Vigan, Ilocos Sur (Mapan Tayon!)

When I was still little, during the summer, me and my family would always visit Ilocos Sur. During our visit, everyday has always been great. Life at the countryside back then as I recall it was very simple. Every morning we'll feed the chicks (not that kind of chick as my lolo would always say to us Morenos... habulin ng chicks!), watch the hogs as my Auntie Ely feed them, ask our Uncle Boyet to go down the karayan (lake) and do balsing (our term for riding the balsa or bamboo raft in english), visit some relatives I've hardly known, eat a native delicacy like patupat, bibingka and Indian mangoes topped with bagoong  or sukang-iloco.

From left: Frankie (mommy's runner), Jojie (cousin), Auntie
Banjie, our Mom, Lolo Rizal, Okong and Grace (Uweng's
girlfriend)

I remember my Lola Dionisia. Dining for short but me and my brother, Meg, called her Lola Buning before. I can still recall when one time, it was pitched dark in the evening. The only light inside the house was the gasera (gas lamp) and an old yellow light bulb. Everything outside the house is totally dark. And the only sound you'd hear was the tuko (gecko) and kuliglig (crickets). We insisted to watch a T.V. with the nearest neighbor. And the definition of near was like five hundred meters apart! Lola Buning would gather dried coconut leaves on the ground and would lit it using the posporo (match sticks).

Lola Buning died of old age. And we'll always remember her ways, me and my brother. 

As time goes by, every summer, we would still visit Ilocos. Our Lolo Rizal together with her daughter Auntie Ely, her to two sons, Okong and Uweng, would always welcome us with open arms. Our Lolo, even at an old age, is still kicking strong. Recently, he just punched a guy younger than him! And he was drunk that time! My Lolo is a man of principle. He usually drinks but he's not a drunkard. He never smokes as my dad do. 

Recently, we've managed to gather a little family reunion. Although we're not complete, we were still able to celebrate it blissfully. It was a multiple celebration. Together with my dad, mom, my brother and little sister Pam, with my wife and son, and my brother's fiance Jane and their friend Joy, was set on a vacation to Ilocos.  

From top: Bantor, my son Sakarisay

Bantor, what an odd name. As if we never had one! Hahaha. Our Lolo is fond of naming us with unusual nicknames. My brother was named Simaron (a side kick from a radio drama when I was little). My sister was named Akang (named after Okong for possessing a kuntil on their ears). And me, I was given the name of Simatar (a hero also from a radio drama with Simaron). It's kind'a amazing how my Lolo still managed to grant my son, his apo sa tuhod (great grand son), a nickname. He gave the name Sakarisay. 

As we move on, well, celebration was not the only purpose we had in mind while staying at Las-Ud. We've managed to visit ... Vigan! It was my second visit. The first one was back in 2010, when Okong and Jobel got married. This year I drove a 2 hour long trip together with Meg, Jane, Pam, Joy, Ivan (my cousin) and Ruth. Actually, this is my third visit. We went to Vigan this year twice!

Along the way, I remembered the last time we went last year, we've passed by this beach with sand as white as the sands in Boracay. I said, "Hinto muna tayo dito para matingnan natin paligid, para makapagpahinga rin mga paa ko", (Why don't we stop for a moment and appreciate the view. That way, I could rest my feet for a while).

After which, we headed back to the road.

Vigan was great. There's this Mc Donald's food chain that looks like a fine-dining restaurant. 

 

Me and my Brother playing with mini samurai.

Meg pulling a carriage carrying Jane.

My wife, Ruth, carrying a Coke Float.

From left: Pam, Ruth, Me, Joy, Meg and Jane

Shot by manang, us eating empanada special.

Didn't you know that the word Vigan was from a Chinese etymology? During the Spanish Era, the place was a settlement area for Chinese coming from Fujian Province, China. Chinese pronounce it as Bee-Gan which means "Beautiful Shore". Later on called, Vigan! 

Visiting Vigan was one of the best part of my vacation. Buying pasalubongs, tupig, shirts, getting lost on the road, taking pictures along the way, struggling for parking, and of course, carrying load of stuffs.

Aside from strolling around Vigan, back at Las-Ud, we would always love to take a swim in the ocean! Ever since we were a child, the first thing that would come up into our minds is the ocean! We'll ask anybody back then when we were still small because our parents won't let us. We were prohibited to roam around because my Lola and Lolo would always say, "masama ang lumayo ang mga bata lalo na sa ilog saka sa dagat dahil may nangunguha ng mga bata doon!" (It's dangerous for little children where they could not be seen especially at the lake and the ocean because something is snatching little kids when no one is looking at them). That's what they've taught us, so we never did.

Then at night, our Dad or Lolo and Lola would tell us tales about the kapre, aswang, multo, and tikbalangs. My daddy would always talk about my Lolo Simon, my great grand father. He said that my Lolo Simon made a lot of encounters with those creatures.

Sigh. Those were the days.

Now that I'm getting old, I still hope that the fun would stay young. I hope someday my son will experience the feeling of coming home to Ilocos. Because I'll always will. And everytime we come home, I hope we're all still there to go through all the happy things we've always been.

And it's time for my off. Tomorrow I'll strike again. So I say adieu, until then, adios!