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An Escape Towards a Remnant of the Past
Growing up amidst the sights and sounds of the urban jungle, I have always lived and loved living a fast-paced life. Yet there are times when I find myself in need of silence and solitude. This is when I begin to realize that I am living a workaholic's life. It was during one of these times when a perfect opportunity presented itself to me- a chance to be on a weekend trip, away from this frenzied realm. Not long after, I found myself meeting up with Roberta at the bus station going to VIgan and actually looking forward to a ten-hour bus ride. The afternoon sun was at its peak when we got off at the bus terminal. I instantly heard the tapping of the horses' hoofs amidst the sound of the engines of cars and tricycles. I instantly became excited about the thought of my first calesa ride in Vigan. Roberta and I hailed a tricycle and pointed towards the direction of the Vigan Heritage Mansion. We were met at the lobby by Ms. Julie Manahan, the owner of the hotel. Dressed in casual clothes, her face lit up as soon as she saw us. After the introductions, she walked with us towards the hotel rooftop where our lunch was served. The Ilocano Taste "That's Ipon," said Ms. Julie. "Hipon po?" Roberta and I asked, as we stared at the dish served to us on our very first lunch in Vigan. It was a stew with tiny white bits, which I thought were smaller relatives of the shrimp."Hindi,I—pon. Walang 'H.' That's fish. It's a delicacy here," she explained. "Minsan lang mag-harvest n'yan. Buti na lang nasakto ang pagpunta n'yo." (Abundant catch of this is quite rare. It's good that you chanced upon this on your visit.) While Roberta and I helped ourselves with servings of Ipon, Ms. Julie told us that it can be cooked in different ways such as bagoong, omelette, and stew. But the most common way to prepare Ipon is to cook it in vinegar, salt, and pepper. A true-blue Ilocano, Ms. Julie is proud of the delicacies of her town. For our first meal under her roof, she graciously prepared fried boneless bangus, nilagang ipon, tomatoes, and pinakbet. Roberta and I savored each dish. Each one satisfied not only our rumbling tummies, but our palates as well. That afternoon, we accompanied Ms. Julie to the public market to buy more Ipon as well as other edibles Ilocos is known for such as bagnet (deep fried pork) and longganisa. She asked us what kind of dishes we liked to eat and she also bought the ingredients so she could pre- pare them. Roberta and I always had our fill of tasteful and attractive Ilocano dishes and sweet treats.The bibingka and the tinubong (sweet and sticky rice with coconut and honey cooked inside a bamboo) were my favorites. Ms. Julie has a neighbor who makes coconut-flavored bibingka which is so delectable, it melts on the tongue. After our interesting trip to the market and meeting the friends and acquaintances of Ms. Julie, Roberta and I decided to take a walk down the famous Crisologo Street. Calle Crisologo: a modern-day time capsule The cobblestones are marked with imprints of the past. The once brick-layered sidewalks have been re- placed with concrete and cement. I gazed at the houses that have stood for centuries and imagined what it was like during the time of our great heroes. I thought of Calle Crisologo as our modern-day time capsule—it's as if time chose to freeze itself in this specific place for the people to see and get a feel of what it was like back in the old days.This would mostly be seen in the antique shops situated side by side with handicrafts and souvenir shops. One particular shop which instantly became my favorite is Tolentino's, where I discovered a Manansala painting tagged with the price of P4,500. Roberta and I browsed through the souvenir shops, each of us buying pasalubong for our friends and loved ones back in Manila. In one of the shops called Casa Rica, I met Tita Lenny who told me that most of the tourists who pass by her shop are dating and married couples. "Vigan is a small place," she says. "Walang nightlife dito kaya the couples have more time to spend with each other. At romantic kapag nagkakalesa, hindi ba?" (There aren't places here for "nightlife," so the couples have more time to spend with each other. Besides, it's romantic to ride the calesa, isn't it?) Late afternoons on Calle Crisologo are filled with the sound of horse hoofs on cobblestones. And because I was thrilled on my first calesa ride in Vigan, I promised to myself that I would try to drive one before I leave the city. "Naku hija, baka