A Night in Vigan

It was late night when we arrived at Vigan, Ilocos Sur. Calle Crisologo is just near our hotel, so we went there by walking while others chose to stay in hotel.

Vigan was chosen as one of the new 7 wonders of the world last 2015. It showcases the old houses from Spanish Era that was turned into stores and inns today. These houses were owned by the rich families and Chinese businessmen  before. The Vigan was the center of the trading of goods brought by the traders that sailed from South China Sea even before the Spaniards came. This was cited as UNESCO Heritage Site to preserve the ancient setting.

Even nights, Calle Crisologo are full of tourists. Whether they visit to experience on how it feels like to live during Spanish Era or for a date, the street is worth visiting for. The street can only be toured by walking or by riding a calesa. Motor vehicles are blocked in this street to preserve the Spanish setting. 

While walking the street, we had a good view of an old houses with big wide doors and windows, an old chair, souvenir stores that are still open even its 11 o'clock, souvenirs, furniture store, a hotel, and even a welcome banner for Pope Francis.

We took the liberty of taking each others pictures. Girl travel factor gave me tips to capture the night scenic view of the street with my camera and her as a model. :)

In our last night, we visited again the Calle Crisologo with some of our friends. We even had a taste of Vigan food in this Cafe Leona Restaurant.

Upon touring the street, there are houses that are newly painted. There are even bars. This is very different from the street that I visited 3 years ago. I asked one of the locals why there are bars on the ancient site. He answered, 'that is to promote tourism'. I was like, Huh? I was not expecting that answer. Aren't the ancestral houses and historical site enough to promote tourism? We even went there because of the expectations that we can get back to Spanish era if we will visit Vigan.

I know that some of the houses are owned by the private families. And I do not know if the local government has some power to prevent industrialization in the street. I just hope that the owners choose to maintain the image that fascinated the tourists all over the world.