Finally! Done with the 2nd term!
I'm happy to share one of the highlights of my 1st quarter of 2015, which is travelling to the province of Ilocos Sur!
Me and my group of friends went there last March because we have to write a Tourism Master Plan for the municipality of Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur, as a course requirement. We didn't expect our trip to be filled with so much fun, even just for two days! We traveled for 8 hours from Manila via NLEX, SCTEX and TPLEX, using our family car.
Our first stop was the Nuestra Senora de la Asuncion Church, more commonly known as the Sta. Maria Church. This is the most boasted attraction by the locals and the heart of the municipality. It is one of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, under the category of "4 Baroque Churches in the Philippines". Here's a legend almost every local in Sta. Maria knows by heart:
The church was believed to be built according to the wishes of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The ground where the church stands at present used to be a hill planted with trees, and the first church in Sta. Maria were the twin chapels at the bottom of the hill. One fine day, the locals saw an apparition on a guava tree, and according to Sta. Maria Church's history, it was the Virgin Mary. Perhaps the people who lived during that time took it as a sign to build a church on top of the hill, with 86 steps, which will lead the people to "heaven".
So once you reach the top, you can see the stone sculpture depicting the legend. Other than that, you can also see the beautiful town of Sta. Maria. The town fiesta was held last April and the church also had its Jubilee year. Sta. Maria Church is now 250 years old.
Next is the Suso Beach! It faces the West Philippine Sea and has fine whitish sand. It is still under development and I hope for this beach to be the next big thing! This is the most accessible tourist spot because you can see it along the highway.
Sta. Maria only has few attractions but man, they're really beautiful! This one is the Pinsal Falls, located at the easternmost part of Sta. Maria. This is the farthest attraction because it's located in a remote area (obviously), but I recommend everyone to go here and enjoy balsa riding!
After exploring these three, we went to the City of Vigan!
Vigan is less than an hour away from Sta. Maria, and while we were on our way there, we can't help but be mesmerized by the beautiful sunset as we cross the Banaoang Bridge.
As we were nearing the city, we first went to Bantay Church and Bell Tower.
At last, Vigan! prior to this dancing fountain, we first ate the famous Vigan Empanada. (Sorry, we were too engrossed eating that we forgot to take a picture of the delicious food.)
After watching the dancing fountains for an hour, we strolled at the Calle Crisologo, the only street with cobblestone trail, which gives a Spanish era feel, add to that the ancestral houses and a calesa.
We had to go home the following day but our excitement didn't end there!
We tried the zipline, Superman style for only PHP 300! The zipline crosses the Abra River, where the Banaoang Bridge is located. Don't worry because the facilitators were trained to ensure safety to all tourists. :) This was my first time to zipline and it was a really unforgettable, out-of-my-comfort-zone experience!
'Til the next travel post! :D
P.S.: 'Tis the first time I took my friends to my family's hometown and it was a nice experience taking them to a place with a culture a bit different. :)
Always Keep the Faith.
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