the dinosaur even if it’s not real. How he pointed out the animals. It was a mother-moment for me.

The thing I like about the Baluarte is that you can see up close the animals, you can touch them given that they don’t bite you or kick you because I saw one being kicked by the mother horse because a lady wanted to take a picture with the donkey unfortunately it was too much for the liking of the mother so yeah she’d been kicked, good thing that my macho’s not hurt because he too was close to them. Another thing was, the ostrich bit my uncle, though we didn’t figure why, it may be a little bit painful for him but we found it funny. hehe.

. So if ever you want to touch them just be careful because they aren’t totally harmless.

After in Baluarte, we went to Marcos Museum in Batac. This wasn’t our (my family) first time but since we have company, we decided to tour them, it wasn’t everyday that they can see the late Ferdinand Marcos’ body, was it? We enjoyed the most of the tour in Marcos Museum, we were like kids being left alone in a playroom. We played, we took pictures and we laughed. Even if it’s not our first time, it feels like it because the first time we went in Marcos Museum was ages ago.

We learned a lot too. At first it was just to educate my son and my nieces but as time goes by, as pictures passed, it was not just for the benefits of them, it was the benefit for us (adult) too. We were like “Naging ganto pala si Marcos“, “nagtop nga pala siya sa bar” and so on. Though I may not experienced him, governing the Philippines, he was one of my inspiration in leading, I like how he did things except of course on the marshal law part.

I figured out after college that in elementary we learned that Marcos was a bad president. He tortured and killed lots of civilian, that’s it. When in High School, they taught us what Marcos did in his time and the state of the country that time but still he was a bad president. in college, we learned that he was not really a bad president at all. And after that we will figure out that he did some amazing things. some were not good for us, but for him it was the right thing to do. Of course he liked too much power, he’s too greedy and that was his mistake. But, I’m convinced that he wasn’t a bad president, he had bad surroundings. It wasn’t his fault entirely but also the people around him, but of course it’s just my opinion.

Before we go to somewhere else, let’s go back to our trip. We waited for Marcos’ Mausoleum to open at 11:00 am ( I think) for us to see the body of the late president. the waiting time to the mausoleum to be open was longer than to see the late president. We just walked around the are of the coffin. I don’t have pictures because it’s prohibited.

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We went to Paoay Church after going to Marcos Museum, I like to take pictures the way I saw it in the Suddenly It’s Magic Movie unfortunately it was a little bit too crowded. Here, we prayed and we stay to eat our lunch.

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Since it was hot that day, we didn’t took many pictures since we’re not ready to be toasted, but I got a quick picture worthy for a #relationshipgoals hashtag 😛

So here’s the end of my post but please keep posted since I’m not yet done in sharing our trip.

Sidney x

From South to North of Ilocos: Vigan, Ilocos Sur

July 19, 2015July 21, 20154 Comments

This should be posted last June 30 unfortunately, time was not in my disposal and I’ve been busy last week. So yeah. let’s just pretend that this blog post was posted last June 30 😛

Sorry for being MIA for the last month. I’m really busy and I think I had my blogger’s block if there such thing. lols. So anyway, I’m going to make it up for guys since I think I won’t make my 60 blogpost this year if I will post only once a month. So yeah, I’ll be active again this month. maybe 6-8 posts? So let’s start this month of July with a bang! LOLS! I really want to share to you all our experience in Ilocos for quite sometime now, I can’t find time though, but since I went home early today. Here it is! yey! But first thing’s first, I just realized that if I post my whole Ilocos adventure today, It might be super long, I just upload pics that I wanted to share, and guess what how many? 56! so yeah, I came to a decision to make it multiple post instead of one. So yeah maybe a maximum of 3 or 4? So without further ado, here’s my Ilocos adventure part 1 Last April 30 I, together with my family conquered Ilocos, We survived the almost 24 hours road trip (back and forth). Hitting the road is never easy, it sometimes is pain in the ass but nevertheless it gives me thrilled if not excitement. We traveled once, from Antipolo to Laguna, though my mother complained that we shouldn’t do any road trips since we’re always dozing off. Hahaha! what should I do? Whenever I am inside the car, I am dozing off. I’m such a weirdo. right?

