Hitchhiking in Philippines: Vigan
20th of March, 2025.
I drop off my backpack at the City Hall, to a small door where it reads “tourism information” on top, and I’m received by a big group of very welcoming Filipinos. There’s actually a big group of them, all around the City Hall, and all wearing the same t-shirt. I wonder if they are all connected to tourism. I also get a free map.
My first stop is Father Burgos House National Museum, a five minutes walk from the City Hall, passing by the UNESCO Plaque. This building was the house of Jose Burgos, one of the heroes of the Philippines, who was murdered due to false accusations. The museum can be called simple, as there is little information written around, and it’s basically a tour through what used to be his house. But I love it! I think it’s gorgeous! That’s of course because I love any kind of ancient house. The furniture is mostly amazing carved wood. The whole inside of the building reminds me of the old Brazilian farm houses. I am the first visitor of the day, as the museum opens at 9.00 a.m. A guide will accompany you, but don’t worry, you don’t need to pay anything for it. And the museum is also for free.
Next door is the building where the jail used to be. It’s adorable! They maintained most of the original infrastructure, and you can also visit the cells. The security guards even locked me in! Laugh. There are a few galleries, some telling the story of revolutions; others showing traditional artifacts; and one specifically about the popular watching towers of the Ilocos Region, which they call it “The Defensive Architecture of Ilocos”. I really like this tour, and in all the buildings everybody is always so kind and polite. I spent about one hour in total between both buildings.
Following my map, I walk to what should be a pottery house, but once in there, I don’t really see anything about it, apart form the pottery laying around. In one of them, there’s a small local market. While walking though, it worth to just look around and see some of the still remaining old buildings.
There’s a nice photograph of a place called Mira Hills, so I go there full of expectations. More likely a foul of expectations because once there I feel just like a foul. The place seem pretty much abandoned, which is a shame because it seems that Vigan City invests, or it’s investing, a lot in tourism. Perhaps that’s a project which they will focus in the future. There’s a construction / restoration going on here but it’s for the aquatic park (yeah, don’t ask), and not for the park or the nice tower here.
I pass by the Market Place and… nothing special. Then there’s another place called Crisologo Museum, which is owned by the former First Lady Dona Licia Syquia Quirino. Parts of the house, mostly the upstairs, are actually really nice. At least if you are a lover of antiques, like me. In the garage there are also some old cars. This museum is also for free.
I take a short break just before entering the most famous tourist spot of Vigan City: Calle Crisologo. It’s cute, I admit, but I was expecting more. Some of the buildings, mostly in the beginning of the street, seem pretty much abandoned. From the middle onward, as usual, all the buildings are shops, or some kind of food place. But you can still enjoy the beauty of their architecture. And of course, everybody else but me is buying / eating / drinking something. People really believe they can only be happy as they are consuming something. Pity.
I get some free water from a restaurant; use the toilet in a hotel; and sit at Father Jose Burgos Square to have my lunch: half of the cookies which Marilou gave it to me in the morning. There’s free Wi-Fi here, so I answer some of my e-mails and also get my heart broken with some late news. I cry for a long time but then I put myself together and continue the tour at 14.00 hours.
There’s only a little bit left to see. The cathedral in under restoration (what a surprise! – sarcasm); so photos from outside are useless. The inside is surprisingly boring. Nothing truly interesting. Right next to it is what used to be the house of the archbishop. It’ pretty from outside, and the ground area has some charming spots, but I don’t have the spirit to go exploring whatever else which was available for the public. In all these places I always sit and rest, a luxury which I usually don’t have, so yay! Here, I also get some fresh water.
I use the toilet in McDonald’s and when I’m stepping outside who calls me? Maria Tereza and Cindy are taking a ride in the motorbike around the town. I’m so surprised and happy to see them that I give them both a big hug at the same time. They ask me where I’m going to what I point the Salcedo Square just in front of us, where I plan to sit and finish the remaining of my crackers. Every evening, at 19.30 hours, there’s a dancing waters show here, with the fountains becoming colorful and all of that.
But I’m not staying here for that, so I get my backpack back, and start walking to outside of Vigan City, towards Manila. I only need a place for camping tonight, and tomorrow I will carry on.
I walk for quite a while; I ask for water in a fancy pizza restaurant; and then a miracle happen: Pastor Noi and his wife Evangeline.
They stop their motorbike and ask me if I need help. I explain quickly to them what kind of help I need. They talk between them quickly and then they say I can come and stay with them, in their home, so we just figure out a plan of how do I get there, because the five of us (the two of them, the Hulk, Candy and I) cannot go all together. They tell me to wait in a gas station about 500 metres ahead. I do that.
On the way to their home, Pastor Noi stops and buys us some Vigan Empanadas. I’m so happy because I have heard about them and have also seen them around, so I would love to try it!
Their lovely home is nestled in a more rural area, surrounded by rice fields and beautiful nature, with hills and gorgeous views of the sunset. It’s seems a very peaceful place to leave, and I’m so happy that I’m staying with them. The house also remind me Brazilian houses, and I don’t know why. Perhaps is the “family” atmosphere I can feel it here. They have a few adopted dogs, which they treat with much love; several cats; chickens and goats. Evangeline’s father, a senior man already, also lives here.
We all have dinner and I love the empanadas! They are fried, not baked like the Argentinian ones, and my filling is with boiled eggs and stir-fried cabbage, with black pepper. The most popular ones have also minced meat on it.
They let me stay in their daughter’s bedroom, which is super spacious and lovely. She is their only child, and right now she’s finishing her Medicine studies in Baguio. Funny how things work… in her bedroom, there are three messages in English on the wall, and all of them are kind of a perfect motivation for me right now, after the bombastic news I’ve had in the afternoon. She also has a mural of “things I want to do before I die…”, where she added stick notes with either one word only or short sentences. I think it’s an awesome idea and I really hope she manage to do them all.
After dinner, Evangeline boiled some fresh peanuts which they got from a relative from his own trees. It’s so nice when it’s fresh like this. And healthy! After, a surprise! Pastor Noi comes back from the grocery shop with ice cream! Yummy! I almost cannot stop eating it. Laugh.
I take a bath; I write one post; and then I go to sleep.
Next morning, as planned, we have breakfast at 6 a.m. I even have some bread with chocolate spread. I make a few for the road, and get some peanuts too! Pastor Noi drops me off at the highway around 7 a.m.
Meeting this lovely couple, and having the chance to stay with them, in their lovely home, it’s a bless for me! I feel really blessed for these encounters…
10 Years Around the World 