A week of goal settings, team building activities and loads of adrenalin rush. Here’s a sneak peek on the week that just was.
A Taste of Ilocos
Credits: Papers by Pou You from the Pink & Me Kit.
Food can be a landmark as surely as any monument ~ Patricia Volk
If food can get a landmark status, I bet Bagnet will surely be it for the Philippines. A favorite of many and if you are Filipino, more likely than not, you’d know what it is and where to go to get it.
One long weekend a few months ago, we ventured on a road trip up north to have a taste of Ilocos. An experience involving more than the sights and activities, our taste buds had a feast as well. Here’s a short list of our flavor adventure.
Vigan Longganisa
Breakfast from our hotel – Hotel Salcedo de Vigan
Vigan, Pampanga, Lucban, Cagayan, Bagiuo… all proud of their version of longganisa, a Filipino pork sausage which I also posted a few months back here.. The Vigan version is a mix of ground pork, garlic, vinegar and spices. Some like it sweet, I like it a bit sour with loads of garlic flavor, just how Vigan makes theirs. We arrived at Vigan in time for breakfast just as we planned it. Longganisa, rice and eggs (sunnyside up for me) – is breakfast hard to beat.
Bagnet
Bagnet from Cafe Uno
Sometimes called Ilocano chicharon, it is essentially double-deep fried pork belly that is crispy on the outside, tender and juicy in the inside and certainly heart attack material. Double fried because after boiling the piece of meat, it is dried in the oven before it gets deep-fried in low heat. To serve, it gets deep fried again, this time in high heat. Forget about healthy eating when in Ilocos, this crispy pork meat is hard to resist especially when served with a side dish of tomatoes, fish sauce and onions or what locals call KBL. Every bite sends me (literally) closer to heaven. Teeheehee! 😀
Ilocos Empanada
Simply delicious!
My first experience of this crispy empanada was 10 years ago, bought in a stall along Plaza Burgos. Didn’t leave much of an impression except that it was on the oily side, the fact that it is (again) deep-fried. 10 years later, walking along Salcedo St., we stumbled upon Irene’s Empanada, an unassuming eatery that boasts of their empanada (of course). Hungry after a visit to the Syquia Mansion, we decided that this was a good time to have lunch. Best decision ever. Now I know why Ilocos proudly boasts of their empanada. The shell was light and crispy, stuffed with grated young papaya, which perfectly compliments the skinless Vigan longganisa. The best part was the egg inside, the yolk still soft. With a sprinkle of sukang iloko (local vinegar), it was super.
Tongson’s Royal Bibingka
This one I read about and was on the top of my list. A street away from the plaza and easy to spot. After our delightful lunch of empanada, we decided that dessert was to be Tongson’s Royal Bibingka. We bought a box and headed to our hotel’s coffee shop to pair it with coffee. This got mixed reviews; some didn’t think much of it expecting a more traditional kind of bibingka. This Royal Bibingka is more like native rice cakes, stickier and heavier than the bibingka we are familiar with. I happen to be one of those who think it’s fabulous because I adore sticky rice cakes.
Torta
Perfect with the Tsokolate!
Something like mamon. I’m not quite sure if this is a native if Ilocos but this one coffee shop called The Perfect Cup, served us torta and native chocolate receiving a high rating from all of us. Yum!
More on Ilocos… stay tuned!
The Kenai Fjord Surprise
Alaska was a surprise. Didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I enjoyed it. It was a great choice of a destination for my “big trip” that I aim to do every couple of years. What an experience. We would like to think that we did pretty well even though we didn’t achieve all that we’ve set out to see and do. There were lakes, wildlife and activities that will have to wait till next time but I’m happy and whatever we saw beyond this point would be a real bonus. Guess what, we got that bonus.
Orcas. Yes the killer whale. As suggested by the lady from our hostel, we had a great chance of seeing orcas in Kenai Fjord.
So soon after we got ourselves settled, we were on a boat headed towards Kenai Fjord just 15 minutes from town.
Not only does it have some of the most beautiful fjords and glaciers in Alaska, it also offers one of the best wildlife spectacles. Humpbacks and killer whales, sea otters, harbor seals, sea lions and puffins flock the park’s waters.
As promised, that boat ride never lacked wildlife sightings. It was a thrill to see tons of sea lions basking in the sun,
birds flying all around and of course,
breaching humpbacks that never cease to amaze.
What capped it all however, were the orcas. It was “goosebump” awesome.
A perfect way to end an awesome trip. Well… ok, technically, we still had 2 more days in Alaska and a few more sights that are worth posting, but our Kenai Fjord experience has, without a doubt, left indelible memories.
Visit Scenic Sunday for more scenes from around the world.
Hubbard Glacier
The largest non-polar tidewater glacier in the world was one of the major highlights of our cruise adventure. How could I have forgotten something that has made it to my “Top Picks” list? Can I blame it on exhaustion from the holiday stress??
