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The cool morning weather in La Union was not enough to contain us in our beds as we were excited to hit the beach. Our itinerary for the day was a chill beach day so there was really no need to rush through the morning. Nevertheless, we could not contain our excitement so we were off early. As from the previous day, our main concern was breakfast. As the town of San Juan buzzes late in the morning, there were no establishments open that serves breakfast early so we had to content ourselves with a neighbourhood store or “turo-turo” for our morning fix. But I would have to say that they serve good lomi – a noodle soup dish. Surf’s up, Urbiztondo! As we headed to the sandy shores of Urbiztondo, the waters were already filled with would-be surfers waiting for the right wave to ride. The waters were flat making it ideal for those who wanted to learn to ride the waves. Interestingly, none of my companions were eager to hit the beach except for my little girl. Urbiztondo is the entry point of the Ilocos region’s surf spots. It is ideal for beginners because of its waves and short rides. People from Manila and nearby areas flock to the place to learn surfing or to just enjoy the sun and sands of La Union.  The viajeros were ready to hit the waters of San Juan. On the left side of the beach is a rocky area which I am presuming were dead coral reefs. Our group spent most of our time there taking pictures. I stumbled upon a group that was trying to catch fish on the small pools surrounded by the rocks. My little girl also had her own share of trying to catch fish before I allowed her to swim by the beach. San Fernando City With a little more time left, we headed to San Fernando City. The city is Ilocos Sur’s capital – the financial, political, and industrial center of the region. Founded in 1786, the city was a vital point during the country’s liberation during World War 2 because of Poro Point. Presently, the city is an economic center in Ilocos that is both accessible by land, sea, and air. San Fernando Town Park Right smack at the center of the city is the town park – an open space park with a court and a grandstand. I guess it is the melting pot of the city as most travellers heading to either North or South would pass by the plaza. And most people heading up to San Fernando will probably be dropped off here. It is the typical town plaza only bigger.  The town plaza of San Fernando City, La Union. We were fortunate to have visited the city just in time for their city fiesta and the park being at the center of activities was also the venue for their annual trade fair. Each municipality had their own booths that featured their products. My impression of the trade fair was that the province of La Union had effectively managed OTOP – One Town One Product program as each town was able to showcase its unique produce. Exploring the park further, I had to stop as a historical marker caught my attention and, as a Philippine history enthusiast, I had to stop to check it out. The marker was a reminder of the Battle of San Fernando when American Forces was able to fend off the Japanese Forces paving the way for the liberation of the city.  A historical marker to remember the imporatnt role of San Fernando City during World War 2 Church of San Fernando, La Union Also known as St. William Cathedral, the church is the home of the Diocese of San Fernando of La Union. The first stone structure was completed in 1786 but was destroyed during the city’s liberation in World War 2. Afterwhich, it was reconstructed and rededicated in February 1949.  The St. William Cathedral of San Fernando, La Union. The Church, more than a religious entity in the city, also played a significant role in history as it also served as a refuge for revolutionaries who occupied the church in 1898 during their fight against Spanish forces.  The interiors of the San Fernando Cathedral. The simple façade of the church complemented the interiors of the church. The altar looked simple and yet magnificent with its gold-colored pulpit. The yellow lights made it glow. The altar had a crucifix as a central figure. Ma-Cho Temple This Taoist Temple, that stands about 70 meters above sea level, is open to both worshippers and non-worshippers. It was built in 1975 through the efforts of the city’s Chinese community and has since attracted tourists in the area. The temple is adorned by lions and dragons and boasts of a wide courtyard complete with carvings of the “Chinese 18 Saints”.  The Temple Courtyard of Ma-Cho Temple. The temple stands majestically at the center of the compound, complete with a Bell Tower and Drum Tower. One can enter the temple where one can observe local Chinese practice their beliefs and how they profess their faith to Mazu, the goddess of the sea. Interestingly, she has a counterpart in the Roman Catholic belief – the Our Lady of Casaysay in Taal, Batangas. Every year, the image of Mazu is processioned to St. Martin in Taal and back to La Union where a cultural presentation awaits believers.  The Ma-Cho Temple is open to worshipers and non-worshipers alike. One of the amazing things about Ma-Cho Temple is that it gives a great bird’s eye view of the city and Poro Point. I enjoyed just sitting down in complete silence, enjoying the sea breeze, while watching the city of San Fernando from afar.
