Gifts from the Sea

Pebble Beach
Luna, La Union
28 October 2010


Nearby the Baluarte, we got to see so many pebbles and big stones scattered along the shore. I know that the town of Luna is known for its pebbles - some are even exported, if I heard it correctly.


Many folks - old and young gather pebbles along the shore. Some of them have specific size to gather, depending on what was asked for them to gather. They are paid per each bucket of pebbles filled; the man I talked to said to me that he will be paid 10 pesos per each bucket delivered to the station.


This man gathers the super small pebbles - which will be delivered to different construction supplies shop. It was such a hot and sunny day, so even if Ria and I wanted to check the whole stretch of the shore to see the workers and maybe talk to them, we just couldn't.


This man was already quite old to work, but he told us gathering stones wasn't that difficult to do - as the waters of the sea gives them the pebbles - they will just have to choose and pick the ones they needed. Of course, the difficult part of the job was to carry the buckets to the station, but I am sure this man can ask help from other workers.


The pebbles are gifts from Mother Nature, so tourists can actually pick whatever pebble they fancy. Ria got herself one medium sized rock, while I took these pebbles - because they're of different colors and I could place them on our ornamental pots at home.

Knowing just how close this place is from the church, I think I will always drop by this beach whenever I travel to this town. The beach itself is not suitable for swimming and dipping (because of the pebble gathering), but we were told there is a resort somewhere for tourists who wanted to enjoy the waters.

The Leaning Watch Tower of Luna

Baluarte
Luna, La Union
28 October 2010


Like what I have said last post, I have been in Luna Church for a few times already, but whenever I travel there, there's one thing about Luna I wanted to see - the Baluarte, or the Watch Tower.

I don't know the full history of this watch tower, but as far I know it was erected to guard against ships wanting to enter the territory. It has been there for many centuries, made using corals, adobe, lime, and egg whites. Because of its age and that there wasn't much towers existing today, this one is one of the town's tourist spots.



One interesting factor about the watch tower is how it looks in the present times. Since it was erected near the sea and sand didn't give it much of a good foundation, the tower basically was split in half. Even as it is, the tower is still very much holding its position... and maybe the planks of cement outside the tower helps the other half from falling apart.


A tree inside the tower was really an interesting sight adding drama to the already dramatic facade.


Of course, I didn't pass up the chance to have my picture taken, thanks to Ria, my companion. I was basically her tour guide as it was her first time in La Union, but what made this trip so interesting is that this was my first time to see the Baluarte and even if I was the one guiding her, us discovering things about the place made this trip truly memorable.

If you plan to see this leaning watch tower, you can walk from the church - it was a long walk, but it won't make you real tired, but if you don't fancy some walking, you can ride the tricycle. Just be sure to tell your driver to wait for you (if you don't plan to stay long in the area), because going back to the church may require you to walk as there weren't that much tricycles coming here, especially if there weren't that much tourists.

Ria and I stayed around 30 minutes here... tomorrow, I'd show you pictures from the Pebble Beach.

First Item on Our List

St. Catherine of Alexandria Parish
(Shrine of Our Lady of Namacpacan)
Luna, La Union
28 October 2010


Ria and I only had four days for this trip, so we had to cover as much today because tomorrow's itineraries are already fixed; we only have this full day in La Union to go around.

I asked if she was okay with a church hop, and I was glad she was. I listed many places for us to go to, and first on the list was the Shrine of Our Lady of Namacpacan in the town of Luna. Asking my aunt about a different route going to the church, she and my niece Louianne (read: Lo-Weyn) suggested we take a jeep to Darigayos, but they weren't that confident about the route (as we might get lost), so we just took the known route: taking the bus to the town of Balaoan then a tricycle ride to the town of Luna. This being a weekday, there weren't much people going to church, so we had to take the tricycle for ourselves. Fare was supposedly 10 pesos each, but since we had to pay for the whole ride, each of us had to pay 25 pesos each, because each tricycle has to carry 5 passengers.


Facade. I wanted to take Ria to a spot where we could see the facade from above, but the gate near the church's entrance was locked. We just had to take a picture from the ground, but it was better than nothing.




Our Lady of Namacpacan. The image of Our Lady of Namacpacan is one of the main reasons why tourists come to visit this church. To know more about the image and how this church became her home, please click HERE.

Near the area, there was a logbook where guests can write their prayers and intentions. I did write a letter for my own sake, but most of my prayers were for my mom.


Church's Interiors (from above). After writing our intentions, a mass was celebrated. It was a special mass - for there was a group of church org members from Pangasinan. Since the mass was in English, we stayed and celebrated with them as well. After the mass, it was basically time for us to leave as well, but seeing the staircase near the choir loft, we just went up to see this view.


Adoration Chapel. For people who would like to spend a time "alone" with God; well, there is a big possibility that other people will enter, too, but at least it was somewhat secluded, and the other people in the room are praying deep, too... no need to worry about people walking around.


Mini-Museum. Outside the church was the souvenir shop and the miraculous well. While buying some items, Ria told me about a signage she saw - for the museum. I have visited this church numerous times, but this was the first time I heard about the museum and of course, I didn't pass the chance to go and check it out. Here they showcase different clothes worn by the image of Our Lady of Namacpacan, as well as different items related to the church.

It was a great way to open the day. Hearing God's words as well as see something new... it gave us much confidence that this will be a very great day.