Cagayan Valley is where my father born. I first visited this province when I was 2 years old as my father said but ofcourse I am just a toddler that time so I don't have the knowledge about it but it is still memorable to me because my father told me that during that time they had an accident on the bus and we used the window to go outside and be safe. We went there again when I was 6 years old and I can still recall the memories that time. We go there via commute from Nueva Ecija and as a child I was so bored during the travel because it takes 8 to 10 hours to go there. We visited Cagayan Valley again when I was in High School , that time we have a service because we rented a car to make our travel more convinient and the last time I went there was way back 2014 when my Aunt asked me if I want to go with her and I agreed. The bus that we choose is the one that has a comfort room , it is more pricey that the ones who do not have comfort room but I don't have a problem with that because my Aunt was the one who will pay for our fare.
When I stayed there it feels like I am not belong because I can't understand them because they are speaking in Ilocano. I am also amazed listening to the Ilocano conversation as I find them cute because of thier accents and tone of thier voice. Sometimes I understand them when the Ilocano words are more likely sounds Filipino like diday or ditoy which means here or there but most of the time I just stared at them and when they saw me like that they will laugh and said to me that I need to learn Ilocano so that next time that I visited Cagayan I can understand them and also can able to talk to them.
What I love about Cagayan is their food. The house of my grandparents are located near the sea and during our stay there we always eat seafoods. I remember when they cooked big crabs in a huge pot and I am so happy because if you will buy it in Manila it's so expensive. I also tried to eat grilled organic pig and edible fern salad that I find so delicious and refreshing. It's my first time to try an organic pig and I am so inlove with the taste especially when you dip it in vinegar sauce. The dried sword fish that I always want to eat during breakfast and blanch ampalaya leaves that best partner with that fish.
When I was there my grandmother told me to take a bath early and I asked her why. She told me that I can't able to take a bath in the afternoon because of the cold water and she's right. Even I take a bath early it still cold. They are near the sea and also on the mountain that's why it's cold in thier place.
I am amazed with the life there as it was so simple and plain. The house of my grandparents are located near the main road of Cagayan Valley and in the back of thier house is a field and when you walk a little you will see a river and then the next to river is the sea. I love to stay at thier rooftop because from there I can see the fields and the sea and if you remember I love to see the sun Everytime it is setting down. During my stay there when I was in High School they have a sari sari store infront of their house and it was my first time to witness that you can buy an alcoholic beverage even if it's just a little. They called it shoktong and mostly elderly was the one who buy that and just drink it after they bought it. I told my grandmother that time why they are drinking that and she said it is because of the weather because the shoktong has a heat effect on the body.
When I went there last 2014 the seaside is free and available to all but for now as per my Aunt , it is already a beach resort and it makes me more excited to come there again. We are planning that after pandemic we can visit there again because I want to see the beauty of the father's hometown again and also see our relatives.
I also want to explore different places there and eat more delicacies together with my husband and son. I already share my experienced to my husband and he is so excited also to go there because he knows that Cagayan Valley is a beautiful place.
So yeah , that's my Cagayan Valley memories.
I search the place via Google map satellite and this in this part is where the house of my grandparents are located.
By then malaki na c baby mo pra mkapag-enjoy at maaalala din nya paglaki nya..