Monday, January 5, 2009

A New Frontier for a New Year: Day Two of the Drunken New Year Adventure

December 31, 2008

Somehow I awoke pretty early despite going to bed really late. At five o’clock, I was staring at the ceiling and having a cigarette for breakfast. Archie was still asleep on the other side of the room and I was waiting until 7:30 to wake him up. The cognac was gone and the restaurant wouldn’t be open until 7:00 for our complimentary breakfast. So there was really nothing to do. Oh well.

The day really started with the breakfast. We wanted to be off pretty early so that we could arrive in Pagudpud while it was daytime. The trip would take us to the very heart of Ilocandia, including some interesting spots along the way.

By this point, we had a chance to sample the trip in broad daylight for the first time over a distance that was relatively unfamiliar to the both of us. Vigan was our scheduled first stop, a chance to get some photographs as well as grab some lunch. We arrived just in time, around 11:00 and had a chance to roam around the cobblestone laid street and take a look at the wares displayed by the numerous stores lining it before Café Leona opened for lunch. Lunch consisted of some Ilocano treats, including a serving of really small fish (looked like alamang, really) which was quite tasty on rice. Then there was okra, our pinakbet was just full of it. Why this is a regional favorite, I’ll never understand. Something that slimy just doesn’t do it for me.

After lunch, we were off to our ultimate destination, Pagudpud! Judging from the maps, the trip was to be a good four hours, not enough time for any more long stops. It was also at this point that we finished off a CD with a shitload of mp3s, and we ended up listening to my Taken by Cars CD over and over and over again.

We passed through the rest of Ilocos Sur and reached Ilocos Norte, the farthest north that I have driven so far. Surprisingly, unlike Ilocos Sur, the roads were in excellent condition further north. We passed through Laoag City, taking note of some sights that we could take photos of on the trip back. Our next stop was at a viewing post for the Wind Farm. Hurray for renewable energy! This was the perfect prelude for the continuous gusts that we were to experience from hereon.

The winding roads leading to Pagudpud took up a lot of petrol, causing me to miscalculate as we ran dangerously low on fuel with about 40 kilometers to go. The small town feel gave me some fears about not being able to find a gas station further down the road just as the warning light glowed on the instrument panel. Bummer. Turns out, a few kilometers further were 2 gasoline stations, the last for the next 30 kilometers to Pagudpud town. Whew.

Relying on information from RJ and Kim who havev already been there, resorts abound on the Saud Beach front but were non-existent on the more challenging and unspoiled Blue Lagoon. So we headed first to Saud, planning to hit the Blue Lagoon early the next morning. We found a relatively affordable resort in Vista Del Mar, I think it was named. The place reminded me of the many resorts you would find easily accessible in Batangas,lots of people, tourists and kids running around on the densely populated beaches. We had decided to stay here, though until we arrived upon some interesting information: there were resorts at the Blue Lagoon after all! Needless to say, we quickly got out of there after asking for directions and some details from their staff.

The drive to the Blue Lagoon was both exciting and nervous. There were no directions posted save for a crude street map we memorized posted at Villa Del Mar which did not help all too much. We relied on asking locals and sheer intuition to get to a long, winding and unfinished road leading to the hidden cove of the Blue Lagoon. When we got there, we discovered why both our sources were unsure if there were any resorts, the resorts were further down a small dirt road leading to a rugged part of the cove. We checked in at the Kapuluan Vista Resort, a villa inspired gem that was not only affordable, but had decent amenities and a good restaurant. We immediately settled in by having coffee at the restaurant and a chance to check out the clientele. The resort was booked with friends of the owners who decided to celebrate the coming of the new year together with their families. We were informed that they were offering a buffet as well as a fireworks display later on in the evening.

Evening found us downing beers at the restaurant while waiting for the buffet to be ready. It finally was four beers after, and it was a belly buster! 3 different kinds of pasta and fish fillet were served along with a gourmet-looking cilantro soup and buttered bread. We could barely walk back to our room. Then came the long wait for the midnight fireworks display promised us. While waiting, we decided to break open our next bottle, scotch whiskey while music-tripping to some heavy rock. We were chanced upon by the owner, who looked youngish for such a resort and were invited back to the restaurant and wait there. So we took our bottle back to the restaurant and chatted a bit with the polite and pretty staff.

The fireworks display was a fitting for the occasion as no expense was spared and we thanked our fortunes for another great beginning to the new year!

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