Paoay Sand Dunes

We’re losing it!” I shouted in a mixture of excitement and panic as the 4×4 jeepney we were riding stirred dust across the vast arid land. The big ball of fire is slowly dipping in the horizon, and the sea pine trees — which under normal circumstances I would find delightful — were blocking the view. We’re losing it, I whispered again, this time in a tone that was coming from a place between sadness and frustration. We just lost the sunset. But there was no time to be unhappy. The vehicle accelerated under the twilight skies, illuminated by the afterglow of the sunset that we just missed. The weak sunlight hurdling the horizon became our guide and there we were in the middle of a desert in Ilocos Norte, just about to start our sandy adventure. Up and down the sand dunes we went while we struggled to keep a good grip on the safety bars. Taking photos was a challenge because not only did we not have enough light, I certainly did not want to be in the the next day’s news about a blogger who accidentally and stupidly got thrown off the vehicle. We were in the middle of Paoay Sand Dunes, one of the many thirsty lands in Ilocos. On the plane while approaching the Laoag runway, my eyes were treated to view of spectacular landscapes, which are patched with many mini-deserts. This place was one of those. Paoay Sand Dunes is an 88 sq km parched paradise that lies adjacent Suba Beach. It is one of the two most popular sand dunes sites in the province, the other one being La Paz in Laoag City. #scenicspotphotoguide#historicculture#beautifulsunsets#bestislandtraveltowns#naturalwonders#culturalattractions