The Heritage City of Vigan, Ilocos Sur

According to a Yahoo news article I read, Vigan had been awarded by United Nations for Heritage Site Management. I am very honored that UNESCO recognized the effort made by Ilocanos in preserving Vigan despite limited resources. Kudos to Ilocanos.

From that article I was curious to see Vigan first hand. So I planned my trip to Ilocos Sur.

I went to Maria de Leon Transit bus terminal in Manila. The terminal is at Gelinos street corner Dapitan street. It is just at the back of UST campus near the UST hospital. It is in front of Mang Inasal in Dapitan street. From there, a bus conductor suddenly approached me and told me that the Laoag bus will depart at 7:30 pm and the fare was 542 php one way. I was actually doubtful about the fare given by the bus conductor so I went to the ticketing office to check and the conductor was telling the truth. Its not that I don't trust him I just wanted to check since a lot of bus conductors overcharge first time passengers. And since I arrived 30 mins earlier, I went to a nearby Master Somai to eat something (since I haven't ate dinner yet) and bought some supplies at the nearby sari-sari store. So after eating, I went back to the bus and when 8:30 pm strike the bus left. There's just a few of us inside the bus maybe less than 15 so I thought that we can have the entire bus for ourselves and that's what I thought. The bus will stop every now and then to pick up passengers starting from Pampanga all the way to Ilocos Sur. Personally, it is just OK to pick up passengers along the way since the bus was not yet full but the issue was the lights. Everytime the bus driver will stop to pick up passengers, all the lights inside the bus will be lit. So everytime I will catch a sleep, all the lights will be lit and kaboom --- my hardly fetch sleep just went outside the window. After 5 attempts to sleep, I gave up so I just listened to music in my phone. I really wanted to confront the conductor but since other passengers didn't mind the lights being lit so I didn't even bother to complain.

there's a toilet inside but I didn't bother using it, don't ask me why..

By the way, if you will ride a Laoag bound bus, tell the driver to drop you off at Bantay. I learned that very important lesson from a bus ticket inspector. After giving the ticket to the inspector he asked me where I am going and I said Vigan, then he said " ah ok, it's Bantay" so I immediately corrected him and said that it's Vigan. The inspector explained that I need to get off at Bantay to get to Vigan since the bus will not go directly to Vigan and all I can say was "ahhhh, I see.."  hahahaha... I believe he did that intentionally.. hahaha....

Welcome to Vigan!!!

Laoag bound bus must drop you off in this Caltex Station in Bantay

After 9 hrs of waiting with my eye bugs dangling I finally arrived at Vigan. Just after I stepped out of the bus at around 4:30am, a group of tricycle drivers came rushing like a mob asking me to ride their tricycles to Vigan. And I was like ---  what the hell?! I felt like I was a controversial superstar with a controversial sex scandal being mob by reporters to get a scoop. What a way to start your day at Vigan. So I gave them a big NO.. I went to the nearby Hamburger stand to eat something first. While eating I asked the hamburger stand attendant whether I can walk my way from there to Vigan and she said (while looking around to check if there's a tricycle driver nearby) that I can but reminded me to be cautious since it's still dark. She said that regular fare is just 10 php but tricycle drivers charge differently during off-peak hrs from 12-5am due to lack of passengers. After eating, I noticed that there's a motel just in front of the hamburger stand so checked it. When I was going to reach the door handle to open the door, a message stating FULLY BOOKED hanging at the door so I just went back to the hamburger stand to ride a tricycle to Vigan. The tricycle driver told me that it is 50 php and I trimmed it down to 40 php and he agreed. I know it's an unwise decision but I am tired already, with no sleep, and I want to lay in bed. It just took us 5mins to get to Vigan hotel. From there, I was informed by the receptionist that they were already fully booked. So I left with disappointment since I ready need to sleep. Vigan Hotel is the cheapest hotel in Vigan with 395 php for a single fan room\ and 695 php for single aircon rooms. Then I went to Aniceto Hotel and then again it was fully booked. And I asked the lady why and she told me due to the long holiday which was Bonifacio Day. She told me that I can wait til 12 pm for a room to be available. So I went to the Vigan Plaza hotel, praying that this time they have an available room and they have one! I asked the receptionist how much and was told 5000 php?!! I suddenly asked WHY? She told me that the available room was just a Honeymoon Suite. So I left, and hotel after hotel either it's fully booked or offering a honeymoon suite. I knew that it's a long weekend but I never thought that among all the available destination in the Philippines, with 7,107 islands to choose from, my countrymen will choose to flock to Vigan!

