Ilocos 2019

Before the Holy week, I went to Ilocos for a week-long vacation. I had an awesome time there and here are some of the highlights of my trip.

We stayed at my friend's house in Batac and for the first day, we went to the nearby beach. It was only 5-10 minutes away from their house.

The following day, we went to Badoc Island. It was more or less an hour-drive from Batac.

Then, there's a boat ride going to the virgin Island of Badoc. The boat ride was a little extreme and none of us was ready for it. How extreme? Think rio grande rapids, but in a small boat with real waves hitting it. It was so fun though. 

This island is actually private and is now for sale. When we went there, we were able to experience having the island all to ourselves because it was just us and the locals who take care of the island. 

It's a paradise and I wish I could go back and stay there overnight to be able to wake up to this view. 

The fun doesn't end there, because the next day was a long one. First stop, Patapat Viaduct. 

Next stop is Paraiso ni Anton. I was amazed by the water falls by the side of the road. I felt how cold the water is and it's perfect to refresh you if you stop there after long hours of being on the road.

This part of the highway looked like a tunnel covered by trees, we just had to take a photo in the middle of the road even though it's a bit risky. 

Then, we had lunch in Pagudpud. The restaurant has a bunch of quotes displayed and this one is definitely my favorite. 

After lunch, we went to Saud beach. There were less people and finer sand there. 

We then went to see the Bangui windmills and watched the sunset. 

The next day was more of a chill day, but since I'm technically the only "tourist", we went to visit the Paoay Church. I think there was a wedding happening when we went there. 

After taking photos in front of the church, I realized I was wearing this shirt and thought it's perfect. I definitely felt blessed spending time in Ilocos. 

In between all these highlights was a lot of time to relax, a lot of eating, and also a lot of conversations I don't fully understand. Haha! I learned a few Ilocano words, but I should probably learn more for the next trip to Ilocos.

I basically crashed my friend's vacation, and I had a lot of fun. So again, thank you Ate Joanna, Kuya Kris and the whole fam bam for adopting me for a week ❤️