On April 12, we set out to Maria de Leon bus station in España and since we didn't have reservations, we were not able to ride via MDL. Personally, I think the beauty of this trip is that everything was impromptu. I mean, yeah we planned going to Vigan and Pagudpud and made our own itinerary because we decided we wouldn't avail a pre-planned tour by travel agencies, but what we did not foresee are what we thought would be smaller details such as reserving bus seats and etc. So we turned out to be chance passengers. 

Anyway, we were lucky that there are lots of Ilocos-bound bus stations in Espana and so we moved on to the next bus station we saw which was Farinas, but still no luck. We then decided to go to Partas and as luck would have it, we scored two seats but had to wait 2.5 hours because it was only 8pm when we got to the terminal and the bus leaves at 10:30pm.

Anyway, enough of the chit-chat. This is where I bombard you with photos. LOL.

The first tourist spot we visited was the Bantay Bell Tower. We put this first in our list because it's the only one in our list that is not inside the Heritage Village, so that we will have a more fluid route. 
BANTAY BELL TOWER

The historic belfry of Bantay Church known as the Bantay Bell Tower was built in the 
Spanish colonial era. Established in 1950, this also served as a watchtower for pirates.

The first batch of photos we took were mostly selfies and we took photos of one another alternately because there's only the two of us. But good thing, a tour guide came and volunteered to take our 'illusion photos' (PS: Please give a tip to the tour guide afterwards because he will also entertain you with old stories about the church and the bell tower). 

When we reached the top of the belfry, I swear to God I can almost feel Raf getting a little bit annoyed because I was just too excited and I was almost jumping in joy and asking stupid questions about the tower and whatnot. I was just too excited that I forgot that the wooden ladders were verrry old and can break anytime.

Anyway, (below) this is the largest bell inside this tower. And because I was too excited and jumpy, I forgot the metal that was used to make this bell, as told by the tour guide. According to him, this bell is not rang anymore because of the very strong vibration that it creates which will weaken the limestone structure of the tower and soon enough, the future generations will not be able to see this amazing belfry.

Aside from the biggest bell, there are four other bells inside which are rang during town fiestas, weddings, baptisms and funerals. 

We then proceeded to the Heritage Village of Vigan - a declared UNESCO Heritage Site in the country!
VIGAN HERITAGE CITY

PS: We are not professional photographers so let me tell you that these photos do not do justice to the charming colonial streets of Vigan. If you want to see its real beauty, you can Google Vigan's images and be amazed.



 Calle Crisologo was the only street left that displays pure Spanish architecture and is the only one which street is made up of cobblestones. We originally planned to ride a calesa to tour the Heritage Village but I am glad we didn't because the vicinity is too small and you can walk it out for less than an hour. It's also a better idea since you can stop anywhere and anytime you like because the calesa charges 150 per hour. Walking is a good option if you do not mind walking under the heat of the sun if you're going here during summertime. We didn't mind because we're well-prepared and had SPF 80 sunblock an hour before we got here. I am a girl scout, you see.




Some street shots...

It was so nice to find out that even the fastfoods here were built in colonial-like structures to create a uniformity among buildings and preserve the original look of Vigan. 






CALLE CRISOLOGO

 Calle Crisologo is one of the most photographed streets in the entire country. The structural line it portrays when photographed just brings you back to the colonial era of the Philippines complete with the cobblestoned floors and capiz windows on the houses.



After getting mesmerized by the cobblestoned street of Crisologo, we went to Syquia Mansion. 
SYQUIA MANSION

 A little trivia: Vigan is the proud birthplace of the Philippines’ sixth president, Elpidio Quirino. It was also where she met the love of her life, Alicia, who lived in this actual mansion.


The Syquia Mansion, which houses President Qurino’s extensive memorabilia, is actually owned by his wife, Dona Alicia Quirino.

This is where they keep all the fine china. The wooden floors were polished until they shine, so kudos to the caretakers of the mansion! :)

The Masters Bedroom

This is the sala-mayor of the mansion. This is where esteemed guests and VIPs are welcomed during their time. If you are not "too fancy" then they will just entertain you in the ante-sala.



CRISOLOGO MUSEUM


 We then headed to the Crisologo Museum. This was established after Floro Crisologo's death. The Crisologo Museum contains the possessions of the Crisologo Family, particularly of Floro's, the family patriarch, who is a former congressman behind many landmark legislations.

 Open on weekdays and found on the Liberation Boulevard of Vigan, anyone can enter for free to view the antiques and other prized possessions of the clan.

 Teeming with history, let's take a look at this vintage car: Governor Carmeling Crisologo was ambushed in this car on May 10, 1961 but luckily, she survived! 

The women of Crisologo must be so fabulous back then! My favorite part of their house - a room full of clothes and shoes!


And some great antiques...



 An old TV set inside Bongbong Crisologo's room.



 Raf and I were starving by the end of the Crisologo Museum Tour and looked for Cafe Leona.
CAFE LEONA

 Before this trip, I read lots of blogs on where to eat, and 90% of those bloggers were talking about Cafe Leona, so we put this in our itinerary and boy, have we never been any right! Food was foodgasm! 


Of course, it would be a crime not to try Vigan's Bagnet. But personally, I fell head over heels in love with the mushroom soup because I am a sucker for anything with mushrooms in it.


Our Ilocos Tour isn't over as we plan to head to Pagudpud which will be told in a different post.