Showing posts with label ilocos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ilocos. Show all posts

Ilocos Photo Diary V: Time Traveling in Vigan

Friday, October 13, 2017
And for the main event. (Queue drumroll) Vigan CIty.

Vigan is an island, which used to be detached from the mainland by three rivers – the great Abra River, the Mestizo River and the Govantes River. It is unique among the Philippine towns because it is the country’s most extensive and only surviving historic city that dates back to the 16th century Spanish colonial period.
Source: Vigan.gov.ph  




There are lots of shops like these in the length of the old street of Vigan where in you can buy souvenirs. However, one tip for you guys, buy somewhere cheaper. The location of the shops made the items more expensive than the other shops in less touristy locations.






Antique shops are a gem in here. Antique lovers out there will definitely love this place!













As I've mentioned in the Photo Diary I, I was part of a group for this Ilocos tour thus, no liberty in places whatsoever. In Vigan, we went to Kalye Crisologo, Baluarte Zoo and the Pinagburyan Pottery. However, if your a museum geek + old/vintage + history nerd just like me, you'd also want to go to these places I promised myself to visit when I get back. 

Here are other must visit places in Vigan. Click the links below from other bloggers.


There's not much to do in Vigan other than indulge yourself in time traveling experiences. Walk the length of Calle Crisologo. Ride a "karwahe" or horse carriage and have a tour around Vigan. Shop antiques in shops and old homes. And if you're up for it.. ghost hunting, maybe?


MUST TRY! ILOCOS EMPANADA!
Check out my other photo diaries to know other destinations. Click the link below.
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Ilocos Photo Diary IV: Meet and Greet with the animals in Baluarte, Ilocos Sur

Friday, October 13, 2017
Let's take the tour up a notch with a smile plastered on our pretty faces, shall we? What more could we ask for? We had sand and breeze, magnificent churches, a world famous old city that the old me could only gaze behind a flat screen TV and pot making. Now here\s some more and it includes a big RAWR, literally cause Baluerte in Vigan has a lion and a tiger for that.

The Baluarte or fortress is a must-see attraction for first time visitors, and even for those who have visited Vigan before. The reasons for its being on the list of places to visit are two. First is that it has a mini zoo with animals from other countries and others endemic to the Philippines. It is a private collection and is therefore continuously being improved. The second reason is that it is owned by Mr. Chavit Singson, a well-loved son of Vigan and well-known to most Filipinos and foreigners who follow the Philippine political scene. The resort complex lies in hectares of land that stretches from the rolling plain towards the hills, where the former governor’s multi-storey house sits with a grand view of Vigan and the South China Sea.
Source: Vigan.ph


This is my friend, Diane, while holding the python. Don't worry it is supervised so it is totally safe!








I couldn't find a picture of the whole length of this snake but seriously, as I remembered it almost 7-8 people were holding the whole length of the snake. You can just imagine how long it is.



Okay, let's make this quick with some simple pros and cons.

PRO

It's free. It's interesting. It's really great for kids. The animals here are in some variety. Applause for the animal presentation show.

CONS

It's free, so don't put your expectations up too high. And although admission is free, other activities within are not. 

It's interesting. It really is great for kids. However, I'm not a kid though so...

The animals here are in some variety. "Some" being the key word. The variety is not that wide for a "zoo" or a "safari" or whatever. And in some instances (like the other reviews in this place) it may seem like the whole "zoo" is somewhat a showcase of a Filipino Politician/Celebrity's wealth. You know, humble showoff. But you know, maybe the intention was not that, but to give back to the people. I'm human, people are human so you know judgements will never be avoided.

OVERALL

Maybe if you are within the area or if you have a lot of time on your tour, I will not hurt to visit the place. But if you plan to travel for how many hours to purposely visit the place, maybe it's not such a good idea. It's a nice side trip though.



Check out my other photo diaries to know other destinations. Click the link below.
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Ilocos Photo Diary III: Playa Tropical Hotel Resort, Ilocos Norte

Friday, October 13, 2017
After a day well spent indulging about history, architecture and artifacts, a nice breeze of February summer welcomed us with warm hugs and airy kisses in Playa Tropical Hotel and Resort.

