Lakbay Norte 2013 – Life’s a Beach and little else In Pagudpud

Early summer break? Nah! The final destination of our Northern Adventure is the hidden treasure of a great place in Pagudpud. As always, the people are as nice and as accommodating as i met them last year. It’s just so nice seeing that their has been a significant progress since the last time I visited the place. Kuya Ruben and her Family expanded their homestay business, it just put a smile on my face.

From Laoag – we were stranded and missed the last plighted bus to Pagudpud. So we waited for a long distance trip bus bound to Claveria and will just be dropped off to Pagudpud.  Kuya Ruben’s wife has been very kind and thoughtful checking us from time to time if we already boarded the bus and whereabouts.  We arrived 11 pm in Pagudpud, and Kuya Ruben fetch us at the Market. We paid Php 250.00 each for our stay a decent room for us to stay overnight before we start our adventure.

Our Room

Experiencing Sunrise in Pagudpud Beach

Rave Run in Saud Beach Pagudpud

Our Humble Home in Pagudpud

After that early morning dip at the beach we then prepared ourselves to start our official Pagudpud Northern Tour.  First Stop is the Kabigan Falls. Yes, I didn’t bother going here last year due to time constraint, but this time, its a priority.  It’s a 120 feet high waterfalls protected by tall trees and luscious shrubs. 30 minute lazy trek to be able to experience a refreshing breeze of Kabigan Falls.  There is a 20 pesos entrance fee at the jump off point where you will be assigned an official trek guide going to the falls.  Along the way you will enjoy the verdant panorama and the cold freshwater along the trail will definitely add too your excitement. It’s a very light mountain trek so expect no concrete pavements. Flip Flops or sandals is the advisable footwear on this trek because you will pass by small streams, soft mud and few rocky trail. The locals made my trek really easy for you. They made makeshift bridges with handrails on a few slopes along the trail.

  After Kabigan Falls, we head to Patapat Viaduct for an early morning exercise… JumpShots ^_^

 

Next Stop is the Agua Grande, its just a short stop over as the place is perfect for picnics :) The water is just so blue and a perfect view where water converges from the mountain to the sea.

 

 

This is the Paraiso ni Anton, a mini waterfalls which is said to gush out miraculous water.

Side Trips to the ShipWreck, Bantay Abot and Timangtang Rock Formations.

 

 

 

 

 

Dos Hermanas, the Blue Lagoon and Hannah’s Beach Resort. I will definitely go back to Pagudpud knowing that the longest Zip Line above water is currently located here. 1.5 kilometers of flying passing mountains and seas.

 

 

 

 

We left Pagudpud at around 4 PM with happy smiles for the adventures.  Reached Laoag after 2 hours of travel and we were so hungry and ended up eating in an Ylocano Restaurant recommended by the tricycle drivers. We were so disappointed with the food, but since we were all so hungry, we just ate what was there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We got Lumpia Shanghai, Pork Sinigang and was very disappointed with the Dinuguan Pizza :(

 

 

 

 

 

We departed Laoag around 830 in the evening via a deluxe bus from Partas Liner. This is my first time to get into a sleeper bus and I got a great ride :) 

This Pagudpud Tour made me wanted to go back often, aside from the great people ive met along the way, there are just a lot of things that I need to discover more in this place. I’m thinking of just spending a day or two bumming in Saud Beach Resort without thinking of anything.  I would love to do that in the near future, maybe with someone special and dear to me ^_^.

Till my next escapade in the Northern Part of Luzon.

The Blue Rider’s Welcome

Blue is the color of the sky and sea. It is often associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven.  Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness.

About The Blue Rider

I am bachelor graduate of Management Accounting. Yeah, I am an accountant by degree but I got bored and worked in a very dynamic - fast pacing industry, a BPO. I guess, being in this job gives me more flexibility to do the things I love to do : Traveling and Photography. I am no pro traveler nor photographer. When I travel, I take pictures and with these are memories that will forever be cherished.

You know the reasons why I  travel? To seize life and live it as its bound to be. You will never know how things going to turn out. We can plan it, hope it, dream it! But what comes down to is this: Your life is made up of moments, some may be fleecy but all defining. Its what you do with these moments that sums up the whole of your life.  Some of these moments will change who you are… forever!!!

I just wanted to fulfill a dream...a dream to travel as far as I can and be able to influence and inspire other people to do the same. Oh yeah, before I forget, you don't need to be a millionaire to be able to do this. You just need to have a bunch of adventurous spirit, curiosity, and perseverance and a little help from your paycheck.  They always say, if there's a will, there's always a way.  I don't see myself just sitting on a chair facing a computer and talking to people and just doing reports. I don't want to get bored. So I promised myself to live simply. WORK-LIFE Balance and live life as it's bound to be lived... TO THE FULLEST!

About the BLOG 

XileXplores is just another outlet for me to share my thoughts and experiences while finding my real purpose in life. It's literally my last name + explore! I I am bound to live my life and not just be imprisoned in the four corners of my house or work. This blog contains my travel tales, my adventures and mis-adventures on how to go about creating a balance between a stressful work and a relaxed life. This journal will also help you see places I’ve been to and at the same time will give you ideas on how to get there affordably. I always believe that we are all entitled to travel our land and that would mean expense, but that doesn't necessarily mean that you need to shell out a lifetime to get to places you desire. All it takes is a little initiative to plan and smart moves to materialize it. Random thoughts about living and traveling and to just simply have some fun. We only live once, so we need to make sure that we are doing things we love and passionate about. I intend to share this life changing journey I have to rest of the world. I will continue to explore the world and discover new things that can help me grow and understand the culture.   As what I always say, Life is meant to be lived, not to be watched.

I dream of traveling around the Philippines, yes the amazing 81 provinces.  This thought maybe a bit impossible if you just think about it, but I already started traveling and this is feasible. Even those places you think a bit dangerous is included in my bucket list ^_^. There's this small voice inside me telling that I can achieve this goal.  I may not be that rich to make this dream happen in an instant but my passion to succeed and fulfill my ultimate goal will eventually get me there.

I wanted the world to know how lucky I am for being able to take that first step in discovering how wonderful life can be. Start conquering your fears and unleash that explorer in you. Life is too short to just be wasted.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover - Mark Twain

Hope you will enjoy my journal as I share with you all my travels might be in a group but most of the time, solo-flighted.

Cheers to all travelers out there.