Thursday, February 16, 2012

Vigan City: Just follow the weathered brick road



Inspired by the ingenious tribes of Baguio, we decided to go farther north and travel back in time to a place where a significant part of our past is still very much present. Vigan, the only surviving 16th century Spanish colonial town in the Philippines, is the capital city of Ilocos Sur. From Baguio, it is a comfortable 4-5-hour bus ride along the west coast of northern Luzon facing the South China Sea.

When we stepped out of the reliable Partas Bus, Vigan was cast in the romantic, almost eerie glow of twilight. The town’s smaller than I imagined. People move around via a kalesa or horse-drawn carriage, on a tricycle or by foot. I gathered it wouldn’t take more than a day to do the rounds of the city’s attractions. Vigan is so small and intimate, that in fact, even their retail buildings are on a first name basis like Linda’s Department Store or Mike’s Department Store.

On the way to our hotel, we caught a glimpse of Vigan’s Heritage Village, considered as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage sites. It was like a dream in sepia, straight out of a Noli Mi Tangere book. The whole village gives you a rustic and olden feel, from the cobblestoned streets, Asian-European architecture, down to the wooden balusters and Capiz shells that adorn the windows of probably more than a hundred ancestral Spanish houses.

As you listen to the clickety-clacks of horse drawn carriages and gaze at the old ventanillas, a compelling sense of history overwhelms you. Everything was so surreal. Where do we go, where do we start? I, for one, was feeling all too lost in time. This must have been what Dorothy felt like when she dropped in the Land of Oz. With this insight, I guess, there was only one sensible thing for us to do: just follow the old, weathered brick road!

So off we went to the world famous Heritage Village or Calle Crisologo, where we discovered some delightful things to do along the way:

1. Ride a kalesaTo conserve the nostalgic feel of the colonial street in Vigan, only horse-drawn carriages are allowed to enter and pass. For about 150 pesos per hour, you can tour Calle Crisologo, as well other parts of Vigan off the brick track. The good thing is the kalesa drivers are all trained by the local Department of Tourism and act as your local tourist guide. They know exactly the places you need to see. Some historical spots to visit are: the Bantay Church and Bell Tower; Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson’s Baluarte that features a mini zoo, skeet shooting range, pony rides and animal show; Plaza Burgos - dedicated to the memory of Father Jose Burgos, one of the three martyred Filipino priests (GOMBURZA) at Bagumbayan; and the Pagburnayan, where traditional Vigan jars (burnay) of varied shapes, designs and sizes are made. The kalesa tour usually culminates back to the main street of the Heritage Village, Calle Crisologo.

2. Take photos of the awesome architecture

The cobblestoned street of Calle Crisologo is said to stretch up to 1 km and is lined with colonial houses of affluent families that are picture-perfect with their blend of Chinese and European architectures. The houses look simple enough but are lovely nonetheless with their roofs of red tiles, brick walls, big doors, intricate grill and wood works, sliding capiz shell windows, and seemingly antique furniture that give you the feel of a 1572 ambience. Some of these ancestral houses have been turned into quaint hotels and inns. Even the restaurants and cafes at the Heritage Village are all Spanish-era themed.

3. Market, Market for pasalubongs
Some of the houses in Calle Crisologo are now used as souvenir shops selling items from “I heart Vigan” T-shirts to locally grown tobacco. Ilocanos appear to have a very strong sense of identity and respect for heritage. They have remained steadfast to their forebear’s time-honored crafts of burnay making (pottery) and inabel (hand loom weaving). With this, other great souvenir items to bring back home are coin purses made of woven fabric, knitted shawls and bags, hats made of indigenous materials, and burnay products. Some stores also flaunt intricate jewelry, Vigan woodcrafts, and trunks that imitate antique designs.

