Weekend Getaway: Vigan's Heritage Village "Calle Crisologo"

by lakwatserong tatay

Visiting Vigan makes you feel, you've been blown back in the past.....and while walking on a UNESCO Heritage site named as "Calle Crisologo", one of Vigan's pride...and i could considered the most crowded place in Ilocos Sur. This street was so special and memorable to us, because it was used as our 2nd Travel Mission.....^_^

Just to give you a brief history....Vigan is a town established in the 16th century, and was named after a giant plant "Bigaa", growing abundantly on the riverside of Metizo River. According to Department of Tourism, Vigan is the no.4 tourist destination in our country, followed by Palawan, Cebu and Bohol.

Build in varying architectural styles of spanish, Mexican and Chinese, with thick brick walls, roof tiles, and red clays, Vigan mansions remains frozen in time.

All of the Vigan houses have the similar proportions with their height, massing and roof shaping. They share related architectural detailing, that is built in terracotta, wood, shells, stone and lime, all were obtained from the surrounding area. Since this street was inscribed on the World Heritage List as the "Historic Town of Vigan", the government has realized its universal value heritage. A legislation law such as the "no vehicl inside the town" policy was being enforced to preserve the heritage street which appreciated among us tourists.

Calle Crisologo is a street named after Mena Crisologo, a popular writer and politician, also known as the Ilocano's Shakespeare - is the most famous street in the heritage village. It's a good thing that the street is closed to modern traffic. Only a kalesa or caritela (horse-drawn carriages) are allowd to pass through the brick-paved street....^_^

In line with our weekend getaway experience, we had so many memories with this street, like the walk back-in-time experience while talking to our guide..telling and explaining to us why this street was preserved until now...this street was also used on our 2nd mission travel, were we been used as a human horse to a calesa and bring doña arellano to the church cruising the streets of vigan and passby also on this famous heritage village "Calle Crisologo"...

lakwatserong tatay's with WGA crew & kuya guide in pink!

Here are some of my shots around Calle Crisologo.....^_^...there are old mansions that been refurnish, museums and antique, souvenir shops, and also a bar at night is seen on this street...check it out on my Vigan series...^_^

Aside from being heritage village, different souvenir shops is present on this area, that every ancestral houses have turned their ground floors into antique and souvenir shops, and as i've seen it, and if you are aware with Divisoria, Greenhills and other shopping centers in Metro Manila. What makes this different from them, it is just an organized market...^_^

Hereitage Village Office

Ilocos Sur Tourism Information Center

Aside from having organized market of souvenir shops, fastfood chains are also present, such as the Mang Inasal ans Max's along the street of Calle Crisologo and not far are the ever-present Mc Donalds and Jollibee. I do hope commercialization would not suffice it's historical preservation...

Historical markers and monument for famous Ilocano poetess and playwight is located right infront Max's Restaurant. I do hope by next time i'll be visiting this place together with my kids consumerism would not so go far, it would be really nice if they just be stay as the same as ancestral houses into musuems, cultural shops. For our kids would really appreciate the past....^_^

Here are some of my shots on it's souvenir shops, seeing different native items, antique items, souvenir items and one of a kind furnitures and sculptures...while walking, strolling and filming around the heritage village of Vigan....

Past would be always with us and it's a good thing that most of us still live among it's remains. For most of us who are fascinated seeing old things, we strive to understand the present time, because travelling back to past is not an option...hehehehe...instead we just visit and travel to the old places.

A quick visit to Vigan is truly a blast from the past, aside from their other exciting places and adventures it can offer. Aside from this landmarks Vigan would be really special for us because on this place, we've been called as the "WEEKEND WARRIORS"......

Johari....newbie daddy that time....

Brian...the original Lakwatserong Tatay...hehehehe..^_^

Ofcourse, we would not missed the opportunity to have our own souvenir shots along this famous and heritage village of Vigan.......watch out for more stories behind our Weekend Getaway Experience...^_^