A Vacation up North: Cagayan Valley and side trip to Ilocos Norte 2015 (Day 2 of 4)

Day 2 of our vacation...

Bangui Windmills. At Bangui, Ilocos Norte

 Second day (My strangest experience so far)

We woke up early to our excitement, around 5am, and prepared for our supposed-to-be "Pamamasyal" (Stroll).

My uncle's van arrived at 8 in the morning. So our 1st stop was at Patapat around 8:45am, I think.

Patapat bridge (via duct)

Here is a snapshot of me, my cousins and my aunt along the road.

See that we are just beside the mountain and the sea.

And this is me and my hubby on the other side of the road. Does the bridge look like a Snake road?

The place is so nice to have a few minute stopover and savor the scenery because the bridge is beside the sea, just look at this lovely ones. The stones are larger than what you're thinking.

Then after a few hours we passed by this tree in Bangui, Ilocos Norte. Actually, there's nothing special about this tree but to me that tree has something I can't explain hahaha..

A few minutes later I saw this giant. The Windmill. There are many of this in Bangui and Burgos, Ilocos Norte. The first time I saw this I feel like I was looking at an alien spaceship hahaha, It was scary. Yeah! It was, for me, like an alien spaceship that was peeping on top of the trees.

Here are some of them, just beside the one I saw earlier. I think these are the new ones that was just built few months ago when Ilocos government officials announced they are adding more Windmills.

Then a few more hours we were already in Burgos. Yes, again you can see the beautiful crystal blue Sea. There are also some Windmills in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. There was also a Dragon Fruit farm along the side street but I was not able to get a shot of it because it was in the other side of the road and I was seated at the right (beside the door of the van). Ilocos Norte have lots of beautiful sites to see. It may not be a tourist spot but I'm sure you will enjoy the long hour drive.

It was 10:00am and we were still in Burgos. Plan A should be a stop at the church of Paoay, Ilocos Norte and since it's already 11am and nearing lunch time we then planned to eat lunch at Laoag and of course do stroll ali'le bit but suddenly our van stopped in this place. (Still in Burgos).

Actually, it felt creepy for me because this is also the actual place where my uncle's van (same van) was stucked, also, 8 years ago when we should be going to Laoag to go pasyal (stroll) at the same time visit my cousin who was studying there.

Here you see how bored we were. hahaha.. My cousins in the right and my aunt in blue shirt while my hubby is busy with his phone. Sigh! He's always busy with his phone and never let go of it. Google here, Office emails there. IT people are so tech-y.

And because nature was calling (ha ha ha) we decide to ask the woman in the store nearby where their bathroom/comfort room was. She, then, asked us if we would like to see their "Asinan" (pagawaan ng asin/a place where salt is made). That was the large bahay kubo you saw in the picture above.

The Asinan. this is the kubo where they make salt.

Here are some of the pictures inside the Asinan

Some sack of salt.

 This is how they make the salt. Hinahango, meaning to remove from the heat or fire. Then they transfer it in the basket and let the excess water drip.

They use Ipa, chaff or husk of palay/rice grain, for cooking.

Here's a photo of us after the Asinan mini tour. That's how big the kubo is.

See the bunch of garlic hanging?

My mommy holding a bunch of bawang Ilocos.

 A snapshot of my mommy. Also in her back was the store owner who was so kind enough to show us their asinan and the seaweeds she gave to mommy for us to try. Thank you Manang (elder lady) for you kindness.

bunch of Garlic (Bawang Ilocos)

After that mini Asinan tour we then had our lunch in a canteen few kilometers away from where the van is. It was already 1:30pm when we ate lunch. 

We waited there for about 3  hours and because I was so bored I went out and saw this one.

 Outside that canteen is a store of Ilocano products like Salt, bunch of small Bawang (Garlic), bunch of small Sibuyas (Onion), Sukang iloko, Sukang iloko with sili (Red Chilli), Ilocano homemade Bagoong and more. And I saw this bottle of binurong Karamay (Gooseberries soaked in Ilocos Vinegar a.k.a. Sukang Iloko). So I decided to buy 2 bottles of the Karamay.

Binurong Karamay. Karamay in Sukang Iloko.

(Please click here to see the fresh Karamay/Gooseberry fruit)

Summer is Karamay season up North of the Philippines (March to April). It is abundant in most Ilocano provinces like Tarlac, Pangasinan, Nueva Ecija, Ilocos Sur and Norte, Cagayan Valley and Isabella. How to eat this? Either soak it in vinegar for few days and enjoy the sweet-sour taste of it or just drizzle with salt, mix then eat as it is. But be careful not to bite hard or swallow it as soon as you put it in your mouth because it has a hard, rock-like seed inside. You cannot see Karamay in Metro Manila so whenever there is I usually buy lots of it to take home.

So, These where the highlights of our day 2. Stay tune for day 3 and 4.