ni: L. Regalado
Grabe na talaga ang init ngayon sa ating bansa, kulang na lang ay huwag na tayong magsuot ng pang-itaas para lang maibsan ang init na ating nararamdaman araw-araw. Kung tutuusin, hindi lang naman tayo ang nakararanas ng ganitong sitwasyon. May iba pang mga bansa sa Southeast Asia ang nagtitiis din sa init kagaya nating mga Pinoy. At para mabawasan ang init na nararamdaman, marami sa atin ang bumibili ng pampalamig oras-oras, nagbabad sa aircon ng peak hours, ang ilan naman ay nagpupunta sa mga beach at ang iba ay nagbibisikleta. Isa si Lou kasama ang kanyang tropa na sinugod ang nagbabagang init ng panahon mula Manila hanggang Ilocos Norte. Halina’t basahin natin ang kanilang 623 kilometrong paglalakbay papuntang Pagudpod sa loob ng limang araw.
Day 1: 133 km Manila to Tarlac 14.5794° N,121.0359° E 15.4755° N,120.5963° E
I left our house around 1 pm to meet/ Mico and also plan to meet Joel in QC to continue the trip that day. We decided to depart at this time to avoid the heat, especially in the vicinity of Tarlac. Our original plan was to push ourselves straight to La Union, but we stopped on the way to Tarlac because we had little sleep before the trip. We rested, napped, and reached Bamban Bridge at 7 pm.
Day 2: 150 km Tarlac to La Union 15.4755° N,120.5963° E 16.6159° N,120.3209° E
We started pedaling again at exactly 8 in the morning. Today, we will go directly to La Union. We had a great experience going to this place. The heat index hit 44-46 degrees Celsius, making it difficult for us to pedal. In addition to this, the headwinds and long, small gradients on the roads in Pangasinan are also a challenge for us. After a few hours of patience, we reached our destination safely.
Day 3: 140 Km La Union to Vigan Ilocos Sur 16.6159° N,120.3209° E 17.5705° N, 120.3873° E
We ride out at exactly 8 am. The ride started much better than yesterday. But along the way, the temperature index rose again to 47 degrees Celsius. Once again, it tested the limits of our bodies while crossing the long and difficult paved roads. Apart from that, though, we visited a few tourist attractions (Man-Made Forest/Luna Watch Tower), including a UNESCO World Heritage site. Overall, this was the best trip we have taken within the province thus far.
After our mandatory photos were taken, we continued to pedal until we reached Ilocos Arch by noon. Even though I was already feeling drowsy and lightheaded from the intense heat at the time, I was still able to resist it. At about nine o’clock at night, we arrived in Vigan town proper and started searching for a transient house where we could spend the night. As soon as we did locate one, we packed up and headed to the Heritage area for dinner.
Day 4: 160Km Vigan to Pagudpud – Side Trip Laoag Church 17.5705° N,120.3873° E 18.5875° N, 120.8221° E
The next day, it was nine o’clock in the morning when we continued our journey. Our pace is slow because of the days when we don’t sleep properly. The plans now call for a mental and physical battle. Cranked in and out, the heat index reached around 45 degrees Celsius. Before arriving at Ilocos Norte Arch at noon, we had some mechanical problems with one of our friends. One tire burst, the wheel spoke ripped off, and then another tire burst. While our other companion was patching up his bicycle at the shop, my companion and I decided to go ahead with our planned visit to Laoag Church as a way to express our gratitude and take pictures.
We went back to see our friend after leaving the church, and after we were reunited, we carried on toward Ilocos Norte. We slept and honestly had the most comfortable sleep of the whole trip to Pagudpod.
Day 5: 40 km Side Trip Ride to Patapat Viaduct Patapat Viaduct 18.5756° N,120.8947° E
Today is our last day in the province, and our priority is to book a bus ticket back to Manila. After making a reservation on the bus, we continued along the AH26 to the Patapat Viaduct. It was hot as usual as we ascended to our destination. We have reached the end of our trip and are unsure of when we will go again. Unsurprisingly, we continued to pedal despite the sun’s rays hurting us. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery in the area, took photos, and walked around to make the most of the 5-day ride. We returned to our lodging again in the afternoon. To make the most of the five-day ride, we strolled around, took pictures, and relished the stunning scenery in the area.
That afternoon, we went back to our accommodations and ate our dinner. We saw the magnificent sunset as we made our way back home. We three will be inspired to venture outside of our comfort zones once more by this amazing scene/s. Maaring mapanuod sa YT ang kanilang biyahe papuntang Norte, i-click lamang ang link an ito youtu.be/HKpwNq_vaSg?si=WgCPcDPBJm4QKDEZ para mapanuod ninyo ng buo ang kanilang tour.
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