Built in traditional Balinese style, you can relax in truly fabulous settings that celebrate your privacy with charming thatched roof villas, private pools, unique garden bathrooms and exquisite interiors featuring Balinese art. Enjoy heavenly views from the swimming pool that looks out at the ocean. This exclusive resort reflects the wonderful romance of Bali.

Visit their website. Click here.







Our Ilocos Trip was a group tour consisting of 2 bus-full of university students. The fee for the tour was quite decent and fair, not expensive. So you can just imagine what we have in mind for accommodation. We were expecting a hostel-type of lodging or a dormitory type ensuite. But no, our travel company had snatched us quite a grab for a accommodation. 

THEME

Playa Tropical Hotel Resort is not a budget hotel, but is a resort type with beach front and bali-inspired cottages. 

BEDROOM

4 students had to share in a bedroom with 2-queen sized beds with its own toilet complete with toiletries and towels for each of us. There is a flat screen TV, a cable and enough closet space for us. It was spacious enough for us 4. A plus for this is that we were lucky to have an adjoining room because my group of friends are kind of big. This made it easier for us to call an impromptu movie night. 

Our professor, Arch. Chris Pineda was super cool that he got a cottage all to himself. He is kind of "bagets" and easy going with the students so he let some of his student pets join him. It was loft type and really spacious and Balinese through and through.

HOTEL AMENITIES

For the rooms they have a multi-storey building (that's were our room was) and loft cottages near the beach. They have an infinity pool open for swimming a beach at the back, a man-made river that goes through under the cottage. They have outdoor and indoor dining area. A bar, which I didn't even notice and a reception desk for 24/7.

FOOD

Breakfast and dinner buffets are included. They have an indoor area with japanese-inspired tables where in you have to sit in a tatami mat. Very perfect for Instragram. Food is okay, but not that wow. Choices are limited but at least it is buffet type unlike in other hotels.

However at midnight about when we were in shortage of food for our movie night, we couldn't get a hold of any food there: in and out of the hotel. Inside their bar is already closed. It wasn't 24/7. And it is impossible to get food from outside because it was too far.

STAFF

The staff were amazing. They always have smiles on their faces and even though some of them don't really understand Tagalog much, they will still accommodate you. They even had a morning call for us in the morning to wake us up and not be late in our next day activities.

HYGIENE AND MAINTENANCE

The sheets and overall cleanliness of the room as well as the resort amenities are okay. We only stayed for one night so the hotel staff do not need to change sheets when we were there.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE

So maybe you have seen my 3-star rating down below. Why did I give just 3 stars? This is a funny story. I would have given 4 out of 5. The 1 is for the food which for me is very important. (Please understand that we starved out there. Haha.) And the second minus 1 is for the creepy thing that happened when we were there. 

So we were watching a movie, right? I can't exactly remember what happened but my other classmates in the other rooms had a commotion and fight of some sorts about a paranormal activity in their room. One classmate of mine actually cried herself out. The others stayed in other rooms. The others (the crazy ones) took it as a dare and actually slept there. It as insane and when the staff were asked the next day, they did confirm in in a subtle way. At least we had a story to share when we got back, right? Haha. So there, that's 3 stars from me.



Check out my other photo diaries to know other destinations. Click the link below.
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Ilocos Photo Diary II: Historical Churches of Norte & Sur for your Visita Iglesia

Friday, October 13, 2017
After the long drive above the frozen aspalt and the wave's of Pagudpod, we now head to churches. There are a lot of churches in the Philippines, a cause of the colonization of the Spaniards and the spread of Catholicism. Religion is not the only thing that achieved its peak and dominance, but also architecture.

Here are some of the historical churches that we had visited.

St. Augustine Parish Church of Bantay

Formally called as the St. Augustine Parish Church of Bantay, this brick church has stood the travails of time. Established sixteen years after the Vigan Cathedral by the Augustinians, it has its share of misfortunes like most Colonial Period churches in the Philippines.

