“Discover how beautiful our country is and how wonderful our people are. Time to fall in love with the Philippines.” – Tony Meloto
A few years ago, my husband and I went with my family on a road trip to the northern part of the Philippines. And that was the last time I have visited them. Such a fun and educational experience. We went to Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur and we left even before dawn to reach our destination just on time.
My niece and nephew alternately drove while the three of us passengers just rested and slept at the back.

Here are some of the places we visited for our road trip.
This is the the Rosary Garden in the grounds of the church of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary of Manoag. This is a spot that is very serene and is a place to meditate. We made our way to the large statues around the garden and also the big rosary signifying the mysteries of the rosary.



A few hours drive, we reached the Ilocos Region.
This is the Bantay Bell Tower, “Bantay” which literally translates as “guard“ in Tagalog. Though this has turned into a bell tower for the nearby church in 1857, it still is being remembered as being used as a watchtower during the two World Wars because of its strategic location.


Just beside the Bantay Tower is this reddish facade of the Neo- Gothic Bantay Church known as the Saint Augustine Parish.



Here are some Super heroes that we saw on our way, so we decided to walk the grounds and see more.




Another place with public art is the Baluarte Museum and Zoo, which has so much on display. Loved the animals which were a combination of local Filipino and imported animals. It also has a 120-hectare expanse of taxidermy museum. I am not particularly fond of this so I didn’t want to stay long.


Set in the heart of the Heritage Village in Vigan is the hotel where we stayed known as Hotel Luna.




Before it became dark, we visited the famous Calle Crisologo, which is a street of old Spanish structures, mostly houses of wealthy families and Filipino-Chinese traders. This is where you’ll see the famous cobblestone streets and wooden doors that represent Vigan’s image.








The Crisologo Museum and the Syquia Mansion are great examples of architecture during the later Spanish Colonial era. Original structures were built in the 1830s and is now a UNESCO World Heritage site. Shown in the museums were vintage cars and furnitures.








This definitely shows the modern signage in contrast to Vigan and Ilocos Sur vintage backdrop.



A walk in the cobblestone street of Calle Crisologo at night time may seem romantic, especially if you are riding a horse and carriage or kalesa. But also maybe not…because it is now lined up with restaurants, souvenir shops and antique shops.






And before we ended our day, we went to Plaza Salcedo and saw the Dancing Fountain amidst cheering and clapping of locals and tourists alike.



I’m no fan of taxidermy either, but those old cobbled streets are picturesque and the dancing fountains look fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know, right…I seem to pity all those animals. Thanks Sarah, I did enjoy walking on the cobbled streets, it was a great experience.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for taking us along on the road trip. It looks like you all had a great time. I love the old wooden doors, but my favorite pictures are the ones from the museum.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure Dan…so many interesting things to see during that part one of my road trip.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Grand finale! I love dancing fountains! The streets look warm and inviting by night, Teresa. Many thanks for yout link, hon!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yay, i do love fountains, especially the dancing kind.
I was having problems sending the link, good you found it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a wonderful trip to have together. It is nice to get a glimpse of a new part of the world.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, glad you liked it…I really enjoyed our time together, which seems like such a long time ago.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know what you mean. Haven’t seen my son since January 2020.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sad isn’t it. But that is life. Hope 2022 will be a better one for all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a fantastic trip, Teresa. Almost every one of these pictures would classify as public art in my opinion! It’s amazing to see superheroes and antique doors and buildings seconds away from each other. I agree with you about the taxidermy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, such a great time, will have more for you next week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
YAY!
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a lovely trip! Theold cobbled streets are beautiful!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always love cobblestone streets 👍🏼 Thanks, glad you liked them as well, Aletta!
LikeLike
😊
LikeLike
Looks like a fun trip! Great photos
Pat
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was a fun trip! Thanks Pat ❤️
LikeLike
Congratulations, you have been selected as one of the featured bloggers on PPAC this week. https://alwayswrite.blog/2022/01/14/ppac-31-wickenburg-a-cowboy-town/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Marsha for the feature… wish I could go back there!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are so welcome. I feel that way about a lot of places. Good thing you took pictures!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The last time I’ve been to the Philippines was 20+ years ago! I’ve only been to Manila and Mindanao visiting family. I would love to return to visit my grandmother’s native city, Iloilo, and other parts one day. Thank you for showing us Illocos!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Julie. Iloilo had a big typhoon recently and the place may be damaged hope your family’s alright.
LikeLike
A nice road trip, thank you for taking us along with you! The Dancing fountain reminds me the ones I’ve seen in Lima, Peru🙂
Christie
LikeLiked by 1 person
Glad you came along. I haven’t been to Lima, Peru, but I am thinking that is is a happy place like the Philippines?
LikeLiked by 1 person
We haven’t been to Philippines, hopefully we can get there one day🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fingers crossed 🤞 Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLiked by 1 person