Laog - Vigan

Laog – Vigan

It’s time to leave Pagudpud and head off to our next destination. But before we head off, we stopped by the famous Pagudpud Clam Landmark. It is literally a giant clam hoisted on top of a hill that had been carved to have high steps, too steep to climb. After our farewells, we drove off to Laog.

After almost four hours on the road, we reached our first destination. St. William’s Cathedral and the Sinking Bell which is right in front of each other. The Cathedral was an old Spanish church that was traditionally decorated while the Sinking Bell is literally a bell tower that has sunk over the years and the top columns are the only ones that are still visible. No one is allowed to explore the bell tower as it is dangerous to walk in due to some construction.

Ilocos Museum was just a couple of minutes away; it showcased photos and artifacts for all over the province as well as local products. We drove a couple more minutes and got to Fort Ilocandia, a famous Beachfront hotel that is a favorite among celebrities visiting Laog. As with most part of the city, it is Spanish inspired, artworks and sculptures made by well-known Filipino artist and of course, photographs of prominent personalities are framed in the lobby.

Paoay was the next destination of our tour, home to former President Marcos and his family. Malacanang of the North behind which is of Paoay Lake. The house is fairly intact, some of the original furniture is still there and old photographs of the family were displayed. Eager HRM students are on standby to give people tours and provide stories behind the house and its former residents.

A few kilometers away is St. Agustin Church, another old Spanish church that is also known as the Paoay Church. But compared to other places in the city, the area is home to both the old and the new. Modern establishments surround the famous church from yogurt shops, restaurants, mini-malls to coffee shops. They are all around the place. One of which is a popular local restaurant named Rafael’s, we had lunch on the said establishment to verify their credibility and true enough, the food was awesome. I ate till I had no space left in my stomach.

Batac is the next stop on our amazing race-like tour. As part of the must see landmarks on my list, we visited the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum. Photos are not allowed inside the Mausoleum so we paid our respects and went straight to the Museum. The Museum is by far my most favorite place in Laog. It housed a ton of artifacts from the war era, Marcos’ books from law school, old newspapers, Imelda’s famous ensemble, even Marcos’ old car plates from when he started working in politics. Most of all, they have a showcase Imelda and Ferdinand Marcos’ 11-day romance. It was fascinating. They got married after only 11 days from the time they met and is a love story that was able to pass so many tests. Up until the end, they still stood by each other. It is rare to find such a relationship that it would fit right in a fairy tale. I’m already gushing so I will stop before I embarrass myself.

After another 2 hour drive, we reached Vigan. Our first stop is Baluarte. A famous area owned by Chavit Singson. It is a zoo that is also the site of the enormous golden building that is his home. It is also known as the Fortress of Vigan. The zoo is the home of his exotic pets that includes a tiger, chimps and small horses plus a butterfly garden. We went through the place in about 30 minutes and we’re off to the next destination.

The Hidden Garden lived up to its name. It is near Baluarte but it still took us over 30 minutes to locate it. It is in the middle of nowhere and there are no directional signs that will help locate the place. But given the photos of the celebrities that are posted on the lobby of the garden, it seems that it is a pretty popular spot. The bonsai exhibit is remarkable; it just goes to show the passion that the owners have for growing the garden. There are butterflies everywhere plus a local restaurant that enabled us to finally try their deep fried longanisa empanada dipped in vinegar. It tasted a bit weird at first but it grows on you after a while.

After sip of fruit shake, we drove to the center of the city. We went to Calle Burgos to visit the Padre Burgos Museum. It is the ancestral house and birthplace of the priest patriot Fr. Jose Burgos. It is one of the notable historic structures in Vigan. It showcases a couple of Spanish era collections that included musical instruments, plates and bowls and even wooden coffins.

A couple of blocks away is the Vigan Plaza, it is in the heart of the city and is in front of the church where most locals go to. Information landmarks are located on every corner of the plaza that illustrates part of the city’s history.

There was a fiesta going on when we visited the city so we had no choice but to walk around the crowded place. We tried our best to navigate through the congested streets and finally got to Calle Crisotolo, the famous Spanish village that is where most of the festival activities are happening. It is yet another scene where the old meets the new, which in this case, is actually a little disappointing. From afar it looks as if the village has been well preserved. But a closer look says otherwise, most of the first floors of the buildings have been renovated to give way to fast food restaurants, coffee shops and shopping areas. It somehow didn’t quite feel right.

After watching the parade we turned a couple of blocks and finally got to the Syquia Mansion. It is the house of President Elpidio Quirino and is where his extensive memorabilia collection is showcased. The caretaker is available to answer any questions the visitors may have about the house and its contents. One of the most interesting things in the Mansion is the portraits of the President and the First Lady. There is no admission fee but it is polite to leave a donation to the kind caretaker.

It is another long day and before catching our late flight back to MNL, we opted to go visit the Vigan Public Market to buy a couple of things. Since we were already there we bought a couple of kilos of the famous Bagnet and Garlic Longanisa. After the day that we had, I was knocked out for the duration of the flight. It was another memorable trip. To be followed by more memorable trips. Puerto Galera is next! ^_^