CASE # 017: La Union Weekend Part 7

The best part of this weekend getaway was the additional treat from Cuz. She asked us if we wanted to go swimming but Hubby begged off because the sun was already high and the heat was already unbearable. Plus, we intended to be on our way back to Manila by the afternoon. May pasok na kasi si Hubby the next day kaya medyo pressed na kami for time.

Lunch At A Carinderia

Since swimming was scratched off our itinerary, Cuz replaced it with a long drive to Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Vigan was 145.6 kilometers from San Fernando which takes around 4 hours drive. At dahil gutom na kami, we decided to stop along the way to a friendly carinderia which I forgot the name. Medyo malayo pa kasi ang mga fastfood sa area at hindi na makakapag-intay ang aming mga alaga sa tiyan.


We ordered papaitan, adobong pusit, and lechon kawali. Hubby enjoyed the papaitan at siyempre sa akin ang putok-batok. The lechon kawali was superb paired with their own concoction of sukang Iloko. The best!


We wanted to buy sukang Iloko sana kaso mabigat magbitbit pauwi. Wait ko na lang si Cuz na lumuwas pauwi sa Manila to bring us the good old suka.

Stop Over: Vitalis Villa

Sobrang init ng sikat ni Haring Araw. Matutuyo ang lahat ng pwedeng matuyo sa katawan mo. Naubos na namin ang isang litrong tubig na dala namin so we refilled it sa isang gas station na tinigilan namin who generously allowed us to have out bottle refilled from their water dispenser. 

Before the much awaited Vigan tour, we stopped over at the town of Santiago, Ilocos Sur to take peak at another Santorini paradise – Vitalis Villas.

Vitalis Villas is operated by the Artstream Hospitality Management Group Inc. The same management group who operates Vitalis White Sand Resort, Hotel Luna, Hotel Rembrandt, Le Monet Hotel, etc. It also boasts of a Santorini themed villas with amazing view, a number of pools and captivating whitesand beach.

Upon check in, you will be entertained in a blue and white themed front desk and a choice of iced tea, lemonade, or water for your welcome drinks. The little villas were lined surrounding the front desk. There were also little shops that offered pastries, souvenir items, swim gears, slippers, and other items.

Touchdown Vigan

After our short stopover at Vitalis, we drove for another 3 hours to get to Vigan. We made a quick stop at the marker for a pictorial and also took several shots of the plaza.

There were streets that were under renovation so we had a hard time entering Calle Crisologo. Buti na lang talaga may kasama kaming marunong mag-Ilocano kaya nakapagtanung-tanong kami kung saan pwede umikot at saan pwede mag-park.


We ended up parking at a closed establishment at the other end of Calle Crisologo. From there, we started walking down the street to enjoy all the vintage view. I really enjoyed all the old houses and buildings.

Even popular fastfoods like McDonald, Jollibee, etc. were housed in vintage buildings. I guess being declared as a heritage village, they were probably prohibited from tearing down the buildings and modernizing the designs.

Seeing beautifully woven shawls, I became busy hopping from the souvenir shops that lines the street. Hubby was then preoccupied taking his “postcard” shots. Pero medyo frustrated siya kasi maraming tao.

I was able to buy three shawls. Two for me and one for my Tita. Hubby bought ice cream for all of us and a refreshing “tubo” (sugarcane) juice. Gusto sana namin bumili ng bagnet kaso nga tamad kami magbitbit and medyo natakot kami dahil authenticate ang pagkaputok-batok nito.

Nanang Sion's Empanada

As we reached the other end of the Calle Crisologo, I took a quick bathroom break sa vintage version ng Max's Restaurant. Medyo nakaramdam na rin kami ng gutom at interesado akong subukan ang authentic Ilocos empanada.

I caught a glimpse of NanangSion's Empanada at the next block. Medyo ginagawa iyong kalsada papunta rito kaya hindi masyadong napapansin ng mga tao. We threaded the dusty pavement to reach the entrance of what I thought was just a small stall. It turned out to be a cozy restaurant that served more than just the empanadas. But then again, we do not have the luxury of time to dine in so we just ordered their special empanada to go.

Nanang Sion had been serving empanadas since 1988. The empanada was priced at Php80.00 but it was in super sized serving. It had chorizo, egg, veggies, and combined with sukang Iloko. Perfect! We ate it walking back to where we were parked and bought another tubo juice. Solve!

Back to Manila

After our stroll down to the Spanish Era memory lane, we were back on the road. Dapat sana sa Vigan terminal na kami manggagaling pero gusto ni Cuz bumili ng pasalubong for Tita, her Papa, and her brother. For the best royale bibingka, we dropped by Marcia's. Mahaba ang pila at maraming nakapark na sasakyan.

We also stopped by a watermelon store along the way and enjoyed a hefty serving of yellow watermelons. I was hesitant at first as it was my first time to try it. Pero di kagaya ng mga nabibili rito sa Manila, matamis at makatas ito. I ended up enjoying it.

We also passed by San Juan. Buhay na buhay na mga establishments along sa highway. It kind reminded me of Boracay. I would really want to stop by for dinner but we really were bent on catching the 9:00pm bus at San Fernando Terminal.

Good enough, we were able to get on the bus the moment Cuz dropped us off the terminal. Bumili na lang si Hubby ng itlog so we can have dinner along the way. After gulping on two eggs, we both fall asleep. Nagising na lang ulit kami sa Arnes Bus Stop Restaurant. Dating gawi, bumili kami ulit ng hotdogs, cup noodles at rice. Si Hubby naman pork steak na may rice. We finished everything within 20 minutes before the bus left.

We arrived in Cubao at around 2:00 am. Antok na antok pa kami so we just booked a Grab car home. Pagdating sa bahay atsaka ko lang narealize that the plastic bag of grapes was left at the bus. Sobrang sayang pero we are both too tired to dwell on it kaya after making sure that the pasalubongs were properly refrigerated, we turned ourselves in.

It was indeed a great trip. If not for the pictures, feeling ko panaginip lang ang lahat. Sa bilis at dami ng mga pangyayari, ang hirap isiping it really happened. Sobrang sulit ang pagod at layo ng biyahe. We both agreed to go back there pero this time, beach naman!

#

References:

• http://www.vitalisresort.com/index.php

Photos by:

• Allen Jay Manalili
• Rose Ann Magcawas