Life is the sum of experiences that we encounter as go through life. Day to day to struggles and triumphs are experienced by all of the world's creatures. As human beings, when we encounter a challenge, we have freedom to choose how to react. Every decision that we make leads us down another road. We will never come to exactly the same crossroads. Every decision the we make has significance. The tiniest choice that is made reverberates throughout the entire universe.

Showing posts with label Vigan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vigan. Show all posts

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Vigan- Laoag-Pagudpod Roadtrip Series I Day 1 (Part II)


Known as Vigan House, Crisologo House, Mansion , and the Vigan National Museum Branch.


We arrived at the museum roughly 9:30am. It's about 10 - 20 mins. from the Pagburnayan. 

Upon entering, I noticed an old woman who uses a small megaphone. She's the one who gives a brief history of Crisologo family and their contribution to the country . She is the caretaker and she also instructs visitors where to go next in the mansion.
She said, "meron po tayo donation box malapit sa pintuan, donation lang po...", which is fine to all of us.

THE TOUR INSIDE THE CRISOLOGO MUSEUM and UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY
  
Floro S. Crisologo was the patriarch of the clan and a congressman known for being responsible for landmark legislation that only benefited his constituents but the whole country as well. He was responsible for the SSS, Social Security System.  

Oh, alam niyo na saan galing ang mga S.S.S niyo ha pero yun nga, dahil sa galing niya marami ang naiingget. Kaya nuong 1970 while he was inside the St. Paul’s Cathedral, Congressman Crisologo was shot in the head by a still unidentified gunman :(


FIRST FLOOR 
It has library,  an anitique calesa, numerous news clippings and newspaper. There are also an old car, family pictures, certificates and et cetera.





SECOND FLOOR
You can see some of the parts of the mansion.


Bedroom


Kitchen



 The Living room


 An old jewelry box

A classic type writer

Various memorabilia of the late Congressman Crisologo 


You will see the evidence that the mansion is maintained. Although all of the stuffs here are old enough to dubbed as vintage.

Dining area

 It is interesting to know that before he was killed, the congressman was in the process of having a bill approved to abolish the death penalty because he believed that death was not the solution to stopping crime.

 LEAVING CRISOLOGO MANSION, HELLO CALLE CRISOLOGO

The most anticipated part of the tour was visiting the Heritage Village. It is considered the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. In November 1999, it was placed on the World Heritage List commemorating its cultural significance. Heritage Village was considered a UNESCO Heritage Site to preserve the cultural past of the Ilocandia region.  



En route to Heritage Village, we were advised that our service was not allowed to pass through the street. Only calesa will do (a horse driven carriage). So we had more time to enjoy the whole village while walking.......


Ang daming ancestral house!
Kapag andito ka, do not let the chance to taste their unique "EMPANADA" na kulay orange with matching suka (vinegar).



I love how the community and the local government preserved this part of Vigan. 

I also like the feeling like in spanish era. Kaya nga nag dress ako noh para sa lugar lang na to! Gusto ko ma feel ang panahon dati. Makaluma and yet very historical. Gusto ko yung feel na naglalakad while wearing a fashionable hat (kaso yung hat na hiniram ko lang sa tita ko naiwan ko pa dito). hmp!

Feeling turista talaga with matching turo turo kung "how much is this and how much is that", charot, hehehe. Nagkalat kasi ang samut -saring souvenir shops dito.


It was really worth visit for.

Our last stop before going to Laoag is the Bantay Bell Tower, located at Brgy Bantay in Vigan. One of the most fame churches in Ilocos Sur is the Bantay Church also known as St. Augustine Church near the famous Bell Tower which is perched up in the hill. 

Bell Tower was used as a watch tower during the Spanish colonial period. "Bantay" is an Ilocano word for both "guard" and "mountain."






Super inet nga lang. You have to bear with that burning fire and heat of the sun! Katanghaliang tapat ba naman when we go up in the tower. 

The stairs were quite narrow, old and very fragile. Very windy and the view made it worthwhile. 




Wala na kong masabe sa ganda ng first day exp. namin.. What more pa yung mga susunod! hehe.. yabang lang. 

Kahit gutom na kami that time, we still felt like full while going around at the diff. historical places in Ilocos Sur. I was in awe for a moment and then felt very very satisfied all of a sudden......


Please also read: Part I of this road trip series.. Vigan-Laoag-Pagudpod-roadtrip-series (Part I)

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Monday, May 7, 2012

Vigan-Laoag-Pagudpod Roadtrip Series I Day 1 (Part 1)

Cobblestone streets, unique landscape, oriental building designs and ancestral houses are some of the amusing setting in VIGAN, the capital of the province of Ilocos Sur.  

We arrived at Vigan @ exactly 12:30am. It was the longest road trip I've ever experienced with cousins.  We were 9 plus the 2 drivers who drove all the way from Manila up North of the country. Tataya ko lahat ng sweldo ko, pustahan lahat kami namaga at nangapal ang pwet sa kakaupo oh! Sinong hinde?!

We left Manila around 5pm {Friday} and reached Vigan {Saturday}. We did not book for any room or hotel coz originally, we planned to just sleep at the service then upon sunrise, we will go directly exploring VIGAN's tourist spots.

