Exploring Ilocos Norte: Paoay Church and the Sand Dunes
Hello, lovelies! Happy new year to all of us! I hope the year started on a good note for you. This is my first ever blog post for the year 2019 and I'm quite excited to share with you our latest trip and adventure together with my husband's family in Ilocos Norte. Nothing beats family bonding and adventures really and it never gets old even though we've done it about a hundred times already.
Anyway, if there's one thing I love about Ilocos, it is the factuality that this Province is the home of the many century-old amazing structures in the Philippines. And if you're looking for a place of an adrenaline induced adventures and great sceneries, this is the perfect trip for you.
One of the places you must visit is the fascinating and the famous Paoay Church. This is also known as the Saint Augustine Church and is considered to be one of the oldest and one of the most beautiful churches in the Philippines. So we left La Union December 28 at about 8 in the morning, it was a long drive, reaching Ilocos Norte at 1pm. We immediately proceeded to our first stop - the Paoay Church. And to be honest, this is already my second visit of the church and was still very delighted to see it, inside and out. What's the nice thing about this trip? We got to enjoy the gloomy and windy weather, perfect condition for a family adventure!
One of the places you must visit is the fascinating and the famous Paoay Church. This is also known as the Saint Augustine Church and is considered to be one of the oldest and one of the most beautiful churches in the Philippines. So we left La Union December 28 at about 8 in the morning, it was a long drive, reaching Ilocos Norte at 1pm. We immediately proceeded to our first stop - the Paoay Church. And to be honest, this is already my second visit of the church and was still very delighted to see it, inside and out. What's the nice thing about this trip? We got to enjoy the gloomy and windy weather, perfect condition for a family adventure!
This is breathtakingly beautiful. The church is made up of large coral stones and baked bricks with 24 enormous buttresses on both sides and at the back which is the most striking feature of the church, a prime example of "Earthquake Baroque". It supports its walls, preventing it from possible destruction from earthquakes. Adjacent to this beautiful church is the three-storey bell tower which is also made up of coral stones and was used as an observation post of the Katipuneros during the World War II.
Truly a beautiful piece of history. And Ohhhh, I'm so in love with its long aisle, perfect for every bride's momentous walk while his groom awaits in front of the altar. :)
We walked around and had lucky chances to catch some glimpses of these enchanting views. After strolling on those beautiful sights, it's time for us to have our lunch. We decided to try out the Smoke Bar and Restaurant where you can see the best view of the Paoay Church.
Me and my husband Dino posing in front of the Paoay Church. Feels like we've been transported back into the early Spanish period and into the old world. Believe me when I tell you, you shouldn't miss this majestic church when visiting Ilocos Norte. It's totally worth the drive!
We continued our journey by visiting another interesting spot in Paoay which is the Sand Dunes! This place is perfect for adventure seekers but not for the faint-hearted people because this activity requires endurance and energy. You've got to experience some sort of adrenaline rush moments.
Once we reached our destination, we spotted an enormous 4x4 rides. Each ride is good for 4-5 persons amounting to 2500php including the 4x4 jeep, the driver's fee, the sand dunes adventure and the sand boarding activity that will last for an hour.
We had a normal ride for about 3-5 minutes not until the mighty sand dunes greeted us. I can't believe that this adventure would joggle the hell out of me. I'm not the type of person who prefers this kind of activity but I agreed to at least give it a try. It literally weakened my knees. Promise! HAHA. But during our ride, all we do is laugh, shout and scream at the top of our lungs. With all the bumpy roads, the sharp curves and turns, the high elevations, the high and sudden drops.. it was one hell of a ride. But in all fairness, I can say that I really did enjoy the ride.
We stopped and stepped down the jeep to take some photos and enjoy the view as well. And after the photo opportunities, we're off again for a more exciting and heart-pumping ride.
Few minutes left, we approached the sand boarding area--something neither of us had done it before. Then I started seeing people falling into sand and had me really worried that it might give us potential injuries. That is why I did not attempt to try it; also for the reason that I am not that flexible enough to do such stunts. Kudos to my sis and bro-in-law for having such courage to do sand boarding.
So far, this is one of the most incredibly awesome adventure ride that I've ever had. Let me know what's the most adventurous thing you've ever done and what activities you enjoyed the most! That's all I have for you this time and I'll see you on my next adventure!
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