Gallivanting in the New Wonder City of the World

[April 11-15, 2014]

Vigan-Laoag-Pagudpud Trip

We found "I heart Vigan"!

We also found the poster for the '7 Wonder Cities' competition. Right about this time, the competition just started. There were lots of cities all over the world who joined and Vigan was one of them. That's why we were so happy when we found out that Vigan won! Hurray for Vigan!!!

Meanwhile, after our big breakfast we started to brainstorm on how we are going to tour the city. We considered the idea of renting a calesa to get from one attraction to another. We haggled with the driver and finally decided it best to rent a motorcycle instead. It was all too hot and perhaps too slow to go around with the calesa.

Before we left, we helped the driver feed his horse. 

We then looked for a motorcycle and agreed on the price of the tour. 

Our first stop:

 BALUARTE

Baluarte is a huge property owned by Mr. Chavit Singson. This places houses different kinds of animals. One of the very first that you get to see near the entrance is the mighty tiger.

To be able to see it this close is very exciting and a little bit scary.

Since these animals are privately owned, you can really tell that they are well taken care of.

The cages used are big enough for them to roam around.

The postcard-ish kind of photo memory.

Yes that's bambi right there munching on a huge vegetarian meal along with fellow deers.

This is the fenced area of Baluarte where you can interact more with the animals.

Surprised to see an ostrich this close. I couldn't remember the last time I went to a zoo. 

So..imagine my glee with this one.

And of course, who could ever miss the prehistoric dinosaurs. Rawrrrr!

After several minutes, we bid farewell to our friends from the land before time and we are now off to our second destination:

HIDDEN GARDEN

http://www.hiddengardenvigan.com/

Who would've thought that there is this lush garden right in the heart of the city?

Hidden garden is another must-visit attraction in Vigan where you'll experience how therapeutic it is to surround yourself with nature.

A photo memoir of famous people who have visited them.

You can look around simply by following signs like this one.

We enjoyed every minute of our visit here.

It was a very nice adventure for my friend and I.

Thank you for the hearty welcome!

'til our next visit! 

PABURNAYAN (Jar Factory)

These sought-after jars in Vigan are made of clay- the kind which are abundant in Ilocos.

They are crafted by very skillful potters with the help of a pottery wheel and kiln.

During our visit, we were given the chance to have a hands-on experience with the clay on a pottery wheel.

It was way harder than I thought (and than it looks).

This is where the 'processing' of the clay happens.
The mixture is placed inside a pit and water is used to soak it and further soften it.

The carabao (water buffalo)  is a key player in the making of these world class jars. 

The strong animal tramples on the mixture to further process it. 

These are the works of art of the skillful potters. After they are molded into the desired shape/design they will be 'cooked' under high-temperature ground kilns made of brick and clay. Once ready, these jars are then brought to designated shops for selling.

How lucky we were that we were able to meet the National Folk Artist for Pottery- Mr. Fidel Go! Thank you for the opportunity sir! It was nice meeting you.

ABEL WEAVING

This is a traditional weaving shop in Vigan where Abel cloth is used.
This cloths is know for its good quality and colorful nature.

BANTAY BELFRY

Found in the Bantay district of Vigan, this landmark boasts of its historical contribution. 

 Tagged as the people's watch tower, this was the city's defense to foresee enemies.

The Bantay Belfy is situated on top of a hill and has a perfect 360-degree view of the city.

Visitors need to climb several steps to reach the tower. When you reach the tower, you have to climb steep and small stairs warranting extreme caution for the young and old. Not a lot are allowed to be at the top of the tower at the same time because of its delicate structure.

The topmost area provides you with the breathtaking view of Vigan.

I'm not sure if the bells are still used though. But it was definitely worth the visit.

A few meters from the Bantay belfry is

San Augustine Church

Built in 1590, this remarkable church has a beautiful baroque inspired facade.

Next, we went to visit the equally beautiful.

St. Paul's Cathedral

This church is well-known in the country as a major religious landmark. It is one of the several Baroque inspired churches in Ilocos. History tells us that this was built from a chapel and later on developed to become a cathedral.

The interiors of the church were also very impressive.

We were blessed enough to visit during Palm Sunday.

We were able to cover all the attractions above in just half a day. Our adventure made us very hungry so we looked for a restaurant where we could taste Vigan's famous delicacy.

Hello Cafe Uno!

This is a quaint little shop at the ground floor of the famed Grandpa's Inn.

They served us with their tasty Bagnet and longganisa. Super yummy!!!

That meal helped us re-charged for another set of adventures in Ilocos.

