November 15, 2004
Photo snaps from our trip to the north
Coming back from our trip to the South, we just had some three hours rest before we started our drive up to the north. The plan was to go first to Abra, the hometown of my sister-in-law. From there on, we would then visit Vigan, Laoag, visit the Ilocos region and then the Bontocs region, and move further down to Baguio and La Union. This is the first part of the "Trip to the North" series.
This breathtaking view of the mountains from this bridge upon entering vigan always impressed me. From here on, i feel the different aura of the place...it seems to me like crossing into time.
Vigan, along the Heriatge street, where one can get plenty of souvenir stuff as well as very good wood carved furnitures.
Vigan, almost all of the shops we visited had this spanish style bench outside where one can sit and have a rest.
My only regret during this tour: I was not wearing my spanish ensemble, at naupo sa isa sa mga bangkong ito. Together with pamypay-tsenes, at sweet, ice cold kalamansi juice, etc... instead, nagpaka sunog akong naglalakad sa kalsadang ito, with my maps at nahilo lang ako sa kaka yuko at tingala (madalas, head movements ng taong naliligaw....hehehehe!)
Around the town center of Vigan, there is a Tourist information office where one can get the maps and brochures of which places to visit. They generally recommend that one should take a calesa ride to be able to see all theses places. If one prefers it, one can request for a tour guide from the tourist info office, without fee, but as a way of saying thank you, a tip is much preferred.
A tip to the ones who would go to the place: take the kalesa ride. That way, you'll get to see everything and then still have time to go shopping for souvenirs.
Posted by missP at November 15, 2004 11:10 AMhello annaB :)
i love the antique saints, but can't afford them myself...pag ipunan muna namin, hehehehe!
enjoy the weekend!
Posted by: missP at November 19, 2004 11:36 AMhi jing,
oh yes, do that. about those wooden trunks made of mahogany and narra trees, super mura and they will ship it for you...
or if you travel first or business class, no pay ka nga sa excess!
have a good weekend. saan ang gimick mo this time?
Posted by: missP at November 19, 2004 11:32 AMhello svelte,
espanyol?? i understand some words, can even understand what the pax want to say or ask at work...like when hubby & I went to the canary islands a couple of years ago, nai-intindihan ko ang salita nila. i just couldn't speak it.
ilokano?? wen manong! although di ko na talaga alam ibig sabihin niyan, hahahahaha!
history, was my favorite subject, but, admittedly, i am getting lazy.
ingatzkie!
Posted by: missP at November 19, 2004 11:28 AMhmmmm..ganda nga ng "antiques" jan sa vigan, maganda ang presyo! i saw a very nice oli lamp in one of the shops there, aba eh sabi eh $200 daw! ano daw? nagulat naman ako dun! sino ba ang previous owner nun? si diego silang?! i looked at the bottom to find a date or something..mukha namang luma na talaga..and it was restored ha, but i don't have the money to buy that lamp...wala lang i was just wishing na lumabas ang genie at i grant ako ng 3 wishes...datung, datung at katalinuhan, lahat na kasi mabibili ko kung may pera ako, di ba? hmmm..i'm rambling here...stop me! ^0^
Posted by: banana at November 16, 2004 04:47 AMlove vigan too, daig pa manila. I havent been there for so long. pagbalaik ko lakbayin ko yan lahat. I wish i could bring some of those wooden trunks here in germany, kasi ang baggage ma excess, wala pang pay.
have a nice week!!!
Posted by: jing at November 15, 2004 11:11 PMhi missP. i enjoyed vigan when i visited some years back. diba they pride themselves as being "the last bastion of spanish heritage"? nabasa ko yon sa isang sign ng kalesa. yang heritage street yung center street diba? yun lang ang cobbled dyan. ganda dyan sa north, kakaiba ang arrive niya sa south talaga. brush up on your ilokano and espanyol!
Posted by: svelte at November 15, 2004 04:23 PM