Travel Footprints

I’ve always equated La Union with surfing and fun. At least, that’s what me and my friends did last time I stayed in La Union so I was looking forward to going back again this year even if it’s mainly for work this time around. Due to some scheduling conflicts however, I had to travel to La Union by bus for the first time. So on this early Tuesday morning I brought myself to the highly-recommended bus line, Partas, to their Cubao-Arayat terminal for the 6-hour trip to La Union.

I needed to get off at Oasis Hotel which I was told was near San Fernando, La Union and, more importantly, could be spotted along the national highway. That should be easy, I thought. But as a first-time commuter to La Union, I was still a bit apprehensive so I decided to call on the assistance of the bus conductor –

Mrs. Rono: Kuya, pakibaba po ako sa Oasis Hotel sa La Union ha.

Conductor: Saan sa La Union?!

Mrs. Rono: Sa San Fernando. Sa Oasis (o-wey-sis) Hotel po.

Guy sitting beside Mrs. Rono: *speaking in Ilokano*

Conductor: Ahh…sa Oasis (o-wa-sis) Hotel

Mrs. Rono: Ah opo. Sa Oasis (o-wa-sis) Hotel

Needless to say, the bus did drop me off in front of the Oasis (o-wa-sis) Hotel. As the saying goes: In Rome, do as the Romans do The next day, I met with my group to go further up north to Laoag. Before leaving La Union, we stumbled upon a discovery – a cottage industry of woven fabrics! I like the soft woven fabric of bed sheets, pillow cases and towels, usually seen in Vigan shopping areas.

We had to ask around for directions looking for the house that sells ‘inabel’ (as shown in the picture above) and we finally found the area of inabel weavers tucked inside some houses of the town of Bangar, La Union.

It was a delight watching these elderly women in their workshop. The repetitive movements in the weaving actually reminded me of a scene in the movie ‘Wanted’ when Wesley Gibson tried to catch the moving steel out of the loom machine while training under Fox.