December 21, 2013 Laoag-Vigan
Perhaps Emerson have not had enough yet of the adventure in Ilocos Norte. We are supposed to travel back to La Union but he suggested or decided rather that we spend the night in Vigan. At first Oliver and I were hesitant since we only budgeted for the Laoag trip. Anyway, we joined Emerson in the end. So from Laoag, we boarded the 430PM Partas trip. The trip to Vigan is about two hours for PhP137/pax. As soon as we arrived in Vigan by 630PM, we dropped by the City Library and made our way to Crisologo St. I wasn't prepared for this trip so I don't have any idea where the cheapest hotels are. Lucky bastards we were that Oliver had his backpack trip previously in the city. So led us to Crisologo Street and check for hotel. We settled to the third hotel we inquired, Cordillera Family Inn, which is just beside the Burgos Plaza and near the church. Emerson wanted to attend the morning mass again so it was just a 80-m walking distance just in case. So we checked-in and left our things our hotel room.
It was still early that time, around 7PM, so we decided to have a leisure walk at Crisologo Street. We saw a lot of tourist, local and foreign a like, some with cameras while have handheld gizmos. We ened up looking for pasalubongs. Emerson feared that he might not be able to buy the next day morning since we plan to travel back after breakfast. After buying, we again went back to the hotel to leave those stuffs. We learned from the receptionist that the dancing fountain show is at 730PM. So from the hotel, we stormed to the Plaza Salcedo, in front of the church. We joined the crowd in watching the amazing show of lights and sound.
The Heritage City
After the show, we went back to Crisologo Street to look for a place to eat. Emerson wanted to try the first restaurant we saw, Cafe Leona. We had an al fresco dinner at the street. It was as if we were in Europe with the Spanish looking ambience. We ordered Bagnet KBL pizza and a set meal of fried milkfish with Vigan longanisa, slice of bagnet and pinakbet for Emerson. He wanted rice for dinner. We could have ordered for the pinakbet pizza but I am a Vigan, err vegan should say. I might not enjoy the taste but the bagnet pizza, highly recommended. The pizza came in thin crust too.
The night was still young so had more of the leisure walk in Crisologo Street. We saw more of the heritage houses. It reminded me of my travel in Malacca, Malaysia where in the heritage houses can be seen in one street called Jonker Street. In Crisologo Street, only horse drawn carriages or kalesas are allowed to enter. It gives the feeling of being brought back in time where there were no oil-powered cars yet during the colonial period.
We went back to the plaza after checking shops and stuffs at the heritage street. We did not spent much time there since we wanted to rest from the exhaustion of the days travel.
December 22, 2013
I joined Emerson in attending the morning mass at the Vigan Cathedral by 4AM. After the mass, we fetched Oliver at the hotel. We bought hot beverages from a store nearby. We had our drinks on the go while we walked around Plaza Salcedo. That time, participants for a marathon were preparing. There were some joggersaround the plaza also. Then came 6AM but the sky was still dark. It must have been the clouds but the sun should have lit the morning sky by then.
Going around on a kalesa
Since hotel breakfast starts at 630AM and it was still early, I don't know what made Emerson and Oliver to decide of riding the kalesa with thr route going to the Bantay bell tower and Heritage houses in Vigan. Kuya Guillermo, the cochero or kutsero in tagalog, told us that an hour of kalesa ride costs PhP150. The two agreed since I was not in a rush to go home unlike Emerson who will try to catch up with her aunt who's leaving to catch a flight in Manila. So off we go in the kalesa, as if it was my first time to ride. Along the way I was chatting with Kuya Guillermo about his coachman life and his horse.
At Bantay, Kuya Guillermo parked his kalesa on a street. He told us to follow the pavement and register at the bell tower visitor booth. Entrance fee is of in kind. I was surprised later that Emerson was with a guide. Anyway, I welcomed it. Our guide never thought that we knew Ilocano. When he learned it, he proceeded with the tour using the local dialect. The bell tower has five bells. There are four small bells, each of which has different use: one for weddings, one for funeral, one for fiestas and one for baptisms. The large bell is used for ordinary days like Sunday mass. Our guide even had a minimal pat on the bells for us to hear the different sounds. After we climbed up the bell tower, our guide led us to the chapel by ruins. We passed inside the church while the priest was having the mass. Chapel by the Ruins is the part of the church that was once damage during world war II. It is an open air chapel. We went to chapel of souls after we spent some time at the chapel by the ruins. The chapel of souls is a small prayer room located near the main church door. After the short tour around the Bantay church, we rode back to the kalesa and went around the heritage city. Kuya Guillermo pointed some places of interest. Most of these sites open around 830AM. Time check: 730AM. Kuya Guillermo showed us the Padre Burgos house, the pagburnayan (jar factory), President Qurino's ancestral house. We ended the kalesa ride after we rode past Crisologo street. It was so nice seeing the changes and progress in the city.
Right after the kalesa ride, I gave PhP200 to Kuya Guillermo. I added PhP50 for being so nice in showing us around and he entertained my questions, besides it is the holiday season. We thank and left him at the plaza. We headed back to the hotel for breakfast. I went to take a shower and change clothes first. By the time I got down to join Oliver and Emerson, they were already done. Oliver went to change clothes then. Emerson and I went to buy some bibingkas (rice cakes) at a nearby store, the Tongson Royal Bibingka store, just across Plaza Burgos at Crisologo Street. They are a household name for pasalubong. A box of bibingka (16 pcs) costs PhP140.
We got back to the hotel after buying pasalubong and got our things back. We checked out at the hotel and rode a tricycle going to Partas bus terminal. We left Vigan by 935AM, this time it was really southbound with no more holiday extension. Oliver and I dropped by San Juan, La Union while Emerson was enroute to Aringay. Sure, it was really fun travelling with my Ilocano buddies. The question now is where to next? Who's going with me on the next trip? Who knows.
It is good to have an end to journey towards; but it is the journey that matters in the end.
- Ursula Le Guin
- Ursula Le Guin