Now really… how could I have forgotten the day our ship approached Disenchantment Bay at the head of Yakutat Bay? We were all bundled up on the gelid deck when the ship slowed down and the glacier came more into a breathtaking view. As Hubbard advances, it moans and groans as huge chunks of ice moves and eventually crashes into the bay creating a sound the Tlinglits call “White Thunder”. It does sound like thunder and it took me a while to realize that it was from the falling icebergs. 😛
Yes my friends, Hubbard is one of the eight glaciers that is currently advancing instead of retreating, thickening instead of thinning. First mapped in 1895, the Hubbard’s huge open face is more than 5 miles wide and actively calves icebergs as large as 10-story buildings. Once in 1986 and then again in 2002, it has twice blocked the mouth of Russell Fjord making it a lake as high as 90 ft above sea level.
Hubbard Glacier was a sight to remember and it indubitably deserves a post in this blog. 🙂
More interesting mosaics here.
Seward
Happy and pleased, we bid goodbye to the Ryndam recognizing the tail end of a wonderful adventure. We took a cab to Moby Dick Hostel, our home for a night and there we slept once again on dry land.
Seward is a picturesque town sandwiched between the Kenai Mountains and the water of Kenai Fjord National Park. It is one of Alaska’s oldest and most scenic communities.
A little bit of history
It was named after the US Secretary of State, William Seward, who negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia.
In the 1903, John and Frank Ballaine and a group of settlers arrived to begin construction of a railroad. The Alaska Railroad was constructed between 1915-1925 and Seward was developed as the ocean terminus and supply center.
And what do you know? Just in front of our humble hostel is the Ballaine House, one of the oldest home in Seward. It was built by Frank Ballaine, the brother of Seward’s founder.
By 1960, Seward was the largest community on the Peninsula. Tsunamis generated after the 1964 earthquake, also known as “The Great Alaska Earthquake”, destroyed the railroad terminal and killed several residents. Fast forward to present day, tsunami warning signs are seen in most street corners.
We spent 2 days in Seward, more than enough time to explore the town fully. Here’s what we saw on our walks through town.
A Best Western
Van Gilder, one of the oldest hotel in town
Overlooking the harbor
Quaint little shops
King Crab for $8!… obviously where we dined! Who could ask for more?
Downtown Seward
For more scenes from around the globe, visit Scenic Sunday.
A Glimpse of Seward
Credits: Chrissyw template, JSprague Brown Paper texture, JSprague “Home Away From Home” Brown Solid Paper
Known as the gateway to Kenai Fjord National Park, Seward was where we ended our cruising. Our next destination, Anchorage is just 126 miles away and we will get there by train. But before that, the next posts will be exploring Seward. And here’s a glimpse in sepia.
For more Sepia Scenes, click here.
Sitka
Nestled on Baranof Island and protected by a myriad of small-forested islands, Sitka is a town not lacking in character. Aside from it being home to native Tlinglits with the cultures still being practiced today, it was also the capital of Russia-America until its transfer to the U.S. in 1867. It is in Castle Hill that the Russian flag was lowered and the American flag raised.
Easily managed by foot, we walked around town browsing through shops, walking along the harbor.
The first Russian church built in America, St. Michael’s Cathedral is a picturesque focal point in Sitka, topped by its magnificent onion-shaped dome. And in addition to many historical sights and museums, as in many of Alaska towns, Sitka has a wide range of outdoor activities… fishing, kayaking, hiking, biking…
Oh and that focal photo? That’s my way of taking my hat off to one of the best tasting, juiciest burger I’ve ever had. Not exactly a “burger person”, this particular one called me at first sight and am I glad I listened. 😉
Hop on over to Little Red House for more fun mosaics.
Eagles in Abundance
Bald Eagles have been the national bird of the U.S. since 1782. While they are still protected under federal law, the birds are no longer “endangered” and about half of the 70,000 live in Alaska. They are spotted year round but are especially abundant March through early July.
As the photos reveal, it was bald eagles galore for us that one day in June. They were perched atop poles, on the beach, in flight around the harbor waiting for spawning herrings to appear. They were spectacular.
For more scenes from across the globe, click here.
New Year Preview
Another fresh new year is here…
Another year to live!
To banish worry, doubt and fear,
To love and laugh and give!
This bright New Year is given me To live each day with zest… To dearly grow and try to be My highest and my best!
I love the opportunity Once more to right some wrongs, To pray for peace, to plant a tree And sing more joyful songs!
~ William Arthur Ward~
‘Twas a good year. There were great travels, adventures, and new discoveries. With it came new and rekindled friendships, new experiences and milestones.
‘Twas a full year too. Many (wonderful) things came about; my posts couldn’t come fast enough. Here’s a glimpse of what to expect this year. And these are just places I’ve been to last year that is pending a post. God willing, my journey continues. Thanks for the company and do stick around as I press on to explore the world near and far.
Credits: Papers – Defining Flower by Jen Wilson, King Me Paper by Kate Pertiet.
“Here’s to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here’s to the things that’s yet to come, and to the memories that we hold.”
Cheers!
It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Yes it’s the most wonderful time of the year, the happiest season of all. A season to celebrate the birth of our Savior and be of good cheer! Parties, reunions and get-togethers with stories of Christmases of long time ago. And best of all, it’s the holiday break and I’m off to somewhere exciting once again. This time I am not telling. See you next year! But before anything else, I’m leaving you with Harry Connick Jr. to cheer your days up even more. Happy Christmas to all!
my adventure odyssey 