Ang Dakilang Lakwatsera: Exploring Ilocos Region: La Union

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Exploring Ilocos Region: La Union

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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)