From watching a dancing fountain show to coming face to face with a real lion to making a clay pot to biking around one of the most historic places in the country, it was perhaps one of the best days of my life when I visited Vigan, the capital of Ilocos Sur. Why don't we have a closer look at what Vigan could offer?
Dancing fountain at Plaza Salcedo
One of the tourist attractions in Vigan could only be appreciated once the sun goes down and the surrounding is pitch black. What could it be? A dancing fountain!
After a very long day of exploring Ilocos Norte, we arrived at Vigan in time for the dancing fountain show that lasted for roughly 30 minutes. Our tour guide/driver made sure that we'll arrive on time or we'll miss the show. The Dancing fountain is located in Plaza Salcedo which is at the heart of Vigan. You can imagine that everything that's important is just a few minute's walk from the town center. In fact, the dancing fountain is right across Ilocos Sur's provincial capitol, the Vigan cathedral, and a few blocks away from the famous Calle Crisologo, which we will explore later in this post.
When we arrived there, locals and tourists alike gathered in the plaza waiting for the night's grandest show. If I remember it right, there were two schedules for the show and we watched the 7:30 pm schedule. Without waiting long, some music broke the silence in the plaza and a spectacular show unfolded right in front of us. I haven't seen anything like this before so you can imagine my eyes were totally glued to the fountain that changed color and intensity as the music changed.
It was like living in a fairytale. The night was filled with immense emotion and if you're a hopeless romantic like me, you can imagine that this could be the best spot to propose to someone. 🥰
I wished the show would last an entire night but not gonna happen.😟 When the show was over, we walked to Calle Crisologo for a quick glimpse before we head to our home for that night. It was surprisingly uncrowded and calm
Our home sweet home for the night! We bought food and drinks that my friends and I shared to celebrate our amazing tour in Ilocos. For some of our friends, it was their last night in Ilocos.
Up for some dirty work?
In the morning that followed, we visited Baluarte and headed to another attraction that was on our itinerary, an immersion in a jar factory. I believe there are other clay jar factories in Vigan but we visited RG Jar Factory. Because 5 out of 7 of us will be leaving for Baguio before lunchtime, we had to cut short the immersion and took only photos.
Grace and I decided that we'll just go back after we send off the rest of our friends. We kept our promise and went back for the real deal. Clay pottery isn't new to me; we have a few factories near my hometown in the South of Cebu but I haven't made a jar or any container for the matter from clay using my own hands. I told myself might as well try while there's an opportunity. I'm always excited to try new things.
The caretaker of the factory first showed us how it's done. After giving a few instructions here and there, it was our time to create a jar from the clay we'd been provided. It looked pretty simple and manageable but it was a different story once you're doing it yourself. One word, it's hard. While I was stuck trying to create a decent jar. Grace didn't find it difficult tho; she was a natural. The potter even taught her advanced techniques which allowed her to create a heart-shaped rim.
It's not easy to keep the balance from the inside out while maintaining the speed of the stone thingy where the clay's been put on top. The caretaker of the factory even helped us with it.
I hate to admit it but I suck at this! I usually excel at the things I do as long as I put my heart into it; turned out it doesn't apply to all aspects of my life! Lol! 😂
Ladies and gentlemen, presenting our finished products. The biggest was created by the potter at the factory, the middle was Grace's and as you might have guessed, the last one's mine. I find myself laughing really hard the moment I look at it and remember how I struggled. 😅
Hands-on pottery making isn't always offered by private tours because it could be time-consuming but if just like us you have extra time, it's a great way to practice your patience and focus. It's actually very relaxing; the only way to make things right was to be in the present, body and soul.
Camposanto Chapel
After the pottery session, Grace and I were practically free for the rest of the day. We decided we'll just walk from RG Jar Pottery back to Vigan's city center. I have no problem with walking around; I actually love walking especially if it's a new place. This is perhaps the reason why I hate getting tours. You'll be riding a van from one destination to another missing the little vital details of the place you're exploring. Thank God we spared half day just to explore Vigan by foot!
We were literally on a walking tour except we don't have a clear destination. 😂 Somewhere along the way, we passed by this small church in bright yellow. The facade of the church didn't catch our attention; it was new, unlike the ones we've seen in Bantay and Paoay. But despite its simple and modern design, this metallic signage says otherwise. Thou shall not judge the book by its cover indeed!
Grace and I continued our walking tour towards Vigan's center. We grabbed some food that you shouldn't miss when you're in Vigan. Find out more of our Vigan tour in my next post!
Lovely week ahead folks! 😊
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