It’s mid-April and the heat of the sun is piercing but we had to keep on walking to get to our destination. The rugged terrain of the north was not unpleasant; it was the heat and the humidity that really wore us out. We arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport a few days earlier amidst the hustle and bustle of people at the lounge –tourists and Filipinos who are home for the summer were patiently waiting for their ride. Fresh from jetlag, we immediately boarded a bus to the northern part of the country. We slept the whole time and arrived at Batac, Ilocos Norte by dusk.
We spent the night at a local inn, ate a tasty mix of native vegetables and fish before finally settling in. The next morning we started our tour around town. We went to the Marcos’ family home to see the former dictator’s waxed remains. He still looked the same the day he died, the rather chilly tomb facilitate in preserving his body from the tropical country’s heat. The old mansion made mainly of bricks and wood panels now functions as a mausoleum for the deposed leader.
After our tour inside the Marcos mansion we crossed the bridge nearby and had a sumptuous snack at one of the riverside eateries. We ordered empanada, a local sandwich with monggo sprouts, papaya shreds, and egg. The waitress served it with a local sausage native to the area along with spiced vinegar made out of sugarcane. 
After our beautiful meal we drove to the sand dunes 15 minutes away. Amazingly, this part of the country also grows pine trees even if a part of its terrain mimics the desert. The roads going to Malacañang of the North was almost empty, with only a few cars crossing our path. The mansion was the former rest house of the Marcoses during the President’s 20-year-dictatorship. The porch at the back has a wonderful view of the Paoay Lake.
We had a quick lunch in a restaurant in front of the 300 year old Paoay Church. Their menu boasts a selection of local culinary delights . We decided to eat a bowl of miki, a native soup with flat noodles and chicken strips along with an order of chicharon, deep fried pork, with red rice. For desert, we ate a fruit cocktail composed of fruits that grow in the area.
After driving around in the outskirts of town, we were dropped off at Fort Ilocandia, a hotel around 30 minutes away from Paoay. The hotel, liked many of the structures in this part of the country are Spanish-inspired. The Philippines was under Spanish rule for 300 years, making this Asian nation different from its neighbors. The rather posh hotel served as our home for 2 days. We spent the rest of the day swimming in the beautiful beaches nearby. There weren’t many people so it was ideal for some of us to sleep in the cottages after an afternoon snack. By dusk, we went back to the hotel to have dinner and then off we went to the city proper to see the bell tower, and the night plaza. It is not very hot at night in this part of the country so we enjoyed a quiet walk on Laoag’s streets until the hotel’s tour bus came to fetch us. The next day we went to visit other Spanish churches still standing in the quiet towns of Ilocos Norte.
That night, we ate dinner at the hotel’s buffet restaurant. We had quite a few servings of buttered shrimp, some of the local favorites and of course a few plates of different international delights. We checked out the Casino Filipino after dinner, had a few drinks and then went back to our rooms. Our stay in the luxurious hotel was almost over because the next day was our tour to the windmills of Bangui.
After the sightseeing we headed to the white beaches of Pagudpud to soak up the sun, swim in the bluish green waters and dine alfresco. As much as we wanted to stay for a few more days at the beach, we had to head further north. We went to Pagudpud’s town proper to wait for a ride going to Cagayan Valley. The bus we were waiting for was rented by one of our Filipino friends so we can go to our destination without delay.
The bus was a bit old. The driver said it’s one of those buses that were donated by the US –their former colonial master who granted the Philippines its freedom in 1946. We spent the 2 hour bus ride going to Cagayan telling each other stories of our experiences the first time we stepped on the group of islands.
Going up the mountainous terrain, we saw clouds covering the roads amidst the backdrop of the azure blue sky. It almost felt like there was no road at all and we were headed to a dead end. Our driver kept on driving and the whole bus was enveloped by the clouds. When we reached the valley, we were greeted by a small waterfall. We stopped by for a drink and washed our faces then said goodbye to the driver. This was the end of his itinerary and this was where we officially started our trek way up the valley into the mountainous areas of the Northern provinces.
After an hour or two of vigorous walking, we have finally reached our destination –a shop famous for not having a cashier or any personnel manning it. We took what we wanted, looked at the price list, placed our payment inside a tin can and got our change from the change box. We then headed back to the dirt road, taking pictures along the way.
It was already late afternoon and the shapely mountain ranges seemed relieved that the glaring heat of the sun is no longer as strong as it was at mid-afternoon. It was time to ride another bus to Tuguegarao, Cagayan Valley’s capital city. The city is sheltered by three mountain ranges, the temperature in this area is a lot cooler compared to the lower mountains of Ilocos Norte.
We knew we were finally there when we were already crossing the scenic Buntun Bridge. The bridge goes over a large body of water where the fisher folk of Cagayan usually get their daily catch. When we reached town, it was already too late for dinner so we went to one of the fast food chains instead of trying out the local cuisine.
We stayed in a small inn for the night. We wanted to camp out in the province’s lush virgin forests but it was already too dark to set camp. Everyone slept like a baby, exhausted from the trek and the bus rides.
We woke up at around 6 in the morning, had a breakfast of pandesal, a Spanish-inspired bread and a staple for every Filipino’s breakfast. Eggs and the local sausages were served with the bread to the delight of everyone. It turns out that our trip to the country’s northern provinces is not only a nature trek but a culinary experience as well.
After eating, we got our gears ready for another trek, this time to the caves of Cagayan. We started out from the city proper, trekking up to the steep mountains to visit the Callao Cave located in a nearby town. We were fortunate it’s not the rainy season so the cave was not muddy at all. Inside the cave is a chapel along with 6 other chambers. The chapel is rather dramatic during the day as the sun illuminates its halls through an opening above.
While we were in the area, we decided to take a boat ride on wooden boats going to the Mororan River. We passed by a small rainforest, scenic rocky cliffs, a bat cave and the panoramic river banks –the crystal clear waters inviting us for a morning swim.
We stayed in Cagayan for a few more days to experience camping in its beautiful rainforests. Our journey took us to more caves in the area and more Ilocano dishes that sustained us with enough energy to trek some more.
Finally it was time to go back to Metro Manila to meet a few friends. The journey to the North cannot be matched by any picture or photo. To experience this nature trip one more time, we would have to go back to the Northern Philippines soon.
There are so many places to go to in the Philippines and if you are a Filipino, exploring your own country before visiting other tourist spots in Asia or in other parts of the world is a must. The three main islands in the Philippines include Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Luzon is where the capital is located. 
