The Friday that followed our trip to Palaui Island in the northeasternmost province of Cagayan, we found ourselves back on the road again, this time in a bid to explore the northwesternmost part of mainland Luzon. This is the second part of our North Luzon trilogy where we marked on the map the three northernmost points of Luzon: northeast, northwest and middle north.

We left Malolos at 11:30 PM. Oo, wala na namang tulugan. This was reminiscent of our trip to Quirino kung saan sa Aurora na kami inabutan ng sikat ng araw. The entirety of the trip, however, surpassed that of Quirino in terms of three things: hours spent on the road, distance covered, and in my case, mental fatigue. I’ll share more of the last one as we go along.

And so we drove through the dark of night. It was still dark at around 05:30 in the morning, but after six hours of driving, we finally found a sign that we were nearing our destination.

Ilocos Sur is known for hosting two UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Its capital city of Vigan is a heritage site, along with the Nuestra Señora de la Asuncion Church in the town of Santa Maria. The first would be our first stop in our Ilocandia adventure, and unfortunately, we were not able to include the second heritage site in our itinerary. Very much like our Quirino adventure, there was very little amount of planning with our Ilocandia trip, if any.

From the welcome arch of Ilocos Sur, it would still take around two hours before we reach the renowned Calle Crisologo which is the heart of the heritage city. When the sun finally caught-up on us, we were still quite a distance from our destination. The night has also caught-up with Ran.

Somewhere along Santa, Ilocos Sur, we passed by a picturesque view of the sea that I stopped the car to quickly take some pictures. Since we were on the northwestern part of the country, the sea in the horizon is undoubtedly the West Philippine Sea. Yes, our sea.

Around 15 minutes from the seaside in Santa, we reached the Quirino Bridge crossing Lagben River. With the sun fresh from breaking the dawn, it was a sight to behold.

Past 07:00 AM, we finally reached the famed Calle Crisologo of Vigan. Another first unlocked, as it was the first time for both of us to be in the renowned UNESCO Heritage Site.

Calle Crisologo has not awaken fully yet when we got there as it was still relatively early. We didn’t mind. The streets are usually very busy with tourists, and the timing of our arrival was just perfect for us to appreciate the Hispanic vibe surrounding us.

Originally known as Celle Escolta de Vigan during the Spanish era, it is said that the houses along Calle Crisologo used to house the wealthy and influential families of the colonial period. The street features cobblestone pavements and old structures that were either preserved in their entirety since the colonial times or has already been restored partially or even entirely. The street itself is not that long at roughly 500 meters. Such a short walk indeed, but it is a 500-meter road of 400 years of history.

We took advantage of the fact that the street was not as crowded yet as one would normally expect of a tourist destination for us to take photos in the middle of the street. It was a Saturday, so foot traffic can really get heavy. We were probably just really a bit early. At any rate, we would not miss the opportunity to take proofs that we have set foot on this historic place.

It is such a surreal feeling walking along the streets of Calle Crisologo, admiring the structures that hold within them centuries-worth of stories that nobody is left to tell. Imagine these houses actually withstood the passage of time. If they could speak, they have a lot to tell.

We knew we reached the end of Calle Crisologo when the strret opened wide and we saw a plaza across the street. The road leading to the plaza has that colonial period vibe as well, even with the existence of new establishments. Since Vigan is a heritage city, buildings to be constructed there has to follow certain architectural design and structure such that it would not be out-of-place.

The plaza turned out to be Plaza Burgos. It was named after Rdo. P. Jose Apolonio Burgos y Garcia. Born in Vigan, he was one of the three martyred priests collectively known as GOMBURZA.

While we were crossing the road to reach the plaza, I was thinking: If Calle Crisologo used to house the rich families and if there is a plaza at the end of the road, then there must be another structure nearby. This must lead to a church.

My hunch was confirmed when I saw a bell tower nearby. There is indeed a church at the end of the road across the plaza, as it is usual in old pueblos.

Upon realizing what church was the one we saw from a distance, all the more that I got excited. It is true that churches in old pueblos are the symbols of power, that is why they are situated in the town center, usually at the highest elevation. The church that we were about to see up-close, however, is the seat of ecclesiastical power, not only in the old pueblo of Vigan but more importantly in an old diocese which in itself has a rich history, as implied by the name of a place that no longer exists: Nueva Segovia.