The clatter of horse-drawn calesas, the calls of vendors offering their wares, and groups of visitors posing for the mandatory selfie...it's great to be back at Calle Crisologo.
A longer stay on my second visit to Vigan provided an opportunity to see the historic street in different colors during different parts of the day, revealing even more of Calle Crisologo with the shifting light.
After a midnight stroll the day before (see my previous post here at http://soloexpeditions.blogspot.com/2015/07/go-north-past-midnight-along-calle.html), the familiar colors of Calle Crisologo come alive in the early morning light with splashes of vibrant colors in stark contrast to the weathered historic structures lining the street.
The early morning light reveals different layers of stone and brick, still standing after more than four hundred years.
The Spanish influence remains deeply entrenched in the very fabric of every day life to this day, with icons of the country's predominant faith displayed along the historic street.
The clatter of horse-drawn calesas signal the start of a new day at Calle Crisologo, with a lone calesa making the initial round...
...followed by another, and yet another. It seems traffic jams were a persistent problem even way back then.
By late afternoon, Calle Crisologo is draped with a wide palette of contrasting hues and colors. A good friend described this simply as "magic hour." The magic hour's tapestry of subtle hues are woven with occasional splashes of vibrant and warm colors, and Calle Crisologo shows yet another of its many facets.
The warm amber glow of night lamps adds its own distinct colors in the ever changing and shifting colors along Calle Crisologo.
But all throughout the shifting colors of the day, the stately and elegant grandeur of the historic structures remain. The declaration of Vigan as a World Heritage Site is validated by its recent recognition as one of the New 7 Wonders Cities, along with Beirut, Doha, Durban, Havana, Kuala Lumpur, and La Paz.
As the afternoon light fades, Calle Crisologo is draped in a new and different light, and its captivating spell grows even stronger.
By early evening, a different kind of festive vibe takes over, and the cycle is complete, to be repeated the next morning. And just like my first ever visit (for more on that very first visit, see my previous post here at http://soloexpeditions.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-walk-back-in-time-at-calle-crisologo.html), my second visit still fills me with awe, as you walk the historic street in a new and different light.
Hotel Luna is located at V. De Los Reyes corner General Luna Street, Vigan City or call +632-584-4945 for inquiries and reservations. You may also contact the Manila Sales Office located at 26 Tomas Morato Extension, Quezon City or call +632-373-3333 local 201-204 or email sales.hotelluna@ahmgi.com or rsvn.hotelluna@ahmgi.com.
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