Sightseeing at the Patapat Bridge and Bantay Abot Cave.

in Wednesday Walk27 days ago (edited)

Happy Humpday, Hiver friends!

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When we visited the province of Ilocos, we witnessed its abundance of mountains, the sea, farmland, and fisheries. The Patapat Viaduct, a coastal road rising to an elevation of more than 100 feet, links neighboring provinces with Ilocos, facilitating easier access for trade and travel.

Patapat Viaduct

We got the chance to stop over at the viaduct for a while and snap some photos with caution because it is a busy road, not only for travelers but also for merchants. The advantage of booking a tour with a guide is that the guide ensures that we learn a little bit about the history of each location we visit at each stop. According to our guide, this viaduct, also known as Patapat Bridge, is the fourth-longest bridge in the Philippines, measuring more than a kilometer in length.

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Standing at the edge of the bridge is actually scary for me because I'm not comfortable with heights. During our stop, I hold my kids at all times. The bridge is not equipped with anything for safety, for example, a net. Anything that slips in the concrete barriers will hit the bottom hard. My over-thinker maternal instinct simply will not let me let go of my children. You can see from the photo below how tight my grips are on my kids. lol They are actually complaining, but I don't care, I'm not risking it.

Groufie at the Bridge.

Family photo.

My kid got interested in his curiosity about the bridge, intervening with our efforts to take a decent family picture. We cannot leave him unattended because his size can perfectly fit on the concrete railings.

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There are a few street vendors on the side of the bridge that sell Filipino snacks like taho, ice scramble, and kakanin, or rice cakes. I asked my husband to keep an eye on the kids while I checked with the vendors to buy some local food. I just bought Taho, and after finishing it, we get into the van to go to the next location.

More than five minutes drive from the viaduct, we can see the Bantay Abot Cave, a rock formation with a huge hole in the middle. We simply walked along the rocky seashore next to the road to reach the cave or hole.

Bantay Abot Cave

It was just the three of us who got out of the car to explore the cave. Well, the tour guide said there was nothing much to see inside the cave, but we still checked it for the sake of experience.I politely asked another tourist to take a photo of the three of us, and I was glad she did because my tripod would not stand a chance with the rocky ground and the wind.

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We stayed in the cave for less than ten minutes, then headed back to the vehicle because we knew they would be waiting; they couldn't wait to go to the next spot on our itinerary.

The view inside the cave.

And that is another installation of our trip to Ilocos, and this is my entry for the #WednesdayWalk initiated by @tattoodjay in collaboration with #makemesmile by @elizacheng.

Below are more links to my Ilocos dump; there's more to come, so see you on my next one!

TitleLocationRemarks
Expect the Unexpected When Traveling with Family and Friends.Paoay Ilocos NorteATV Ride and Sand boarding
Exploring the Malacañang of the NorthPaoay Ilocos NorteMuseum
Wandering the Heritage City of Vigan.Vigan Ilocos SurHeritage Site
Sunset by the Beach.Saud Beach Pagudpud Ilocos NorteWhite Sand Beach

❤️❤️❤️

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The lead image was edited using Canva.
All photos are my own, unless stated otherwise.

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