we met Lawstude around 4:11am at the bus terminal in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija. i was with Orlan coming from a trip from Manila. had our breakfast and met tay Pey, who will be driving us around some sites in Nueva Ecija (which i'll post soon) and up to Nueva Vizcaya.
we were traveling on a highway with blind curves going up to the municipality of Sta Fe. as we reached the heights, fogs dominated our view. good that we have with us tay Pey who has been taking this route for several times already.
we reached Sta. Fe, which is the gateway to Cagayan valley. first to see was the welcome arc and the region 2 tower. on a hill on top of it, rises the monument that symbolizes the bloody battle that happened during the second world war on that site. the Dalton Pass.
before it was known as Balete Pass but it was then changed to Dalton Pass in honor of the US general James Dalton II who was shot dead during the battle against the Japanese soldiers in 1945.
thousands of Filipino, American and Japanese soldiers died in this site during the war. stone markers stood there as a tribute to the soldiers who died in the battle and another marker represents as a symbol of peace after the war.
since it was windy and foggy at the same time, it was a little challenging to continue going up. but with really adventurous companions, we all went up and enjoyed taking photos from the top.
the view site has small cottages where you can bring food and spend time to enjoy the view. you can also see the historical markers from the top. 
on our way down, we met the caretaker and asked how often is this place foggy. he said that from October to February, it would be very rare for them to see the sun. this mountainous site connected to the highlands of Cordillera and a part of the Sierra Madre. 
we had this great chance to enjoy the cold weather, the fog and a historical site that's worth visiting.
these will be a series of tandem post with my blogger and travel bud Lawstude. see here for his post on Dalton Pass.[what you shouldn't miss there]>>> the view site and the historical markers.
[why i should go back] >>> to simply enjoy the roadtrip and the view.
trip rate:
roadtrip: 4.5
road quality: 4.0
mountain view: 4.0
historical background: 4.0
historical site: 3.5
rates 1.0 to 5.0 (5.0 as the highest)
62 comments:
thank you to you, for let us know an all new world. your world. best wishes for 2009!
Nice one. You rate this destination by a few criteria.
The place is sure beautiful and worth a visit.
Nice to see the other views from you Dom, I saw Oman's photos. Ganda ng mood.
Nice...but if i were there, surely sinipon na ako.
btw, my family has this annual vacation tradition. eh malapit-lapit na ang summer. my dad wants to travel within luzon by land. where do you suggest we go?...basta yung walang golf course, otherwise my dad and bro will just play golf all day.
thanks! good luck in your next trip.
dong, i dig the fog. suya ko da.
wow lamig up high,...
kaso nakakanginig naman ung mga Japi signs....
grrr.....
nice trip donG...!
hehehe.
obviously, malamig dyan... and quite creepy too!! hehehe:D but all in all, it's a nice place!!!
wow! ang lamig. Parang ang sarap..walang pollution
Lovely trip with your travelling pals. Looked very misty and cold. Looked very deserted too.
kahit ma foggy maganda parin ung place... hmmm.. gugustohin ng mga twilight people ito..
no sun.. ^_^
kuya dong! sama mo naman ako nxt time! =)
magaling na ako. pwde na ako gumala.
*di naman nagbablog doctor ko kaya di nya mababasa to.* :D
hi dong ho.its nice to c ur blog.actually found urs from my friends rajesh.u have given a nice idea abt the place.thank u.
I hope you enjoy the trip & Thanks for sharing.
Take Care & Drive Carefully.
interesado ako dito
i wanna know kung bakit parehong may nueva ang vizcaya at ecija
hehe
pero seryoso ako
Hello po! Pasensya na po late reply po. dati po nagcocollect po akong komiks ung mga X-Men. Uso po noon un nung highschool ako. nawala po ung mga collections ko na misplaced. Puro Superman collectibles na lang po ang meron ako ngayon. Ikaw po ano pong kino-collect mo kuya?
