My Ilocos Experience-Day 3

Day 3 was a blur of buying souvenirs and getting from here to there. Our first stop was Bantay Church and Bell Tower. The Bantay Tower served as a watchtower for pirates back in the Spanish colonial era and is one of the oldest churches in Ilocos.

On our way to Vigan, one of my friends wanted to go to this restaurant called La Preciosa because her boss wanted carrot cake as “pasalubong”. But it was not on the itinerary, so we (mainly her, I only searched for the map directions) convinced the driver to make time to visit this place. And thank the heavens we found it.

 *photo from
http://cdn2.vtourist.com/1/3960689-La_Preciosa_Probably_the_best_for_authentic_Ilocano_food-Province_of_Ilocos_Norte.jpg

But as we neared the store, our hearts fell because the sign says close and it won’t be open for another 2 or 3 hours. Thankfully, the staff was actually nice enough to let us in since we were only going to buy pasalubongs and not dine in. I immediately decided on the carrot cake (a whole cake). And do not, I really mean it, do not leave Ilocos without taking home a carrot cake, you will surely regret it if you don’t. Of course the cake endured almost 12 hours of sitting in the van, but it still tasted divine when I was finally able to sink my teeth into it at 12 midnight at home.

*photo from https://www.facebook.com/LaPreciosaIlocos/photos/a.222824311076471.74339.156457394379830/655710774454487/?type=1

So after that, we went straight to Vigan. And Vigan was, overcrowded. Was it a mistake to go in December? I think yes. We can barely take a decent picture without other people posing for another camera getting included in our shot. And we were there during lunch so the restaurants were all jam-packed and we walked around to find a place to eat but it was hopeless.

So we just bought pasalubong first. The longanisa was selling like hot cakes. And I immediately inserted myself in line to buy them because it was selling faster than the calesa’s running around in Calle Crisologo. And after buying a bunch of stuff, and this includes bagoong isda, bagnets, bags, t-shirts and muscovado sugar, we ate at a café that only served sandwiches, pasta, coffee and smoothies. It was tucked in this little corner of Calle Crisologo and it was nice just sitting and watching people come and go.

Our last stop before finally going home was Baluarte ni Singson, which is quite literally a zoo. It’s actually the house of former Governor Chavit Singson and it became a zoo because he loves animals and the animals he kept just accumulated over the years until the only way to go was to make it into a mini zoo for people to see.

Would I go back to Ilocos? Of course, but I will take into account 2 things when I do finally return there. One is do not go in December. Tourists are all over the place (yes I was a tourist too but you get my drift) and the weather is too cold on the beachfronts in December, I know that I am a bit less tolerant to cold and I think it will still be best if I visit during the summer. And number two is I will not purchase a tour package next time. I want to do it at my own pace. I want to savour the food, look at the scenery and take in the beauty of Ilocos without being ushered hurriedly from one destination to the next.