Me and my travel buddy have been eyeing Vigan for a while. So when she got a raket in there, we figured it was the perfect time to go. She left last Friday and I joined her last Sunday, it was a dream come true for me.
I rode a bus in Dau terminal that was off to Laoag (P470), I waited over an hour. While inside the bus, a middle-aged man asked me where he was. Apparently, it was his first time going up north. I reluctantly gave him the information because his zipper was wide open and his thingy was hanging all over. I wasn't able to figure out how to tell him. Good thing the newspaper boy pointed his thingy and I think he got a clue... hahahahaha that poor thing..
I left Dau at exactly 8:30am, I got to Vigan a couple
of minutes after 4:30pm. We passed a lot of sleepy towns, beaches, rice and corn fields, and countless mountains. It was a very long ride. I would recommend having someone with you because it can get unbelievably boring. It's also good to leave at night so you can sleep during the 8-hour travel. I did the graveyard shift the night before, so when I got to Vigan, I was very exhausted.
We stayed at Gordion Inn. We got the fan room (600/night) because it was freezing cold that time. 
The room was very cheap for P600. It had 3 single beds, bathroom, and TV. It also offered breakfast by the ruins that was perfect for romantic dates. Prices were reasonable. You can get all American breakfast for P120 and Filipino breakfast for as low as P70.
I slept till 8pm then we checked out the whole place. Vigan is one of the most sleepy towns I have ever been to. At 8pm, there were few people on the streets. The place was quaint, it brought back the memories of my highschool lessons about history.
By 9pm, I was already starving. We ate at Cafe Uno and Grill. A great coffee shop, restaurant, and hotel rolled in one. Their rates were incredibly low. For P30 you can get hazelnut coffee and P40 for hot chocolate which was a house specialty. We ordered Pinakbet (P110) good for 2-3 persons and grilled seafoods (P130) good for 2 persons. We paid P420 for our dinner.
After a great meal, what else is left to do in Vigan? Take pictures!!
The next morning, we left for Baluarte. It was a 10-minute tricyle ride from Gordion Inn. The fare is also cheap. It was only P7/person as long as you are within the city limits. Baluarte is a mini zoo owned by Governor Chavit Singson. There's no entrance fee and it offered free palomino rides. There were a lot of Ostriches walking freely around the place. I thought they looked friendly but I soon changed my mind. One middle-aged man (what's up with middle-aged men in my trip to Vigan anyway?) was chased by huge Ostrich. I saw him running for his life. I was stunned, unable to move, unable to take that photo because he was moving towards me. His agony ended when one of the zoo attendants shoo the bird away. After that? We just can't laugh enough.
Baluarte reminded me of Avilon zoo. The only difference was that I got up close and personal with tigers. I felt elated and scared at the same time. :)
Additional information: For Smart and Globe subscribers, no need to worry, the signal is up and steady. For sun subscribers, there were dead spots in Vigan, the road to Baluarte is one. There were a lot of internet cafes all over the town, so no need to worry about getting connected. At the heart of the city, 
there were also fast food restaurants. There's Mcdonald's, Jollibee, Max's, and Greenwich. You wouldn't miss Manila a lot. There were also souvenir shops at Heritage Village where you can buy knitted goods, antiques, souvenir shirts, etc. I also recommend their Longanisa priced at P100/1 dozen. It’s really good.
Tip: If you are riding a bus in going to Vigan, get a seat on the driver side. You’ll see great beaches on the way.
Gordion Inn's contact numbers: (077) 722-2526 (Vigan)
(02) 246-1502 (Manila)
+63928-754-5905 (Mobile)
(077) 722-2840 (Telefax)
Email: Gordioninn@yahoo.com
Website://www.gordioninn.co.nr
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