the weekend that was may 24-25

Friday. Still limping with a sprained ankle, Irvin accompanied me to the office to join our team bonding. Of course, he doesn't approve of me joining this outing. But I can't let this opportunity go, my last chance to feel the summer wind hitting my face.

We left the office around 7 PM to go to the bus terminal at Sampaloc. There, we dined at a nearby Thai carinderia where our teammates greeted me and Khai a belated birthday greeting (yes, we share the same birthday). We prepared for the anticipated tiring trip of 10 hours. Whew! I sat at the very 1st sit right behind the driver, so I can have enough room for my legs. The bus left around 9:45. This is it.

I had enough sleep, even if I did wake up several times, looked for landmarks to see where we are, texted Irvin. We passed the sleeping villages of Bulacan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Pangasinan and La Union (our only stopover). It's creepy to travel at such wee hours. I felt the sun kissing my sleepy eyes, that was 5:30 AM of Saturday. We were already in Ilocos Sur. A few more hours and we were in Laoag, made some stretching and got off the bus. We had our breakfast at Jollibee Laoag (hanep, wi-fi zone!).

We were back on the roads again, this time to Pagudpud. We stopped over the Lighthouse of Cape Bojeador and Bangui Bay Wind Project. The sceneries were very pleasant, the wind is invigorating, the sun is uplifting. Thank God, there were no signs of rain. We were at the Pannzian Beach and Mountain Resort at around 10:30. We checked in, took a shower, had lunch and prepared for our next destination.

Approximately an hour of walk, three brooks and an up-and-down path led us to Kabigan Falls. My teammates constantly ask me if I'm still okay, knowing that I'm still recovering from sprain. Oh well, I just smiled, "Oo nman, kaya ko!" (Kung alam ko lang…hehehe!) Most of my teammates went swimming, teased Marie all the time and of course, had picturetaking session.

Next stop, Blue Lagoon Beach Resort, a place they called "mini-Boracay". I have been in Boracay twice, and I can say it is not comparable to Boracay. The sand is not as powdery as in Boracay, but the water is as calm and clear. A good venue for picturetaking. The place has a beauty of its own, but with a pile of trash sitting in the shore, that beauty has already been ruined. Haay, tsk tsk!

We went back to Pannzian, where my cellphone is useless hehe. After dinner, we had some fun games by the bonfire. And while the others are already retiring for the night, JJ, May, Marie, Grace, Peewee and me played Sequence. We went to sleep around 1 AM.

Sunday. JJ woke us up at around 6 AM. The sun is already up and I missed the opportunity to catch the sunrise. Feels so good to look at the South China Sea stretching to the horizon. I had the chance to soak in the sea for like 15 minutes (if I stayed longer, Irvin would be furious and won't allow me to join the next team bonding hehe). Well, I did not enjoy much, because the waves are rushing to the shore so I just stayed a few steps from the coast. Then I took a shower, ate breakfast and enjoyed my stay at the hammock. I missed Irvin.

We checked out early so we can visit the other sites in Ilocos Norte. We had lunch at Max's Laoag (hindi wi-fi, daig ng Jollibee). Then off we go to Marcos Museum (btw, we had a flat tire on our way), the majestic Paoay Church and the Fort Ilocandia Resort. Sight seeing and picturetaking filled our time.

Before going to the airport, we stopped by McDo for a quick and early dinner. We checked in at Laoag International Airport around 6:30. The Cebu Pacific plane seemed small, not their usual Airbus, and the trip? It was headache-provoking! I felt the twists and turns of the plane and I was already feeling dizzy when the Captain spoke up. We were already in Manila.

It was raining hard when we got off the plane. Picturetaking pa din while waiting for our bags and distributing pasalubongs. And who is this attractive guy who seemed to be looking for an equally attractive girl? Si Irvin pala hinahanap ako. (Hahaha! Minsan lang ito.)

Okay, back to work na! (Pictures pa? Eto: http://enelie14.multiply.com/)