Casa Consuelo Island Reef, Pagudpud

I miss the time when I was younger, not caring what I look like or worrying if anyone would like me. Lately, I also miss the time when there was still no dinosaurs roaming around Pagudpud’s Blue Lagoon area. Those who have been to the northernmost tip of Ilocos Norte would know what I mean.

I like Blue Lagoon the way it was almost two decades ago – raw, raging and without any concrete structure in sight. I’m glad that despite all the developments, the beach still remains blue and hypnotizing, the hills greener, and that Casa Consuelo still welcomes old souls who prefer the quiet and seclusion.

In Spanish, casa means home, and consuelo comfort. The resort is owned by the family of Chad Tamayo, and was actually named after his late Lola Consuelo. But literally, it is a home away from home with decent and comfortable amenities.

The resort is 20 minutes away by tricycle from Pagudpud town proper, and situated on a quieter spot along the stretch of Maira-ira Beach shoreline. I remember when my colleagues and I dropped by the resort for late lunch two years ago, I was captivated with the place and promised to return and stay longer.

It is still Chad, friendly as ever, who manages the resort. Essentially, we both share the same view about the downside progress has brought in this once sleepy town. He also re-oriented me about the must-visit spots in the vicinity.

Since I was early for the check-in time, I just waited in the open pavilion and recreation area. I love its wooden furniture and homey-Ilokano touch. It also has books, board games, and sungka to keep the guests entertained. I was even given a go signal to swim in the adjoining small infinity pool.

The resort offers a number of accommodation types (family casa, triplex casa, duplex casa, loft villa), both modern and tropical in design. Most of the rooms, either good for couple or family, are usually fully air-conditioned with private bathroom, hot and cold shower, cable TV, and rattan hammock. I like the personal touches they’ve made in arranging the bed, even putting some fresh gumamela that matches with the beddings.

Staying overnight comes with a complimentary set breakfast served at their in-house restaurant called La Cocina. It serves their bestseller seafood platter and staple Ilokano dishes such as bagnet and longganisa. The restaurant is nicely adorned with paper money in various currencies, mostly with written heartfelt “thank you” messages from guests.

After feasting, I transferred to a cabana with hammock to relax.

And eventually soaked in the infinity pool.  

The white sand beach fronting the resort is clean and teeming with coral reefs. It is really not that ideal for swimming because of the corals and rocks.

In the afternoon, when the tide subsided, I wade across the beach to reach Dos Hermanos (a Spanish term which means two brothers), two islets beside each other with natural pools and beautiful rock formations. A heartbreaking folklore, passed from generation to generation, tells of two brothers who were very close to each other that they promised to remain together until death.  One day, they went fishing. But due to a storm they didn’t see coming, they got lost in the sea and eventually drowned. The extreme bond they shared touched the heart of a goddess, who turned the two into a pair of islets as seen today, still together.

Also nearby are the other natural attractions I revisited. The Bantay Abot Cave is a rocky hill with a huge hole in the middle resembling that of a cave entrance. This rock formation actually resulted from an earthquake that happened so many years ago.

A short distance from the cave is Timmangtang Rock, a bell-shaped rock formation also located along the seacoast.

There is actually a fertility folklore surrounding these points of interest. Couples who have difficulty of bearing a child are encouraged to visit all these places so they could eventually conceive a baby. Picture out Dos Hermanos, Bantay Abot and Timmangtang. They are visually inferred to as women’s breasts, female genitalia, male genetalia, respectively. Hmm, quite interesting!  

  

The Maira-ira Cove or Blue Lagoon is the famed white sand-beach of Ilocos. It was once shortlisted as a potential location for the hit 80s movie of Brooke Shields, that’s why it was named as such. Also there are moments, that it is as calm as a lagoon, save for the times when there is Habagat or LPA. But whatever the season and despite being a contender now for a Jurassic Park movie setting, the beach is still a stunning blue. 

By sundown, low tables and big colourful pillows ala picnic style are set-up on the beach for the guests’ use.

  

I love watching the natural spectacle right before my eyes – the gentle waves and the clouds morphing into fascinating shapes of humans or animals. Such breathtaking beauty can speak to the soul in hundred different ways.

And when the wind softly blows, it was as if it whispered “remember who you were before the world told you who to be.”

From Manila, take Florida bus bound for Pagudpud (bus station in Lacson Ave., Sampaloc). Other alternative is to take a plane bound for Laoag and from Laoag take another bus or van going to Pagudpud or Claveria. In Pagudpud town proper or from the highway going to Blue Lagoon, take a tricycle to the resort.

Casa Consuelo Island Reef

Blue Lagoon, Sitio Baniaran, Brgy. Balaoi

Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte

Tel. No.: (077) 676-1868, 0918-9590757

Van Gogh is BiPolar, Maginhawa

Hopeless and miserable people usually think of these: “A lot of you cared, just not enough.” or “I didn't want to wake up. I was having a much better time asleep. And that's really sad. It was almost like a reverse nightmare, like when you wake up from a nightmare you're so relieved. I woke up into a nightmare.”

Artist and philantropreneur Jetro Rafael, may have felt the same way, sharing that at one point in his life, he was on the brink of committing suicide. But that was before opening his eponymous “Van Gogh is BiPolar”, one of the pioneering and unique restaurants in Maginhawa.

The restaurant pays homage to the famous Dutch painter, who had a life-long battle with mental illness, much like Jetro. After years of struggling with mood swings and depression, Jetro tried to address his problem by concocting recipes meant to scientifically and nutritionally activate specific neurotransmitters in the brain to make him happy and calm. They served as natural alternative for the usual medications that he take. These happy food or special bipolar diet are also now available and being enjoyed by the diners.

Potion

Carnivore

Pescetarian

Mel Gibson's darkest sin

Catherine Zeta Jones white snow

Mood tea

Aside from their mental health awareness advocacy, what I love more about Jetro’s restaurant, is the overall experience it imparts to their guests – the seremonyas (washing of hands as assisted by the food servers; picking of hat to wear during meals; and choosing of teapot for tea time), the inspiring story of Jetro, as well as the food servers; the uncensored and strange artworks;  the eclectic and sacred space that may be interpreted as the mind of people with mental health issues or simply a healing sanctuary and safe place for anyone suffering or broken inside.

Jetro acknowledges that he doesn’t have a perfect life; and he made it his mission to also help people who are in need, particularly those suffering the same illness and the street children. The restaurant regularly holds feeding program and gift giving activities for these less fortunate children.

I find Jetro’s philanthropic initiatives truly admirable; because sometimes it is thru helping others that we could able to save ourselves.  

Van Gogh is BiPolar

#154 Maginhawa St., Sikatuna Village

Diliman, Quezon City

Tel. No.: 0922-8243051