Ang ganda po ng lugar. buti ka po ikaw lagi kang nagbaback pack. delikado po pag foggy ang lugar tapos sa bundok pa. ingat ka po lage at thanks po sa pagbisita sa blog ko
oooh, you have trip ratings. i thought you were gonna add at the end...."memories: priceless!" hehe.
it's tough to take pictures in the fog. you've done well.
hmm cool! ang ganda pala Nueva Ecija akala ko walang makikita dyan..next time thats our next stop:D
BLog Hopping. Nice One, care to exchange links?
http://perspektib.blogspot.com
I'm glad you're doing some Luzon features. I think this one's a good trip, one that I would totally enjoy.
>hi helena, my pleasure. thanks too for dropping by.
>borneo falcon, thanks! i hope that thru this people will be able to check if the place is really for them to visit.
>allan, salamat allan. sama tayo one time.
>hi reena, hehehe... delikado ngang magkakasipon kasi malamig na umaambon pa. buti na lang wala namang nagkasakit sa amin.
i'll send you an email regarding suggestions on places to visit in luzon.
thanks!
>scud, hehehe... ganda nga doon.
>antoine, ganda nga doon. lamig nga lang pero sarap naman kung malamig basta wag lang naka tshirt.
>hi ailee, malamig talaga. creepy? hindi naman masyado.
>hi nanay belen, yon nga talaga ang maganda sa probinsya. kaya saya mamasyal doon.
>hi alicesg, it's quite isolated but there's a nearby town just behind one of those hills.
>hi mimi, hehehe... baka nga may mga bampira doon.
>hi vanny, sure. hehehe... sama na rin natin ang doctor mo. sige update ka namin thru email na lang.
>nepoleon, thanks for visiting. ill be dropping by your blog.
>uncle awang, yes we did. my pleasure to share these trips.
>raft3r, hindi ko rin alam yung details pero ang alam ko binase lang to sa mga lugar sa spain (vizcaya at ecija). "nueva" means "new".
>hi justkyut, dati nakapagcollect rin ako ng xmen. ngayon hindi na nagcocollect. pero maayos pa naman ang mga dati kong comics. nagcollect ako ng spawn, superman+batman, kingdom come at iba pa. sayang naman at nawala na yung iba.
hindi naman lagi. at least once a month. delikado nga pag foggy kaya buti na lang expert sa lugar na yon ang drive namin. salamat din sa pagbisita.
>hi faery, hahaha... you gave me that idea. it was challenging specially the drizzle. it can actually damage the camera.
>joshua, maganda nga doon. dami ding pwedeng makita. explore lang talaga. kasi maraming magagandang lugar sa pinas na hindi masyadong pinopromote.
>sphinxs, thanks! ill drop by your blog.
>photo cache, yes. there's a lot to see within the island of luzon. a lot of which are not promoted yet are really beautiful places.
Friends told me it was cool in manila, so I thought it would be colder up north and your photos confirmed that! Aba, zigzag roads mahirap magdrive, good thing merong marunong with you...btw, pahiram ng driveby shots :D (www.trainshots.blogspot.com) -G
I love the fog and these are wonderful shots of your foggy trip.
wow--new pictures and usual..it's breathtaking, especially the fog!...
i felt like visiting there too by just staring at the pic!
Take care!
gininaw ako ng makita ko uli mga pics dom. the best ang last pic.
Bakit nagkakaroon ng parang twirl na prism yung foggy shots?
Wow, wow, wow. "Fog is the best filter," a photographer friend tells me. And it sure does work some magic here. God bless.
Nueva Ecija! Hmm, I never thought it could be interesting place until I seen these pictures.
Thanks for this post.
I love the look of the fog!
the eerie fog sets the beautiful mood of the photos.
take care always on your trips! Have a wonderful weekend dong...
meron pa naman next time to go there. i might pass by again as i foresee myself going to the northernmost town of luzon. intend to take the isabela route to cagayan then the return trip to manila via ilocos...luzon loop? :P
Excellent narrative and interesting photo essay.
I passed by at this point in the year 2000 but didn't take photos as it was me behind the wheel.
