The trip from Apao Rolling Hills is not that tiresome if the trip would only be between Tineg and Bangued. We were already on the road since 11:30 PM of the previous night though, coming from Malolos straight to the hills. The fatigue kicked-in instantly as soon as we reached our accommodation.

We agreed that we will just have a quick rest and leave at 04:00 PM to explore the downtown and look for a place where to grab our dinner, but it took us until a little before 06:00 PM to leave the house.

We headed to downtown Bangued, then worked our way up to the top of Cassamata Hill National Park. Located right within the town proper hence easily accessible, it treats visitors to an unobstructed view of Bangued and the mountain ranges at the background.

The location of the hill within the heart of the town center makes it a perfect place for anyone who would want a quick escape from the typical bustle of busy urban life. We were there just before sunset, but one can still imagine that it is a good spot to let time pass even in daytime, as trees can offer natural canopies against the sun. It is just as picturesque at dusk.

One popular feature of the park are the clustered lamp posts built on the view deck of the hill, dubbed as the Victoria Lights. We did not have the chance to see them actually light up as it was still bright when we were there. We still took photos with them anyway.

The hill was declared a protected area in 1974 and is also known with its other name, Victoria Park, named so after the Marian title Our Lady of Victory. An image of the Blessed Virgin under that title stands at the top of the hill.

The night started to creep through the skies, and still the Victoria Lights remained off. That was the moment when we decided that it was time to go and look for a restaurant where we would spend our first Abra dinner.

There are actually several dining options within the complex of Cassamata Hill itself. Even before we went there though, I have already been busy looking though social media as to the one that would be perfect for our family appetite. We chose The Meat House to allow us to experience our first Abreño dinner.

Placed on the hillside where it provides a view of Bangued from a different angle, The Meat House is an al fresco restaurant that offers a variety of dishes, which as the name of the restaurant suggests, meat is the star of the show. The menu ranges from steaks to burgers, sausages and pasta.

It was too late when I realized that we forgot to take photos of our orders, but it was a satisfying meal that rightfully capped our first day in Abra. After dinner, we spent a few more minutes appreciating the pleasing sight around the restaurant.

We concluded our first day in Abra with a quick stroll along the streets of downtown Bangued, after which we headed back to our accommodation. Apart from the fact that there’s a lot of rest to catch-up after the long travel time that led us to this memorable escapade, the next day had something in store for us that required us to revitalize our energies for the adventurous day ahead.