Walking the Streets of Vigan

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There are loads of articles related to the beautiful and almost perfectly picturesque city of Vigan.  The place is so popular that it even has two (2) websites claiming it as the ‘official’ site.  So I would have to deviate from  my usual blog writing style and present to you this one as a compendium of various information that might be of interest to you my readers.  To those who have visited the place in the past, read on to get a deeper appreciation of your experience.  And to those to have not yet ventured into this treasure in the far north, do try it soon.

My adventure in Vigan started when I was still in my early post-college days. It is with mixed emotions that I am writing and reminiscing these memories as in a way, this shall be my tribute for one of the greatest persons I met in my life.  I pray that you are now smiling back at me proud of where I am and the things that I achieved so far.  You missed a lot from my adventures.  You said you’ll be back, I know you wanted to come back.  But I know you are in a far better place now.  This one is for you!

I had a ‘lolo’ (grandfather) through affinity who lived in Vigan.  I have been seeing him then from pictures and on rare instances when my lola (grandmother) visits our country from Canada (they were ‘ex-married-couple’).  My father and most of my relatives secretly refer to him as Lolo Tisoy (light skinned) which is the opposite of his rich brown skin tone.  He is Ilokano, my grandmother was Kapampangan (weird combination to begin with ehe…).  But his real name was George Avila.  He was a retired US Navy.  He then lived in Vigan, Ilocos Sur.  I always wanted to visit the place but the adventurer in me was then still very young and lacking experience.  My grandmother continuously egged me to try and visit my lolo.  The only problem was that Lolo does NOT and will NOT recognize me from the child that he might (if even possible) remember of me.  Warning.  the photos here were from WAY WAY BACK so my skin is still fresh, my hair is uber rich, and i'm super GWAPO pa... maybe now I had lost about 20% of that looks but invested instead on APPEAL, ehe. Indulge me would you?

THE FIRST DIP TO VIGAN'S CULTURE

So armed with his address, an assurance from all-the-way from Canada that my lola already phoned her ex-husband of my visit and the guts that I can’t recall I had back then, I ventured to my first ever SOLO trip using public transport going to Vigan.  It was my first experience of a solo EIGHT hours bus ride and it was such an adventure.  The provinces we passed by and the number of stop overs (which up until now and my succeeding trips, I was not able to count) was priceless.  There were only a few of us in the bus and I was lucky to have the whole two seats just for me from Pampanga until I reached Vigan.

At the bus station, I just went around to look for their local tricycle terminals and asked for the address that I had with me.  In less than 10 minutes I saw my lolo and introduced myself.  The funny thing was that I was welcomed as if we know each other from way back.  I was shown my room (which was his room, on a regular day) and the first thing that I noticed was how smooth the bed linens were.  He said that they are one of Vigan’s pride.  Up until today, I use that one linen I bought from that trip.  This trip also gave me my first experience of locals looking (read: starring) at me even when I was buying mint candy at a nearby store.  It did not took long when my lolo told me that people are starring because of my looks (ehe modesty aside, I was still young then) and the fact that he told neighbors that I was his son from Manila.  And they had quite a ‘wow’ impression of those coming from Manila as cool and sophisticated (I wonder if I was able to give them a good impression with my stay).

 

The warm welcome did not fade from day 1 up until my departure after three days.  Each day was filled with visits to museums, tours done by my lolo himself, food trip, a fridge filled with beer (and I was the only guest then --- I remembered only drinking one or two bottles each night).  The evenings were cool and it made sleeping feel close to home.  Oh, by the way, I did not yet have internet nor a good camera back then.  I only had ‘stories’ of what to expect and my mobile phone as my trusted camera so please bear with me on the photos, I promise though that my face will be splattered on most of them, but hey it was the time when I was still blemish free eheeheheh.  Below were some of the photos I managed to salvage from my Friendster account (had I know that I will be blogging in the future, or that Friendster would suddenly change it mind, I would have archived these photos better).

VIGAN REVISITED

I returned to Vigan after less than 2 years, it was December if I am not mistaken.  Only this time, I visited Lolo with three other good friends from work.  I went back to this majestic place with ‘travel-mates’ Dion, Mike and Ramon (Gov, ehe).  This time I acted as the tour guide.  The hospitality of my Lolo, however did not waver one bit.  Every meal served and shared on those dinners were forever etched in my heart as well as Lolo’s stories from the past.  See below photos salvaged of that wonderful trip.

hey, yo, PIMP this ride will'ya?

You will fall in love on the history of each pieces

The smell, the sound and the visual feast won't disappoint you

You'll appreciate how it was done then and realize, it wasn't as bad at all

Our horse's name??? Would KC care for a ride?

Our NINUNOs (old men) ehe... this was how our ancestors might have looked back then

We had to had this shot... an authentic belfry...

Every corner is worth the photo

Enjoying Vigan empanada at the Piazza Burgos

hey we were kids... boys and red blooded at that....give us some slack

view from the top of the belfry

cobble-stone streets at day time

and at night...

cathedral history

View of the altar

wonder how many treasures and history these chests held in their days

One tip though I have of Vigan is ‘talk to the locals’ they are almost always willing to show you were to find great food that isn’t expensive as well as a better way to experience the place the way it should be done.  DO NOT FORGET TO VISIT THE LOCAL MARKET too as it is a shopping haven of sorts.  I am contemplating on visiting Vigan again soon.  Impossible it may seem, I still wish I will see Lolo there waiting for me.