So, some just agreed to sleep at the van  while four of us chose to sleep inside the church in BALUARTE NI CHAVIT, with other tourists also. {Mahirap sa van, nakabaluktot, pero mas mahirap ata sa loob ng simbahan kasi ang kasama mo ay mga taong malakas pa humilik kay Harry, the Tiger! hehe}!!!!

Saan kami naligo? Ahm, next question please oh. KAW NAMAN! Hahaha.....

Welcome to my hacienda

Aside from the photo op, everyone can interact with different animals. You can actually feed animals, petting them, ride the "tiburin", a small horse-drawn carriage, you can watch an animal show or simply visit the Butterfly Garden. 

Dahil maaga pa, hindi pa nila ina-allow na palabasin si HARRY. At 10am pa daw siya pede mahawakan at pwede magpa- picture. So, pinicturan na lang namin siya while at his cage... Artista! Daig pa si Chavit!

Harry, harry, Yellow kaba? Dilaw kasi ng mga pangil mo eh. GRRRR!


Baluarte is 80 hectares of gently rolling terrains, hills and mountain sides, the structures of facilities and amenities, its phases of construction is in its best possible realistic and natural habitat for good and sound animal care.

Baluarte is open to the public and admission is FREE
  
It is actually Governor Chavit's gift to the people of Vigan where residents are accorded free use of spaces for their livelihood programs. 



Entrance

After an hour of walking and picturan, we decided to hop to our next destination, the Calle Crisologo! Kaso, mukang naligaw kami ng onti palabas. Tiempo naman malapit lang at nadaanan namin ang Hidden Garden {w/c supposed to be our last stop}.

Before we embark to this roadtrip, I've read some of the relevant blogpost about Vigan specifically about this place. Some of them, would tell like "you can do nothing on here" or the place is for photo op only. Malamang mali na naman ko ng pagbasa. Tsk..tsk.. Kasi hindi iyon ang naabutan namin eh.. Well, I'll just leave it for you guys to judge.  





{Refreshments}
on - the - go.

Oh, did I introduce this guys to you? That's kuya Edwin and Kuya Jericho, our drivers slash tour guide na rin. While sipping cup of coffee.
Wala ata kaming pinalagpas na sulok ng garden na to.. Lahat may project kami
Hidden Garden is approx. 10mins from Baluarte Ni Chavit. 

Upon exploring the beauty of the garden, I have acquired some learning {Me ganon?!}. The garden has its beauty and charm to attract more guests. It has collections of wide array of plants, flowers, crafts and souvenirs too. At first, aakalain mong garden lang, with huge spots to take pictures on. Pero hindi pala. 

We're about to continue through the pathway when someone yelled, wala na jan. Tapus na. And so we continue to other side instead and we found this nipa restaurant which serves coffee {ng Benguet, sabi nila}, chocolate, Fresh fruit shakes/ juices and Empanada {na ayon sa pagkakarinig ko sa waiter ay not available that time}. 



We ordered coffee and fruitshakes that time. But due to overwhelmed visitors, some of us decided to take it out na lang dahil sa tagal. {Nainip lang}.

Nagiisa lang si kuya who takes order of fruitshake and at the same time siya din ang gumagawa. O diba. multi-tasking si kuya. Hampered! But I heard, they cater the best of Vigan delicacies here. Hindi na nga lang kami kumain. Wala sa itinerary. Charot, La lang budget! lol

Nevertheless, the Hidden Garden is not anymore hidden, it is now WELL-KNOWN and a MUST- SEE rural escape.
Refreshing, relaxing, and very rustic feeling. Lahat ng word which starts with "R". GO!  

Dagdag kayo ng tao ha.. peace :p







POT and more POT and more POTS........ 

We are on the last {first half} part of this post entry. 
This time we went to Pagburnayan, place in Vigan where you can locate a Jar Making factory.


The Ilocano jar called “burnay,” used for storing the local vinegar, local wine “basi,” and “bagoong” and as a decorative ware, is produced in factories using the pre-historic method in the southwestern end of Liberation Avenue in Vigan.

 
Nung una, nagdadalawang isip pa kami kung yung napuntahan namin eh Pagburnayan. As I recall, parang walang malinaw na signage aside from medyo matao. 

Mavic had a chance to make a simple pot on her own.. hehe. A good experience with audience pa ha. Super laugh kami kasi ang kulet niya. Ang ingay! 

Mavic: uh..uh! Hala, nasisira na, kuya! (Kuya, binasa muli at hinulma ang korteng putik}!
Audience: Sige lang, ayusin mo lang... 


 

Mavic: {Tuloy pa rin ang pag- ikot, pag kalikot sa putik ng biglang!
Pak! Actually ito daw talaga ang ang gusto niya ma achieved! Hahaha.. POT-AY!

Ganitong itsura.. ang AYOS naman pala eh ng finish product! 


At bago tayo matapos ito ang pinaka malufet na sculpture/ masterpiece na nakita ko while in first day in Vigan!
*wag madumi isip*

Guys, dahan -dahan lang. 
I share ko lang.. 
Wholesome naman ko since day 1, right. 

TO REMIND YOU, for the record THIS IS A MASTERPIECE! 

From Hidden Garden and Pagburnayan artistry 










FIN.

Website:  BALUARTE NI CHAVIT SINGSON 
Website: HIDDEN GARDEN
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