#and one that we got was expensive but i didnt like loooove it

[princeandreis]

nooo don’t go nonverbal and lose an argument with your mom about learning to communicate your needs better your so sexy aha

[sophdlpaz]

Going to the Unknown: My LU-Baguio-Sagada-Kalinga solo trip (Part 1)

It was my first time to go to all my destinations except for Baguio where I went to, almost every New Year break and some summer breaks. Made my research, read some travel blogs, but the actual experience is still different.

Just so we’re clear, I’m not trying to prove anything here. This one-week trip served as my birthday treat to myself. (Oha! Lusot! 😜)

Day 0: March 17

Left the house at 9-ish pm to take a bus trip supposedly to San Fernando, La Union. But I was advised by Partas that all their buses pass by the said area.

I took a coupon for the ticket buying. My number was called at around 11:45pm. Was booked for a 12am Deluxe bus bound for Vigan.

Day 1: March 18

I was so clueless as to where I will alight from the bus. At first, I wanted this trip to be a disconnect-from-the-internet moment but I don’t think I would survive without technology. (Waze was a big help.) Initially, I told the bus conductor that I will go down at San Fernando. But my hostel is located at Urbiztondo, San Juan, which was still more or less 30 mins (?) away. Had to pay extra though. Went down at San Juan town proper but I already passed by the sea side so I had to ride a trike back.

LA UNION

Arrived at Circle Hostel at around 5:45am. Since there was still no staff on duty, I slept first in one of the hammocks ‘til 7:30am. I booked for a bed in the girl’s dorm for 2 nights. The hostel has a co-ed dorm, hammock area, common bathroom, and a common area where lodgers can charge their phones and other gadgets. It has bean bags all over and 2 hammocks where we can relax.

Circle Hostel’s common area aka my reading nook

So here’s where the “fun” part of the trip started..

9am - Walked along the shore and checked if the waves were good (they were kinda flat so I scratched the surf time on that day’s itinerary)

10-ish am - Brunch at Choka

French toast with honey, 2 fried eggs, and bacon

11-ish am - Went back to Circle Hostel to take a nap (Yey, fun.)

1pm - Took a jeep to San Gabriel Municipal Hall

There I met my guide for the Tangadan Falls trek, Kuya Dan. Had to pay for the entrance/environmental fee. The secretary asked me, “Ma'am, mag-isa ka lang? Anong iniisip mo?” (Here we go again.) Just responded with my sweetest smile. Haha. Anyway, Kuya Dan and I rode a motorbike going to the trek entrance.

1:30-ish pm - Start of trek

Kuya Dan was sooooo into taking a lot of turista shots. (And I am not. So yeah.)

Btw, Kuya Dan also mentioned Tapandangan Falls (which is 1-hour away from Tangadan Falls). He said it was 50 or 60-feet high but some tourists were able to cliff jump from it. (Uhhh, pass. 😜)

2-ish pm - Arrived at Tangadan Falls

Kitang-kita naman ako, diba?

3-ish pm - Went to the cliff jump site

(See the video of my first cliff jump on the succeeding post.)

4-ish pm - End of trek; went straight to Flotsam and Jetsam for my early dinner

Crispy Pork Belly and a bottle of cold beer

5:30-ish pm - Sunset viewing (See my timelapse video on the succeeding post.)

6:30 pm - Went back to the hostel to freshen up; read 2 chapters of my current read

9pm - Dozing off time (Shet, sa bakasyon lang na to ako nakakatulog nang ganto kaaga at ganto karami.)

Day 2: March 19

I set my alarm at 5:30am for the sunrise but didn’t get up because uhmm, sleep!

7-ish am - Went to the shore to watch surfers (No, I didnt surf on that day too. I wasn’t in the mood. So yes, no surf sesh for me in LU. Boo the KJ me.)

Circle Hostel provides free pandesal, peanut butter, and bananas in the morning. So yeah, they made up my breakfast that day.

9am - Prepared my stuff but still read a few chapters of my current read

11am - Left La Union; hailed a Fariñas bus bound for Baguio

BAGUIO

This became my food trip pit stop. Didn’t do much here but, you guessed it, EAT. And read. And take photos. I was roaming around the streets of Baguio in midriffs, sleeveless tops, short skirts, and dresses. I was wondering if there was something wrong with me because even the locals were wearing jackets. I just felt like I had to enjoy the cold breeze by not wearing two layers of clothes. Except in the evening. 😉

Arrived at past 1pm and immediately checked in at my transient house, The Sweet Star. It’s located at Dahlia St. cor. Everlasting St. It has a living room, dining area, kitchen, a common bathroom, and 3 bedrooms, I got the Hope room (Tignan mo nga naman ang pagkakataon. Hahaha.)

