A little over a year ago in September, I was out for a long drive with friends. We went up north to the windmills of Bangui, Ilocos Norte and as usual, we were like children on the loose in this beautiful playground.
This place vaunts the reputation of being the home of the first power generating windmill farm ever erected in Southeast Asia.
I remember being with my father the last time we were here about 3 years ago, and oh! How things have changed, the windmills that once lined up on the beach tripled or even quadrupled in number sprouting like mushrooms in the mountains and the hills around. It’s a good indicator of a conscious effort to go green.
Imagine this place being frequented by strong winds and fierce waves that, apart from the sailors, the fishermen and the locals, this was unknown to the greater population until the windmills were built. In fact, right at this moment the super typhoon is approaching the place and we were indeed very lucky to find rays of sun instead of raindrops after passing through downpours on our way.
The seaside is almost always quiet during the monsoon period, no people around, just the vast space that was completely ours. We are left to the fresh air, the ocean breeze and the sound of the waves hitting the well-polished pebbles on its bay. The only thing to do is to take in nature, its beauty and the landscape with its dramatic clouds on the background perfect to calm the mind and enrich the soul.
The quirky named coffee shop called “KangKang Café” that was putting a smile on our faces for how it sounded was not ready for guests as the roof is being fixed, perhaps caused by the destructive weather. But look at how the guys are working on it, I miss those lost times when all these local activities seemed to be a normal occurrence around. They are now slowly slipping away as memories. Modernization has a price, and it could cost us our heritage identity. Everybody seems to forget as time rolls by but I hope that hope is not lost. We can always do something about it.
The gang!
Bangui is a coastal town in Ilocos Norte in the island of Luzon. It is almost on the topmost part of the Philippines.
26092015 * Map from Google.
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