Sunday, January 31, 2016

Travel Diary : Vigan | Ilocos Sur

Something old with a twist of new

Gastronomic experience


Golden Hour


Dance of water and light 

This pretty much sums up our Vigan Escapade.It is sort of a tradition I started a few years back to treat myself to a vacay or getaway on my birthday month. So last December, my good friend Phoebe has voluntarily made herself available to join me on this birthday escapade, coincidentally, it's her birth month too! As excited as I was, I was literally knocked down during the 8-hour bus ride. Must be the out of exhaustion.When you fly out from one country to another then hold a bazaar and stand for hours;you'll be hitting the sack sooner than you thought. We left at 12:00 am on December 13th and reached Vigan by 08:30 am the next day.I woke up with the streaks of sunlight touching my face. We reached Ilocos and my sight was treated to a fantastic view of the bridge which was a perfect backdrop to a beautiful morning.


Ciudad Fernandina was our home for 2 days. Vigan is known for old houses and most of the hotels are a mix of European and Asian architecture. If you don't mind splurging a bit for an overnight stay, then Hotel Luna is the best accommodation you can find in Calle Criosologo.
It was still early when we arrived at the  hotel and check in starts at 1:00pm. There are a lot of tricycle drivers who are more than willing to be your tour guide and for a price of 250/pax, it was worth it. We stopped by Cafe Uno for a quick brunch. Vigan Longanisa paired with Sukang Iloko is just on point. Oh and the brick walls in this cafe sends off a rustic vibe perfect for that dark hot chocolate.


Our first stop was Pagburnayan, the iconic pottery place in Vigan City. There are two major burnayans in Vigan City, Ruby’s Pottery, and RG Jar Factory. They sit right across one another on Gomez Street. Manong was kind enough to show us the process of making a jar. I was amazed at the effort and artistry put into making a single jar. We even get to try it ourselves. 






Tidbit : Entrance fee is free but donations are highly appreciated

We made a pit stop at Baluarte but decided not to go and wander inside as we're pressed for time. We told our tour guide that we will opt out from visiting the museums as well as we only have a day to explore the province. 



Rowilda’s Loom Weaving resides outside the city. Here, you'll see locals  in action as they weave a handful of strands into something beautiful. I find it rather astounding that in this modern day and age where everything is created by pressing a button or a switch; people here chose to create beautiful things by hand and with a manually operated equipment. They even let us try for a bit and it was incredibly fun.


Tidbit : Entrance fee is free but I'm pretty sure you'll end up buying pieces from their workshop as they are all too beautiful to pass


Bantayan Tower was our third stop. It is also known as The San Augustine Parish Church and Bell Tower. It’s one of the oldest surviving churches in Ilocos Sur and has served as a monumental watchtower for during the Spanish era. It was almost 6PM when we reached the tower and the guard advised not to stay long inside the tower as it will be pitch black inside. The window opens to a spectacular view of Vigan and a certainly the perfect spot to watch the sunset. 



The night was spent wandering around the plaza and filling our bellies with Vigan delicacies from Cafe Leona. It's the ultimate provincial experience and we feast our eyes to the dancing fountain and lights. Plaza Salcedo is named after the founder of Vigan City, Juan de Salcedo. He named it Villa Fernandina de Vigan before it became Ciudad Fernandina, and finally, Vigan City. 









We were surprised to learn that Vigan has a dancing fountain and an impressive one I must say. I have witnessed dancing fountains in Marina Bay Sands and Kuala Lumpur but Vigan Dancing Fountain show is something else. Laser and lights synched to popular Christmas and Frozen anthem luring more and more people to watch the show. And why wouldn't they be? It's so beautiful and for a good 30 minutes, it was indeed well worth seeing,putting Vigan in a whole new kind of light. 



Tidbit : Be sure not to miss it, the show runs every night at 7:00 pm and 8:00 pm. 

All of these in a span of a day and I felt that my Vigan experience was a bit short lived. I wanted to stay longer if I could and savor the simplicity and charm this historical city has to offer. So if you have time to spare, take your family to a joy ride or simply take the 8-hour bus ride and explore the beautiful Vigan in all its glory. 


Xo,
Jhesy 

Friday, January 22, 2016

Between the Lines

My idée fixe for stripped look started a little over than 2 years ago..I always incorporate stripes with nautical wear. Blue and white with a hint of red. Oversized sun glasses and wide brimmed hat - All set for Yacht Party at the Hamptons. But seriously, stripes especially when mixed with minimalism can boost an entire look and transform your ensemble to a classic glam up number yet not so over the top.
Dress by Aldrin & Laura 
Some people, women in particular dread wearing lines. And trust me, I used to shun away from them too. Back then I view them as too dramatic, so many things going on and restricting as you can only partner it with little variations.Then I saw Alexa Chung sporting this striped black and white tee with boyfriend Jeans highlighted with pop of color in red lipstick. It literally changed my perception about wearing sea of black and white. In fact, each time I would scout for pieces to add to my wardrobe, I would end up buying a tee, dress or skirt detailed in stripes of black and white.