2:30 pm - Had late lunch at 50’s Diner

The Famous 50′s Diner Burger and Strawberry Milkshake

3pm - Heard mass at Baguio Cathedral

I went straight to Dangwa Terminal to buy my Sagada bus ticket. But they don’t allow advance bus booking. Boo. Went back to Session Road so I can buy Vizco’s Strawberry Shortcake but there were no slices available anymore at that time. Another boo. So I went to the public market to buy some pasalubong, then to Burnham Park, as planned. It was years before I was able to set foot at this park again. Lake’s still there, of course. Biking area’s still there. But they don’t have normal bikes anymore. See photo below.

Baguio City Public Market

Burnham Park’s biking area

Burnham Lake

I didn’t take a look if the carinderias are still there on the side. But if they were, I might have ordered Papaitan.

Killed time by reading a few chapters again while eating my pack of green mango slices on one of the benches in front of the lake ‘til 6pm.

Went “home” by foot, thanks to Waze. It was a good 10-min walk. (I didn’t take any jeep or cab that much when I was in Baguio. I wanted to familiarize myself again with the landmarks and streets so I did a lot of walking there.)

Day 3: March 20

Had my breakfast prepared by the house manager, Ma'am Zenaida. To be fair, mejo di ako na-guilty sa tocinong kinain ko. Less fat eh. Haha.

Checked my work email and responded to a few work-related messages before leaving the house at around 10am. First real agenda on the list was CAKE! (But I went first to one of the groceries along Session Road to do trade check. Mehehe, trabaho pa rin. I visited a total of 5 stores in between my leisure time. Haha. Hey, dami kong oras, oks lang un.)

Not the best flowers to give to someone but they’re pretty nonetheless.

Vizco’s Strawberry Shortcake

Speaking of having the luxury of time, I had the craziest idea of going to Wright Park from Session Road by walking. (Pro-tip: Don’t do what I did.) It was a 2-km walk. Okay lang sana. I treated it as a photowalk sesh but there weren’t pavements in some roads so mejo deliks.

12-ish pm - Arrived at Wright Park and took photos

1pm - Had late lunch at Ketchup Food Community

It’s a food park of some sort with several restos in it. I ate at Green Pepper. Nung paakyat ako sa 2nd floor nila, Celine Dion’s “All By Myself” was played. (Gee, thanks for rubbing it in. 😜)

Ordered Grilled Chicken Pesto. It’s one of the best sandwiches I’ve eaten, I tell you!

Parang nagparty ung grilled chicken, cheese bits, alfa-alfa sprouts, at pesto sauce sa bibig ko. Shet, sobrang sarap talaga!

2:00pm - Took a jeep (di na keri ng lola mong maglakad) to Harrison Road; went to Burnham Park to read again ‘til 5pm

There was an Ilocos Empanada stall at Burnham. And since I loooove Ilocos Empanada, I bought one with double servings of longganisa. That was my dinner already.

Half of Day 4: March 21

I had to get up early because I had to make sure to get a Sagada bus ticket. Then I walked to Cafe by the Ruins for my breakfast.

Well, their dishes are a bit pricey but all good. My teeth started to ache when I devoured this tapa though. Di naman sobrang tigas. May problema lang talaga ako with my retainers.

Mt. Data’s Tapa Rice, with a bowl of fruits and Salabat

10:30am - Bus trip to Sagada

Only took a very short nap all throughout the 6-hour trip because I was having mini-heart attacks. (I’m scared of heights.)

At 4pm, I arrived at my third destination.

EXPENSES (excluding other transpo and pasalubong costs):

Partas bus to San Juan - PHP 543 Circle Hostel bed for 2 nights - PHP 1,200 Brunch - PHP 170 Jeep to San Gabriel - PHP 26 Environmental fee at Tangadan Falls - PHP 35 Motorbike rental - PHP 100 Tour guide fee - PHP 500 Life vest rental - PHP 50 Jeep to San Juan - PHP 26 Flotsam and Jetsam early dinner - PHP 340 Fariñas bus to Baguio - PHP 110

Sweet Star room for 2 nights - PHP 1,003 50’s Diner late lunch - PHP 190 Green Mango - PHP 20 Sweet Star Breakfast - PHP 120 Green Pepper Lunch - PHP 195 Jeep to Harrison Road - PHP 8 Ilocos Empanada - PHP 75 GL Trans Bus to Sagada - PHP 220

LU-Baguio Total Expenses - PHP 4,931

Note: If you plan to surf, here are the rates: Surfboard rental for 1 hour - PHP 200 Surfing session with instructor for 1 hour - PHP 400

GUIDE and ACCOM DETAILS:

Tangadan Falls Tour Guide - Kuya Dan Sarmiento: +639956437922 (Globe), +639103622814 (Smart) Circle Hostel (booked online) - http://launion.thecirclehostel.com/ The Sweet Star Transient House (booked through Airbnb) - Ms. Silver: +639171251220; Ms. Zenaida: +639073334339