Intoxicated by Ilocos Norte’s Sand Dunes
Nothing
prepared us for the one-of-a-kind adventure that we had in the sand dunes of
the amazing province of Ilocos Norte. Found in the village of Masintoc in
Paoay, the sandy barren expanse, which is actually part of the Ilocos Sand
Dunes that encompass several towns in the province, provided the perfect
backdrop for one of the craziest times we had during our weekend wandering in
Ilocandia—those intoxicated moments when we scrambled our way all over the
rolling, sandy terrain.
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Paoay Sand Dunes
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Before the one in Paoay became a popular destination, the sandy expanse in La Paz (Laoag City) was then the must-see part of the Ilocos Sand Dunes. Just recently though the one in Masintoc that we visited started gaining popularity mainly because of the thrilling rides that await intrepid visitors—aboard a strongly built, four-wheeled vehicle designed for travel over rough terrain!
Recently, I, along with some friends who are weekend warriors
themselves, went on a road trip to the two provinces of the Ilocos. Part of our
itinerary was a visit to the sand dunes. I’ll finally get to see them and take
as many pics as I can, I whispered as I hopped into the vehicle that can
accommodate up to four riders. Three of us positioned ourselves at the back
while one more companion sat beside our driver. Our other friends boarded
another 4x4 jeep.
Without
any warning, our vehicle accelerated under the scorching heat of the summer
sun, thrusting us in seconds right smack in the middle of a sandy desert facing
the West Philippine Sea! It felt surreal at first until I realized that I was
having the wildest expedition of my life. Ah, such an exhilarating ride in the
middle of such an enthralling sight!
Up
and down the sand dunes we went as my companions and I struggled to keep a
tight grip on the jeep’s safety bars. The young gun who was maneuvering the
vehicle was a speed demon from hell! How we wished he would take a break for a
moment so we can find our bearings but he was unstoppable! As the vehicle made tracks
on the barren land, the stillness of the desert was punctuated by intermittent
shrieks and shouts of many riders. If I’m not mistaken, there were about a
dozen or so jeeps in the desert that time.
As our vehicle rammed its way into the sand, snippets of FPJ’s Ang Panday suddenly came flashing back in my head. So this was where he filmed them! As a young boy, I was fascinated not only with the fight scenes of that fantasy film but also got curious about the sand dunes where the hero fought the villains to the death. Someday, I’m going to see that place, I once thought. And I finally did this year!
From what I’ve gathered, the Ilocos Sand Dunes are not only the favorite destination of adventure junkies but also the choice location of filmmakers, too. Many local films, including such classics as "Himala" (1982), "Temptation Island" (1980) and "Ang Panday "(1980) and its sequels were shot partly or wholly in the desolate, sandy terrain. Foreign filmmakers have also picked the sand dunes as the locale of their movies. Most notable are Oliver Stone’s “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989) which was top-billed by Tom Cruise and George Miller’s “Mad Max” (1979) which starred Mel Gibson.
All told, what I initially thought to be a mere photoshoot in the sandy desert of Paoay turned out to be the most delirious ride we ever took! The sand dunes will challenge, nay, provoke you into pushing your own personal limits. Whew, it’s truly one for the books (or should I say blogs)!
Scribbling
my thoughts on the experience, I couldn’t help but laugh out loud as I recall
the fear, the frenzy and the fun that we had in Paoay. The ride on the wild
side in the sand dunes made me realize this: If you want to be truly happy, you
have to sometimes lose control over things because the more you try to control
them, the more they control you. True happiness often comes from spontaneity,
letting things take their own natural course. Just like the euphoria we had
when we let that Mad Max of a driver take control of our lives for a few
precious moments! 🤣🤣🤣
Nothing
prepared us for the one-of-a-kind adventure that we had in the sand dunes of
the amazing province of Ilocos Norte. Found in the village of Masintoc in
Paoay, the sandy barren expanse, which is actually part of the Ilocos Sand
Dunes that encompass several towns in the province, provided the perfect
backdrop for one of the craziest times we had during our weekend wandering in
Ilocandia—those intoxicated moments when we scrambled our way all over the
rolling, sandy terrain.
Before the one in Paoay became a popular destination, the sandy expanse in La Paz (Laoag City) was then the must-see part of the Ilocos Sand Dunes. Just recently though the one in Masintoc that we visited started gaining popularity mainly because of the thrilling rides that await intrepid visitors—aboard a strongly built, four-wheeled vehicle designed for travel over rough terrain! 
Without
any warning, our vehicle accelerated under the scorching heat of the summer
sun, thrusting us in seconds right smack in the middle of a sandy desert facing
the West Philippine Sea! It felt surreal at first until I realized that I was
having the wildest expedition of my life. Ah, such an exhilarating ride in the
middle of such an enthralling sight!
From what I’ve gathered, the Ilocos Sand Dunes are not only the favorite destination of adventure junkies but also the choice location of filmmakers, too. Many local films, including such classics as "Himala" (1982), "Temptation Island" (1980) and "Ang Panday "(1980) and its sequels were shot partly or wholly in the desolate, sandy terrain. Foreign filmmakers have also picked the sand dunes as the locale of their movies. Most notable are Oliver Stone’s “Born on the Fourth of July” (1989) which was top-billed by Tom Cruise and George Miller’s “Mad Max” (1979) which starred Mel Gibson. 
All told, what I initially thought to be a mere photoshoot in the sandy desert of Paoay turned out to be the most delirious ride we ever took! The sand dunes will challenge, nay, provoke you into pushing your own personal limits. Whew, it’s truly one for the books (or should I say blogs)!
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