madulas ang kabayo hindi mo alam ang gagawin," (Oh child, the horse might slip and you wouldn't know what to do) warned Mang Dionisio, the last kutsero we rode with. I insisted on driving the calesa with his horse, #57 Melchor, but he said that we might get caught by theVigan administrative police. During sunset, the street and the facade of houses and stores light up. Everything is beautifully set upon the surface of smooth cobblestones which gives it a shimmering effect. I was in awe of the magnificence of Calle Crisologo when the sun slowly set and gave way to dusk. From our hotel, I passed by another lodge called the Cordillera Inn.There I saw a couple, holding hands while coming out of the Inn's doors as they headed towards the end of the street. As I watched them take a leisurely stroll with the orange glow of the sun enveloping them, it reminded me of scenes on the old streets of Paris that I've seen on foreign films. While Roberta was taking pictures of Calle Crisolo- go, I decided to follow the couple to find out if they were headed somewhere interesting. I thought it was my chance to see how romantic Vigan truly is. When I reached the end of the street, I saw the couple sitting by the outdoor tables of a restaurant called Cafe Leona.The restaurant's exterior is similar to those of the other houses on Calle Crisologo. Couples, families, and friends occu- pied the tables and chairs on the sidewalk, imitating the dreamy scenario of a night at Parisian cafes. From where I was standing, I could hear karaoke music from the adja- cent Pizza Pasta Plus, which serves as an extension of Cafe Leona. Scooters were lined up outside the pizza place which told me that it was a busy night for them. Roberta caught up with me at Cafe Leona and we headed to theVigan Cathedral and the Salcedo Plaza. The Vigan Cathedral stood in a massive white glow. When Roberta and I attended the Sunday mass at 6 am, the church held a great number of parishioners, mostly Ilo- cano folks. Going to the Salcedo Plaza gave me the feeling that it was December and not January because colorful, festive lights hung on the branches of the towering trees surrounding it. A monument stood in the middle of two ponds which were joined by interconnecting bridges. On our last night and last chance to pass by Calle Crisologo, I decided to make it really memorable. Ro- berta thought it was a crazy idea, but she let me do it any- way and even took a few photos.A few meters away from Cafe Leona, I removed my sandals and walked barefoot all the way to our hotel.The other passersby smiled as they watched me skip and dance barefoot on the calle. I guess it was simply my way of showing that I fell in love with Calle Crisologo and that I wanted to leave my mark. It might seem small and irrelevant, but for me it was an act of taking part of Vigan's history. Of Ties and Bonds In our three-day stay inVigan, I solely thought of see- ing Vigan as an "intimate escape." It was only on the third and last day of our stay when I realized why it deserves to be described as such. While in the hotel, Ms. Julie in- troduced us to her other guests, Dr. Nomer and Imelda Sanchez, who were also her relatives. Nomer and Imelda are both doctors in Cabanatuan and they decided to take a weekend vacation inVigan with their three little children. During our stay, Ms. Julie and her brother, Sir Boy, treated Roberta and me as if we were part of their family. She cooked for us and often asked about our favorite dishes before preparing our meals. Sometimes I would even hear her calling me"anak."It was a gesture which I felt was truly dear and personal.The Sanchez family was also very cordial to us.We shared some meals together and with those meals, we shared stories and experiences from our own homes.We also had a few laughs, mostly at my expense. They teased me about the Indian pilot we met on the airstrip in one of our sidetrips. He was looking for a "hot bibingka" and Ms. Julie jokingly implied that he was referring to me. The time we spent with the Manahan and the San- chez will be something I would remember the most in my brief stay in Vigan. On the surface, the city is charm- ing, exquisite, and is very proud of its history, culture and architecture. It is a solid remnant of the past which can be revisited as many times as you want.Yet because of its people,Vigan also becomes a perfect place where families, friends, and couples rekindle and strengthen their bonds. The tourist is not a stranger inVigan.You become family. You become part of a home. |
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