Lomography

Calle Crisologo
written by halfawakehaiku on August 5th, 2009 , 2 comments (2 votes)

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Vigan City is recognized by the UNESCO as a world heritage site. 407 kilometers from Manila. Visions of the city mostly revert back to this row of old Spanish Houses that line up Crisologo street near the heart of the city. It’s a world that is a complete throwback to the 16th century. The cobble stone street is exclusive to pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages. Walking along the rows of old houses that give a peek of their earth tile pillars is such a visual treat. By some miracle this area was spared from the bombs of wars and conflicts. Here you will find an abundance of souvenir shops, antique furniture restoration specialists, local delicacy stores and your tourist information center. I must have visited the place more than three times during my stay in the city just to see how the light affects it’s looks.

The Capiz Shell windows which was in vogue during the time can be seen on all the structures which are painted with a white powdery color. It used to be the case that you could ask owners nicely if they could let you in and look around their house. But don’t fret if you’re not able to find a nice enough owner or you maybe you think this too much of an imposition, there is also a nearby museum that used to be house of no less than the 6th president of the Philippines. Syquia Mansion is only two blocks away from Crisologo Street. A caretaker sits at the lobby eager to provide visitors with a tour of the mansion. This area of the city used to be the area where mestizo’s which were Chinese traders who married into Spanish families and affluent Filipino families. At the end of the day one could say that you have not been to Vigan if you have not visited Calle Crisologo.