northern luzon gallery

This gallery includes pictures from three trips to Nothern Luzon:
o Manila-Vigan-Ilocos Norte-Cagayan-Nueva Vizcaya-Aritao-Baguio-Manila on bike (Yamaha Tenere 650)
o Manila-Dalton Pass-Banaue-Sagada-Baguio-Manila with car (Mitsubishi Montero 2500)
o Manila-Cabanatuan-Baler-Cabanatuan-Manila on bike (Yamaha Tenere 650)
as well as a rafting trip to Chico River via Tabuk and several trips to Baguio.

baguio and northern luzon

Hundred Islands belong to Pangasinan province and is one of the places worth visiting on travels to Northern Luzon. Kennon road is the dramatic southern appraoch to Baguio from Pangasinan province. La Union has long sandy beaches like this one in Bauang south of San Fernando. Naguilian road is the western approach to Baguio from La Union province. Vigan with its many Spanish-style buildings is a popular destination. Cape Bojeidor at the western coast of Ilocos. The map showed a road from Ilocos eastwards into the Kalinga mountains. However, the road slowly disappeared into impassable mountain forests. The simple dwelling of a Kalinga woman. Excellent coffee is grown and made inn the Kalinga mountains. The 650 cc Yamaha Tenere is a reliable workhorse, but this road got too tough. The old Dingras stone church in Ilocos. Paoay bell tower in Ilocos Norte. The Ilocost coast is stony and barren. The beach at Pagudpud is famous, however due to a passing storm it does not look too inviting in this picture. The roads are very well maintained in Ilocos. This picture shows part of the road from Ilocos Norte to Cagayan province. Quiet landscape in northern Cagayan. Riding on top of a jeepney up the Chico river valley in Kalinga province. Chico river is one of the biggest rivers in Northern Luzon. Chico river offers good rafting when the conditions are right. This mountain is called the Sleeping Beauty because of its profile. Deforested landscape near Enrile in Cagayan Valley. The spectacular rice terraces in Banawe, Ifugao province. The constant struggle to keep the mountain roads drivable. Here from the road from Banawe to Bontoc in the Mountain province. Traditional Igorot houses have thatched roof of cogon grass and stand on stilts, such that the floor is about one and a half meter above the ground. Landscape from Sagada in the Mountain province. Landscape near Sagada, Mountain province. Igorot weaponry (Igorot is the generic name used for several mountain people tribes). The traditional burial practice in Sagada is to hang the solid hardwood coffins on the walls under designated burial cliffs. Nights can be cold in Sagada, and a fire place is used to keep the house warm. View from the Aritao road, the eastern approach to Baguio. The road is drivable, but rough and difficult to ride. I had to negotiate a wide and deep river crossing, was snapped at by a cobra, and chased by a mad, frothing dog for quite a distance. The Ambuclao dam feeds a sizable hydropower plant. The Dalton Pass in Nueva Vizcaya is the gate to the Cagayan Valley and the North. The area saw heavy fighting during World War II. Sierra Madre, the long easterly mountain chain on Luzon, as seen from the Cabanatuan to Baler road. The spectacular Baler Beach. The sun sets behind the Zambales mountains as seen from Tarlac, Central Luzon.

www.ligaya.net Jens Hintze Holm jens@ligaya.net