Hey Man

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On our journey to reach Vigan, we travelled via Baguio. We interrupted our journey by purchasing a Buko pie from one of the many bus vendors that hop on and off continously. Buko pie turned out to be similar to an apple-tart. I was a little bit disappointed but surprisingly Amy with the lesser sweeter tooth enjoyed the pie. Our stopover was brief, but Baguio left an impression. The town reminded me of a ski resort in Italy. There were lots of pretty little bistros and parks to chill out in. Our jackets were no longer needed as the temperature was a little warmer than Banuae. Our accommodation was a little peculiar in design for Asia. The hotels decor was in the style of an English country house with high ceilings and faded furniture. It gave Amy the willies.

Indeed the following morning on the bus, poor Amy had to sit beside a creepy red head with oily slicked back hair, who continuously acknowledged her with a nod and a wink. He reminded me of Richard Harris character in Orca the Killer Whale. Amy thinks not, my analogy giving a great diservice to RH.

We arrived in Vigan and checked into Hotel El Juliana. We were delighted by the use of the outdoor pool (the small daily fee was a little cheeky but still). Feeling hungry we ventured into town and dined in Cafe Leona. It was absolutely delicious and highly recommended. As we left with our bellies full, we briefly looked around the town. Our first and lasting impressions are that it is a very beautiful town with a relaxed vibe. Vigan is a mixture of Chinese and Mexican architecture. Mexicanesque buildings stand on cobblestone streets as kalesa (horse-drawn carriages) await patiently in rows surrounding the square. The town was granted a Unesco World Heritage site a couple of years ago for being the most intact example of such architecture remaining in Asia.

The locals are friendly too shouting "Hey Man" as they spot you. On the way home one night, we heard a big bang in the streets. It turned out to be a toy bazooka fired by a young boy with his family looking and and laughing along. Amy and I spotted a bazooka for sale outside a shop earlier on, we naively thought that it was a real one.

The following day we ventured into Santa Maria church an hours trip away. This was very impressive Baroque style church, one of four in the Philippines, also listed as UNESCO world heritage sites. We got a good laugh watching two goats frolicking outside the main entrance to the church.

Reluctantly we left Vigan and continued our journey to San Fernando (La Union). The trip was a little bit stressful as we arrived in SF. I, against Amy's wishes jumped into a Jeepney that brought us in the wrong direction for a few miles. I wasn't in the good books. Eventually we checked into our hostel Sunset German Beach Resort. The perfect choice for those wanting a quiet getaway with a beach and the surf isn't bad either. We weren't brave enough to try as the waves were very intimidating and a strong current (a typhoon had past through the day previous). We just relaxed for a couple of days, enjoying the fine food and swimming in the sea. Our hostelier was very entertaining with his wrap around yellow shades and German accent. Amy said Bono could look like that in a few years.

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Photos

Xmas Tree...
...with a difference. Made up of different layers of fruit and veg.

St Pauls Cathedral, Vigan
shouldn't this be San Pablo?