There is something very classic and Old World about Ilocos. Although its towns are bustling commercial centers, the countryside still looks and feels as if it hasn’t changed much. Driving along the open country roads connecting Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, old-time scenes present themselves: farmers using carabao and wooden plows to till the soil, women manually separating rice grain from the harvested palay, that sort of thing. These are common scenes in all our provinces, no doubt. But they come to life so naturally in the Ilocos region.
Traffic jams are virtually nonexistent in Ilocos. This is too contemporary a phenomenon to be associated with this part of the country. The ride to Fort Ilocandia, an old military stronghold transformed into a resort and country club, is a very relaxing one — no honking horns, no buses cutting you off, none of that. Fort Ilocandia has a novel way of welcoming its guests. Greeted at the door of the main lobby with rounds of fresh mango juice and period-costumed entertainers singing folk songs, one really feels like a big-time haciendero of sugarcane or tobacco from back in the day. Even with the traditional welcoming and surroundings, Fort Ilocandia has modern amenities to entertain guests as well: a golf course, an ATV track, shooting range, swimming pool and spa, among other things.
But Ilocos comes to life more in capturing the old rather than the new. The place takes you back to a time when a harana for your irog while she stood in her balcony was the custom.
Come to think of it, Ilocos is quite a romantic getaway. The calm and serene countryside roads by the sea, the lighthouse in the distance, are perfect for long drives with that special someone. Wide-open roads make a drive to the beach-in-proximity, Pagudpud, an option. Bring bathing suits just in case. The roads are quiet enough for you to hear her thoughts and for her to hear yours. (Achtung! Excellent date tip!) Then there’s always a calesa ride, which might be clichéd, but it all depends on the delivery. In Laoag, calesas, or local horse-drawn carriages, are lined up along the side of the main plaza and are available for rental. Think of them as dry land, local counterparts to the gondolas of Italy or the canal boat rides in Holland. Go on a ride down the quiet cobblestone streets of the historical center of Laoag. It could be magic.
Towns in Ilocos are all similar in the sense that they were commonly created under Spanish supervision. Infrastructure plans made the plaza the center of each town. In and around the plaza would be the main government building, the public congregation area and, of course, the church and bell tower. Laoag is one such town that has incorporated new structures in and around its plaza while preserving its original scheme. The church and the bell tower still stand as they would have a century ago, its plaza is still a very busy place. The cobblestone streets that are at the periphery of the plaza are still intact. People flock into the church and listen to Mass, looking just as pious and devout as their ancestors from way back. The Jollibee and Greenwich outlets in the plaza are built and made to look like old Spanish houses so they don’t look too conspicuous amid the older structures.
No out-of-town trip would be complete without a sampling of the local dishes prepared the authentic way. This is Ilocos, so it has to be longganisa, empanada and bagnet. Longganisa, garlic sausages prepared the Ilocano way, are just the thing. Vigan longganisa is said to be the best, but our friends from Ilocos Norte may beg to differ. With a fried egg and fried rice, it makes for a very hearty breakfast. Ilocos empanada look like extremely large fried dumplings. After deep frying, the coating becomes light and crunchy and everything else inside — vegetables, ground meat, longganisa bits and egg — just gel together. Good stuff, great with the local vinegar that is made the traditional way in large clay pots. Bagnet is a very, very large chunk of pork that is boiled, seasoned and then deep-fried with spices. Words cannot explain the greatness of bagnet. Just make sure your arteries are okay and clog-free before dining on these delicacies.
Ilocos is a time warp. You get there, the clock turns back, then does some kind of disappearing act. It’s great. No one but you directs the pace of things; your time can be as fast or as slow as you want. There is enough time to do everything — soak up the history, see the sights, feel nationalistic (for some), even eat all day. There is enough time to do absolutely nothing at all, too.
Turning the clock back and stopping time: two alternate tangents from the current timeline creating the same tear in the space-time continuum. Ilocos can do both.
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Author’s Note: Time goes back to normal upon departure. E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@yahoo.com.