So let’s go back to our Ilocos adventure. We leave at exactly 11:00 pm and arrived at 10 am on the first town in Vigan where my mother’s friend live, she’s so nice that she allowed us to eat in her house. Actually we brought our food with us, so there’s no need to prepare food. My mother’s one hell of a girl scout. We arrived at 1 or 2 PM in Vigan Heritage, don’t be too surprised, we had numerous of stopovers 🙂 Our first stop over was the Bantayan Bell tower, though we didn’t linger too much since we only want to take pictures, pray and wish since that was the first time I went to that church. They say that if it was your first time in a particular church you should make a wish since it will come true. There’s no harm in believing right?

Here are some of our pictures in Bantayan Bell Tower.

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Since t’was summer that time, imagine the weather, super HOT right? so since we’re a bit tired from traveling, we decided to take a nap and let Mr. Sun do his work until he’s tired or he’s heat subside. We decided to roam around at 5 pm since the sun is tolerable. We stayed in Granpa’s Inn and Restaurant, it is in Vigan Heritage. (I think I have another blogpost for the review for the inn)

The day is too long that 5 pm is looks like 3 pm but yeah. it was 5 pm that time. We walked from the inn to Calle Crisologo where we took pictures and my macho really enjoyed it because of the horses. In calle crisologo, the only allowed means of transportation is the kalesa. we didn’t try it tho. because well, we really like walking. You can buy pasalubong in calle crisologo and enjoy the view. It really is a breather; seeing old houses and kalesa. My tatang (lolo) was one of the kutsero in Sta Cruz. We had horses before. so, seeing kalsesas’ is like having my tatang beside me.

You’re not in Vigan when you don’t see lots of Emplanada stores and you can’t say that you’ve been in Vigan if you don’t eat their Empanada and Okoy. Though if you ask me, yes they are still authentic. still delicious but i not as delicious as the first time I tried those and I was like 10 -13 years old.

Every night I think, in the plaza there’s a musical fountain show, if I can remember it correctly the show will start at 7:30 pm. I can’t post the video of the musical fountain tho because, you will hear us complaining and making fun of people. Why? because they don’t have manners, they block the view. We’re in the plaza for like an hour ready and there they are acting like a queen and king, like they own the world. You got the idea how pissed I am that time.

After the musical fountain, we decided to take a rest, The show was okay. We could enjoy it even more if not because of the people in front of us. I’ve watched musical fountain before and in my opinion the MF in manila ocean part is better that the MF in Vigan.

At 10 PM, we decided to eat, We tried Cafe Leona since it’s on the number one spot according to the reviews. I don’t have the pictures of what we had that time because we’re really starving. but all food are delicious. Though you have to come early if you wanted to eat because there are plenty of people in the waiting list. plus the serving time is 20-30 minutes. So yeah, but t’was worth it.

We roam a little bit more and decided to go to sleep because we’re going to Laoag the next day 😛

The only thing that I wanted to change is that I hope we’re in one van instead of two because t’was a long drive that the bonding time was limited.

Oh So Fine

May 31, 20152 Comments

I like to wear comfy clothes whenever we have a long hour traveling. Who wants to experience being uncomfortable inside a car? Definitely not me! So here’s my simple casual travel attire. A simple blouse and a shorts to match.

This is what I wore last holy week for our Ilocos escapades. Good thing this is too comfortable for almost 10 hours of road trip.

Our first stop when we arrived at Ilocos is the Bantay Church Bell tower or Bantay Belfry. It is called Bantay Belfry because it is located in Bantay District , it was said to be the people’s watchover, part of the city’s defense.

Just a simple thought before I end this post. One of my favorite quotations when I am feeling down. “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”

Until next time!

My Sweetest Escape

random thoughts about fashion, food, travel, stories and parenthood

Category: Philippines