The Poetry of Palpalokada

LEAD Movement found time to go to Burgos to experience horseback riding in a place local vaqueros call Palpalokada. Other townsfolk call the rustic locale Bantoc, but I like the 5-syllable Palpalokada better — the sound fits the enchanting outback totally.

Remember that spelunking exploration I posted in November? I just discovered another delicious component of the whole enchilada.

{Burgos Mayor Cris Garcia and the hubby.}

Up on the reef, I got the most stimulating scene I’ve ever seen. Arizona meets Hawaii… magical, but real… legitimate awesomeness:)

Everything is photo-worthy, from the rock’s surface to the entangled thorny vines to the bewitched expression on the faces of Marc and Sean.

We made the most of our time til sundown.

Read more about Palpalokada on rappler.com

*Special thanks to Mayor Cresente Garcia and the Pasto Communal of Burgos, Ilocos Norte

For inquiries, contact the Burgos tourism office at +63-77-7861408. Or call Mayor Cris Garcia: 0928-5510452, 0917-5190665 and Jonas Tesoro: 0928-5510381, 0905-3520633, 0915-5211885.

Weekend Warriors Invade Banna’s ‘Paraiso ti Caribquib’

“Don’t leave me at the roadside.”

Destination: Banna, Ilocos Norte

7 year-old Alexa

Yes, she can!!

Triumphant smile

Euge at it.

“Yeah, swell… “

Thought it would be ‘gone in 17 seconds

… and then I got stuck, shucks! Bad video, too!, originally uploaded by blauearth.

Get me that rope!

Bye, see ya later…

Hang her up…

“I’m cool.”

So very new in Ilocos: Zipline Adventure

The mayor of Banna in Ilocos Norte, Carlito Abadilla II, was too cool to have invited us to try out the first zipline in Ilocos Norte, a project of the Barangay Council of Caribquib, Brgy. 18, Banna, headed by Barangay Captain Adonis Braceros Manuel, with the full support of the Local Government Unit of Banna. Paraiso ti Caribquib used to be a forest until April 2010, when they successfully finished the project. Ecotourism development is paving the way to progress for this agricultural town in the eastern portion of Ilocos Norte.

Major Coolness!! The zipline travel is about 17 seconds (160 m long), but not for me! Just when I thought it was gonna be over, OMG! Okay, fine… I waited for that rescue rope. I suspect the culprit is the extra weight I gained from trying out all the food in my bloggables☺ Then again, it was one fine adventure in a very long time since my rappelling days.

From Banna, we traversed to Paoay through the Banna-Batac Road, which was about 30 minutes, minus the stopover in Batac. I’ll be blogging next about that other adventure, actually, another food adventure.

………………………….

*Thanks to cousin Carly; Kapitan Adonis and Manong Kagawad Rolando Ranga for the company; and to the boys who assisted at Paraiso Ti Caribquib.

Photos by Blauearth Copyright © Blauearth™ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Holy Week Sightings: KA-BLOG’s Mico Aytona, sandboarding and other bloggables on Ilocos sand

3/31/2010 Mico Aytona shoots an episode for GMA Kapuso’s Ka-Blog, a teen magazine show. The Laoag Sand Dunes sandboarding/off-roading feature is scheduled to air on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at 9:00 AM.

“Astig!!!!” was all he could utter after driving the mean machine on his own. Overwhelmed, perhaps.

Sandboarding, the new board sport on sand to try in Ilocos! Developed by the LEAD Movement.

A ladybugged tourist. I think she got ’em from here.

Chucked… or Converts? One and the same. Laid-back chic personified.

Now they can wear their scarves, which were ubiquitous on the streets in 2007.

Fashionable size… MINI! Ewww, if you bring the whole bottle!!!!!

4/2/2010 I spotted the roving Havaianas team 🙂 They ended giving me one of those flip-floats.

Fit and fab Alma Oida in surfing mode. Surfing lessons in Kapuluan Vista Resort, anyone?

The most adorable reusable water bottle I spotted at the beach. It belongs to Red Dot’s fashion guru, Me-Ann Cua Macaraeg. It’s from Pylones (pronounced pee-lone), her fave store for the cutest knickknacks.