Motorcycle Philippines

Forum member blue wave shares with us his trip to our country’s beautiful North.

When I started reading forums about motorcycle rides and tourings especially the north loop, I became curious enough to try and do the trip.. alone… yes, I mean a solo ride if no one would join me. I’ve been asking myself.. “kaya ko ba?” I was inspired when Sir Kwago posted his trip with his wife. So I thought…. “yes kaya ko rin!” knowing that I have been on several long distance trips in the south before… thus strengthens my desire to do an endurance trip to the north. With two months preparation prior to the trip, I did a mental and physical preparation. I tuned my bike as well. The ride was planned as an adventure, exploratory and a pilgrimage trip that would last 4 days and 3 nights.

Personally, I dubbed the trip as northern exposure because I have not been in the most part of north luzon although my home province is la union. I told my close friends and acquaintances about my trip. Most of them told me, “ang layo non ah! Makakaya mo ba yun?” Upon looking at the map… well maybe they are right.. hmm, I just laughed and said.. “opo”.

Then I came across a friend who was asking how to go to nueva ecija by a motorbike. His wife is from Cuyapo. I showed him the map and eventually became interested when I told him about the trip. At last, I wont be riding alone. I finally got a buddy.

And so the day has come and we started the trip. The route was Laguna-Manila-Bulacan-Nueva Ecija-Nueva Viscaya-Isabela-Cagayan-Ilocos Norte-Ilocos Sur-La Union-Pangasinan-Zambales-Pampanga-Bulacan-Manila-Laguna. We finished the trip according to plan. There were sidetrips to other tourist destinations as well. But the thing I liked most was when we visited Our Lady Of Piat Church in Piat, Cagayan and Our Lady of Manaog Church in Manaoag, Pangasinan.

So much have been told about the beauty of the north luzon, the people, the dialects; the rivers, beaches, falls, valleys and mountains; the roads and bridges… and oh I forgot, the weather. It all sums up to say that its a wonderful place to visit and explore. I plan to go back and do the north loop again when time permits. Most riders-forumers here who have been on the same trip would probably plan to go back too…again and again and again…

View the thread here.