Thanx for sharing, dOng hO :)
i'm always intrigued whenever I pass this high place. but during the rainy season, landslides can happen as the roud is just above a wide river and along a mountainside.
foggy nga kuya, pero maganda pa rin ung mga litrato.. :D nice.
medyo mahirap ngang bumiyahe pag foggy yung dadaanan. buti nagkakasama kayo nila kuya oman sa biyahe.
Ang ganda! Despite — or maybe because of — the fog :)
wow, foggy talaga! good thing you had a good driver with you.
im not sure if we have passed this during our trip to the cordilleras because it was night time and i spent most of my time sleeping. but if i knew that there was this foggy site, i would love to keep my eyes shut wide.
i love fogs. it feels heaven. hehe
reminds me of Forks in twilight. haha!
buti walang nagbabanggaan dyan.
Ang ganda donG. Another reason to go up the Sierra Madre plus adventure and history education as an added bonus. Change of scenery other than going to Baguio in the summer.
wow! may ganyan pala sa nueva ecija! i've been there pero di ko alam yan.. (once pa lang naman kasi) parang gusto kong pumasyal ulit! love it! (kahit maulap ha!) history freak pa naman ako! :)
I feel like I went along with you to Nueva Vizcaya. It's a trip I'd have to make by plane - got motion sickness.
I applaud your commitment to promoting Philippine tourism! Really wonderful shots and you didn't let the fog stop you.
Thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving your comments. Have a great weekend!
joy
A Pinay In England
Your Love Coach
I, Woman
i like the way fog changes everything
in the pic. must b a wonderful place to visit. but driving is difficult in the fog?
It's more than twenty years since I've been to these parts. I didn't even know that fogs envelops Nueva Ecija even this time of the year!
You managed to capture some of the views inspite of the foggy weather. I'll be thankful for the colder weather!
Kitang kita ang fo at ramdam na ramdam ang lamig
lam mo, pangarap ko makakita ng fog. dati dito samin, meron pag madaling araw, pero ala na ngayon. kakamiss
Very nice foggy shots!
Happy 1st Blog-niversary, Kuya Dong!
parang i got scared kasi delikado para sa mga sasakyan. however maganda pa din ang mga kuha mo. sana makuhaan mo din ako abstract dapat haha =)
Hmmm.... the images look blurred.
scary...
have you seen a headless horseman in that fog?
twas fogging here early this week.
grabe... bilib talaga ako sa inyo... go pa din kahit foggy... hehehe
...the fog works wonders on the outlines of the landscape....awesome picture...as usual!
hi! wow that's amazing1 i never been to nueva ecija, and by your blog i could i see how beautiful the place is..
just seeing the fog i could feel na sobrang lamig dyan, grabe lamigin pa naman ako hehe anyway kahit naman sa metro right now malamig talaga eh..
ingat lagi sa trips mo, and thanks for sharing these..
and thanks for dropping by :)
btw, hindi ako nambibiktima, hahaha :p
Through your pictures, it seems to me I've traveled to many places :)
The fog looks pretty heavy.
Drive with caution!!!
Beautiful, very foggy and atmospheric! I have been to Dalton Pass before and I think it's one of the most thrilling roads any motorist can thread on. Thanks for sharing, Dong!
grabeh yung fog. anlamig tingnan ng pics :)
Hi Dong, did you just add some more pictures here that was not here the previous I visit?
The pictures are awesome. :)
Wonderful series of views. I think the fog in some way has added interest in the trip, hasn't it?
Have a great week ahead!
Ang foggy.
>hi gizelle, true. right now it's climate is still cool. we have to enjoy this before the summer comes. thanks to tay pey!
great! you have a new blog.
>hi carver, thanks!
>myslykemeeh, thanks! im really doing it in a way that it's like you're with us. you too take care.
>oman, hahaha... ginaw nga lalo ka na kasi naka tshirt ka lang nung nandun tayo.
the best talaga yung last kasi ikaw kumuha nun. hehehe...
>hi chyng, that's from my camera. medyo madumi na kasi yung lens nito. i think i have to go to hidalgo for this.
