Ilocos Norte Quick Day Tour 2: the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation

In my earlier post, I wrote about our visit to a dragon fruit plantation and the Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. Renting a van made this lightning visit very convenient, and having a knowledgeable driver navigate us through the old (the lighthouse) and the new (the plantation) sights made the trip worthwhile. Next on the agenda was the Kapurpurawan Rock Formation, a place we've never been before, having only known it myself through the local edition  of Project Runway, where it served as inspiration for the work of one of the contestants.

The Kapurpurawan Rock Formation was located minutes away from the lighthouse.
Kapurpurawan refers to the "whiteness" of the exposed  limestone

To get to the rock formation, we had to walk through this 

At one point the trail was blanketed by the trees

the rocky coast of Burgos

We could have settled for this--stopping by the view-deck.

...but we soldiered on, going round the cliff to get a better view...

...and it was worth it!

We had to be careful--one false move and we'd plunge down here 

Allan was surefooted, and he earned this winning shot. Note the thorny twigs just below him?
They were placed there to prevent people from attempting to cross  the more perilous side

The exposed cliff provided many opportunities for cam-whoring. :-)

Some of us went exploring here, and saw some fish...

...and spindly crabs!

It was near-dusk when we returned to the van. The moon has already
made an appearance, but we still have one stop to go

Next stop: Bangui Windmills

Pasalubong Options 2: Bacolod and Pampanga

1. Bacolod

Work found me in Bacolod a few months ago, and beyond the usual piaya and biscocho here are things that I tried and brought back home to Manila.

baye-baye is made of coconut meat, sugar, and pinipig.
sticky and grainy in texture,  the ones i tasted hinted of peanuts

merci pasalubongs are found all over the city, and this one is quite addicting 

ogoy-ogoy

cute shirt. from merci pasalubong

2. Pampanga

Pampanga is known for its good cooks, and this product affirms that. I did not travel to Pampanga for this one; it was brought to the office by a colleague. Joriel's cassava cake, a popular dessert, is soft, moist and rich. Cassava cake is made from manioc, a woody shrub cultivated for its edible tuberous root. It appears that Joriel's cassava cake is based in Mexco, Pampanga. 

Ilocos Norte Quick Day Tour: Dragons and Lighthouses

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.

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.

the scales are reptilian, thus the name

the dragon fruit plant needs support to remain upright

we arrived weeks after the harvest. this is one of the last fruits still clinging to its branch

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. 

the lighthouse was first lit on March 30, 1892. until today, it serves as guide for sea-faring veseels

view from the area where we alighted from the van

Cape Bojeador over yonder

the lighthouse is typical of the spanish colonial lighthouses, made of
bricks prevalent in the area

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

Bohol's Flushing Meadows Resort and Playground

If you want tranquility and solitude in your next island getaway, consider Bohol's Flushing Meadows Resort and Playground located at Panglao Island. It is located about an hour away from tourist-heavy Alona Beach

Panglao is derived from "panggaw," a fishing device. Aside from being a tourism hotspot, Panglao is also a  marine biodiversity center after numerous species of crustaceans and mollusks were discovered around the island in late 2000s. 

Obviously the owner is a tennis freak--Flushing Meadows Corona Park is where the US Open Tennis Tournament has been held since 1978. Wonder no more why the facilities are named after tennis greats, i.e. the Graf Conference Room. 

even though it was raining when we arrived, i was impressed with the place

love the mural adorning the main door

closer look

i wanted to read a book in this corner

i was there for work, and this was my room

flipflops in summery colors

view from my door

golden papayas

what the frack?

geckos! they were ginormous, and everywhere 

from the conference room, to the beach

on the last day of work i woke up early to take some last shots of the resort 

a chapel inside the compound

the restaurant. nearby, obscured, is the pool

yonder looks interesting

crystal clear water--those specks make up a school of tiny fish

because of the rain, we missed having our meals here

money shot

Flushing Meadows Resort and Playground 

Brgy. Dao, Dauis, Panglao Island

Manila Office Contact No.: (+63) 02 892-4961