Post Travel Notes: As I took my bus seat as we were heading back to Manila, I was happy with how the weekend turned out to be. Yes, La Union is one of the country’s surfing spot. But it is more than just a surfing spot, it has a lot of adventures waiting to be discovered. I was glad that the trip gave me, my fellow La Union viajeros, and our Instagram followers, a different and fresh perspective of La Union. It has history that the local government should take notice and preserve as it can bring great economic opportunities to the local communities. It has an untouched bounty of natural beauty that if managed right can offer a great eco-tourism activity to complement its surfing activities. The short walking trip in San Fernando piqued my curiosity and I am thinking of heading back this time to check the city. More than just the surf and the sand, La Union has more to offer.
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The mere mention of La Union prompts people to ask me about going on a surfing trip. You cannot blame them as San Juan is one of the prime spots known for its surfing industry. It probably has become La Union’s tourism poster face for the province. But do not be sidelined by the adrenaline-pumping activity as La Union is more than just a surfing spot as I discovered during a weekend trip together with my fellow viajeros for the Instagram hub - @viajerongpinoy. Touchdown: San Juan, La Union It was a crisp Saturday morning when we arrived in San Juan, La Union and I was not surprised that the town was still fast asleep. You see… my brother, who lives in San Juan, informed me beforehand that the town wakes up rather late so we should not expect diners to open early in the morning. True enough, we had to suffice ourselves with coffee and instant noodles for breakfast from a neighbourhood store as I started working on our itinerary for the day. Just to give you a backgrounder, I am one of the founders of the Instagram hub - @viajerongpinoy. It was created in 2013 with the mission of promoting local tourism by featuring different tourist destinations in the country, whether mainstream or that which are still to be discovered. We have evolved to become a group that pioneered what we call the “Instaviaje” – an instameet where we travel to a tourist spot with IG users where we discover and/or re-discover our featured destination. La Union was our fourth Instaviaje destination and our first for 2015. Chasing Tangadan Falls I stood in awe looking at Tangadan Falls. After enduring a 45 minute trike trip and a 2-hour trek from the jump-off point, the view of water falling off a wall from a four-storey height was just amazing. I did not expect that Tangadan Falls would be this beautiful. The pictures that I have seen prior to the trip only captured a part of its beauty and having to come face-to-face with the beauty of this natural wonder was just an amazing experience. Tangadan Falls is located in the town of San Gabriel, about 45-minutes away from San Juan by tricycle. You can expect a lot of scenic views of rice fields with the mountains in the backdrop as you travel from San Juan to San Gabriel. It is the largest municipality in the province and depends largely on its agricultural produce for its economy – namely bananas and tiger grass. The trek to Tangadan Falls is not a difficult one as it is mostly over flat terrain through corn fields and foliage. We had a 7-year old lady with us who survived the trek so it is THAT easy. The trek normally takes about an hour to an hour and a half but since I was with a group of photo hobbyist, the trek took about two hours because of the stops that we had to do for photo opportunities as the trek offered great views of the riverside and mountain views. A great escape from the cityscape.  Amazing views will entertain you during the one hour trek to Tangadan Falls. Tangadan Falls is a beauty and probably one of the most beautiful that I have seen. Water drops from a height of about four floors into a deep basin. The sound of water crashing down the basin and water gushing out onto the river was relaxing. It was a clear day but the walls of the mountain range surrounding the falls shield the falls and its surrounding areas from the sun. Finding your own spot was easy despite having quite a number of visitors on the day of our visit.  Tangadan Falls was a beauty to see as water cascades from a height of four floors to a basin of unknown depths. The cold water of Tangadan Falls is good for swimming but one needs to cautious on the depths of its catch basin. Locals have also made available rafts that will allow you to go across the basin or you may opt to go around it by foot which can be quite a challenge. And for those who are brave enough, you can scale up to the top of Tangadan Falls and jump off from its cliff into its catch basin to get your adrenaline pumping just before you head back to town. Chasing the Luna Sunset After a full morning of scaling the mountainside and chasing Tangadan Falls, our group then hopped onto a bus to head off to Luna – some 40-minutes away from San Juan. We got off in the town of Balaoan where we took the trike to our destination. Luna was once referred to as Namacpacan, an Ilocano word that means “one who feeds”. The town was a stopover post, during the Spanish period, for people travelling from Manila to Vigan. Locals offer meals to these travellers hence the town’s initial name. It was later renamed to Luna in honor of Juan and Antonio Luna whose mother hails from this municipality. Our first stop was a walk around the Municipal Town Center. Luna Municipal Hall Just like a typical old town in the country, Luna is no different where the focal point of the locals is the town center where you will get to see the church, the municipal hall, and the public market clustered together. Located in one corner of the town center is the Luna Municipal Hall or the Presidencia. It was completed in 1915 and it is believed to be the oldest municipal building in La Union. The local officials were diligent to keep most of its structure preserved – its walls, flooring, and ceilings. A historical marker was installed inside the hall recognizing its historical value to the country’s history.  