Rough Groove

A trip to Vigan, 3

Left, Plaza Salcedo where the local heroine, Gabriel Silang, wife of the revolutionary Diego, was hung. Right, a nice day at the beach in Sinait, a few kilometers up north of Vigan. Unfortunately, the waves were kind of huge and slabs or rock at the seabed was not so good but failed to dampen our spirits.

At the Crisologo ancestral house, now a museum, houses the memorabilia of the political clan foremost is the patriarch, Floro Crisologo who was brutally assasinated inside the cathedral. His wife, became governor and survived another assassination attempt while riding this car. Right, one of the bullet holes that peppered the vehicle.

Inside the museum, a typical furnishings of the time as well as family mementos decorate the place.

Related posts:

A trip to Vigan, 1
A trip to Vigan, 2
A trip to Vigan, 4
A trip to Vigan, 5
A trip to Vigan, 6

A trip to Vigan, 2

Around Vigan, one can visit its many offerings. But not much, after you’ve been to all the sites and places in such a small place, you tend to look beyond the city.

Left, horse carriages along Plaza Burgos just beside the towering belfry that is located away from the cathedral, a plan adopted by many churches due to the danger imposed by earthquakes.

Right, the empanadahan where one can get Vigan’s special empananda and okoy, deep fried shrimps formed into a cake using flour.

Left, Cafe Leona, located at the Leona Florentino ancestral house behind Plaza Burgos, Leona, was the first Filipina poetess to gain international recognition.

Right, her remains are buried inside the cathedral. You can see the marker in one of the pillars there. Definitely, Leona was one of the elites who were priviledged enough to be buried inside the church, just like other rich families of the times.

A visit to the burnayan where these huge jars of clay are made. Left, finished products, right, the horno or oven that’s quite long!

Related posts:

A trip to Vigan, 1
A trip to Vigan, 3
A trip to Vigan, 4
A trip to Vigan, 5
A trip to Vigan, 6

A trip to Vigan, 1

I’ve been passing Vigan everytime I’m going to Ilocos, usually to Laoag. The first time I was there was to spend my birthday a few years ago but only slept for a night there before proceeding to another place. The second time was more than a month for Ryan’s birthday. Well, this time, I was able to go around.

At the Partas Cubao bus terminal, we were able to board the deluxe coach, a rather welcome transport as compared to the cramped usual aircon buses. The seats are plush, comfy and with a proper leg rest that really makes you want to sleep :p

Vigan City, then a flourishing Spanish settlement in Ilocos became the seat of the Diocese of Nueva Segovia which was formerly located in Lal-lo, Cagayan, after the might Cagayan River, with its constant flooding threatened the town and has eroded the plaze infront of the Cathedral there.
Its a city in contrast. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage site, being an example of a best preserved 16th century planned Spanish town, with its centuries old Baroque church and the ancestral houses, the pressure of commercial establishments and modernity is somewhat taking a toll.

Left, a fastfood chain stands, foreground to the St. Paul Cathedral. Right, at the other side of the street, tricycles and other vehicles along a busy commercial road.

Left, a somewhat unique tricycle with a door, usually to keep the rains from wetting the passengers. Rather unusual for me since I haven’t seen this in other places.

Right, with a cluster of many ancestral houses, many have been converted for tourist accommodations. Unfortunately, its quite expensive and haphazardly done that while the exteriors are charming, the interior and rooms are poorly planned and just badly done.

Related posts:

A trip to Vigan, 2
A trip to Vigan, 3
A trip to Vigan, 4
A trip to Vigan, 5
A trip to Vigan, 6

Series 38: Ilocos Sur

Series on Ilocos Sur already started at Binary Silver. We were there around two weekends ago and this series shows the images I’ve taken around Vigan City, Bantay, San Vicente (as far as the churches in the two municipalities are concerned) and a visit to Sinait for a day’s dip in its rough beaches.

Ilocos sojourn: Bangui seaweed gatherers

Just a few meters walk from the windfarm in Bangui where rough rocks jut from the seashore amidst a backdrop of verdant and rolling hills, big waves crash on these sharp and stony feature. Here seaweed gatherers converge to gather these plants for food or to be sold in the market. I have seen to kinds, those that are brownish in color which the gatherers extract from the sharp rocks and those in the calm pools.

These gatherers play cat and mouse with the waves. When the huge waves come crashing to the rocks, they run mad and when the water subsides, quickly dart to the sharp rocks to gather the brownish plants.

This man was waiting for the waters to recede but a forthcoming wave is never far behind.

This woman holding her precious day’s harvest formed into seaweed balls.

Two different kinds of seaweeds, two different places to be harvested.

Related post:
A brief sojourn to Ilocos
Ilocos sojourn: Bangui windfarm
Series 18: Windfarm of Bangui, Ilocos Norte