Vigan City, Philippines- What’s so special about it?

So I’ve been posting a lot of pictures of “Calle Crisologo” on my blogs lately because I can’t get over its stunning ancient structures. Calle Crisologo is a famous tourist spot which is located in Vigan City, province of Ilocos Sur, Philippines.

Here’s a broader information regarding the city and its history which I got from www.worldatlas.com:
“Vigan is located on the island of Luzon in the Philippines and has a population of approximately 53,879. It is one of the last cities in this country that still displays a relatively unchanged Hispanic history, dating back to the 1500’s. This city is well known for its unique architecture, which blends together several styles, including colonial European, Oriental, and Philippine. Its architecture is made even more interesting by the cobblestone streets that wind between the buildings. Before Spanish colonizers arrived, Vigan was established by the Chinese as a trading post. In addition to being one of the new “Urban Wonders” of the world, it is also a World Heritage Site.”

Vigan City (it’s my hometown btw) is actually one of the “New7Wonders Cities of the World”, a global competition that began with more than 1200 nominees from 220 countries. And within that 1200 nominies, my hometown was one of the lucky 7 cities that won together with La Paz, Kuala Lumpur, Havana, Durban, Doha, and Beirut.

Here are some shots that I took with my phone to prove that it definitely deserves to be on that list:

Calle Crisologo at night.

This is my lil’ cousin being so cute in the streets of Vigan.

Me and my bestfriend just goofing around.

One of my favorite things to do in Vigan is ride the “Kalesa”. A kalesa (also known as caritela or karitela) is a horse-drawn calash used in the Philippines. It was one mode of transportation introduced to the islands in the 18th century by Spanish colonizers, and was initially reserved for only nobles and high-ranking civic officials. But you can now experience riding a kalesa as well as tour around town for only Php150.00/hr which is equivalent to 3.00USD! Awesome deal, right?

And my favorite food is the famous “Vigan Empanada”. It is similar to a thin taco that is fried to a crisp, with vegetable and meat filling. Rice flour is used for making the crust or the shell. Vigan empanada’s vegetable filling is made up of green papaya that is grated, toge or mung bean sprouts, monggo or mung bean and shredded carrots. Its meat filing consist of whole egg and skinless Vigan longganisa. After putting all the ingredients together, it is deep-fried until the shell becomes golden brown. The crispy empanada is best paired with vinegar and chopped onions. Yum! A visit to Vigan will not be complete without tasting it!

A selfie of my friends and I just hanging out and enjoying a wonderful view of St. Paul Metropolitan Cathedral behind us and the dancing fountain with a nightly show of synchronized music and colorful lights every 7:30 in the evening.

My lil' cousins sitting by the dancing fountain moments before the show starts.

This is how they look like at night.

So that’s pretty much what I can share with you guys about my hometown. Those are most of the highlights of Vigan City. If you haven’t visited yet, why?? Lol just kidding. But you should put it on your bucket lists! :)

Oh I almost forgot to mention another favorite food of mine besides Vigan Empanda, the Vigan Longganisa!! Vigan longganisa is an Ilocano sausage delicacy with a plenty of garlic and spices in the mixture. Too bad I wasn’t able to bring some home here in LA because it is raw meat and I cannot bring it to the airport 😭

Anyways, I hope you enjoyed my blog! Happy Holidays Steemians! :)