Work found me in Laoag City last November, with one whole afternoon free. For P3000 I and some colleagues rented a van and toured nearby environs.
A quick note: Laoag, the northernmost city in the Philippines, is the provincial capital of Ilocos Norte. Tourism is a major industry in the area, and for a series of posts I'll show some places of note.
First stop is the Pasuquin Ilocos Norte's REFMAD Dragonfruit Fruit Farm, which claims to be the first plantation of its kind in the province and the Ilocos region. What started out as a hobby for Ms. Edita Aguinaldo Dacuycuy is now a thriving enterprise, with demand outstripping supply.
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How can i describe the taste without sounding forced? Let's just say this tastes
better than the pale ones in Manila. The deep purple ones are sweeter, with hints of strawberry, kiwi, and banana. |
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| the scales are reptilian, thus the name |
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| the dragon fruit plant needs support to remain upright |
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| we arrived weeks after the harvest. this is one of the last fruits still clinging to its branch |
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| try the ice cream. it's quite good, and very refreshing |
Next we made a stop at the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, a cultural heritage structure in Burgos, Ilocos Norte.
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| the lighthouse was first lit on March 30, 1892. until today, it serves as guide for sea-faring veseels |
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| view from the area where we alighted from the van |
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| Cape Bojeador over yonder |
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the lighthouse is typical of the spanish colonial lighthouses, made of
bricks prevalent in the area |
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the lighthouse was declared a national historical landmark in 2004
and a national cultural treasure the following year |
For my next post, I'll be featuring natural and man-made formations that rock