4. Feast on bagnet and other Ilocano delicacies
Ilocos is known for its native cuisine. A first-timer should try their signature dishes like pinakbet, the famous Vigan longganiza (garlic-flavored pork sausage), and the crunchy bagnet (pan-fried pork meat). The Vigan empanada --best eaten when dipped in vinegar-- is also a common favorite, which you can find in several stalls along Plaza Burgos. And since the weather in Vigan is hotter than most parts of the Philippines, enjoying a refreshing Pinoy halo-halo and free wifi at Max’s Restaurant is just awesome. Some of my recommended places to eat are Cafe Leona (of the great Ilocano poet Leona Florentino) and Cafe Uno -- the first coffee shop in Vigan city serving hot and cold beverages, desserts, pasta and sandwiches.

5. Enjoy a romantic stroll at night
A leisurely walk through Calle Crisologo is simply magical at night, especially with the golden colonial-style street lamps adding more to the 16th century ambience. There are also plenty of wooden benches (some decorated with wheels like that of a kalesa), which are perfect for quiet conversations, photo-ops, or simply for you to rest along the way.

6. Talk to the locals and listen to old talesHow did Vigan survive? How come this gracious capital still stands intact despite the war and trials of time? The locals say that Calle Crisologo is a “Street Spared for Love”. Story has it that during the later part of World War II, retreating Japanese troops would blaze any town before leaving so that American forces could not make use of them. However, a couple of Japanese officers found love and married local girls. So concerned were they for their families that they would bravely defy their orders to burn Vigan. Instead, they made a pact with the parish priest to protect their loved ones and they would leave the city intact. The Japanese officers may not have survived the war, but their undying love for their families saved this lovely town. And today, people are still being encouraged to protect the town’s heritage. You’d be impressed to learn that there are municipal ordinances specifying the historic center boundaries of the town where structures must be strictly conserved.

Indeed, Vigan is quite a lovely place to get lost in. But at the end of every road, you ask: How do I go back home? Unfortunately, there isn’t a direct flight yet from Vigan to Cebu. But a traveler has the option to go by bus or plane going to Manila, then fly to Cebu.

In our case, we rented a private vehicle going to Laoag International Airport, about 1 ½ hour drive from Vigan City, and took the daily flight to Manila via Philippine Airlines. There’s also another one via Cebu Pacific Air. But as we sat there at the departure lounge, anxious over yet another delayed flight by a couple of hours, I couldn’t help but wish that at the end of every brick road, we could just somehow borrow Dorothy’s ruby shoes, click three times and say “There’s no place like home”.

-- SunStar Weekend, February 11, 2011

Monday, February 06, 2012

I went to Baguio and hugged a tree

It was 45 minutes past midnight and we were still circling above Metro Manila, waiting for the captain to announce our final descent. Flight 2P801 from Singapore was already an hour delayed and we still have a bus to catch. No, not just any bus but The Bus – Victory Liner’s relatively new Deluxe Bus to Baguio City featuring an in-built lavatory, comfortable seats, free snacks, and most of all, free wifi! We have got to be in that bus. Not just because of the novelty of its cool features, but also – still high on Wicked The Musical, we couldn’t wait to defy gravity in Baguio City. Land the plane, land the plane now, I chanted like a witch. Our bus leaves at – I sneaked a glance at my pre-ordered Victory Liner ticket – OMG, in exactly 30 minutes. To avoid forfeiting our seats, we were instructed to check in already at, gulp, right that moment.

As soon as the airplane doors opened, my friend Jan and I hit the ground running, raced through the mocking white halls of NAIA 3, glowered at the slow-moving lines at Immigration and grabbed our bags. We took the first car for hire - never mind the bloated surcharge- and urged the driver to catch the Victory Liner Deluxe Bus at Pasay Terminal. How could it be, that even at midnight, Manila’s roads are still beset with heavy traffic? Good thing the young driver was sympathetic to our plight-- he wasted no time cutting through it all. Or, if I was thinking clearly at that moment, I could just say the driver was mad.

