Gastronomy in Vigan

 The pandemic has really taken a toll on our desire to travel and experience a lot of new things. To start my revenge travel this year, I went to Vigan, Ilocos Sur. The trip to Vigan is simple. We do not have any itinerary because it just a weekend trip. I know some of you would wonder why just a weekend trip to Vigan. Well, we have other ulterior motives in going to Vigan. However, we know we would like to eat in Vigan. And I mean really eat! And I do not mean eating in every restaurant in Vigan. We try to choose the best places to eat in Vigan and limit it to the must try.

So, our first food adventure brought us to the well-known Grandpa's Inn where Kusina Felicitas is located. We decided to have our lunch here. Kusina Felicitas is popular for their Pipian na Manok and Sinanglao. However, Ilocano dish like Bagnet and Pinakbet is also a must-try. For our lunch, we ordered their Bagnet and Pinakbet. Of course, the Bagnet tastes great. Their pinakbet is not very salty based on my taste. You can appreciate the own taste of each vegetables because the bagoong does not overpower it. Instead, the bagoong in the pinakbet helps enhance the taste of each vegetables.

Aside from the Bagnet and Pinakbet, we also had their chocolate cake. Its a classic chocolate cake. 

In the afternoon, we searched for Irene's Empanada. Based on our research, this where you can buy the authentic and best empanada in Vigan. Irene's Empanada is located in Calle Crisologo. There is a sign so you will definitely not miss it. They have different varieties of  empanada and they also have okoy.

For dinner, we decided to go to Calle Brewery. We do not want to miss to try their craft beers. Aside from the craft beer they offer smoked meats. Its different from the other foods offered by the other restaurants. We ordered their BBQ plate. The BBQ plate consists of rice, two sides and your choice of meat. We ordered sausages and beef brisket for the meat. The meat is very tender and juicy. And, of course we tried their craft beer. They have six craft beers that you can choose from.

On the next day, we had our breakfast in our hotel. Since we are in Vigan, we ordered their local longganisa for breakfast. I like the garlicky taste of Vigan longganisa. Its very flavorful.

To end our food trip, we tried their local coffee, Ilocos coffee, at Coffee Break Vigan. Coffee Break Vigan is a quaint cafe in Calle Crisologo. Aside from coffee, they also have sandwiches, breakfast meals and pasta.

There are a lot of other restaurants and cafe in Vigan. Hopefully we can try them on our next visit.

Travelling Solo in Abra

I have already planned to have a solo travel at the start of the year. The only question that I had for some months is where would I go. There were two places in my mind when I started to plan my solo travel. It's either I go to a beach or on a place near the mountains. The two provinces on my mind is either I go to Sorsogon or in Abra. Although Abra is not really located in the mountains. So I did some research on the two province. 

I was already decided to go to Sorsogon but i changed my mind after seeing a picture of Kaparkan Falls in Instagram. It looks beautiful and amazing. So I decided to have my solo trip in Abra albeit the warning of a friend because the place is known for high crime rate especially during election period.

I had a hard time arranging my trip to Abra because there are only few inns and hotels appearing in the internet. Some of them are very far from the town proper. I was able to arrange a tour to Kaparkan Falls and another tour around Abra. Luckily, an officemate just went to Abra and I was able to get some recommendations for the hotel.

Unfortunately, there was a typhoon coming on my planned trip to Abra. The brave soul that I have did not falter amid the coming storm. On that Wednesday night, even though its zero-visibility, my friend gave me a ride to Partas bus station. I was just in time for their 10:00PM ride going to Bangued.

I arrive in Bangued a little past 5:00AM. It was still a bit dark so I decided to stay a little while in Partas terminal. I searched for a place to eat while thinking where would I go. While having breakfast, I received a text message from my tour organizer that they are cancelling the Kaparkan tour because of the weather conditions. I asked her if there is an alternative option since I'm already in Abra. My tour coordinator advised me that I can do the Abra tour on that day since she is also not sure if I can go to Apao rolling hills if it rains the next day. She told me that we can meet at their office in the DPWH compound.

The DPWH compound is also the place where tourists go to ride the truck going to Kaparkan Falls. My tour coordinator, Dykath, contacted a habal-habal to tour me around Abra. She also offered their homestay which is much cheaper that the hotel that I was supposed to go to. Luckily I have not paid anything yet in the hotel.

My tour around Abra includes Apao Rolling Hills, Narnaan Falls, Don Mariano Marcos bridge, St. Catherine of Alexandria Church, Gabriela Silang Gallery, Calaba Bridge and San Lorenzo Shrine.

The Apao Rolling Hills is a bit far and might take two hours of travel. It is advisable to hire a habal-habal to take you to the Hills as there are roads that are narrow and uphill rough roads that is not suitable for four-wheel vehicles. The sound of the winds will greet you upon reaching the hills. According to my habal-habal driver, it was called the rolling hills because the wind creates an illusion that the hills are rolling as it blows through the grass. Too bad that although it was windy that day it is not enough to sway the grass of the other hills.

Next stop is the Narnaan Falls. Narnaan Falls is actually along the road going to Apao Rolling Hills. Locals just recently discovered that there is a fall near the road. The locals removed some of the trees and boulders to pave way to the falls. Unlike Kaparkan Falls, Narnaan Falls is just small and there is no catch basin. But you may wade your tired feet on the stream where its water falls.

There is another falls that we went to. It is called the Enchanted Falls. Just like Narnaan, the falls was was recently discovered by the locals. Going to the Enchanted Falls requires a short trek. Enchanted Falls is ideal for swimming. The trees surrounding the falls give a nice shade. Unfortunately there are already some vandals in the falls.

The Don Mariano bridge is the longest bridge in Abra. We've already passed the bridge going to Apao Rolling Hills but we decided to take some pictures going back.

After the Don Mariano bridge, we went to the old house of Gabriela Silang. It houses a lot of souvenir items and memorabilia of the former Ambassador Rosario Cariño. There are also artworks from famous painters like Fernando Armosolo, Juan Luna and Pable Picasso.

A few walk from Gabriela Silang Gallery is St. Catherine of Alexandria Church also known as Tayum. The church was declared as a Natural Cultural Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines.

Another church worth visiting is the San Lorenzo Ruiz Shrine. At the back of the church is a cemetery.

There are other places worth visiting in Abra. Well, I'll definitely go back and hopefully I will be able to visit the Kaparkan Falls.