On the Road to Adams (Ilocos Norte)

It was still raining and windy in the early morning when we left Kapuluan Vista Resort in Pagudpud, via coaster, for the nearby town of Adams, located at the foot of the Gran Cordillera Central Mountain Range. This fairly young (it became independent from Bangui on May 16, 1983 by virtue of Republic Act No. 337), 159.31 sq. km. town has a sparse 2007 population of 1,522 uniquely spread out in only one barangay with 8 sitios.   Our coaster backtracked towards the Cagayan boundary, again traversing the 1.3-km. long Patapat Viaduct  until we reached a junction at Brgy. Panzian. Incidentally, Patapat’s rocky shore is now littered with the unsightly, rusting hulk of the marooned Korean-owned MV Nam Yang 8 oil tanker which listed at the height of Typhoon Juan in January 2010, causing an oil spill.
The marooned MV Nam Yang 8

Our coaster finally stopped at the junction in Brgy. Panzian.  This was the end of the road for our coaster and, from hereon, we were to tackle the last, rugged 13-km. uphill drive to the town via a dump truck (the only suitable transportation for our group as the only other way was via single-seat motorcycles).  

Our transportation to Adams

Most, except those who sat beside the driver and on a cooler box, good-naturedly endured the hour-long trip standing up and clinging to the sides of the truck.  The going was really rough as the road was really bumpy and we had to watch out for overhanging tree branches.  

A sparkling stream
Rice fields

The hardships and rigors of the ride was somewhat offset by the rugged and pastoral beauty of the countryside which included sparkling streams and rivers; verdant rice fields; lush lowland and montane rainforests, colorful flowers and a number of narrow hanging bridges that traverse the streams and rivers.

One of the town’s hanging bridges

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