Alexa Chung in striped tee


You have to give it to this simple yet taken for granted look as if it's an ode to classic fashion mantra. It's the trend which will always be a hit regardless of time, age and season. It's the perfect default look which certainly saves the day. It's versatility to accord its style for any occasion have proven that this sure is closet must have.


Here are some pieces you can work with the help of our trusty basic striped tee :

1. Beach Babe
Add pop up of color your tee and match it with an oversized sunglasses and you'll be turning heads in no time



2. Corporate Gal 
Conquer the board room with those cat eyes and striped mini dress and get everyone's ears and eyes attuned to your every word.

3. Party Siren
Ripped Jeans + Stripped top + Ankle Strap Hells + Red Lippy = #readytopaintthetownred 


4. Casual Chic
Got errands to run? Slip on to your converse and don a stripped top and boyfriend jeans.Complete 'em list by looking extra stylish.



5. French City Girl
Dreaming of Riviera or simply strolling under the city lights of Paris. There's nothing more perfect that a red coat don onto a striped top and knee high skirt.


Sometimes we become oblivious that beautiful things may come in the simplest form. In this case, a basic striped top. It can pull sophistication without trying so hard. It can stand on its own or can be adorned with luxurious ornaments in gold and whites. It will work on any body type without sacrificing sartorial gusto. It's a fantastic trend that is clean and effortlessly chic.

So if simplicity is what you're after then a striped tee is your best bet as you can never go wrong with this look. Activate your imagination and set forth for a style-exercise and be surprised at variety of looks one can pull off with this number.

Xo,
Jhesy 





Saturday, January 16, 2016

Ngong Ping 360

Here's the last entry for our November getaway in Hong Kong. Since we're pressed for time, we decided to skip Ocean Park and head over to Lantau Island instead.  Lantau is the largest island in Hong Kong and apparently almost double the size of Hong Kong island itself. It is famous for its soaring mountains and lush valley. 
Ngong Ping 360  is must-see tourist destination in this island, located at the western part of Lantau Island is one of the highlights of our Hong Kong trip. Getting here was a breeze ( literally ) as it was windy inside the MTR.  From TST, alight at Tung Chung station and the cable car should be right adjacent to it.  We arrived at around 1030 am on a Tuesday morning. I had this slightly realistic expectation that it will not be crowded for 2 reasons. 1. It's a weekday 2. It's off peak.  But lo and behold, looks like everyone thought of the same thing and we walked into a long queue of people who were waiting their turn to buy the tickets. Yes, it wasn't even the queue to board the cable car. My fell face and heart sank. We're supposed to finish early and head back to TST for last minute shopping but I scrapped the idea as it would be close to impossible to make it back by 2:00pm. 
We bought the Crystal Cabin at $255HKD. Piece of advice should you want to visit to avoid long queues, purchase your tickets online. Advanced booking can be made up to 14 days prior to visits.

The 25-minute exhilarating cable car ride traversing to 5.7 km is not for those with a faint heart or fear of heights. But sure enough if you would dare to face your fears, I can assure it's worth every penny spent. The journey to Ngong Ping offers 360 degrees astonishing bird's view of South China Sea and lush greenery. 
As you step out of the cable car, you will be greeted by the culturally-themed village showcasing culture and spiritual integrity of Ngong Ping. 
Tian Tan Buddha or famously known as Big Buddha is 34 metres tall and weighs 250 tons. The right hand of the Buddha is held up as a “Fear-Not mudra” – a manifestation of the great vow to eliminate suffering from all sentient beings. The left hand is placed on the Buddha’s thigh with his palm facing out and fingers slightly pointing downwards. This is known as the “Wish-Granting mudra”, signifying the compassionate vow to grant happiness to all men. The Dharma cakra in the palm represents the everlasting turning of the Wheel of Dharma and the dissemination of the Dharma to every corner of the world.
A climb of 268 steps should take you to the Giant Buddha. I did this the first time I went but opted to wander around the area this time and explore the monasteries. And I couldn't be happier that I did. 
We spent the rest of the little time we've had roaming around the temples and taking photos of the area. For almost 3 hours spent queuing for the ticket alone, I'd say Lantau Island was well worth the experience. Be sure to include this touristy spot on your itinerary and spare an hour or two for shopping at the Citygate outlet. 


Xo,
Jhesy