Ang Dakilang Lakwatsera: La Union

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Exploring Ilocos Region: La Union

Day 3 of our Ilocos Region trip was spent in La Union. As I have mentioned in my previous post, we stayed at Se-Bay resort which is right in front of the surfing beach of San Juan so we thought we will be able to try surfing. But to our disappointment, there were no waves! So we just decided to check out early and explore San Fernando, the capital of La Union.

San Juan surfing beach (taken by me on June 25, 2007)

We rode the jeepney from San Juan to San Fernando. (travel time is around 15- 30minutes) In San Fernando, we visited the famous Ma-cho temple. You can have a good view of the city and the beach from the temple.

Macho temple (taken by Lor on June 25, 2007)

Macho temple view (taken by me on June 25, 2007)

After Macho Temple, we went looking for the famous basi wine because my companions needed it for their thesis. So we rode the bus to Bauang and transferred to a jeep which took us to Naguilan which is famous for basi. Basi wine is made from sugarcane and is kept in basi jars until they are ready to drink.

Basi jars (taken by Lor on June 25, 2007)

After Naguilan, we proceeded to the town of Agoo and visited the famous Agoo Basilica . This church is one of the most beautiful churches in La Union and its nearby Agoo Miracle Site is believed to be where Mother Mary appeared to a little girl. From Agoo Basilica, you still have to ride a tricycle and hike for around 30 minutes to reach the apparition site.

Agoo Basilica (taken by Lor on June 25, 2007)

Agoo Basilica Marker (taken by Lor on June 25, 2007)

Agoo Miracle Site (taken by Lor on June 25, 2007)

After Agoo, we proceeded to Pangasinan, our last stop in our Ilocos Region exploration. We did not book an accomodation beforehand, so we asked the help of the people from the Department of Tourism in La Union, and they told us we can stay at the Hotel and Restaurant Management building of Pangasinan State University in Lingayen, Pangasinan. It was the cheapest airconditioned room we could get (900 pesos for 4 people) so we decided to take it. We rode the bus from Agoo to Dagupan, the capital of Pangasinan. From Dagupan, we then took a jeepney to Lingayen. The room offered to us was surprisingly good for its price, but the only catch is we were the only ones in the whole building and maybe the whole campus. Call me coward but because of this, I couldn't sleep the whole night. haha!

So there you have it, our third day in the Ilocos Region. My next post will be about our exploration of Pangasinan.

Access Manila to La Union:
Take the bus to Laoag or Vigan and get off at La Union. (around 5-6 hours)

Access La Union to Lingayen:
Take the bus to Dagupan then catch the jeep or bus to Lingayen. (around 2-3 hours)

Access Manila to Lingayen:
Buses such as Dagupan Bus Lines, Five Star Bus Lines, Autobus take the Manila-Dagupan route. (around 4-5 hours) From Dagupan, take the jeep or bus to Lingayen. (around 30 minutes to 1 hour)

Exploring Ilocos Region: Ilocos Sur

Day 2 of our Ilocos Region trip took us to Ilocos Sur. From Laoag, we rode the bus to Vigan City, the capital of Ilocos Sur. The historic town of Vigan is declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because it has preserved its old Hispanic architecture very well.

Since this is actually a thesis research trip for my companions, our first stop is a salt-making facility on the outskirts of Vigan which they needed for their thesis. After that, we proceeded to Baluarte which is the home of the former governor of Ilocos Sur, Chavit Singson. This place has its own private zoo which can be accessed for free.

Baluarte (taken by me on June 24, 2007)

Then, we had our lunch in Cafe Leona in Mena Crisologo St., Vigan City. We were served with local signature dishes such as bagnet, Vigan longganisa, etc. We spent 680pesos for 4 people which might be OK for some, but not so okay for budget conscious travelers like us (haha call us stingy or what).

Vigan Longganisa (taken by Lor on June 24, 2007)

Pakbet (taken by Lor on June 24, 2007)

Bagnet (taken by Lor on June 24, 2007)

After this, we proceeded to exploring Vigan City by kalesa (horse-driven carriage). A kalesa ride costs 150pesos per hour (as of 2007) and will take you around the city of Vigan. The kalesa took us to Bantay Church, Crisologo Museum, Padre Burgos House and the famous and often photographed Calle Crisologo. Our last stop was the pagbuburnay or pottery making. Here, we were shown how jars were made from clay.

Calle Crisologo (taken by me on June 24, 2007)

Origin of the name Vigan (taken by me on June 24, 2007)

Bantay Church (taken by me on June 24, 2007)

Bantay Belfry (taken by me on June 24, 2007)

Pagbuburnay (taken by me on June 24, 2007)

Before we left Vigan, we stopped by Vigan Cathedral in the town square. Then off we went to our next stop, La Union. We rode the Partas air-conditioned bus from Vigan to San Juan, La Union where we spent the night. The ride from Vigan to La Union is very scenic especially around the Solvec Point area. We left Vigan at around 5:30 - 6pm so we were able to catch the gorgeous sunset from our bus.

Vigan Cathedral (taken by me on June 24, 2007)

Sunset at Solvec Point (taken by me on June 24, 2007)

After around 3 hours, we reached San Juan, La Union. At that time, we did not have a place to stay yet, so we asked some people around to recommend a nice accommodation. They told us to go to Se-Bay. We actually did not like the place but because it was already getting late, we had not choice but to stay here. The only good part about this resort is that it is located right in front of the famous surfing beach of San Juan. So it is nice for day trips but I do not recommend this place for overnight trips.

Access Laoag to Vigan:
Buses and minivans leave regularly for Vigan. Travel time is around 2 hours.

Access Manila to Vigan:
Buses such as Partas, Viron Transit, Dominion Bus Lines take the Manila-Vigan route daily. Travel time is around 6-8 hours.

Access Vigan to San Juan, La Union:
Ride the buses bound for Manila and get off at San Juan, La Union. Travel time is around 3 hours.

Access Manila to San Juan, La Union:
Ride the buses bound for Vigan or Laoag and get off at San Juan, La Union. Travel time is around 5-6 hours.