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| Time Travel at the Famous Calle Crisologo in Vigan |
Century Old Houses...Cobblestone Streets...Calesa Rides... all these words refer to only one place.Vigan. One of the most beautiful places I had the chance to visit.
The city of Vigan is a 5th class city in the Province of Ilocos Sur and is also its Capital. It is considered a world heritage site for it is one of the few hispanic towns left in the Philippines.
The second day of our Ilocandia Adventure was a trip to this historic place. Vigan It is.
We were picked up from the resort by the van that we booked through a travel agency. We left Fort Ilocandia and began our landtrip to Vigan City. The 2 hours joyride was filled with excitement and curiosity on what's in store for us as we reach our destination.
Going to Vigan, we visited some interesting spots that were part of the travel itinerary. First stop was Juan Luna's House. As we all know, Juan Luna was a famous painter during the Spanish revolution and became more notable because of his work " The Spolarium".
Juan Luna was born and raised in Badoc, Ilocos Norte. His ancestral house was rebuilt and is now known as the " Juan Luna Shrine". The house itself is astounding. It is made of stunning red bricks and wooden doors. You will be asked to register before entering the house.No entrance fee is collected upon entry. However,a donation of any amount is appreciated to help the couple who maintains the house. Samples of his works are displayed throughout the the whole parts of the house.
What really amazed me is this painting.
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| This painting really amazed me. |
This painting of a woman is ought to be a representation of the Philippines. As you can see in the picture, the guide was holding an inverted map of the Phillipines.Her arm is Palawan , her body is Luzon and her legs represent Mindanao. Amazing isnt it?
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| Did you know that in the old times having a "well" in you residence is already a sign of social status? |
After visiting the shrine we headed to Vigan City Proper since Badoc is only halfway through our destination. This is just one of the side trips we had along the way. Minutes later, I began to notice some kalesa's along the road. I said to myself, we must be near. And its true!
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Vigan - here we come!!!!
We didn't know where to start upon arriving in Vigan. Its about 10:00 AM when we arrived and we still have enough time to do some sightseeing before we have our lunch. Our guide told us to start with some museums nearby.
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| Padre Burgos Museum : The birthplace of Padre Jose Burgos - one of the the three Filipino priest ( collectively known as the GOMBURZA) that were executed during the Spanish Era. |
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The Crisologo Museum used to be the home of the late Congressman Floro Crisologo and wife Carmeling, former governor of Ilocos Sur. It contains memorabilia of the late Congressman.
What is more excting than having a heritage tour riding a "calesa" - a horse drawn carriage usually found in Philippines. Compared to Manila - riding a calesa here in Vigan is relatively cheaper. Imagine in Intramuros they will charge you 500 to 1,000 for the calesa ride. Here in Vigan, it only cost 150 per hour - to be divided by three passengers ( the maximum capacity of each) that's only 50 pesos. Imagine that?
Here are some of the places we visited:
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| The Pagburnayan - where they make pots made of sand and fire blasted in a huge oven. |
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The Syquia Mansion used to be the Vigan residence of President Elpidio Quirino. There are memorabilias inside the residence, which includes a campaign portrait of Quirino.
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The St. Augustine Church is the Oldest church in Region 1.
Moments after, the coachman ( kutsero - the one driving the calesa) told us that he will bring us to the most popular place in Vigan. The Calle Crisologo - located in Vigan's heritage village is a half kilometer cobblestone street lined with century old houses.
I can say that for me " Calle Crisologo" is the most magical street in the country. It is picture perfect from wherever angle I take photographs. Upon entering, it feels like i was transported by a time machine back to the Spanish Era.
Only calesa'a are allowed to pass by this area. Motorized vehicles are banned here to preserve its heritage.
Youv'e never been to Vigan if you have'nt visited Calle Crisologo as what they would say.
After having lunch we went to visit Vigan's Fortress. The Baluarte ni Chavit which is located within a few kilometers from the city proper. This is one of the major attractions in Vigan City. What is good about this place is that it has no entrance fee. One can enjoy all the attractions for FREE.
We even rode a TIBURIN, a carriage drawn by a small horse as what they would call it -for free. You can have your pictures taken with Parrots, Toucans, Macaws and Camels. Ostriches even have the liberty to roam around the whole place. Just be careful not to stay too close.
One of the highlights of your visit here in Baluarte, is the close encounter with Chavit's favorite pets. A very huge Tiger named Harry. One can have his photo taken with this humongous cat. They collect however P50 each for the printed copy of your picture. We all tried having a solo pic with Harry. The handlers even gave us a free group shot.
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| Up Close and Personal |
There is also an animal encounter show allows the visitors to come up close and personal with 8-10 exotic creatures where educational and necessary survival instincts of these animals are given to the guests.
During the show, guests are will be asked to volunteer for each surprise animal they will showcase. That means you wouldn't have any idea of what creature you will be holding.
With the assistance of the care takers, they guarantee both the safety of the visitors and the animals. And like all the other facilities of Baluarte, the animal encounter show is free.
Baluarte is another must visit in Vigan. This is Chavit's way of giving back to the people as what the locals would say. We really had fun here. Expecially the close encounters with the animals during the animal show. We will truly miss the adventure we had here in Baluarte.
Our next destination is the "Hidden Garden" - a place for nature lovers. Here you will be amazed with the fancy collections of bonsais, aerial plants growing on driftwood and other tropical plants. The landscape of the garden is also something the place is proud of for this is one of the services they offer.
It is also the place where you can try the authentic Vigan Empanda. We tried it and it tastes good. We even bought some for dinner.
This was the last stop of our Vigan Trip. As much we would like to discover more of the place. We need to travel back to the Laoag - that's almost 2 hours from Vigan. Take a rest for our destination the next day - PAGUDPUD.
For your Vigan Tours Book with AAA Travel and Tours ( Vigan City)
Look for Mary Anne or Nicole
09209284982
09228509301
09062226227
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