Vigan, Ilocos Sur | Ng Mag Date Kami Ni Lord - A Challenge!

It's my first time to write a blog. So please spare me! Haha! The experience is just so memorable that I can't help sharing it with friends. Enjoy!

December 27, 2012, Thursday

I am alone...aw! Kobe is spending his remaining holidays with his dad's place in Pampanga. And me? Well, I still have one more day to spend in the office, then bongga! It's a long weekend and I do not know how to spend it.

Makalayas na nga lang... Ituloy ko na lang kaya ung plan ko mag travel mag-isa... san naman ako pupunta? Gusto ko ba bumalik sa Ilocos Sur para mag reminisce (echos!)? Or gusto ko bang pumunta sa Tuguegarao to replace loneliness and pain (another echos!) with challenge and excitement?

That's decided, tomorrow after office, I'm gonna travel alone, to where, I do not know yet. I started to pack my stuff - shorts, shirts, pantulog, jacket, camera, toiletries, cookies and my new travel buddy - books!!! I have Quickie by James Patterson and Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (just in case I decided to just stay in the comfortable bed in the hotel..hihi).

December 28, 2012, Friday

I got in the office early and spent my whole morning thinking of where to go - Ilocos Sur or Tuguegarao?

Why Ilocos Sur?

1. Kobe's dad and I have a lot of happy memories in Ilocos Sur (actually, our kilig moments started in Ilocos). Yes, that's Kobe's dad - the man I marry and broke my heart into thousand pieces (chos!)... We are no longer getting along for several months. I wanna go back to Ilocos alooooone - to reminisce! Haha!
2. I want to fulfill my dream - to sleep in one of the old houses in Calle Crisologo in Vigan City.
3. I am craving for the authentic Vigan empanada.
4. I want to go to the beach. I read somewhere that Cabugao Beach Resort is a nice beach in Ilocos Sur. I searched for it and put it on my bucket list.

Why Tuguegarao?

It is something new. I haven't been here so that's where the excitement is.

In the afternoon, I found myself searching for cheap yet cozy hotels in Calle Crisologo. Then talking to someone in Partas Bus Lines bound to Laoag, asking if reservation is needed and if there are reclining seats available (I read from a blog that Partas is good - comfortable and fast). Answer? Reservation is not needed, the schedule will not be followed since it's peak season - it will be a first come, first serve basis. No hassle right? And yes, they have reclining seats. As for their service, hmmm... the answer is at the end of this blog :)

I am planning to be at the Partas Bus Terminal at 10PM. Ideally, by bus, travel from Manila to Vigan is 8 hours. If my computation is right, I will be in Vigan at around 6AM. Gonna take an hour rest, freshen up, have the street photos taken, have my breakfast in the hotel's resto or in Cafe Leona, walk around the plaza, go back to the hotel, prepare my trip to Cabugao Beach (a 30-minute bus ride from Vigan according to their site), spend the afternoon there, wait for the sunset and travel back to Vigan :) Now, that's what you called a PLAN!

So what to do to kill time after office?! Kelangan pa ba i-memorize yan?! 

I met my girlfriends in Metrowalk and we grabbed some drinks. At 9:30PM, we agreed to leave the bar since they too have an early trip bound to south. They drop me in EDSA-Cubao. I asked the police officer near the Baliuag Transit Terminal on where I can find the Partas Bus Terminal. Alas! I'm on the other side of the planet! He told me to cross the bridge (near 5-Star Bus Terminal) and walk going to Aurora Blvd.

Very few people knew that I am travelling solo - only my girlfriends whom I met in Metrowalk and some team mates from Globe. So I promised my girlfriends that I will text them frequently on my whereabouts (mahirap na, baka ma-dead-ers ako somewhere, walang nakakaalam).

Challenge #1:

Going to Partas Bus Terminal is a bit scary. The road is dark, though there are lots of cars, only few people are walking (I'm just waiting that someone will grab my bag and run. Paranoid lang!).

