La Union and Vigan Part 1: Two of the most visited places in the north

These two have been on my list of must-visit places in the Philippines since I set foot in Manila that was 2014, but only on January 27 and 28, 2018 that I get to visit them. Finally, I could tick them off my list. Yahoo!!! Achieved!!! One of my travel resolutions is to explore more of the Philippines. It would be a shame that as a Filipina, I didn’t get to see for myself the many beautiful places which attract so many tourists around the globe.

I thought I needed a long weekend or several days to visit these places, but no, a weekend is enough. Probably, I haven't explored the whole place but the weekend I spent was worth it. What I love the most from this trip was the photos I took which were worth uploading on Instagram. I will share the photos down below. 

Actually, it was only a side trip as this was not the reason why I decided to go to La Union and Vigan. My friend had a passport appointment in San Fernando, La Union because the DFA offices in Metro Manila were all full. She needed to get her passport the soonest possible because she has to go to Europe in June. Thus, I decided to come along. Since she's going there, we might as well tour the area. And Vigan is next to La Union. Therefore, we took advantage of the opportunity. 

I was excited about this as it was my first local trip this year. Speaking of EXCITED, that's my overarching theme for 2018, or shall we say, my hashtag for this year. And you know what, I really felt the excitement vibe since day 1. I'm loving it. I will be sharing with you guys my New Year's resolutions in a separate post. Watch out for that. I have already started a draft of it. 

I learned a handful of things from this trip - things that have opened my eyes and made me say this:  "Oh, I was wrong..." 

I love traveling but packing always makes me feel overwhelmed and the travel time saps all my energy. If only I could teleport... As for packing, I already made a mental list while I was at work. Our departure was Friday night, and the only time I had to pack my things was after my work. But when I did the packing, I wrote them down on a piece of paper what I needed to pack but still, my jumbled mind made me jump from one thing to another. Argh!!! I am not really efficient when it comes to packing. Do you, guys, have any tips for me? Please comment below. 

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Here is the Pasay Bus Terminal for Partas Liner. The place is air-conditioned with enough space for waiting passengers. The waiting lounge is much better than what I had in mind. I thought that all the bus terminals in Manila were small and crowded with seats that were too few to accommodate all the passengers. But, this, I was impressed. There's a Jollibee and other fast food restaurants in the building.

The pic was too dark for you to see the spa poster. If you are tired of waiting for your bus, you can pamper yourself by getting a massage for an hour or 30 minutes. I think many passengers need this.

The waiting lounge has two TV sets with two different channels shown. At least, when the passengers are bored, they can be entertained. 

We left home at 10:30 p.m. because we wanted to catch the 12-midnight bus, but the queue was already long when we got there. We waited for more than two hours. We boarded the 2 a.m. bus. The leg room was spacious and it was fully air-conditioned. I was already too excited to sleep on the bus. I was tired from work, and it would take four hours to get to La Union. 

We arrived in San Juan around 7:30 since the passport appointment would be later in the afternoon. We decided to enjoy the beach first, and we also planned to visit the famous falls but decided against it when we saw the sky was dark and cloudy. We wouldn't want to be stuck in the mountain and miss the appointment. 

As soon as we got off, there was a Taho vendor and since we both loved taho, we ordered one for each. Ohhhhh... it was still hot and was deliciously good. We asked some locals where the famous beach was and headed straightaway. It was just a few meters away from the main road. As we were walking down the road, I saw some beautiful cottages and resorts along the narrow road. Surprisingly, despite the influx of tourists, the roads were clean. I commend the local government for keeping the place clean. After a few steps, we already heard the beautiful sounds of the waves. Suddenly, I got excited. I couldn't wait to snap a pic. The fine gray sand beach was not so crowded then. There were a few groups of people taking pictures, others were already surfing, and others were in the beachfront restaurants having their hearty breakfast. 

Such a chill morning. A stark contrast to the urban jungle where everyone hurries to get to their destination. Very calming. I just wanted to sit for hours watching people and taking in all the sights. 

If you come with your group of friends, it's a good place for beach volleyball. I think it's a good place for team building, too. 

Hi, there, Doggie!!!  Do you see the wave and the foam? It's so lovely. I so love beaches. 

Just fresh from the bus ride, we covered our haggard faces with our sunnies. Welcome to LU, girls!!! 

A group of girls huddled together near the waves. 

One of my first few shots. The waves are a good backdrop indeed. :)

The beach was maintained well. It was clean. Unlike the one I saw in Cavite which was full of trash, this one was impressive. I hope all the beaches in the Philippines are clean. We, locals and tourists, alike should be responsible enough to keep places like this clean. It is for everyone's benefit. Let us all be a responsible tourist. Leave no trash. 

We heard that there was a surfing competition, and we asked where it was held. One of the surfing instructors pointed to the other side of the beach. We headed for the event place 'cause I was curious what it was like. We reached the place. It was teeming with surfers. Unlike the other side, here people were allowed to eat and camp on the beach. I was looking hard at the surfers riding the waves trying to make out what they were doing, but it was too hard for me. They looked so tiny in the vast ocean. Soon after, our stomachs were already growling. We spotted a small restaurant full of people. We went up, and it was a restobar. It was reminiscent of the Siargao movie. I felt the laid-back and fun island vibe. There were a few steps up to the bar. The part of the bar facing the beach was occupied by the surfing judges and host. The host was busy describing what the surfers did in the sea which were all Greek to me. I don't know anything about surfing. The only thing I knew was it's a dangerous sport, especially for people like me who cannot swim. Hahaha. I grew up in Bohol which is famous for its white sand beaches yet I do not know how to swim. Oh, don't get me wrong. I tried hard to learn swimming since I was in elementary up until now yet still, I cannot, which is so sad for a girl like me who loves beaches. And on the right, three small square wooden tables were lined up along the railing which were already occupied as well by then. I saw someone who looked familiar. She was drinking and chatting excitedly with the people at the table. My friend told me it was Mylene Dizon. Oh, yeah, she is!!! Since we were already hungry, I approached the handsome Swiss guy by the counter and placed an order. With his accent, boldly I asked, 'Are you Brazilian?' "Oh, I wish I were. I'm from Switzerland." He responded. I nodded and said, "Oh, I see." I checked their menu and I ordered chicken adobo. I wanted to eat rice coz it would be a long day and I needed enough energy for the trip. I proceeded on and ordered one for me and one for my friend. My friend had Shakshouka. Our order came with a locally brewed coffee. That's a treat! :) I also had one banana for only 5 pesos if I'm not mistaken. 

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The stones were beautifully deformed by the waves. This photo reminds me of my Busan picture, also taken on a rock or a cliff by the sea.

That's the Shakshouka. My friend said it was okay. I think this one is good for my vegetarian friend.

This is the bar I told you about. I'd like to have some drinks here with friends. hahaha.

That's their menu, and me taking a pic with them. You can follow them on Instagram guys at https://www.instagram.com/travel_barefoot/?hl=en. 

It was almost noon when we decided to take some photos by the shore before heading for San Fernando for the passport appointment. We didn't swim. We just had a photo shoot. hahaha. 

It would be much better if I were with someone walking with me. :(

My co-worker commented on what could be the best title if it were a movie. I said, "Habulin mo ako hanggang sa dulo nang mundo" In English, chase me until the end of the earth.

Fear not to take a step forward. Keep moving.

Writing my name in Korean which I usually do whenever I go to the beach. 

So, here ends our La Union visit. Watch out for my next post, more stories in San Fernando and Vigan.