The Municipal Hall of Luna is said to be the oldest municipal hall in the province of La Union. I was more than happy to see how well preserved the structure was. From the outside, you will get transported back in time visually. It had a balcony which I presume is still in use for municipal celebrations and gatherings. Too bad though that the hall was closed at the time of our visit that I did not get to see the interiors and the historical marker of the town of Luna. The Shrine of Our Lady of Namacpacan A few meters from the Municipal Hall is the century-old Church of St. Catherine de Alexandria or also known as the Namacpacan Church. The white and blue structure is the dominant structure in the skyline of Luna which is not a surprise as religion played a huge part in Philippine history. Two belfries flank the main artery of the church. The façade is a simple design highlighted by a stained glass window art depicting the Our Lady of Namacpacan.  One of the unique features of the church are the step buttresses on the sides of the church. One of the unique feature of the church is its step buttresses that leads up to the church’s roof which is the first of its kind that I have seen so far. The church has also preserved its original walls.  The simple interiors of Namacpacan Church. The church’s white-washed and simple interiors complemented its exterior design. The main altar is highlighted by a three-tiered retablo. There are two separate altars on the sides of the church – one bears the image of the Our Lady of Namacpacan and the other bears the image of St. Catherine de Alexandria. Standing from the loft, the church was beautiful with its simplicity, void of ornate designs and paintings. The Municipal Plaza and Antonio Luna Monument The center of the town is a sprawling park where locals can spend their lazy afternoons. The park has a viewing deck that gives you a 360 degree view of the town. It has a stage, on the other side, probably for community gatherings and town fiesta celebrations. Our group enjoyed doing creative shots using the stage as a backdrop.  The small rotunda in the town of Luna honoring Antonio Luna. Just right across the plaza is a small rotunda with the statue of Antonio Luna as the centerpiece. This little “monument” honors the Filipino hero to which the town was renamed after. Baluarte As you approach the shorelines of Luna, you will notice an imposing structure along the beach that got split in the middle. This is the famous “Baluarte” or watchtower in Luna. Built during the Spanish period, the watchtower served as an observation post against sea raiders. It served its purpose of warning the locals of Namacpacan against impending raids.  The Baluarte is a mute witness to the history of Luna. Through time, the state of the Baluarte deteriorated. Like a wounded soldier, the Baluarte is slowly giving in to time and nature as its base, from where it stands, slowly erodes to be claimed by the sea. Half of the structure is leaning towards the sea and locals have already taken the initiative of trying to save the Baluarte by installing braces to prevent it from leaning further or collapsing. I hope that the locals, the local government, and conservationists would take the effort to preserve the Baluarte for its historical value. Luna Pebble Beach Have you ever heard the ocean give its applause? You better check out Pebble Beach in Luna. The beach stands out from the rest because of its pebble shores instead of the usual sand. In fact, the locals make a living from these pebbles by collecting these rocks and storing them in a bottle that they sell to tourists who visit the area.  One of nature's gift in Luna is being able to listen to nature give its thunderous applause. The pebble beach highlight is best experienced by sitting down along its shores and closing your eyes to hear the beach give its amazing “round of applause” as the seawaters hit its shores. Yes, you would here nature give its thunderous applause along the shores of Luna. These amazing feature happens when the waves hit the shores of Luna forcing the pebbles to hit the other pebbles along the beach. The force of the water make the pebbles hit each other and the collision of the rocks make a hollow sound similar to a clapping sound. Now multiply these collisions a hundredfold and you get a thunderous applause along the beach. La Union Sunset As the sun started to set in background, the sky started to give off different color hues that thrilled us. This was one of the reasons why we came to La Union. The golden hour played out nicely with the Baluarte and Pebble Beach in the foreground as we took shots from different point of views capped off by the thundering applause of the sea as if bidding the sun a nice congratulations for a great day.  A perfect ending to a La Union adventure - watching La Union's sunset. It is definitely one of the best views in the country. |
Marc del Rosario
I believe in education, entrepreneurship, and caring for the environment. 
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