These were just HALF of the hotels I inquired to:

ANICETO MANSION

GORDION HOTEL

HOTEL SALCEDO DE VIGAN

CIUDAD FERNANDINA HOTEL 

aside from Vigan Plaza Hotel, rooms here were quite pricey as well. 

GREEN HOTEL

Green Hotel offers aircon room for 750 php.

I decided after an hour of finding a shelter to just tour around. I don't want to waste another hour wandering around, praying that someone will adopt me. Hahahaha... My first stop was Calle Crisologo. It was amazing,  it was really like walking back in time; with Spanish old houses left and right, while walking on cobblestone street. The light from the incandescent lamps add to the antique feeling of the place. I noticed that Ilocanos from Vigan really loves jogging. Because of them I had a difficult time taking pictures without them in it! Geez, there's a lot of Calle (street) there aside from Calle Crisologo to choose from why dont bother to jog there instead... Hahahaha..

Cobblestone street

Calle Crisologo at daylight

Calle Plaridel  - Why don't people just jog here instead? 

I went back to Aniceto Hotel to buy soda because they have a convenient store as well. There I met Hershel  the store attendant. After telling him my penitence in finding a hotel he told me that near Vigan Market there's Green Hotel and he told me that since it's quite far from Calle Crisologo, (according to him, tourist will choose hotels near Calle Crisologo)  my chances of finally sleeping was huge.. hahaha.. So I embarked my journey to finally sleep, with stop overs at Vigan Church, Ilocos Sur Capital Building, Padre Burgos house and Camposanto Chapel.

VIGAN CHURCH

Vigan Church at dawn

Church's buttresses

Inside the church

Vigan Church in Daylight

Padre Burgos Monument right besides Vigan Church

PADRE BURGOS HOUSE

Its not yet opened when I arrived so I wasn't able to check what's inside

CAPITOL BUILDING

CAMPOSANTO CHURCH

inside the chapel

Camposanto Chapel is literally a chapel of the dead.

A Magnificent Spanish House along the way

Finally I arrived at Green hotel and with excitement thinking of the bed,  I asked the receptionist and once again she told me they were fully booked. I think the word for that day was Fully booked or Honeymoon Suite... I was about to burst (after all the walking while carrying my 7 kg bag, camera, and laptop) in anger but I just smiled, said thank you and left ( while cursing her in my mind --- joke). 

I rode a tricycle going back to National Highway and  decided to go to Laoag instead. 

Total Expense:

Transportation Cost:

40 php - FX to UST
542 php - bus fare one way
40 php - tricycle to Vigan
10 php - tricycle from Vigan to National Highway

Food expense:
25 php - somai
10 php - gulaman
70 php - food during bus stop overs
32 php - hamburger

Other expenses:
35 php - toothpaste and facial wash
50 php - mineral water

TOTAL EXPENSE:
854 php per person

Tips:
- make sure to book a hotel room in advance if you are going there during long week ends or holidays.
- Vigan Hotel offers the cheapest accommodation in Vigan
- Dont forget to Visit Bantay Church as well.
- Calle Crisologo, Vigan Church, Capital Building, Camposanto Church, Burgos House can be reach by walking.
- You can also try the River Cruise. Inquire in the tourism office near Calle Crisologo
- Try the Kalesa ride for 150 php per hour. According to locals I spoke with, each and every Kalesa in Vigan have a plate number so If you have complaints about a specific Kalesa Driver you can file a complaint at the Capitol Building. Hershel said that local government of Vigan is very strict on implementing the standard fare.

