The heat was becoming intolerable so we all decided to leave Baluarte at 02:30 PM. There was nothing much to see there anyways. I wanted to visit the other museums in Vigan but we were already exhausted from walking along Calle Crisologo and Baluarte on a very hot day. We thought we didn't have any energies left to even walk because it seemed like the summer heat had sucked all our power but the sight of the picture-perfect Quirino Bridge in the town of Bantay made us jump from our seats and got us excited to explore the rocky beach that we had seen earlier in the day.
Visiting Baluarte at 1:00 in the afternoon on Easter Sunday wasn't exactly the best idea for a group of twenty-something pals who tagged along ze impatient parents XD Even the charming Calle Crisologo didn't win their hearts. And I say blame the summer heat that felt like 40° Celsius on our skin.
Before heading to the Heritage Village, I was expecting to only find old houses and museums and that it would be so hard to look for cheap pasalubongs. Wrong and wrong. Calle Crisologo is actually a whole stretch of souvenir and antique shops. Being a sucker for souvenirs, my initial reaction after seeing this awesome strip of pasalubong goodness was between OH MY #$@%#@$ GAAAHD and HELL YEEEEEAH! :))
The Heritage Village, Calle Crisologo in particular, is a very charming place. It is a heaven for photo enthusiasts and a paradise for antique collectors. One can explore the heritage village via horse carriage for P150/hour. But despite the scorching heat (we arrived at around 10am), we opted to walk around as the place is relatively small and very walkable.
Out of mere curiosity and in an effort to mingle with the locals, Toto asked the man in the registration booth a simple question: "Kelan po nagawa 'tong simbahan?" (When was the church built?).
"Sir, everything you need to know, as in every detail about the Church, is already written in this paper -- for only P50." Whuuuut.The.Heck. It was a simple question answered with a rehearsed line aimed for tourists. Inside the grounds of the church. On Easter Sunday. While the priest was sharing the word of God. But regardless of this shameful incident, our visit to the St. Augustine Church was, for me, the highlight of our Vigan trip (although technically, it's not part of Vigan). It's April 7 and it's Black Saturday surfing, yaaay! :) Woke up extra early today to catch the friendly waves in San Juan. Tatay drove us to the budding surfing capital of the north at around 7AM. It was a short 10-minute ride from our house. This was my second time to try surfing and Kert's first!
I was thrilled when I learned about a new resort located just 5 minutes away from our house in Bacnotan, La Union. A BIG YAAAAAY! :) La Playa Ursula is a newly constructed beachfront resort in Paratong, Bacnotan, La Union. We checked the place out on Good Friday and we were lucky enough to have the whole place all to ourselves! Well, sort of :)
Warning: major bangag and incoherent post ahead.
Staying too long at home makes me want to go out and seek the endless opportunities the outside world offers. Staying too long away from home makes me terribly miss it. Growing up at home makes me think I've known everything single detail about it. Going back home makes me realize how much or how little everything has changed. For one, I learned that my parents are currently into different kinds of plants. My initial reaction - it's going to be another pastime that won't last ;) Previously, they were into straw-stitching, euphorbias and cross-stitching. Whatever floats their boat, yo! |