Manila to Pagudpud - 3 Day Bikepacking
November 26 - 28, 2021
Ilocos Norte, Philippines
Ilocos Norte, Philippines
Probably my peak form in cycling. A 1v1 Vigan one-shot with Louise. A 400KM gran fondo—we managed to reach Vigan in one day. Then we stayed there for a night to rest. It was still considered a pandemic in the Philippines during this time, so we had to take swab tests whenever we crossed provinces.
Our hotel on the first night seemed to have been uninhabited for a year due to the lockdown, and we were the first ones to book it, sooo sinurot kami LOL. I had to sleep on the floor, while Louise rawdogged it and woke up with mite bites all over his body.
On our second day, we checked out early to visit some touristy spots in Vigan. We ended up enjoying the sights a bit too much and lost track of time. It was almost lunch before we knew it. Our initial plan was to ride all the way to Pagudpud from Vigan, but since we left late, it became impossible to reach it without riding in the dark (which we don’t want to do because this was uncharted territory for us).
We arrived in Laoag (still 85KM away from Pagudpud) around 5PM. We slowed down to take some photos in (yet again) different touristy spots, and found out that there was a local community event. We decided to stay the night, attend the night market, listen to local musicians, and eat street food.
The next day, we started riding at 4AM with Pagudpud getting closer. We made our final push and arrived around 10AM.
The roads going to Pagudpud were long and wide. Scenic—probably a different experience if you were just passing through in a car. The sun was scorching, and the headwind was strong, like it was trying to push us back home,but the view made it bearable. The rice fields were calming, and it reminded me of slow living—or that one quiet afternoon when you were a kid and just woke up from a siesta dahil nasilaw ka sa tumamang sinag ng araw sa mukha mo mula sa butas ng bubong.
We reached Pagudpud early, and after reaching Patapat Viaduct, it started raining. There wasn’t much to see there actually, just the waves crashing into the rocky shores. And since it was still practically lockdown, most nearby spots were still closed. It was a Sunday, and Louise had work the next day, so after lunch, we decided to head back home.
This was the closest we’ve ever been to covering the entirety of Luzon. I was lowkey trying to convince Louise to take a sick leave and push through to Apayao and Isabela. I failed. Maybe that’s a different tour on its own. Probably with a different team.
I also need to mention: on our way home to Manila, while we were already in the van, I received a text from the reception of the hotel in Laoag where we stayed. Apparently, I had left my driver’s license in the lobby. Good thing the van we were riding was passing through that same hotel. That would’ve been a nightmare to retrieve otherwise.
Our hotel on the first night seemed to have been uninhabited for a year due to the lockdown, and we were the first ones to book it, sooo sinurot kami LOL. I had to sleep on the floor, while Louise rawdogged it and woke up with mite bites all over his body.
On our second day, we checked out early to visit some touristy spots in Vigan. We ended up enjoying the sights a bit too much and lost track of time. It was almost lunch before we knew it. Our initial plan was to ride all the way to Pagudpud from Vigan, but since we left late, it became impossible to reach it without riding in the dark (which we don’t want to do because this was uncharted territory for us).
We arrived in Laoag (still 85KM away from Pagudpud) around 5PM. We slowed down to take some photos in (yet again) different touristy spots, and found out that there was a local community event. We decided to stay the night, attend the night market, listen to local musicians, and eat street food.
The next day, we started riding at 4AM with Pagudpud getting closer. We made our final push and arrived around 10AM.
The roads going to Pagudpud were long and wide. Scenic—probably a different experience if you were just passing through in a car. The sun was scorching, and the headwind was strong, like it was trying to push us back home,but the view made it bearable. The rice fields were calming, and it reminded me of slow living—or that one quiet afternoon when you were a kid and just woke up from a siesta dahil nasilaw ka sa tumamang sinag ng araw sa mukha mo mula sa butas ng bubong.
We reached Pagudpud early, and after reaching Patapat Viaduct, it started raining. There wasn’t much to see there actually, just the waves crashing into the rocky shores. And since it was still practically lockdown, most nearby spots were still closed. It was a Sunday, and Louise had work the next day, so after lunch, we decided to head back home.
This was the closest we’ve ever been to covering the entirety of Luzon. I was lowkey trying to convince Louise to take a sick leave and push through to Apayao and Isabela. I failed. Maybe that’s a different tour on its own. Probably with a different team.
I also need to mention: on our way home to Manila, while we were already in the van, I received a text from the reception of the hotel in Laoag where we stayed. Apparently, I had left my driver’s license in the lobby. Good thing the van we were riding was passing through that same hotel. That would’ve been a nightmare to retrieve otherwise.