Like its counterpart in Vigan City, the tower is removed from the main church by some distance. In fact, it is actually pretty far, like sixty meters far. The town of Bantay got its name from that belfry, which was used as a watchtower for raiding pirates during the Spanish Colonial Era. Bantay, translated means to guard. 

The said bell tower is located just a few minutes’ walk from Vigan City, at a knoll near Bantay Church. The belfry looked almost exactly the same as it was back when it was shot in 1981. Made of fiery orange brick, slightly crumbling, but sans the steps leading to its door. 


Santa Monica Church and Convent 

The Santa Monica Church and Convent is a Philippine church complex found in the town of Sarrat in the province of Ilocos Norte, near the provincial capital of Laoag City. It is documented as the largest church in the entire Ilocos Region.

Made of red brick in baroque and neo-classical style, the church is known for a number of distinctive features. It is the Philippine church with the longest aisle, it has a distinctive system of roof trusses, and it is unusual for having a staircase that connects the church to its convent. Built in the 17th century during the Spanish colonial period, the church is also known for being the site of a number of historic events in the Philippines. The church complex is located in a windswept area overlooking the Padsan River.
Source: Ilocandia

Paoay Church

The widespread building of churches in Ilocos resulted to stunning architectural marvels that we still see today, the most famous, and I reckon one of the most beautiful churches in the Philippines, is the gorgeous Paoay Church, built in 1704 (finished 90 years later) and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a church of “Earthquake Baroque” style with 24 massive brick reinforcements running along its sides with walls made out of coral rocks, baked bricks, lumber, limestone mortar and sugarcane juice. Paoay Church is a unique fusion of Gothic, Baroque and Oriental touches as its façade has touches of Gothic familiarity, Chinese elements in its gables and a Javanese feel in its niches. It stands in all its beauty and splendor (pretty much how I imagined it to be when I first saw a picture of the church when I was in grade school) in front of a wide-open square, unlike the churches in other parts of the Philippines which are almost choked by houses and businesses.




St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral 

Part and parcel of the UNESCO World Heritage stamp that encompasses the whole city, Vigan’s St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral stands as one of the town’s most prominent landmark. It sits in front of Plaza Salcedo where the dancing fountain is located. On its right is Plaza Burgos; while on its left sits the Archbishop's Palace of the Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia.
Source: Lakad Pilipinas








Churches mentioned above are already most, if not all the must-visits if you are into history and religious artifacts and such. These places are especially a must for those looking for an Ilocono Visita Iglesia.

Here is a map of all the churches mentioned above plus 3 more recommendations to complete your Visita Iglesia. 
  1. La Nuestra Señora de La Asuncion Parish Church, Santa Maria - Burgos Rd, Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, Philippines
  2. Conversion Of St. Augustine Parish, Rizal Street, Bantay, 2727 Ilocos Sur, Philippines
  3. San Agustin Church, Marcos Ave, Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Philippines
  4. Church of San Nicolas, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, Philippines
  5. St. William Cathedral, Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, Philippines
  6. Santa Monica Parish Church, Sarrat, Ilocos Norte, Philippines
  7. Bacarra Church, Bacarra, Ilocos Norte, Philippines




The following are already mentioned in the previous blog but allow me to reiterate for those who have just visited this post.

Most notable foods that are must try of them are the Bagnet Ilocos, Longanisang Ilocano and the famous Empanada. Click here to know more about must-try foods.




Making use of the route embeded in this post (see the map), it is best used for Visita Iglesia. 

What is VISITA IGLESIA?

The Seven Churches Visitation is a pious Roman Catholic Lenten tradition to visit seven churches on the evening of Maundy Thursday. Following the Mass of the Lord's Supper, the Blessed Sacrament is placed on the Altar of Repose in the church for Adoration. During the Seven Churches Visitation, the faithful visit several churches – sometimes seven, sometimes fourteen, sometimes no set number depending upon the particular practice – to pray before the Blessed Sacrament in each church.
I hope you make use of this blog post for your next Visita Iglesia! Thank you so much for taking tme to read this post. I know not all people can tolerate historical trivias, thank you again for bearing with me.

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