Panoramic, palatable Pangasinan

I have an austral origin, my hometown being located as it is in the Southern Tagalog Region. As I always find myself heading to that direction for a much needed break from work and to visit my parents, It's a breath of fresh air to sometimes go north. One of the provinces in that direction which I've visited several times and loved, is Pangasinan. The last time I was there was during the recent summer (2012), when our office held a three-day team building workshop/outing in San Fabian town.
As far as I can remember, the first meal I had on Pangasinan soil during all my trips there consisted of rice with grilled Dagupan bangus (milkfish) dipped on sinful, deliciously salty Pangasinan bagoong na isda (fish paste). This is, perhaps the traditional welcome meal in the province. Dagupan is an independent city in Pangasinan and bangus is its No. 1 product, touted as the best-tasting milkfish in the world, reportedly owing to the water quality in the area. Dagupan holds Bangus Festival every month of May and it is considered as one of the most popular tourism events in the Philippines highlighted by the long street barbecue and party (up to two kilometers long and 10,000 pieces of milkfish grilled!) . This, in fact, placed the city in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2003 for the longest barbecue.
Aside from the milkfish, other food items that have made Pangasinan famous are the bagoong na isda, tupig (rice cake wrapped in banana leaves and cooked over live coal),   dried fish and the puto Calasiao - those yummy bite-sized rice cakes that are white as snow.
Pangasinan is, of course, also known for being home to the Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag, one of the most venerated icons of the Virgin Mary in the country. It is believed to possess healing powers as patroness of the sick, the helpless and the needy.
And then, there's the beach, the long stretch of clean sand inviting hours of walking or sitting or lying down and meditating. The sunset was breathtaking when I was there with the various hues it painted on the summer sky. The seawater? It promised never ending frolicking, moreso, I suppose, if only I was able to go sightseeing on a boat. A local fisherman offered me and my co-workers a boat ride for just P20 per person but alas, we didn't have much time for it so we declined, me with a heavy heart. (Sigh)
A journey to Pangasinan would not, of course, be complete without a trip to the market, where one could find perhaps the cheapest (but good quality) mangoes and vegetables plus all other favorite Pangasinense food like the tupig and bagoong. Once I got back home in Manila, it was time for the family waiting to enjoy all the delicious pasalubong and me, to relive the moments that I briefly lived in Pangasinan.

Welcome lunch - grilled bangus and dinengdeng (a popular vegetable dish among Ilocanos)

Inside the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag.

This is another image of the Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag outside the shrine.

Beach scene.

My slippers resting on a boat.

Alluring sunset.

Tapsilog for breakfast.

Going to the beach again the following morning after breakfast, we find seafood being sold.

Alimasag (blue crabs).

Alupihang dagat (mantis shrimp) mixed with alimasag.

Shellfish (I forgot what these are called).

Mixed seafood that I bought for P250.

Tupig at the market.

Row of tupig stalls.

Watermelons.

Where else can you find sweet mangoes with prices this low?

Aswangs (witches or warlocks) dare not pass by this aisle. Hehe.

I bought a lot of dried fish in Pangasinan (not from this stall, though).

Vendor rests while waiting for the next customer.

Peanuts for boiling. Yum!

This is patupat, a sticky rice delicacy.

My co-worker shopping for mangoes.

Duhat (java plum).

Ripe or green mangoes? I love both.

Bottles of fish paste that I bought (picture taken in Manila).

This is an ugly picture, sorry. I was too tired and lazy to put the puto Calasiao on a plate.

The seafood I brought home, now cooked. This was before I put some coconut milk, though.