Cagayan Valley Adventure Day 1

Marc and I recently went to Tuguegarao City to explore the towns of Cagayan as well as the neigboring province of Isabela. It was my first time to set foot in Tuguegarao City that is why I really got so excited to fly.

Tuguegarao Cathedral

The Tugugegarao trip is more or less two years in the making. Prior to this trip I have already booked tickets to Tuguegarao and Cauayan Isabela thrice. But I had to cancel flight due to scedule conflicts. Finally I had the chance to fly to Tuguegarao last Sunday!

I actually arrived a day earlier than Marc, but since I arrived late in the afternoon, I opted not to tour but just stay inside my hotel room and rest.

Immediately after Marc’s arrivial via Cebu Pacific Air, we then headed towards the Tuguegarao Cathedral, one of the popular landmarks of the Regional Capital of Cagayan Valley.

It was high noon when we arrived in the Cathedral and the last mass of the morning has just ended. The heat is just so ubearable. We then took photos of the church, then headed to a nearby panciteria for the Pancit Batil Patong.

Pancit Batil Patong

If there’s one food that Tuguegarao is known for, that’s Pancit Batil Patong, a noodle dish mixed with some vegetables, freshly chopped onions, with an egg soup on the side. (More about this on my separate blog post).

It was around 1PM and we thought that it was too early to go back to hotel and end the day. Instead, we decided to go to the town of Piat, Cagayan and visit the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of Piat.

Piat Church

The church in Piat is a popular destinations among tourists, and is always full of devotees and pilgrims. It was a Sunday when we went there, so it was not a surprise to see a lot of people even during lunch time.

Just before the sun finally set, we went to the Buntun Bridge. It is said to be the second longest bridge in the Philippines, second only to the San Juanico Bridge in Tacloban.

The view of the Buntun Bridge from the river side is breathtaking. The ground below the bridge is perfect for sunset viewing. The cool breeze adds more drama.

After the sundown, we took a tricycle ride to the Centro for dinner. You should always note that most businesses in Tuguegarao closes at 7 or 8PM. For our dinner we went to Urban Kitchen. This quaint resto offers great tasting meals at very affordable price.

It was a busy day for us but we have to go back to Hotel Ivory where we stayed to get a good sleep, as a busy schedule awaits us on the next day.