The Pilipiñas Packet

The plan was to spend two nights in Pagudpud, the second day was intended to be a down day – no traveling, just time to lounge on the beach with a couple of books, soak up the atmosphere and sand in my shorts. The beach experience lasted all of twenty minutes for lack of a nice beach chair and no desire to actually swim in The Philippines Sea

Vigan was an island when it was formed in 1572, which offered its own defence, but the sea separation has silted in over the years.

Baguio. The ubiquitous Spanish friars established a mission here in 1755. But why a mission in this remote mountainous region? Gold my son, gold. The Spanish Conquistadors plundered the world for gold, and there’s gold in them there hills; and silver, and copper and manganese. The Conquistadors mined for gold and then the friars mined souls.


I then turned my attention to planning our excursion to Northern Luzon… as I am unwilling to spend 12 hours in a car, we will break the trip up into more tolerable segments: Baguao (6 hours through Manila), Vigan (4 hours on from Baguao), Pagudpud (4 more hours north, staying two nights), San Juan (8 hours on the way back), home to Dasma, (7 hours through Manila).

This was the week of visions, vanity and viruses.

PHIVOLCS has noted increased tremor activity and steam/SO4 emission. Even the Filipina psychic, Mamau, predicted it would blow up on Pebrero 8! (linked somehow to the death of Kobe Bryant!). But we now know Mamau is no more certain than PHIVOLCS 😅 Regardless, it’s no way to live and we are not moving back.