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Rustic Vigan never disappoints
For its first port call, CNMI and Guam media along with Stay and Cruise partners aboard SuperStar Virgo toured a veritable time capsule in Calle Crisologo in Vigan, Ilocos Sur. (Mark Rabago)
VIGAN, Philippines—The first port call of Resorts World Manila’s Stay and Cruise package aboard the SuperStar Virgo luxury liner brought participants of the familiarization tour to the capital of Ilocos Sur, Vigan.
Docking a few miles off the coast of Currimao in Ilocos Norte last Monday, CNMI and Guam media aboard the SuperStar Virgo, along with RWM partners, motored down to one of the few Hispanic towns left that have remained virtually intact in the country.
Even before stepping on Vigan’s famous cobblestoned streets along Calle Crisologo, the tour guide in the bus, a woman nicknamed “Louie,” told the group that the city is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is recognized as one of the New7Wonders Cities by the New7Wonders Foundation.
The group prepared for their brief excursion to Calle Crisologo by having lunch at Hidden Garden Lilong and Lilang Restaurant where they satisfied their cravings for authentic Ilocano cuisine.
Alighting from the bus, the group was immediately greeted by the elegance of the Vigan Cathedral, a massive structure built in 1799 by the Augustinians in the distinctive Ilocano baroque architecture.
The three-tiered façade betrays some Chinese influence such as carvings of dogs placed near religious figures or statues. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site declaration for the Historic Town of Vigan in 1999.
A stone’s throw away from the St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral is the Kamestizoan District in Vigan where the group probably thought it traveled back in time after seeing row upon row of “bahay na bato” (literally stone houses) that had its zenith during the Spanish colonial period.
Replete with ancestral houses with ancient tile roofs, massive hardwood floorings, balustrades, and azoteas in varying Spanish-Mexican-Chinese architectural styles, the walk-through tour of Calle Crisologo was complemented by a cultural show that featured Spanish period dances.
Even though these period houses appeared ancient, they still remained functional. Some residents could be seen peering through their second-floor windows and balconies at the throng of tourists passing by. It’s also uncommon to see houses doubling as stores, hawking anything from T-shirts, woven bags and hats, miniature horse-drawn carriages, and even cellphone loads.
A nugget of trivia about Vigan’s Calle Crisologo: A city ordinance essentially banned modern improvements to houses and structures in the historical site if not done in the bygone Spanish period.
Because of this, McDonald’s, Jollibee, and Max’s Restaurant have throwback versions of their fast food stores in the district.
While admiring the jaw-dropping rustic beauty of Vigan, the group also had an opportunity to shop for mementos and souvenirs and some even sampled the city’s version of the Ilocos empanada and ukoy (shrimp fritters).
RWM’s ever-attentive chaperones also treated members of the group to “dirty ice cream” and offered several of them calesa rides back to the bus drop-off point.
The group continued its FAM tour of SuperStar Virgo’s six-day and five-night cruise to Laoag (Currimao), Philippines, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, China by steaming toward Kaoshung yesterday.
The 882-foot, over 75,000-gross ton SuperStar Virgo could accommodate up to 1,870 passengers and was designed specifically for the Asian cruise market.
Guam and Saipan residents can directly avail of the Stay and Cruise package using credit card payments through the SSV RWM BUNDLE option at www.rwmanila.com/stayandcruise. Those interested can also call John Hagemann at +63917878583/john.hagemann@rwmanila.com or Janine Chua at +639178788576/ janine.chua@rwmanila for more details. For other inquiries and reservations, contact Tourist/Visitor Hotline at (02) 908-8833 or visit www.rwmanila.com.