I arrived at the bus terminal around 10PM (jam packed with passengers) and went directly to the ticket booth when the guy inside announced "stub number 201-220, pwede na pong pumila" and then a security guard approached me and asked for my stub (am I not supposed to get my stub on the ticket booth?).

Having read my confusion, the security guard asked me to proceed to the nearby building and get a stub.

Partas Bus Terminal in Aurora Boulevard, Cubao, Quezon City

Yes! Passengers are everywhere

Scene on the other building:
Me: Laoag po.
Stub Man: Ilan po?
Me: Isa lang po.
Stub Man: Nag-iisa ka lang ma'am? 
Me (and my thoughts working): I just told you man.
Stub Man: Haba ng pila, mahirapan ka sumakay.
Me: Ok lang po.
Me (and my thoughts working): None of your business.

The stub man gave me my ticket and my eyes got wider. It's stub number 1162!!! Wahhhh! And the man from the ticket booth just called in 201-220! My gulay! How long am I supposed to wait here? I texted my friend and told her about it. She called me and said "Potch, pag 4am andyan ka pa, sunduin ka na lang namin ha, sumama ka na lang samin sa Galera". Haha! I just said, "Bahala na, we'll see, baka mag Tuguegarao na lang ako".

My Stub Number

I sat somewhere in the waiting area, grabbed my Patterson book and  started reading. It's 11PM and we haven't reached stub number 300 yet. I finished my first book and got bored. And good Lord, they stopped calling the numbers. I tried to make a conversation with the girl on my right.

Me: San ka miss?
Girl: Laoag. Kaw san ka?
Me: Vigan. You from there? Vacation?
Girl: Oo. Long weekend. Ngayon lang ulit ako uuwi, last ko nung June pa. Ikaw, san ka sa Vigan?
Me (and my thoughts working): San nga ulit pupunta?
Me: Sa Calle Crisologo, day trip, uwi din ako tomorrow (sabay smile).
Girl: Aw, bakit mag-isa ka lang?
Me (and my thoughts working): Loner ako e, walang pakialamanan.
Me: Trip lang, malaman kung anong feeling mag travel mag-isa (sabay smile). Ikaw, anong ticket number mo?
Girl: 602, kaw ba?
Me (and my thoughts working): Sheeyt Potch, kaibiganin mo na yan, para ikuha ka nya ng ticket, if not abutin ka New Year dito sa terminal!
Me: Wow, buti ka pa, 1162 pa ko, ang tagal pa, what time ka andito?
Girl: 8PM ako dumating, nagsimula pa lang sila mag tawag nun.
Me: Aw, ang tagal pa pala, tapos ngaun nag stop na sila, ano kayang problema? Baka naman pwede mo kong isabay sa pagbili ng ticket mo...sige na please...1 night lang ako sa Vigan, para naman masulit ko (with pleading eyes)...
Girl: Sige..try natin.
Me (and my thoughts working): Yes! Thank you Lord!

December 29, 2012, Saturday

Challenge #2:

Past midnight. They are no longer calling our stub numbers so I approached the man in the ticket booth.

Me: Kuya, bakit kayo nag stop mag tawag?

Ticket Booth Man: Ma'am saglit lang ha, kulang kasi tayo sa resources.

Me: Ano pong resources, diba madami namang bus?

Ticket Booth Man: Yes ma'am, kaso wala na tayong driver tsaka kundoktor, straight shift na sila simula nung 21, nagpapahinga pa sila.

Me (and my thoughts working): Wawa naman sila, nung 21 pa sila di natutulog..Hehehe.

Me: What time kayo kuya mag tawag ulit? Antok na ko e.

Ticket Booth Man: Maya-maya siguro ma'am, upo na lang muna kayo.

Partas Bus Lines Ticket Booth

Are you wondering if I thought of going to other terminals bound to Laoag? Of course yes!

