Another Scribble on my Passport #Philippines

During childhood, how many of you have enjoyed the feeling of finishing a notebook and then buying a new one? My passport is going to be one such notebook, and I will stay a child forever. I never say that everybody must travel, my only suggestion is “If your heart wants to travel, do not stop yourself”. Some time back, I also proposed a plan where we can travel with our fellow bloggers. Isn’t it fun to meet bloggers in person? This time, I met a blogger friend whom I know through blogging.  One must never say that he/she wants to travel, but they can’t.

When you want to do something, you’ll find reasons to do it. If you don’t want something, excuses are always there.

For those who cite financial excuses, traveling does not mean that you have to take a flight to a renowned tourist destination. World is full of destinations, we just need an eye of a traveler. More often then not, we underestimate the places which are nearby. Every country is blessed with numerous examples of natural beauty. I always prefer going to places which are not on the global travel map. That is why I omitted Palawan and Boracay from my Filipino itinerary. Around 80% of the visitors go there, that is why I chose to roam around the less popular parts.

MANILA

The trip began from the capital city of Manila. If you are a party animal from the generation of mall-culture lovers, Manila is the city for you. The city is also blessed with some of the historically important sites of the Philippines. The first one which comes to my mind is Rizal Park. National hero José Rizal was executed here on December 30, 1896 and this acted as a major ignition for the Philippine Revolution against the Kingdom of Spain. As many would know, United States defeated Spain in 1898 and took over the reins of Philippines. Later on, in 1946, the declaration Philippine Independence from the United States was made in this park.

Depiction of the public execution of José Rizal

Manila Bay is another place where one can spend evenings and also take a walk around the oldest district of Manila i.e. Intramuros. It acted as the seat of government for the Spanish empire. The places outside the boundaries are called extramuros.

Entrance of the Intramuros

LA UNION

My next hop was this city which never stops surfing. In short, surfing is a way of life here. I stayed at a creative cottage and the pictures are going to make you envy me. This is a must go for adventure lovers. They provide you surf instructors without digging a hole in your pocket. I had a great time here and I made friends with some of the surf instructors there. Does it sound like a plan for the future trips? 😉

From left: A cool reception desk, the staying area, the kinky washroom

This guy surely thought of surf before anything else

LAOAG

We were on way to Pagudpud, and we chose to have a look around this city which is categorized as a first class city and it is the capital of the Ilocos Norte province of the Philippines.Other than the official importance, this place has the Sinking Bell Tower and the Sand Dunes. The SInking Bell Tower, standing 45 feet tall, is considered to the strongest and tallest bell tower in the Philippines. Built by the Augustinians in 1612, the tower is sinking because of its weight and soft foundations of sand. They say that the entrance was high enough to let a horse-rider in, but now, a person has to lean while entering the tower. Unfortunately, they do not allow visitors to climb up anymore.

The sinking bell tower of Laoag city

A panoramic view of the sand dunes

Where the sand dunes meets sea

PAGUDPUD

This coastal resort town was my next stop and the place gave me a great insight into nature. The white sand beaches and clear water of the beaches made me fall in love with this city. Let me cut this paragraph short, because a picture is worth a thousand words.

The Patapat Viaduct

The Timmangtang Rock

Bantay Abot Cave

The Blue Lagoon

TAGAYTAY

The last phase of the trip was in the Tagaytay city of Cavite province. Because of its high altitude, this city is blessed with a great climate. Taal Volcano is one of the most beautiful thing about this place. Taal lake surround the volcano and it fills the caldera formed by the historic eruptions of the volcano. This is the third largest lake in the Philippines. Volcano Island lies near the center of the lake. This island also has a crater lake on it, and it the world’s largest lake on an island (Volcano Island) in a lake (Taal Lake) on an island.

Volcano Island at the center of the Taal lake

The crater lake on the Volcano Island

This post is incomplete without a mention of the Red Horse. It’s amazing balance of sweet and bitter made me grab a bottle everyday.

Four bowls of garlic rice and a Swedish massage later, I was on my way back to Taiwan. If anyone of you needs further details, travel advice etc, feel free to drop me an e-mail at 4yearoldadult@gmail.com

©4yearoldadult

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