>hi sandy, really? didnt know that but i would agree as it somewhat gave us a different view of this site.
>hi grace, the mountainous area that connects nueva ecija and nueva vizcaya is beautiful!
>luke, thank you!
>hi rebecca, yes it somewhat has a creepy look as the fog makes it look like we're on some strange place.
thanks! you too take care.
>tutubi, wow! you might want to invite us to go with you. hehehe... that'll be very exciting.
>dodong, thank you! thank you! maybe next time you really need to at least drop by and check the site.
>estan, true. we were really lucky to have tay pey with us who knows the roadway.
>karmi, thanks a lot! i believe the fog somewhat helped it make the place look better. hehehe...
>beero, hirap talaga at delikado. kaya malaking pasalamat namin kay tay pey.
>hi hilda, you got it! "despite or maybe because". the place became a little extraordinary because of the fogs.
>hi luna, yes. thanks to tay pey! we owe him a lot.
>the islander, you'll definitely pass by this area if you were going to isabela or the cordillera via nueva ecija. not sure though if it's as beautiful at night.
>allen, dami na din daw nadedesgrasya dyan kasi nung nandun kami may nadesgrasyang truck. kaya delikado din talaga ang daang yon.
hindi ko napanood ang twilight pero malamang nga parang ganun dahil hindi lang ikaw ang nagsabi nun. hehehe...
>blogusvox, that's true! it's indeed a good alternative and nueva vizcaya mountain view along the way is stunning.
>hi teacher vic, yes. you should visit dalton pass. it's a actually the boundary of nueva ecija and nueva vizcaya. you missed it maybe because you wont easily notice it. the landmark there is the welcome arc of nueva ecija.
>hi joy, hahaha... you can take a plane to tugeugarao then roadtrip to nueva vizcaya.
it's my honor as well to be able to at least promote our country.
>bengbeng, yes. it was dangerous but good that we have tay pey with us, who mastered this route.
>jayashkal, i believe that the fog made the site much better. dalton pass is actually the border of nueva ecija and nueva vizcaya. i hope that you get to visit it some time.
>redlan, tama ka dyan. lamig talaga kaya bilib na bilib ako kay oman kasi naka tshirt lang sya doon.
>gillboard, laking chance makakita ng fog sa cordillera region. although sa tagaytay meron din lalo na pag umaga. sana makakita ka ulit. ako din kasi natutuwa talaga sa fog.
>jm, thanks!
>aethen, salamat!
>dencios, buti nga si tay pey ang nagdrive sa amin. kaya safe kahit papaano.
mahina ako sa abstract shot. hindi ako sanay kumuha ng mga portrait.
>tikno, effects of the fog.
>jasper, hehehe... i was hoping to see one when we were there. foggy nga din talaga dyan.
>lalaine, sa ulan lang kami umatras kasi hirap mag trek. masaya nga kumuha ng picture pag foggy kasi may magandang effect sa lugar. kaya lang ang lamig at madaling nababasa ang camera.
>l.reis, true! i agree with that. it's one great filter as sandy mentioned.
>hi jhenny, hehehe... kaya dapat may dalang jacket pag pupunta sa nueva vizcaya and nueva ecija border. ma bundok na kasi doon.
salamat din sa pagbisita dito. buti na lang hindi ka kasama doon sa mga yon. hehehe...
>hi napaboaniya, thanks! we will. it's good to know that you liked the place.
>dennis, i agree. that's my kind of raodtrip. mountain view + zigzag road = perfect! my pleasure to share it here.
>hi joshmarie, lalo na pag nandun ka.
>hi grace, thanks a lot! i didnt add new photos. maybe you just missed it while browsing.
>pietro, that's true! in fact the fog made the place look better. the effect was beautiful. you too have a great week ahead.
>earvin, it's good to know that you're back. foggy nga talaga nung nandun kami. sobrang lamig.
anu yan Dom---maulan ba o foggy lang talaga? parang Mountain province ang dating e.....
The fog gives an eerie touch to some of the shots.
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