The second day of the cruise was still in the Philippines. We sailed to Laoag, Ilocos Norte.
Prior to boarding, I was already able to get a copy of their tour packages and nothing really tickled my fancy. Plus, they were quite expensive. I remember average price of the tour was P10,000 for the 3 of us. And like what I said, we didn't like any of the choices.
So before heading to our first shore excursion, I researched places to go, things to do and where the port is close to, since I wouldn't want to be late and be left by the ship. Hehe!
For Laoag, I decided to research for a tour guide because we wanted to go to Bangui Windmills. I found Roland Villaluz who actually is a tour guide of Ilocos Norte. We got the South Tour which included Bangui Windmills, Cape Bojeador Lighthouse and Kapururawan Rock Formation. In case you want to contact him, here are his details: 0927-5590818 or 0912-2744271.
First stop is the Bangui Windmills. It was a long ride from Currimao Port going to Bangui Windmills. And since it was also very hot and humid, the whole family knocked out when we were in the van.
It was so picturesque! And needless to say it was so windy too. Some parts of Ilocos Norte's electricity is supplied by these windmills and according to Roland, they're thinking of supplying Metro Manila too. Their goal is to have 50 windmills and they're already close to that goal.
It was surreal to be able to visit this lace because it has always been in out bucket list. And my daughter loved playing in the sand.
Next stop was at Cape Bojeador Lighthouse. We had to park the van a little far from the light house because only tricycles were allowed to go up the hill. Roland suggested that we just walk instead.
So even though we were already pretty tired. (Seriously, it was so warm!) We walked up to see the light house.
There was an entrance fee of P10.00 per person.
Roland didn't tell us much about the light house so here's a snippet from Wikipedia that I've gathered.
Cape Bojeador Lighthouse, also known as Burgos Lighthouse, is a cultural heritage structure in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, that was established during the Spanish Colonial period in the Philippines. It was first lit on March 30, 1892, and is set high on Vigia de Nagpartian Hill overlooking the scenic Cape Bojeador where early galleons used to sail by. After over 100 years, it still functions as a welcoming beacon to the international ships that enter the Philippine Archipelago from the north and guide them safely away from the rocky coast of the town.
This was the flight of stairs going to the light house, however, we were not allowed to go inside because Roland said that it's under construction. I think somebody has to fix this since it's a tourist spot and a lot of people actually went here to check out the view from the light house.
After our day trip, we had lunch at a local restaurant which I wasn't able to document anymore. Then we went back to the ship. We weren't able to go to the Kapururawan Rock Formation anymore because of time constraints. We were supposed to be back by 5pm and there's no way we'll be left by the ship so we followed the instructions.
Then it was time for dinner. It's so important to line up early for your meals. Since there were only 3 restaurants that were "free", most people will choose to dine there. And it's a little difficult to find seats when you're late. And just like us, we really want to be able to catch the night's show. The shows are at 7:15, 9pm and around 11. We prefer the 7:15 or 9pm seating because of Robyn.
That evening we chose Chinese cuisine and were seated with 2 other people.
At this point, Robyn was already very comfortable and at home in the ship. Here's a few snaps H took of her while I was lining up to exchange money.
The night's performance was a Magic Show by Illusionist Rick Green.
I also wanted Robyn to experience something fun for her so we registered her for a Balloon Twisting/Sculpture Activity at the Kids' Corner to end the day.
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