Journey to the Past

[April 11-15, 2014]

Vigan-Laoag-Pagudpud Trip

Fifteen years ago, Vigan City was declared as a UNESCO world heritage site and ever since then, tourists and locals have flocked to this beautiful city to embrace history. I, for one, have always wanted to visit. I'm not really a history buff but I've always wanted to see how the past looks like. Thankfully, I have a friend who also loved the idea of visiting Vigan. So we talked about going, discussed how we could do it, I mean, we discussed IF we could do it? We thought it might be too difficult if there's just two of just. So the plan was pushed aside and was almost forgotten. But then came the summer of 2014 (yes it took me a year to write about this) when I finally completed my clinical paper and earned myself a Master's degree. I had worked on my paper for 3 whole months and I never really had the chance to breathe. But now that it's over, I decided to reward myself with a trip--thus, we finally gave Vigan a try and decided to push our luck even more with our plans to explore Laoag and Pagudpud as well. Here we go!!!!

We took the Cebu to Clark flight and landed at Diosdado Macapagal International Airport past 7 in the evening of April 11, 2014. We then took the airport shuttle going to SM Clark to grab some dinner. By 9pm we went to Dau bus terminal and hopped on the bus going to Vigan. The ride was approximately 6 hours and we just slept the entire time. The bus seats were not that comfortable but we managed to doze off. At around 4am, we finally arrived in Vigan! It was still dark when we walked our way to Green R Hotel. We had no idea where it was exactly but we found it no time and we were so happy it was just walking distance to the terminal. Of course, they won't allow us to check in yet, so we left our bags, washed our faces, changed our clothes and immediately head out to discover the city. 

Getting there early worked to our advantage.

There wasn't too many people around and we had Calle Crisologo all to ourselves.

Mena Crisologo Street is a 500-meter stretch  that allows you to travel back in time.

Back when calesas roam the cobblestone streets and allowed people to get from one place to

 another.

As you walk further on, you'll also get to see the strong Spanish influence on houses of the olden days. 

They were built with high ceilings, thick stone walls, huge doors, some made of sturdy wood and the floors are lined with red shiny tiles and most have sliding windows adorned with capiz shells. 

These houses have survived the test of time and the families that own them have turned them into inns, shops and museums to preserve their memories.

Unfortunately, we were not able to go inside when we visited Padre Burgos House later that afternoon.

 But we did get a chance to explore another museum just around the corner-- Crisologo Museum.

 This was posted near the entrance. Now we learned something new!

One that caught our attention was the wooden refrigerator. Amazing!

On the wall are the pictures arranged to depict the Crisologo family tree. And on this picture on the right, you can see that all of their furniture are made of wood. They also have a huge dining table that connects to their family room. The entire house was not that big so it only took us a few minutes to look around. Back to Calle Crisologo..

It was also evident that Crisologo Street used to be the main throroughfare for Filipino-Chinese traders at the time of the Galleon trade.

 Now, it's where you can find some of the marvelous wood works that are highly regarded and priced in antique shops.

You also get to see some of the items that were traded so vigorously during the great Manila-Acapulco trade. Among the traded goods were clothes, gold, tobacco, ivory, spices, etc. There were so many things to see as we walked through the entire street. But we got hungry and decided to dine in one of the shops that we passed by.

Like this one. Too bad it wasn't open yet. We decided to continue looking..

We found Max's! It was built from an old house with wooden interiors, sliding doors and windows. The place was classic and cool! Too bad it was closed too. So we moved farther away from the main street and walked towards the nearby church. Then we found..

We couldn't help but notice how amazing their building is--not the typical McDonald's you see in the city.

So off we went and grabbed ourselves some of their big breakfast meals. There's lots we will be doing to day so we need to fuel up!

Read more of the places we visited in Vigan here

Meanwhile....

After our whole day tour, it was time for us to wind down and look for some place to eat. We decided to re-visit the restaurants we passed by earlier and see if they were already open. My friend and I returned to the vibrant Calle Crisologo and discovered for ourselves, how exciting it is during the 'busy' time in the late afternoon.

Too many delish streetfood to try!

Contrary to what we have experienced early this morning, Calle Crisolog is now filled with so many people.

 By sundown, we made our way to Cafe Leona to have our outdoor dinner. I read several good reviews about this restaurant and true enough-- they did not disappoint. Food and ambience were perfect!

 Around dinner time, restaurants bring out their chairs and tables so their guests can have an awesome outdoor dining experience. 

After we had our tummies filled with good food, we decided to stroll along Plaza Burgos & Plaza Salcedo.

We were just in time for the lights and fountain show!!! Yay!!!
Kids were just all over the plaza running about and playing gaily.

 The fountain was just spectacular! To be honest, I haven't seen one before so this was truly amazing for me.
The show starts at 7:30 PM and I heard there's another one at 9 PM.

Surprisingly enough, there were lots of foreigners who toured Vigan too. So if you haven't visited, it's time to get on the road and discover the new wonder city of the world!!