Fri 29 May 2009
Pagudpud Swamp Lily
Posted by Jun Alday under Environment, Flowers, Plants, Travel
1 Comment
Under the coconut trees on top of the sand, a blue tent arises. 
Once upon a time when diesel costs P17 pesos per liter, I drove as far as Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte. Twice. A good 12 or so hours drive from Manila, including leisurely stops in Vigan, and Laoag City, visiting Pagudpud is a revealing experience. And twice, I pitched my tent on the grounds of Villa del Mar Ivory Beach Resort, in Saud Beach. I chose Villa del Mar because it has a nice ground where I can pitch my tent. The name Villa del Mar also reminds me of Cafe del Mar music which I like. Cool !
From inside my tent, an unobstructed view of the South China Sea. 
My idea of going to a faraway beach is to feel nature and to avoid crowd. I love sleeping in my tent on top of the sand than sleep in a room in the resort. There are some inconveniences, like a private toilet and bathroom but nonetheless, still I enjoy open living to nature. I am in a beach to feel the sand and the sea breeze and I don’t want to forget that. I can forego some of the usual comforts. In Villa del Mar, I planted myself beside one of the communal open huts (on the left) near the toilets and showers. The open hut served as my all-in-one space in this back-to-basic, informal yet fun situation. On ordinary days, these huts are empty so I have the whole place practically for myself. On weekends the picnic huts are rented out to day trippers. It could be a little noisy when extended family get together. 
The ground level of Del Mar Resort is actually above the concrete embankment. Saud Beach below stretches a few kilometers and is lined with modest resorts.
Saud Beach is the principal beach of Pagudpud. Most tourist accomodations can be found here. However, it is the Blue Lagoon Beach or Maira-ira Beach, that is considered the most beautiful beach in the North. Reportedly owned by the Ablan family, or at least the surrounding areas, the lagoon is like one big swimming pool. The sand is an off white grainy quality similar to the sand in Boat Station 3 in Boracay. The water is bluish, the sea calm and the underwater floor is deep but purely sand. There are no resorts in the area which is good in the sense that you only go here to purely enjoy the beach. It is a 20-minute drive from the main Saud Beach. A nearly deserted Blue Lagoon Beach cove seen from a higher elevation. The second visit to Pagudpud in 2003 is more memorable for the Swamp Lilies I took home to Manila. Driving from the Blue Lagoon along the coastal dirt road, I chanced upon rows of Swamp Lily by the roadside. The temptation is too much to ignore so without anyone looking, I gathered every Swamp Lily stalk waiting to be unceremoniously plucked. I harvested more than 2 dozen long stalks which pleased me a lot. In Manila, the buds started opening and I enjoyed for the first time the unique and uncommon fragrance of this flower that lingered in my home for many days. If only for this, the long trip to Pagudpud was all worth it. Discovering a new scent in Swamp Lilies.
I didn’t realize until that time that one can use Swamp Lilies as cut flowers. Swamp Lilies are rather ordinary but they become extra ordinary if they are used as long-stalked cut flowers in a vase and en masse. It is only when they are en masse that the unique and very subtle scent can be really appreciated. The condition of the flower stalks I gathered is similar to this picture. Swamp Lily is a perennial herb with bulb to 50 cm. The leaves are broad-linear light green, 50-120 cm long, 5-15 cm wide. The flowers are white with pink/purple stamens, scented, occurring in summer. The fruit globose with seeds to 5 cm matures late summer. They usually grow in coastal swamps, along coastal streams, behind dunes and around headlands.
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