1. Walking Tour - Bangued, Abra
Take a walk around the capital of Abra, Bangued, and just wander around the place to have a good insight on Abra's culture and history. We can try some local foods, see the protected national park, and have a good look on some historical places around the town. On our walking tour, here's what we will see:
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| The Victoria Park, also known as the Cassamata Hill National Park Image Source: Akrosdayunibers |
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| A view of the town of Bangued from the Victoria Park Image Source: Akrosdayunibers |
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| The Provincial Capitol Building of Abra Image Source: sanjosenyonggala,blogspot.com |
In front of the Provincial Capitol is a Town Plaza where we can sit and relax while talking to some locals and have a better insight on their culture. There are a lot of restaurants and streetfoods surrounding the Town Plaza so we indulge ourselves on their local foods~!
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| Bangued Cathedral Image Source: Akrosdayunibers |
Only a short walk from the Provincial Capitol, we can see the Bangued Cathedral, constructed in 1722, it is definitely one of the oldest structures in Abra. It is also a reminder to them of their colonial past under the Augustinian friars who built the said cathedral.
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| Calaba Bridge Image Source: Akrosdayunibers |
With a few hundred meters of walk (or it would be easier for us to just ride a tricycle), we can have a look at the "dream come true" bridge of the people of Abra, the Calaba Bridge. It is a 900-meter bridge connecting the town of Bangued to the municipalities of La Paz, Danglas, and Lagayan. As a part of the Abra-Ilocos Norte National Road, the Calaba Bridge was only completed and became functional last 2010.
2. Crossing the Abra River - Abra
"...it could be fun doing the river crossing but that fun wouldn't be real if you don't know the reason of the existence of this free river crossing."
From the experience of Edmar Guquib (as posted on his blog edmaration.com), crossing the Abra River is definitely a must try experience. It is not really a boat ride for the tourists, but riding the same boat that the locals ride everyday to cross the Abra River is definitely a unique experience.
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| Crossing the Abra River together with the locals. Image Source: Edmaration |
Another reason why we should cross the great Abra River is for us to see the Tugot ni Angalo or the
footprint of the mythical giant, Angalo. He is a famous mythical character in several popular legends in Abra. Now, can you spot the footprint of Angalo?
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| A view of the Tugot ni Angalo.Image Source: Edmaration |
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| A closer view of the Tugot ni AngaloImage Source: Edmaration |
3. Lussok Crystal Cave - Luna, Apayao
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| The Lussok Crystal Cave Image Source: Lakwatsero |
The Lussok Crystal Cave is actually a seven-chamber cave decorated by nature with a lot of beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. The underground river system that connects these chambers is around five meters wide with a water depth of around four meters.
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| "The river as seen from inside the cave" Image Source: Lakwatsero |
4. Experiencing Bontoc - Capital of Mountain Province
Bontoc is overshadowed by Sagada, but it is still the capital of Mountain Province for a reason. It boasts the cultural heritage of the whole province and we absolutely need to experience Bontoc's culture as part of our trip.
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| The village of Bayyo which is just adjacent to the rice terraces. Image Source: edmaration |
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| The Bontoc Museum. A visit on this place will make you understand the way of living, culture and heritage of Bontoc and of the Mountain Province. Image Source: edmaration |
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| The Ganga Burial Cave. The bodies of their ancestors were placed inside a jar and were buried inside this cave. Image Source: edmaration |
5. Exploring Sagada - Mountain Province
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| Hanging Coffins - Sagada, Mountain Province Image Source: Lakwatsero |
Exploring the highland town of Sagada, Mountain Province is a definite must for our one fine trip! With the relaxing weather and a scenic view, they are offering different activities that surely spell ADVENTURE!
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| Pongas Falls - Sagada, Mountain Province Image Source: Lakwatsero |
Spelunking on Sagada's cave systems, mountain climbing on its limestone cliffs, trekking to discover nature and hidden waterfalls, or witness Sagada's Festival of Lights. Surely, Sagada has it all.
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| Rock Climbing - Echo Valley, Sagada, Mountain Province Image Source: Lakwatsero |
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| On every November 1st, the locals gather at the cemetery to pay tribute to their departed loved ones. It is their tradition to light up woods from old pine trees to create "panag-apoy" near the tombstones. Image Source: Lakwatsero |
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| Sagada's Festival of Light. Here's what the cemetery looks like after sunset. Image Source: Lakwatsero |
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