Day 2 of our Ilocos Tour

So many pictures... I don't know which ones to share. Day one was mostly spent on the road since it took a very long drive to get to Ilocos Norte. Now moving on to day two. We had breakfast at the hotel first then took a dip at the pool.

Swimming with daddy:
And with mommy:

Now it's all three of us:

Later that day, we went around Ilocos Norte to view some of their famous tourist attractions. Lots of beautiful and historical places here. First stop... Marcos Museum.
Here you'll find some memorabillas and photos of former president Ferdinand Marcos. His remains used to be displayed here too but now they say it's just his wax version and not the real Marcos anymore. We're not allowed to take photos in his musuleum but we were able to take photos of his other stuff:

President Marcos' desk:

It was scorching hot that day so we got ourselves some ice cream to cool down a bit.
Next stop is over at the very beautiful St. Augustine Church or better known as Paoay Church. I must say this is one of the most beautiful churches I've ever seen! It's also a part of UNESCO's World Heritage list.
After visiting Paoay, our next destination was at the Malacañang of the North. It was the official residence of President Ferdinand Marcos in Ilocos Norte.

My mom fell in love with the house because she's into antique looks nowadays. Just like this beautiful chandelier:
Look at the beautiful view of Paoay lake taken from the mansion's balcony:
Behind me and my sisters is a huge painting of the Paoay church:
Then off to another church. This time the Laoag Church- St. William's Cathedral is older than Paoay Church,as it was first built in 1590 by the Augustinian friars.
Across the street from the church is the sinking bell tower. It is considered the tallest in the Philippines but it sinks an inch each year because of its weight and sandy foundation.
That little door there is the entrance. And we were lucky enough to find the care taker and he showed us what was inside the tower. It was pretty dark inside, quite scary coz we had to climb a series of steps.
Finally we made it to the bell. But we were told this wasn't the highest part of the tower yet. I wasn't brave enough to climb the highest part anymore because the stairs looked unsafe.Little Marcie fell asleep while we were here. I guess she got tired from all the traveling. And when she woke up she started crying...

Aaahww... you poor little thing.

Also nearby was the Museo Ilocos Norte. It is a lifestyle museum that showcases the cultural heritage of the Ilocanos and the different ethnic tribes of Ilocos Norte.

Fashion then and now.... lol
Can you believe this used to be how a shower room looked like?

Our last destination for day 2 was the Sta. Monica Church or Sarrat Church. Built in 1779, Sta. Monica Church is considered the biggest church in Ilocos region. Sarrat Ilocos Norte is the birth place of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
In 1983, Santa Monica was the site of the grand wedding of Irene Marcos-Araneta, the daughter of the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
You can also see the Torture Chamber Ruins here. Ok at first the name sort of gave me the chills considering it used to be a torture chamber, but when we went inside, the scene was actually beautiful!

Me inside a horseless kalesa (horse-drawn carriage):

Love the landscaping:

And after all the crying this girl was in the mood for some picture taking:
Make a wish:

Whew! finally finished this post. Sorry if it's photo heavy. I just had to share these beautiful places. TFL!