Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Tuesday 5th June 2007 - Road trip to the North
Tuesday 5th June 2007
Today we start our long journey north to the more rural countryside of Luzon, the northern island of the Philippines. We are making the trip with Ate Bever and Kuya Guy, and our driver, Dodie. Our first overnight stop after some 400 or more kms will be Vigan, Ilocos Sur. This town has significant historical interest to PI as it was one of the first places the Spanish landed in their conquest of the islands. The Spanish influence, architecture, language and culture permeates the islands equally if not more so than the native culture in some areas. The drive is long and uncomfortable due to the condition of the roads. After we leave the tollway the roads become concrete and in many districts maintenance is not so good. We make a few comfort stops and have lunch at Max’s which is a little like a cross between Pizza Hut, KFC and Chiquito’s. We ate well with a whole small chicken, Soup, various beef, fish and pork dishes accompanied by rice, noodles and drinks. Peso1666 for 5. £18! We meet some road works at one town where the traffic is controlled by red and green stop go lights which have an opened umbrella attached above them! We weren’t sure if they were to protect them from the sun or the rain! We finally arrive at Vigan at 9pm after leaving Manila at 11am. The hotel we are to stay at is owned by Kuya Guy’s cousin and we book in gratefully at the end of a long journey. We take a quick walk back to the town square and eat at quaint restaurant called Leonas. Again we have a full and varied menu of Bagnet, (deep fried pork) rice, barbecued fish, Pinakbet, (local vegetable stew), garlic mushrooms, sizzling pork again to a spicy local recipe and drinks, all freshly cooked on a barbecue and gas cooker outside at the front of the building and as always it’s very good. Another marvellous value for money meal at Peso1187 or £13. We walk our weary way back to Hotel Fernandino and take room 1. It is an old 16 century wealthy Spanish businessman’s residence converted to a hotel and bears all the hallmark designs of old colonial style. Large high ceilinged rooms with oak floors, large windows in a waffle design, glazed not with glass but the translucent insides of shells. The plumbing as usual leaves a lot to be desired, no toilet seat, normal for most parts of rural PI, a shower with only cold water, (why do want hot in these temperatures?) and all this in a very basic wet room. To bed and fortunately the air con is working, as the night temps only drop a few degrees and the humidity remains the same. About 3 am I wake to the most blood curdling ear splitting scream I have ever heard at this time in the morning. Ludy is clinging to me sobbing that “they are trying to hold her down by her arms and legs and hurt her” “who” I ask. “the ghosts” I calm her down and assure her it is just nightmare and all is ok. 30 mins later she does the same but before she did and whilst I was still awake I had a really strange feeling and all my body became covered in goosebumps. No it wasn’t the air con because it wasn’t actually that efficient. I mollified her again after she explained that the ghosts had this time been trying to take me away, but this was now becoming odd. Ludy woke again twice more with very similar dreams of ghosts and I had strange sensations of goosebumps once more. By now it was getting light and I think she felt safer and went back to sleep until 8.
Today we start our long journey north to the more rural countryside of Luzon, the northern island of the Philippines. We are making the trip with Ate Bever and Kuya Guy, and our driver, Dodie. Our first overnight stop after some 400 or more kms will be Vigan, Ilocos Sur. This town has significant historical interest to PI as it was one of the first places the Spanish landed in their conquest of the islands. The Spanish influence, architecture, language and culture permeates the islands equally if not more so than the native culture in some areas. The drive is long and uncomfortable due to the condition of the roads. After we leave the tollway the roads become concrete and in many districts maintenance is not so good. We make a few comfort stops and have lunch at Max’s which is a little like a cross between Pizza Hut, KFC and Chiquito’s. We ate well with a whole small chicken, Soup, various beef, fish and pork dishes accompanied by rice, noodles and drinks. Peso1666 for 5. £18! We meet some road works at one town where the traffic is controlled by red and green stop go lights which have an opened umbrella attached above them! We weren’t sure if they were to protect them from the sun or the rain! We finally arrive at Vigan at 9pm after leaving Manila at 11am. The hotel we are to stay at is owned by Kuya Guy’s cousin and we book in gratefully at the end of a long journey. We take a quick walk back to the town square and eat at quaint restaurant called Leonas. Again we have a full and varied menu of Bagnet, (deep fried pork) rice, barbecued fish, Pinakbet, (local vegetable stew), garlic mushrooms, sizzling pork again to a spicy local recipe and drinks, all freshly cooked on a barbecue and gas cooker outside at the front of the building and as always it’s very good. Another marvellous value for money meal at Peso1187 or £13. We walk our weary way back to Hotel Fernandino and take room 1. It is an old 16 century wealthy Spanish businessman’s residence converted to a hotel and bears all the hallmark designs of old colonial style. Large high ceilinged rooms with oak floors, large windows in a waffle design, glazed not with glass but the translucent insides of shells. The plumbing as usual leaves a lot to be desired, no toilet seat, normal for most parts of rural PI, a shower with only cold water, (why do want hot in these temperatures?) and all this in a very basic wet room. To bed and fortunately the air con is working, as the night temps only drop a few degrees and the humidity remains the same. About 3 am I wake to the most blood curdling ear splitting scream I have ever heard at this time in the morning. Ludy is clinging to me sobbing that “they are trying to hold her down by her arms and legs and hurt her” “who” I ask. “the ghosts” I calm her down and assure her it is just nightmare and all is ok. 30 mins later she does the same but before she did and whilst I was still awake I had a really strange feeling and all my body became covered in goosebumps. No it wasn’t the air con because it wasn’t actually that efficient. I mollified her again after she explained that the ghosts had this time been trying to take me away, but this was now becoming odd. Ludy woke again twice more with very similar dreams of ghosts and I had strange sensations of goosebumps once more. By now it was getting light and I think she felt safer and went back to sleep until 8.
# posted by desmond22 @ 2:30 pm 