Before I talked to the ticket booth man, 2 girls arrived.  They have been in Florida Bus terminal and told me that bus tickets are reserved until the following morning, that is why they are trying their luck in Partas. Well, I really wished them good luck because I saw their stub number - it's freaking 1500 already!!! Haha!

I'm wondering what their stub number is....

1AM, no progress at all. I told myself that if they didn't start calling in at 2AM, either I go home, catch some sleep and go back to this freaking terminal at 6AM, or, go to any terminal bound to Tuguegarao :)

2AM when they continue calling in passengers. Yehey! And I must admit, it became faster. At 3AM, the girl with the 602 stub number asked me, "Sabay ka pa rin, kuha kita ticket? Malapit na ko tawagin". And I answered her, "Yes please... gawin mo na lahat ate ng pwede mo gawin, lahat ng pwede mo sabihin, makakuha lang ako ng ticket". "Sige, sige", she told me.

I saw her really trying her best to convince the man from the ticket booth to hand her one more ticket, then with sadly face she told me, "Ayaw nya talaga e, 1 stub, 1 ticket lang daw, kawawa naman daw ung mga naka pila." I just said, "Oo nga e, thank you ha... So, matatagalan pa ko, happy trip!". We then parted ways.

2 more hours and they started calling stub number ranging to 1100. Yehey!!! I saw the light! Haha! At exactly 4:10AM, I got my ticket for P600+! Praise the Lord!!! I look for the bus number indicated on the ticket and hopped on! I do not know what time the bus left the terminal as I immediately fell asleep the moment my body touched the seat reserved for me.

My Bus and Manong Conductor

If we leave the terminal around 4:30AM, then I'll be in Vigan at 12 noon. Not bad. I can still do the activities I'm planning to do. But did you know what happened?

Challenge #3:

The supposedly 8-hr Manila-Vigan trip became 12 f______ing hours!!!
The actual 8 hours of Manila-Vigan trip 
+ 
a total of an hour picking up passengers bound to Laoag 
+ 
a total of 3 hours in bus stops/terminals

Naging close na nga kami ng manong conductor, kakatanong ko ng "Kuya, gano pa ba katagal? Bakit ang tagal naman?" At sa kakatanong nya ng "Bakit nag-iisa ka lang?" Gusto ko na nga sabihin, "I'm not alone...Kasama ko si Lord". Haha!

Plan changed. I can no longer have my sunset shots in Cabugao Beach since it's almost an hour drive from Vigan (hindi ako aabot). I am mentally updating my plans - get some rest, go outside and take some pictures, roam around, go to the plaza, eat empanada, find a bank (yeah, don't have much left in my pocket), buy milk and water, go back to the hotel, call my baby Kobe, find somewhere to eat dinner, sleep, check out at 7AM the following day, travel to Cabugao, enjoy the beach (though I didn't bring swim wear), go home (AND...AND...AND... find a way of getting back to Manila via other bus lines except PARTAS!!!).

I arrived in Vigan at 4PM, I took a tricycle and asked the driver to drop and wait for me in Cordillera Inn. It's the first hotel on my list. I got several but I only want to inquire on this one and on Grandpa's Inn (because of the kalesa-like bed). Cheapest in Cordillera Inn is P1500 for two, with free breakfast (I did ask for discount since I am alone and will check out early, to no avail). So I asked the tricycle driver to bring me to Grandpa's Inn, which is not in Crisologo street, but,still part of the heritage village, but all rooms are occupied so I ended up paying in Cordillera Inn.

The first thing I did was take pictures of my room that's very nice and cozy. I freshen up and roam around the hotel. Nothing extraordinary, but I love the idea of spending a night in such place - filled with Spanish style-houses where the rich people lived during the Spanish era. Who wouldn't love that?

Wanna see what's inside Cordillera Inn?

Cosina Ilocana (Cordillera Inn's Resto):

Outside are lots of tourists (parang beach lang na maraming itik ang peg!) - taking pictures, buying souvenirs, walking, talking. A very busy street at 5PM. I decided to take my pictures the following morning, around 6AM, when people are still asleep (tingnan ko lang kung di ko masolo ang street...Hehehe!). I still took some pictures, went inside each store, trying to remember the exact spots we've been together (hmm...reminiscing... those were the happy days), then caught myself teary-eyed (haha! yun yun e!).

