LUZONG CASCADES

"When i am going to Ilocos Norte, I always see Bangar as one of those laid-back ordinary town that happens to be there to lengthen the travel. But not anymore, that proved to be wrong. Bangar has its place in my travel log book and one of these is the Cascades at Barangay Luzong. It may not be that grand and at its best during the rainy season, I must say, it has its own character."

-pagnapagna

Here is one of the "rainy days waterfalls", located at barangay Luzong Norte, Bangar, La Union. This cascades down the hill at varying heights on solid rock riverbed.

It was my third time to visit the place. The first was one year ago to be exact July 22, 2013, and the second time was just this past September 12, 2013 when it was almost bone dry where we went to see the Fused Trees instead.

I presume September is the best time to visit this place as well as to the other waterfalls for at this time of the year, these are saturated with monsoon rains.

Please practice the leave no trace outdoor ethics when going to these nature places. Let us not vandalize, put graffiti on their rocks and stone walls. Manage and dispose our waste products properly.

 -my pagnapagna-

Since my "Kumpadre" lives at barangay Luzong Sur and he usually go to the same mountain near the said cascades to get firewood, i went to see him and made him as my guide. He was also my guide during those previous visits.

I decided to walk some 17 minutes from the welcome arch along the national highway to the house of my kumpadre arriving there at 9:08 in the morning. From their house we got a tricycle ride going to barangay Luzong Norte (9:38 am) (going eastward then northward) and got down just before the stream where an old woman had just finished here laundry (9:46 am)( She was the same person we saw last year). She said in Tagalog that she hails from Manaoag, Pangasinan but now lives here in Bangar and showed us a prayer book and a picture of "Our Lady of Manaoag" (Miraculous statue image of the virgin Mary) as well as a picture of the interior of the church of Manaoag bringing out his rosary and told us to pray for good rice harvest.

The friendly woman we met along the way.

We will be crossing the waters of the stream so i removed my leather shoes and put on my flip-flops to get to the other side. We continued our hike passing some rice fields and the "Bangar Farm". 

We arrived at the base of the hill a few minutes after and walked along the creek and its cascades of varying heights. We walked with every caution we can have as not to slip down dangerously at the slippery stone surfaces as well as the riverbed rock and avoiding the deep parts of the water system. The hike was an adventure, at times requiring a little clinging skills.

Working his way up and leading our way... i followed what he did.

liked these sheets of flowing water embracing the river bedrock.

Enjoying the waters. A fallen tree crosses it to be rotten away as time passes.

Further up, the water system branches. The one on the left (northern) was a little bit forested, we took the one on the right (southern) and walked our way to the main cascade.

The main cascade, not that grand but it is still a waterfall to enjoy.

After some photo shoots at its main cascade, we went back downstream. Taking the same path we took going up, only this time in reverse, we arrived at the foot of the hill about few minutes past noontime.

In the late afternoon, I went back to Home Sweet Home.

-end of pagnapagna-

Subject   : LUZONG Cascades

Location : Barangay Luzong Norte

                 Municipality of Bangar

                 Province of La Union
How to get there:
From Manila take a bus bound for either of these places Laoag City, Vigan City, Candon City or Abra. These buses pass by the town of Bangar, La Union.

Get down either at:

-A) Downtown plaza of Bangar, La Union. Ride a tricycle to get you at barangay Luzong Norte where the cascades are located and ask direction at the said barangay (it may not be popular to the locals).

-B) Before Downtown plaza of Bangar, La Union, just after Gel’s restaurant (where Partas bus usually has there stop-over) there will be a welcome arch of Luzong Sur. Get down in front of the welcome arch and you may hike all-the-way for about an hour (ask directions) or wait for some few (rare) tricycles.

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