I planned the third leg of my Ilocandia tour to be a DIY (Do-It-Yourself) adventure. There was no morning rush for I fully understand that the remaining places left unvisited are doable for a five-hour challenge. The kind employee at the hotel’s reception told me that the Malacanang of the North would be padlocked on a Monday. That would be dropped from the itinerary, but I welcomed the idea of just having a photo stop outside for I could only envisage the place with a long old white building in Paoay as the residence of the Marcoses.
At mid-morning, I stepped out of the hotel premises only to be tempted and gave in to the offer by the waiting driver for the Laoag-Batac-Paoay routes. If the North and South loops offer Php 600.00 for a half-day tour, Laoag tricycle drivers would be so pushy for Php 1,000. I won the haggling thing and pared it down to Php 600.00 in favor of convenience and unspoilt eyes feasting.
The welcome arch of Laoag and the long wide bridge will always be the entry point to the city proper. From the vehicle, you can see the Tabaco Monopoly Monument, the provincial capitol building, the sinking bell tower and the Aglipayan Church. I have taken photographs of all these structures on a night mode. I intended to take day mode photos of them when the tour ends around 2 pm.
LA PAZ SAND DUNES
After a 6-kilometer drive from downtown Laoag, we stopped on a sprawling elevated desert called La Paz sand dunes. Here, you may either go sand boarding or try their ATV ride. The price is set at an exorbitant rate of Php 2,000 for an hourly usage. No wonder, no one risked their money for the experience. When I was in Boracay, ATV ride was priced at Php 350.00 only and it was more fun-filled.
Before coming here, I never entertained the idea that an arid area like this exists in Laoag and in Paoay or elsewhere in the Philippines. For this leg, I rate this as the best and must-see.
MARCOS MUSEUM/MAUSOLEUM
From Laoag, we headed straight to Batac for less than an hour, I suppose. Of the three Marcos buildings, I entered the mausoleum first, then the museum, and just took a single or two outside shots from the mansion of Imelda Marcos, the incumbent congresswoman. It was all right for me to have fixed my eyes on the waxed corpse and memorabilia, but it gives me a queer feeling being in those restricted and not so-funny-places. At least, I’ve seen them.
PAOAY CHURCH AND BELFRY
I found some solace and a breather here at the spectacular Paoay Church after Batac. The stateliness of this church becomes more pronounced when viewed from afar. The photos are the best output for a souvenir. Surprisingly, no one was vending a souvenir item at all and I realized as of this writing that my airborne shot at the church facade was truly outstanding.
In addition, the church posts have intricate designs and some touch of Balinese architecture. The belfry was grand too. Based from my travels, I rank Paoay next to Miag-ao Church in Iloilo province.
PAOAY LAKE
This very placid lake can be captured in one short panoramic sweep of my camera. What I mean is it is a small lake but a national treasure, a protected landscape. Various kinds of birds hover and dive into its waters. This is also a resort where you can kill time and relax with friends or you alone.
MALACANANG OF THE NORTH
In my mind, I was ready to depart from the place right after capturing few shots. The military officer on duty directed us to proceed to the building yonder and advised us to pay there. Yes, it was open even on a Monday. It was a relief not to miss out this item from my itinerary. The paint of Malacanang Ti Amianan was not white as I first thought of but dark brown. Anyway, the place was about Marcos again and in all fairness, everything is beautiful and pleasant to the eyes. On the porch, you could see the pacific beauty of Paoay Lake and hear the trees rustle bringing in soothing lake breeze. This is what I liked most about this place.
FORT ILOCANDIA/NEW SM HYPERMART
A very quick sightseeing and a peek inside the fort rounded out our tour. It’s a five-star hotel and a recreation hub which was frequented by foreign guests from Taiwan and China before. Our driver-cum-guide told us that because of the Mendoza hostage drama, the influx of tourists slowed down and has resulted in the cancellation of international flights at Laoag Airport. We were the only tourists around and the stillness was sickening. We abandoned the place soon and headed for the city for some unfinished business. We went to the newly opened SM hypermarket, lunch at Macy’s and more sightseeing followed before going back to my hotel.
OCTOBER 30: DEPARTURE
Before noon, the hotel driver drove me to the airport for my 2pm flight. The airport’s status being an International Airport is a far cry from the standards, I think.
TRIVIA
The movie “Suddenly It’s Magic” was filmed in Ilocos and has included scenes from the airport, Bangui Wind Mills, Paoay Church, Kapurpurawan and Fort Ilocandia plus the city fountains. I watched the movie a day after my arrival.
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