Vigan to Mount Pinatubo

February 12, 2013

After Sagada, I wanted to go to a town called Vigan along the coast of northern Luzon. From the map, Sagada and Vigan don't look too far apart. But I was informed by multiple people that it would be better to go all the way back to Baguio (6 hours from Sagada) and then to Vigan (another 5 hours). Apparently there aren't adequate roads or any buses that service the route.

So long story short I ended up back in Baguio for the night, which happened to be a Saturday. Despite the string of early morning activities I managed to stay out late with my CS host and her friends (who I stayed with the first time in Baguio). The next morning, later than I had been traveling, I got a bus to Vigan.

Vigan is an old Spanish town, like several others along the coast of northern Luzon, but unlike the others still shows off its colonial heritage. The center of town has an idyllic stone street lined with Spanish buildings and houses. The Chinese influence can also be seen in some of the architecture. Outside of the center, however, VIgan is like many towns in the Philippines - busy but without many sights. But the old town center is definitely worth a visit. Some of the buildings are in need of repair though. The Spanish heritage was evident but it felt more like a town in Latin America, not Iberia.

The old town in Vigan

A Spanish church in Santa Maria, near Vigan

Church ruins in Santa Maria

The not so well preserved part of Vigan

I stayed in Vigan for two nights, which were relaxing and mellow. I could count on my hand the number of Western tourists I saw in the town. There were Filipino tourists though. It felt nice to be away from the crowded spots and on my own. Like in other small towns, I was somewhat of a celebrity; I went for a run in the surrounding countryside, and literally everyone I passed was staring at me. When I say staring, I don't mean they were being rude. In the West most people would be offended, but in the Philippines people will stare if they are curious or just want to get a good luck at you, especially the kids. A smile and simple hello on my part went a long way, and the people were very friendly.

After the second night in Vigan I took an early morning bus back towards Manila, but stopped short in the town of Angeles. I had met a Filipino on one of my bus journeys who lives in Angeles, and he suggested that I meet him there, time permitting. We exchanged numbers and worked out a time to go hiking on Mount Pinatubo. Does the name sound familiar? If it rings a bell it is likely because you heard about it in the news some 20 years ago. Back in the early 90s the mountain, which is actually a volcano, blew its top in one of the largest eruptions of the 20th century. In the process Pinatubo lost 300 meters in height and completely altered the surrounding landscape. Entire villages were washed away, and Angeles was covered in ash.

The eruption left a crater lake at the center of Pinatubo, and it has become one of the region's prime hiking attractions. My friend booked a tour (you can't really do it alone) for the day after my arrival and picked me up at the bus station. I knew the tour would be expensive, but it ended up being even pricier than I expected. The day trip worked out to be about $100 - not bad for an organized tour back home - but a shock to a traveler who could normally get by on a third of that for a whole day in the Philippines.

The view at the crater was worth the trip, with the clear lake water and dramatic surrounding cliffs. By the time we hiked back down and made it to the tour office, it was mid afternoon. I had to get back to Manila that evening, so my friend dropped me off at the bus station. I only spent one night in Manila though - the next day I left for Cebu (again). This time it would be a brief yet eventful visit.