Manila Sight Seeing

Let me share with you guys the experience I had while visiting Manila's Landmarks.

This is part of my tour to National Museum. And since I'm already within the vicinity I visited some of Manila's most cherished landmarks.

My first stop was Quiapo Church, also known as Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene. This church houses the Black Nazarene. Thousands of devotees flock the church during the Feast of Black Nazarene during January 9. I went there Sunday and never expected that the devotion of Filipinos to the Black Nazarene was immensed. Even outside the church people gathered for the Mass. There's a big LCD screen outside so that even people from the outside can hear, witness and participate in the mass. 

If you're into fortune telling there were fortune tellers offering their services to share insights of what your future may bring. There were also vendors selling candles of different colors and forms; some were shaped like humans, I don't know what's that for. You can also check cheap electronic equipment being sold nearby Carriedo Street. 

After my visit to the National Museum, I took photos of the Manila City Hall's Clock tower. I think I have a great view from the National Museum's location. After taking some good shots, I went to Luneta Park to check the Lapu-Lapu's humongous statue in front of DOT's main office.  

While strolling Luneta a Kalesa driver suddenly approached me and offered me a Kalesa tour. He said Twenty pesos as what I've heard. He offered to tour me around Luneta then Roxas Boulevard. So I asked again how much he said "twenty hundred pesos", so I assumed it's 200 pesos. So I board the carriage and while strolling around he began telling stories about his children and how poor they were. I didn't mind him though since I was busy taking photos. We went to Intramuros and showed me Fort Santiago but since it's already past five I wasn't able to get inside. So we proceed to Palacio del Gobernador then Manila Cathedral. And since it's getting late and my stomach was grumbling I told him that we need to head back to Luneta. On my way back he told me to give the payment to his son who was onboard the kalesa as well, so  I asked him again how much was it, he told me it's "twenty hundred", so I clarified by saying "it's two hundred pesos right?" Then he told me that it's 2000 pesos! I was petrified with what I heard and told him that he told me before the tour that it's 200 php, that's when the commotion began. He brought me in a dark spot near Ayala bridge and I went down the carriage. I told him that 2k was too much and he was overcharging me. I showed him my wallet and all I have back then was just 500 php. He said that 1k will be ok and he seems pretty agitated and seems will use brute force to intimidate me to get what he wanted. By that moment I felt scared that he might stab me and just grab my things then left me there for dead, but I stood my ground and showed him that I'm not intimidated and I will fight my way out of this if needed. So after a few minutes of excruciating discussion, he gave up and agreed at 500 php. I told him that he needs to bring me first to SM Manila before he get his payment, so he agreed. Arriving at SM Manila I gave him the payment and I went inside the mall, from there I felt great relief. 

The Kalesa driver from behind, his kalesa was painted in red and yellow.

If he can do this to his own countrymen what more to foreign tourist? I'm not saying that all Kalesa Drivers in Luneta was just like him but it makes me sad that people like him gives a bad impression to tourist especially to foreigners.  Maybe this is one of the reason why Philippines lagged behind our ASEAN neighbors in terms of tourist arrivals. I forgot his name and wasn't able to get a photo of him, but hopefully this will serve as a caution to local and foreign tourists alike.

Plaza Santiago in front of Fort Santiago entrance

Manila Cathedral

Palacio del Gobernador now serves as COMELEC's head office

After having my dinner at SM Manila, I decided to go to Divisoria to check the newly-constructed Lucky China Town Mall. The developer did a terrific job on this, associating the architecture of the mall to the surrounding structures and the history of place.  Hopefully mall developers will do the same in associating indigenous designs to their structures. Kudos to the developer of Lucky China Town Mall which I believe is Megaworld.