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It was just our luck that Sheryl intended to go to Bangui that afternoon. And since H and I got the inabel part of our tour out of the way, we gladly joined her. Four of her friends (three based in Laoag) tagged along--or rather, H and I tagged along with Sheryl and her friends!

We made a pit stop at the "biscocho-han" in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte. The place was called Pasuquin Bakery, and their plastic bags had labels proudly proclaiming “famous maker of the delicious biscocho, pride of the north.” Our unofficial tour guides insisted that we try the soft biscocho, which is sort of like an anise-laced pan de sal. Sheryl told us that these were so popular that they were even exported to Hawaii!

 

 

In the van, our travel buddies unrolled their soft biscocho and spread Cheez Wiz on 'em. H and I enjoyed ours plain, but I sat up when one girl declared she wished she had bought Nutella to go with her bread. Mmmmm. I actually saved some of my soft biscocho so that I could eat it with hazelnut spread back home!

The Lighthouse

After the bakery, we stopped at the lighthouse. This wasn't on my original list of things to see, so it was a bonus for us. Called "And Parola ng Cape Bojeador," the structure was built in 1890, and served as a lighthouse beginning 1892. There was a bit of climbing involved, plus the heat of the sun was beating down on us, so by the time we got to the top, sweat was trickling down our brows. We rewarded ourselves with Pinipig Crunch from the ice cream cart, and sought refuge in the confines of the air-conditioned van.

 

Windmills of Bangui

About 20 minutes later, we made a pit stop at the view deck to see the windmills from afar. I needed to go to the bathroom, and Sheryl pointed me to a dark one, saying she hoped there were no ghosts. The bathroom was scary for a whole other reason. (Must. Hold. Breath.)

The windmills looked fascinating from afar, but we wanted to get a closer look. So we rode the van all the way to the beach, where the windmills stood. Up close, they were awe-inspiring, and somewhat intimidating. You get a feeling of paranoia as you walk past one, thinking about how heavy it would be if it suddenly fell on top of you!

 

The Ilocanos told us that the windmills supposedly supplied power for about half of Ilocos Norte or something, but that they didn’t really see the effects on their electricity bills. I sure hope they really do serve a purpose, other than being a tourist attraction!

After the photo op, we headed home, eager to take a shower after baking under the summer sun. We had bagnet for dinner (again!), and figured out our game plan for the next day--no free rides this time!