Miah Learns to Write

The last destination for our Ilocos Expedition was Batac City, Ilocos Norte which is the hometown of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos where his mausoleum, museum, and private home - the main attraction to see - are located and where his corpse is displayed. However, rumors say that the body is merely made of wax and he has already been buried somewhere else perhaps in the Libingan ng mga Bayani  or Heroes' Cemetery in Taguig or they could have brought it to Hawaii. In any case, his mausoleum is guarded by a caretaker with a camera positioned like a hawk so that it can monitor the visitors. No other cameras are allowed to take pictures or videos inside. The Marcos Private Home Marcos' Mausoleum "And if and when my commonwealth demands that blood, to cleanse her name of any crime, to free her hands for justice, and give her strength to face the world with pride, I will gladly shed that blood, burn in sacrifice, and own whatever crime, ev...

On our way home, we also stopped by the well-known St. Augustine Church in Paoay and just took some pictures and rested a while before we hit the road once again going home. Here, you would be able to see the great rock edifice of the church and its bell tower.

A couple of hours from the Bangui windmills, we reached the Malacañang of the North, the estate of the late former President Marcos during his regime where he and his family lived for quite some time. Now, it is another cultural heritage and historical site which is a must-see attraction for those who are interested to know more about the Marcos family and their lifestyle a long time ago. Malaca ñ ang of the North For only 30 pesos per individual, you can get a sneak peek of the whole place and see the different historical artifacts and furnishings that comprise the once political center where the former president conducted his diplomatic affairs. Now I consider it a heritage site and tourist spot; you will also pick up certain intellectual tidbits and trivia from their guide. Sen. Bongbong Marcos' old room The Strong Men of Asia "We Shall Make This Nation Great Again" The Diplomacy Room It is definitely a joy to tour around this exquisite mans...

On our way to Paoay, we had a little stopover at Bangui to view their impressive display of 20 gigantic towering 230-ft. high windmills that supports the Ilocos Region with its wind power to provide energy throughout the different provinces around it. You will also find a beach with pristine waters and moderate waves crashing through the rocky sand. 230-ft. windmill Same windmill Windmill row (20 windmills) 3d optical illusion? Fail. But meh, good enough I guess. Seashore Beside the windmills, there is also a lighthouse nearby as you drive on the road although we had no time to visit it anymore since we were making our way down to Manila at this point. But you can try to explore more of the windmills by entering a door at its base although I have no idea whether you can climb up the windmill through that. There are also some souvenir shops in the area like refrigerator magnets, windmill woodwork, and some shirts and key chains.

A Filipino trip is usually never complete without getting to splash around and swim in the ocean and frolicking in the sand. Since the Philippines is an archipelago, there are many places to have a good, refreshing dip in the water and walking in the warm sand. In the North, there are the famous Pagudpud beaches and shorelines of the West Philippine Sea with crystalline waters and white sands. There are also good accommodation here and nice resorts to get the full experience of being in Pagudpud, the best and probably the most expensive is Saud Beach Resort which is farthest down the road. The good thing I noticed about Pagudpud is that it is not as congested as other beaches because it stretches far and wide so there are definitely many spots and resorts that could offer a portion of the beach. I believe that with a little more effort and support from the local government, Pagudpud would become a tourist hotspot and a thriving source of income and tourism for the region. Pagud...

The next attraction on our itinerary was Baluarte which showcases a mini-zoo housing some endemic and foreign animals like the 800-lb Bengal tiger whom you can take a picture with and the Burmese albino python which stretches to about 20 feet long. You can also find here a resort complex surrounded by mountains and rocky terrain, plains and hills. This is a private estate being developed by the incumbent Governor Chavit Singson of Ilocos Sur and definitely a landmark to visit. Baluarte Inside Baluarte, you will have the chance to interact with the animals - feed them and pet them - and get real close to them as in you could see them face-to-face with no barriers in between. For most of the harmless animals, they have the freedom to go out of the fences and explore with the tourists. However, some of the really risky carnivores are kept in cages despite the fact that they are tame, it is still quite dangerous especially if they are in a bad mood. All the same, they are quite p...