travelandleisureindia.in 65
HEMIS/ALAMY (2)
T
ricycles weave manically through
traffi c, leaving a low rumble in
their wake. These errant public
transportation devices are nifty
contraptions—motorcycles fi tted with
pop-coloured sidecars, each capable of
holding an overwhelming number of
humans. Their familiar roar was
a soundtrack I had grown accustomed
to in the Philippines. In Vigan, the capital city of
the northern province of Ilocos Sur, the familiar
hum was hugely conspicuous in its absence.
Instead of the thundering tricycle, there
was another, rather melancholy, background
score. The clip-clop of horse hooves on
cobblestone. In a departure from the jazzed-up
motorised vehicles, it is the kalesa—a horse-
drawn carriage—that forms the leitmotif
of this little town.
As Vigan drew closer, the bucolic scenes
and Jeepney-infested streets typical of the
Philippines gradually fell away to reveal
bougainvillea-draped villas and cobbled
streets. Sunshine yellow façades with shuttered
windows. Narrow avenues neatly arranged
in a grid, lined with curio shops and cute
cafes. A signboard that read ‘Irene’s
Empanada.’ The city was oddly reminiscent
of any small European town. Unsurprising,
then, that Vigan is a UNESCO World Heritage
Site for its conserved, centuries-old colonial
architecture in Asia.
A preserved, 16th century Spanish town,
right in the heart of Southeast Asia.
In the late 1500s, the Spanish arrived on the
city’s shores, led by Captain Juan de Salcedo,Travel through the roads of the Philippines
with Malavika Bhattacharya and explore
a little slice of Spain in the heart of Southeast Asia.La Vida Loca
Philippines
BEYOND
Discoveryin the
Syquia Mansion Museum.A horse drawn carriage is
a common sight in Vigantravelandleisureindia.in 67