The busy street of Calle Crisologo:

 

 

I went to the church's patio, then the plaza, found a BDO ATM (ola! biglang nag offline nung turn ko na, how lucky I am!), found another ATM, went to the supermarket to buy milk and water, go back to the plaza to eat empanada.

Plaza Burgos

I forgot the name of this church

This is where you eat empanada

I sat beside the 2 girls from Manila. They're talking about the street food near their school - UST if I remember it right. I am tempted to talk to them, but hold myself, I don't know why (maybe because the first time I ate Vigan empanada, I was with him... I feel the pain again...Now, you know, how dramatic I can be. Haha!).

Anyways, I ordered empanada and okoy, enjoying every bit of it. For P60, my tummy is already happy and satisfied.

I thought of dining to Cafe Leona but I am still full. I went back to the hotel to inquire on how to get to Cabugao or how to catch a Florida Bus from the highway (lucky again for me, they don't know where the Florida Bus terminal is).

The making of empanada:

Empanada Mania: 

8PM, I am enjoying my bed!!! Weeee!!! It felt sooooo gooooood! Since dog-tired, I have been knocked out at around 9PM.

December 30, 2012, Sunday

I woke up at 5:30AM, freshen up and got myself ready for breakfast. I went outside the hotel at exactly 6AM, and bingo!!! No one is around!!! This is the chance I've been waiting for --- Pictuuuuuuuuures!!!

Calle Crisologo at 6AM:

I had egg and Vigan longganisa for breakfast. Yummy! It's so Vigan!

I went back to my room, feel everything on it for the last time then grab my bag, return the key to the receptionist and said my good bye to the hotel manager (?) - close na rin kami kakatanong nya sakin kung bakit ako nag-iisa at kakatanong ko sa kanya kung pano ko pupunta ng beach. Haha!

Outside, I asked the tricycle driver to drop me where I can ride a bus going to Laoag (Cabugao's direction is same as Laoag). He even volunteered to take a picture of me (very nice of you manong). Time check, 7AM.

I gave manong driver P50, then after 10 minutes, came an aircon bus bound to Laoag.

Waiting for the bus to arrive bound to Laoag

I hopped on, told the conductor to drop me anywhere in Cabugao where I can ride a tricycle and gave him the P50 bus fare. I texted my girlfriends and updated them on my plans. We talked most of the time I was on the bus, catching up. Then I became teary-eyed again. Haha! (The dramas of travelling alone).

At 7:50AM, I reached the town of Cabugao and they called the place "Sentro". I asked the tricycle driver to take me to Cabugao Beach Resort. It's just a 10-minute ride and fare is P40. Actually (I just realized it after my beach tour), the bus can drop you in Barangay Pug-Os, Cabugao, from there is a minute walk going to the resort.

The cloud is dark, it just rained, but I am still hoping to get a good view of the beach. I told the resort's security guard that I just want to check on the beach. So he allowed me to get in without paying for an entrance fee, hehehe (thank you manong guard). The resort is huge. As in huge. Capable of handling events like weddings and birthdays. And the pool's location is just perfect - a view of the beach!

The verdict? The resort is clean, also the pool, and it seems that they had an event the previous day because of the scattered tables and chairs near the pool area. And yes, the beach is good, not perfect, nothing so much on it... fine grayish to white sand but feels serene. I let my feet linger on the sand in a while.

Wanna take a peek?!

At 8:35AM, I left the beach. I asked the resort's security guard on the BEST way to get back to Manila excluding Partas bus on the list. Haha! And don't think that I didn't call Florida Bus Line to inquire. My phone battery got almost drained trying to call the reservation office of Florida, to no avail - no one's answering on their goddamn numbers!