(Illustration by JPadreganda)

We reached the terminal just as the only remaining yellow bus was shutting its doors and crawling through the curve. I shouted and waved our tickets in the air, “Stop the bus, stop the bus!” Responding to the siren of distress, the terminal suddenly came alive. A car near the bus started honking for it to stop, someone helped us with our luggage and ran with us, one man shouted for another to pound on the bus, clueless passersby started shouting as well. For a brief moment there, I wondered, this must be the Pinoy bayanihan spirit at work. It was awesome experiencing it firsthand… if only we weren’t so stressed. The bus finally stopped. The stewardess (yes, the bus has one!) patiently opened the door only to tell us that, sorry, they were already full. I couldn’t believe it. After all the running, we still missed it. Worse, that was the last trip till morning – a sentence of frustration to the highest level. Thank you very much, Flight 2P801.

When things like this happen, you can choose to either cry it out or just move on and learn the lesson. We reluctantly opted for the latter. And I guess that’s how, at 2:00 am on a Friday, while cruising the busy streets of Pasay looking for a decent place to sleep, we comforted ourselves by taking to heart these five travel tips:

1. Never book flights or trips one after the other. For as long as you can help it, schedule consecutive trips at least a day apart. Even three to five hours lead time don’t always cut it. For your peace of mind, never expect airlines to be on time, even if they say so. Unfortunately, delays are a sad, but inevitable part of traveling. Don’t you notice, it’s always something -- a failed communication equipment, bad weather, heavy traffic, technical difficulties or just your plain forgetfulness. So give enough time for the dust to settle first when you land so you can see clearly where you’re going next.

2. Always have a Plan B. Travel plans have a way of going awry. You can lose a luggage, get lost or be stranded. In our case, it’s no joke going around Manila looking for a non-fully booked hotel at 2:00 in the morning. And expensive, too, especially when you don’t know the area. Even if you check in way after midnight and check out at 8:00 am, hotels will still charge you a full day’s worth. Truly, ouch. I wish all city hotels will start offering Sleep N’ Fly packages, especially with the nocturnal air flight schedules these days. If we had been better prepared, we might just have been able to find one that does, or just crashed at a friend’s place.

3. Pack well and limit yourself to just one luggage. In the long run, it pays.

4. When your travel itinerary gets skewed and there’s nothing else you can do, just sleep it off. Things will be better in the morning. After resting and indulging in a good buffet breakfast, we finally managed to catch another Deluxe Bus. This time, there were only about 7 passengers so we enjoyed more space. Less the stress, we were also able to see how funny it all was. We couldn’t stop laughing all the way to Baguio City. Something that we wouldn’t have been able to do had we stayed awake all night busy being mad.

5. Choose to look at the brighter side of life. Things may not always go well when we travel but Baguio City-- the summer capital of the Philippines-- is one destination that’s so cool it inspires one to look at the sunny side of things. For one, the viewing deck of Mines View Park is so high and peaceful you’ll begin to see things at a better perspective. Our systems and people may not always be efficient, but when you visit our cultural heritage at Tam-awan Village, you’ll find hope. If the ancestral tribes were able to work together, build structure and manage to survive the unpredictable mountains, so could we if we put our minds to it. And then, how could one afford to think of this country as poor when you see the abundant fresh vegetables and strawberry fields in Benguet, towering Pine Trees and rolling greens in Camp John Hay, beautiful rice terraces and glorious mountains all around? And if you’ve ever thought of Pinoys as inferior, you’ll change your mind once you meet the many creative people in Session Road who can sing through any heartache, magically turn an ugly thing to beautiful art and who can make various products out of one fruit and market them.

We may have been delayed in getting to Baguio, but then, with an open heart, I guess there’s always enough time to be inspired and be at the right place. Never mind the 6-hour bus trip. Once you find yourself in the midst of a magical place like Baguio, you feel so blessed that you learn to forgive and forget all inconveniences, even that of Flight 2P801.

Things may not always start out right, but traveling proves that in the Philippines, the winding roads can always lead us to something better. And that’s how, one fine day in the City of Pines, I finally thanked God and hugged a tree.





-- SunStar Weekend, January 21 & 28, 2012

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