Aboard a plane, I was amused by the green patches from the window pane as I visited Tuguegarao City for the second time around. It only took an hour and twenty minutes unlike the 10-hour bus ride during my first visit.
When the plane landed at the Tuguegarao Airport, we were welcomed by the hospitable Cagayanons. We headed to the Cagayan Museum, where we met some officials of the province. We then partook of the pancit batil patong, one of my favorite noodle dishes. It’s one of Tuguegarao’s best dishes.
To complete the sumptuous meal, we also had the local tsokolate drink.
After eating, we then roamed around the small museum, which gave us a brief glimpse of Cagayan’s history.
One of the interesting pieces that I saw in the museum was the wood carving of San Roque, which came from Lal-lo, Cagayan.
From Tuguegarao, the Lakbay Norte participants hopped on the bus and proceeded to Gonzaga, Cagayan. On the way to Gonzaga, I saw a house being transported on wheels. Before, people used to carry a house on their backs–the Filipinos’ bayanihan. But because of technology and skills, transporting one house to another place became easier.
Even though we were late, it was heartwarming to see some of the residents of Gonzaga who waited for us and welcomed us with smiles on their faces. We were supposed to arrive in the afternoon but due to our delayed flight from Manila, we arrived during dinner time.
A banquet of local seafood dishes like the sweet and sour Matara fish filled our stomachs. 
I would surely return to Matara to see the abundant marine sanctuary that Gonzaga boasts of.
Thank you to the Cagayanons and to the Department of Tourism Region II for their warmth and hospitality!
The Lakbay Norte is a media familiarization tour initiated by the North Philippines Visitors Bureau.