Me: Manong, pano ko balik ng Manila ng hindi ako sasakay ng Partas? Super bagal kasi e.

Guard: Ay oo ma'am, mabagal talaga un, lahat kasi hinihintuan nun. San ka ba sa Manila ma'am?

Me: Going Cubao. Kahit Manila-bound mismo ok lang. Yung Florida Bus ba, may terminal sa Laoag (yeah, I even planned to get to Laoag just to escape Partas), kahit hindi sa Laoag, san may malapit na terminal dito ung Florida.

Guard: Actually ma'am, dyan lang sa waiting shed sa kanto dumadaan ung mga bus, wala naman ibang dadaanan yan. Pwede ka dyan maghintay, matagal nga lang, pero dyan naman un daaanan. Di kasi ako sigurado sa Florida ma'am kung san terminal nila e.

Me: Ah... san pa ko pwede maghintay? If not dyan sa may labasan?

Guard: Pwede kayo sa sentro. Dun nag stop talaga mga bus.

Me (and my thoughts working): Sentro... sentro... sentro...keep that in mind Potch.

After 5 minutes in the waiting shed, I saw Partas bus coming (manong is right!), bound to Pasay. The bus slows down on the waiting shed, but I ignored it. Another 10 minutes... then another 15 minutes... I saw the pink bus!!! There's only 1 pink bus here in the North!!! Florida Bus!!! Yeah! I stood there, waiting for it to stop, but it didn't!!! Wahhhh!!!! Damn it! The bus is already full. It means that they do not pick passengers on the way since it's already full once it leave the terminal. My gulay!!! I waited for another 20 minutes, another Partas bus is coming, and again, I ignored it. I called the tricycle driver and told him to drop me to Sentro.

15 more minutes of waiting in the Sentro and I started to lose my patience. No Florida bus and lots of Partas. I have no choice. I need to get home early since I'll be travelling (again) the following morning to Pangasinan to celebrate the New Year with my friends.

9:20AM, boarded in Partas bound to Cubao. Yeah, nothing I can do about it. If Manila-Vigan is 12hrs, I assumed Cabugao-Manila is 13hrs. So, I'm expecting to arrive Cubao terminal at 10:20PM. Not bad, I still have time to get some rest, pack up and get ready for the following day's trip.

Challenge #4:
4 hours in the bus and we're still in Ilocos Sur, my God!!! Yeah, that's Partas! We still have La Union, Pangasinan, Pampanga on the line!!! My back already ached. My stomach is empty. I don't have the appetite to eat. I know that I need to, I just don't want to. Oh! I bought pastillas though, from the vendor selling goods when the bus stops. I ate 4 and gave half of it to the kid beside me.

Night is coming and we're still in La Union. I almost reached the point of cursing Partas! I'm tired... dog-tired... not from roaming around Vigan and Cabugao, I'm tired of having my ass stuck on my seat!

Guess what time I arrived at my apartment... Yeah....it's freaking 1AM already! 15 hours!!! 15 hours from Cabugao to Manila! It should only be 9 hours! Lesson learned?! Never ride Partas bus again! Haha! I hate to admit it, but, it's my fault. It's an unplanned trip, I should have reserved ticket for Manila-Vigan-Manila since it's peak season, but hey, that's (supposedly) part of the fun and adventure.

But not on this trip, it's too much challenge for a day trip. Too much challenge having God as your date! Haha! As long as He's keeping me safe, that would be OK. Ahiiiii...

What did I get?

• Oh well, travelling alone that is part of my bucket list has been crossed-out.
• A visit to Cabugao Beach has also been crossed-out.
• Fun? Hmmm... not much, I enjoyed the trip but I didn't have fun.
• Friends? Hmmm.. didn't make friends but I was able to talk to lots of people.

And yes! This is life for me... we go to different places, meet new people, discover something new (regardless if it is about yourself or something about your travel buddies or something about the place), bottom line is, we only live once, appreciate every bit of it... maximize life....

To summarize my expenses: