Beauty Baggage: My Travel Makeup Essentials

I am high-maintenance. Let's face it, I am a diva. It's no secret around these here parts, and I own it freely. On average, it takes me about an hour and fifteen minutes everyday (if I have to go out) to get ready. Let me break it down for you. On a typical school day, I spend 15 minutes from the moment I wake up, on making my bed and doing a quick exercise routine as a sort of warm up, another 15 minutes cooking oatmeal for breakfast and eating it, and 15 minutes showering. That's 45 minutes so far. The remaining 30 minutes goes solely to getting made up and dressed up.

I was never the kikay or the girly girl, growing up. I went through all the awkward phases of being a pre-teen and a teen, and sometimes I feel like I still haven't quite outgrown all that--braces, glasses, acne, and body image issues. I only started wearing makeup late into high school, but only for special occasions and not on an everyday basis, because it was against school rules to wear makeup. And in my first until second year of college, I used only the basic products like face powder to keep my oily skin at bay and to look presentable. But after my TV Production class, where we learned how to apply makeup, that's when I started wearing makeup regularly and it soon became a pastime or obsession of mine. Now I never leave the house without makeup on. Not for the past year, I haven't. Like this blog, makeup became a means of expression for me. Aside from helping hide my blemishes, it helped accentuate my best features too. And so that's how I discovered the joys of makeup and beauty.   

But it's not only that. As a college student, it's not fun and games anymore, it's deadlines and papers and exams, and all that pressure can really take a toll. Eyebags, blotchy skin, breakouts, you name it, and college students suffer it, so aside from enjoying transformation by lip color or eyeshadow, makeup also became a necessity to compensate for sleepless nights. I remember that one time I posted a status update on my personal Facebook account sometime ago (though I can't seem to retrieve it now) and back then I was swamped with studies and at the end of my rope. I said that it's bad enough that I'm exhausted beyond words, I don't want to look like it too, and that I won't allow myself to look haggard. Makeup offers me a measure of control over my life, at the very least, over the way that I look, and it's a comfort to me knowing that even if I pulled an all nighter, even if my life seems to be on a downward spiral with endless schoolwork (I know I'm a drama queen), that a rosy blush will still grace my cheeks, a vibrant lip color will still bring life into my pale face and eye makeup will brighten my dull and tired eyes. Something along those lines. Basically, I feel better keeping myself up and putting in time and effort to looking good. I mean, I would feel worse if on top of all my school worries and concerns I looked like a mess too.

So, going back to how I got started on collecting makeup, I bought my very first starter makeup kit for my TV Production class, where we had sessions devoted entirely to makeup for TV. Even the boys in our class got a crash course in applying their own makeup. It was a lot of fun and I really miss my classmates because I'm seeing less and less of them. Our tracks or specializations take into effect after sophomore year and we take different subjects depending on that, and we only get to see each other in core subjects.

But that's another story. At least when we put together our makeup kits for class I had the foresight to take pictures. I put everything in a cute pink pouch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

I remember how daunting it was, shopping for makeup and not knowing where to start, not having any girly instincts. I'm serious here, I'm the eldest sister, but before this my younger sister had more makeup than I did, while I was the late bloomer. So yeah, it was my first time to go on official makeup shopping, our professor gave us a shopping list and recommended some brands, but I was a lost soul, swatching left and right and feeling like a fool in the cosmetics section of the department store. I came out of it alive, and the rest is history. Well, I still use some of my year-old makeup, but I probably should toss out some...

Anyway, enough about my humble beginnings in makeup, imagine, owning only one piece of lipstick! How little I knew back then. In the course of a year, I've experimented a lot, committed some boo-boo's and learned what works for me and what doesn't. I'm far from being an expert or a guru, I only know how to do my own makeup, and I rely heavily on tutorials for eye makeup because I am clueless when it comes to blending and creases and those stuff. But I've come a long way, and I just want to share it with the world, for all the late bloomers out there, it's never too late!

So there. Over time my makeup kit has grown exponentially. My lipsticks alone are over a dozen. Maybe to more seasoned makeup aficionados, that's still only a few, but from one piece of lipstick to nearly twenty different lip colors, that's already a lot for me. And from the pink bag I used to use, I had to find different storage. I'll tell you all about it another day.

Finally, I will get to the point (my blog's really living up to its claims of rambling), that when I travel I am always faced with a difficult time in taking only the must have's, the bare essentials, with me. It's so taxing, narrowing down my choices of lip colors, because I'm the type to switch lip colors every day, and I really put myself to the test, take it or leave it. In our recent trip to Ilocos, this task was before me. I spent some time deliberating on lip colors and whether I was going to bring eye shadow with me. I had to make some concessions and took only the following with me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you believe it, all of it except the black pouch of my makeup brushes and my sun block fit into the purple Kara Nina pouch? It's a tight fit, but it fits. I'll go into everything one by one because basically, this is my everyday routine that I can't live without, I just trimmed down the lipstick and eye shadow.

But before going into the makeup products I brought, here are my makeup brushes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have a lot more brushes at home, but when I travel, I take my Beauty and Minerals Charm Travel Pro v3 Brush Set because it has just what I need and it comes in a very travel-friendly pouch. Not to mention it's very stylish. I use almost all the brushes on a daily basis and I washed them right before the trip (which reminds me they're due for another washing). I bought this last October from Digital Traincase and six months of daily use later, they're still as good as new. As much as possible, I avoid mixing up products with a single brush, so I use the liquid foundation brush for my sun block, the powder brush for highlighter, the angled brush for contouring, and the stippling brush for blush. It's only the eyeshadow blending brushes that see the least use because I don't wear eye shadow everyday, and I didn't take any eyeshadow with me on vacation. The odd man out in there is my ELF Studio Line powder brush. I discarded the flimsy plastic packaging it came with and I just keep it in the pouch with the rest because there's more than enough room for it. I use it for powder foundation and setting powder. This set goes really nicely with my Old Rose Longchamp bag.

Let's go to the products:

First things first, after my skin care regimen(another separate entry on my list), the first step in my daily makeup routine, is applying sun block. This one I put in a zip lock for liquids in my carry-on luggage. I am using a 2-in-1 sunblock and primer, which is the Etude House Sun Powder Cotton Touch Primer Base with SPF 50. As the name suggests, it has a cream to powder finish and I use it under all my makeup not just for sun protection, but to help my makeup last. I don't retouch because I don't take makeup with me when I head out, except for lipstick, so I need a heavy duty primer for that. Not only does this offer high sun protection, it's great for someone with oily skin like me. For me, getting oily is only a matter of time, it's inevitable, it's a when, and not if, question, and this primer delays oiliness and helps my makeup adhere to my skin better. However, this has a slight lavender tinge to it to brighten sallow skin, so tanner people might look ashen with this.

But the Etude House one is more a makeup type of sunblock for day to day activities. For traveling and outdoor activities like swimming, as I've mentioned in one of my earlier entries, I use a different sunblock, when I'm going to be under more sun exposure. And that's my Hawaiian Tropic Baby Faces and Tender Places Sunscreen. This is strictly for swimming and extended sun exposure and it's not really ideal for makeup because while it's not oily or greasy, the formulation is too runny to hold makeup, and coupled with my oily skin, the most you can do with this is powder your face with a translucent powder. This one went in my check-in luggage as per flying regulations because it exceeded 100 ml.

After applying my Etude House primer and sunblock, I apply my concealer to my undereyes and all my blemishes, using Nyx Concealer in a Jar in Fair. I bought this along with the Charm brush set, and at the time, it didn't occur to me that its tiny jar would come in handy for traveling. It does a really good job of minimizing my flaws. And really, I mean minimize, not erase. When I wear makeup, I still want my actual skin to show through, I don't want to look like a have a mask on, so I use makeup like this cream concealer sparingly, which is why, 6 months later, I've barely made a dent in it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lately, my skin has become more sensitive, and I found commercial foundations were aggravating my rosacea and acne, so I switched to mineral foundation and I have seen a vast improvement. I ordered a 1 gram sample size of Ellana's Intensive Coverage variant of Loose Mineral Foundation in White Choco Mocha just in late February and the saying a little goes a long way is so true for this, because I've been using it for over a month, and there's still so much left. It's so fine that a few shakes are all you need to cover your whole face. I top it with Krave Minerale's Oil Eliminator and Skin Hydrator which is 3 grams, in comparison. I use a cap from my old Nichido loose powder as an improvised mixing plate. The packaging for both is compact enough to easily squeeze into my travel makeup bag, however these two products are both loose powders though, so you have to be careful and close them tightly if you don't want any accidental spills.

Up next, I contour, apply blush, and highlight, in that order. I use Nyx Powder Blush in Taupe to contour my cheeks and my nose just for a slight slimming effect. I also bought this along with the brush set and concealer. It's just right for my skin tone, all other bronzers I've seen have reddish undertones in them, and they would look muddy on me, or like I've smeared Milo powder on my face, whereas this gives a subtle shadow that looks natural on my fair skin. Another Ellana product I ordered is their Mineral Powder Blush in Fetish. It's my go to blush right now, so I chose it over all my other blushes to take with me. It's a very lovely light pink, and it gives me a healthy glow. Up next, I use the ELF bronzer in Luminance as a highlighter and it really makes me radiant. These three powder products are very lightweight and tiny, so they don't take up much space in my bag.

After all the face makeup, I do my eye makeup next, which consists of eyebrow powder, mascara, and eyeliner. I only ever use eyeshadow for special occasions and events, rarely for normal days because I'm really no good with eyeshadow. So I do my eyebrows first, using the ELF Studio Line eyebrow kit in Light. I have pretty dark and defined brows, so I only use a tiny amount to fill in the sparse areas, or gaps in my eyebrows. Then I curl my eyelashes with my Nichido eyelash curler and I apply my favorite waterproof black mascara, Maybelline The Hypercurl Volum' Express Cat Eyes Mascara. I line my upper eyelids with some Nichido Girl's Night Out eyeliner in Deep Blonde and I use a Fashion 21 white eye pencil for my waterline. The mascara and pencils are slim, and so is the eyebrow kit , so they aren't too bulky to fit in the small purple pouch, but the eyelash curler was a bit of a challenge. It's not exactly foldable so it was the last to go in the bag, and the zipper almost wouldn't close because of it, but a little re-arranging of the tiny pots solved the problem. Speaking of mascara, this is the first one that I'm about to use up, and it's gotten a bit dried up already, and I'm going to have to buy another one soon. I love this one so much, I use it everyday. It's perfect for my stubby lashes, and I really do achieve the cat-eyes effect with it.

Last but not least, the one lip color to sum up my Ilocos Experience: Nyx Round Lipstick in Pumpkin Pie. I bought this along with 5 other shades from Carefree Shopper and it beat out the competition by being nude enough to go with anything, yet still being noticeable. It's a peachy kind of color, but it's more pink than orange, so in a way it qualifies as coral. It's Summer in a tube, because you can wear really loud colors on your clothes, and still pull of a clean, polished face.

 

  But of course for the in between moments like a shiny nose breaking through, I had my handy oil blotting sheets. I go through about 3-4 sheets a day, using one every three hours or so because I have oily skin and I can't get rid of it, only minimize it and keep it under control. That's why I bought these dirt-cheap Finess Oil Control Sheets, that way even if I run out quickly, I won't feel bad, unlike when I tried the Clean and Clear ones that were so expensive. The end result is all the same, in the end it's just for absorbing excess oil and you just throw it away afterwards so why not buy a cheaper alternative, when it gets the job done just as well.

Before I forget, lip balm is also something else I can't live without, especially in the summer heat, and in my Ilocos experience, without ChapStick, my wind and sun burned lips would have been worse. I don't like fruity and tinted lip balm because that interferes with my lipstick, so I use the Classic kind in Spearmint because it leaves a cooling sensation on my lips.

Those were all the makeup products and tools I brought with me and used the whole duration of our Ilocos trip, so if you want to see the finished look, please refer to my previous posts.

To wrap it up, I believe you should always put your best face forward, and take advantage of cosmetics and makeup to bring out your inner beauty, but you should always shine through all of that, and at the end of the day you should still recognize yourself and not let the makeup outshine you, or in a sense wear you. That's pretty much my makeup philosophy, and as the Pixiwoo sisters say, "natural, but with definition."

More than Longganisa: Vigan, Ilocos Sur

APRIL 2, MONDAY- DAY 3: VIGAN, ILOCOS SUR

Okay, maybe that sounds like a lame title, but honestly I couldn't think of anything else. And really, isn't that one of the most common associations with Vigan, the native sausages? Well, there's a lot more to Vigan than meets the eye, or the palate, rather.

So after coming back from Pagudpud the day before, we were all really tired, and unlike the first night, I slept soundly. I set my alarm for 5:00 am though so I could have a morning workout before showering for breakfast. It was still dark out and really cool so it was perfect to get my blood going. I had my iPod on because really it's hard to get pumped when all you hear are animal and insect sounds in the background. It was nice though, seeing the sky gradually lighten while I was busting some moves in my animal print pajamas. Yes, pajamas. There weren't any other guests, and besides no one but the pool guy was up yet, so I didn't care. Sweat poured for about an hour. After that I took a shower and spent the next hour getting ready. It always takes me at least an hour, so I make sure to prepare my things the night before, and besides it's extra challenging to beat the rest of my family to the one bathroom. 

A little bit past 7 we all lumbered over to the clubhouse for breakfast, and at last something I could eat! Hot dog and egg! Thank the Lord! I am a picky eater, but it's almost been 6 months now since I started my lifestyle change and I've been eating more fruits and vegetable and in general I've switched to more healthy fare than I used to eat, but there are still things, such as dried fish and vinegar that I don't think I will ever learn (or want) to eat. So Mama talked to the hotel staff and for the second breakfast I got a more Manila-type of breakfast. Don't be mistaken though, I haven't eaten hot dogs in months, I think, since at home I eat oatmeal and fruit for breakfast, and it was so good to eat hot dog again after such a long time. It's like when I eat fast-food and instant noodles nowadays, which I used to eat almost every week before, but now sometimes just once a month, or not even, so when I get to taste that preservative-laden food, it tastes so delectable.

Anyway, after breakfast and brushing our teeth, we went on up to the function hall, expecting our guide and our driver, since I already had a talk with the manager about punctuality. Our guide, Manang Michelle, the president of the Ilocos Norte Tour Guides Association was already there, but our driver wasn't. It wasn't until around 8:30 (I guess 8 am is too early for most people) that this Montero rolled up the driveway, our ride had arrived. Apparently, the Revo we had used the past two days was going to be used for something else, so our driver for the day was the manager's cousin (if I'm not mistaken) and it was his personal car. I can't remember his name, I'm sorry. The Montero is an SUV and it's a bit of a tight squeeze for a family of five, plus a tour guide. The third row has zero leg room and it's really hard to find a comfortable position.

Moving on, our driver was a road warrior. In short he drove like a maniac. The national highway from Laoag to Vigan is just two lanes of two-way traffic and if there are slower vehicles that you want to overtake, you have to cut into the other lane and directly oppose the oncoming traffic from the other direction. There were times that our driver was almost in a collision course, and Mama was holding her breath the entire time. At home when Papa drives even a little bit fast she screeches like a harpy, but she couldn't even voice her fear because she didn't know the driver. She just sat in silence and leaned on Papa, feeling faint at every near miss. I for one found it exciting. I've always dreamed of driving well over a 100 kilometers per hour, and the Montero had such superb handling, even at almost 120 kilometers an hour, zipping in and out of the lanes and between cars like it's nobody's business. You can't really do that in city driving, but in the provinces it's the lay of the land. And just to give you an idea of how reckless (fun) riding the car was, on average it takes 3 hours to go to Vigan from Laoag, but we made it just a little bit past an hour and a half. That's how fast he was going, he halved our travel time. Oh, how I wish I could drive like that on an open road. Just saying. Of course in Manila that's out of the question. I've already been pulled over for speeding once, and that's not happening again.

Again, I have no fear of speed, so I slept really nicely in the Montero, but when we were nearing Vigan already I was awake and we passed by a lot of corn fields and tobacco fields, one of their major crops. It was my first time seeing what a tobacco plant looks like and not the cigar already, and it looks a lot like corn except it has a flower. Random thoughts.

Anyway, we were all thankful when we got to Vigan in one piece. Mama, most of all. Along the way, our guide was chatting us up and telling us all about Vigan. Pagudpud is more of nature sights, while Vigan is more of history and old houses. The first place we went to was the Crisologo Museum, the ancestral home of the Ilocos Sur political family turned into a museum. Manang Michelle told us about how the Crisologo family is a rival of the Singson family, how they've competed for political seats and have committed assassinations and such as well as intermarried with each other. It's so funny, they do say keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, so it's only fitting to marry them. It reminded me of one of my readings from PolSc 14 last semester, about political families and clan rivalries. In any case, we learned that the family patriarch was the Congressman who authored the SSS Bill before he was assassinated in a Church. The 2nd generation of sons and daughters didn't follow the political footsteps anymore and right now the ruling family is the Singson family.

But yeah, their ancestral home was really cool. There wasn't an entrance fee, just a compulsory donation, and there was an old lady giving trivia about the place. It reeked of urine though from the nearby restroom. Poor ventilation maybe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really enjoy going to ancestral houses. It's like a blast from the past, or straight out of a history book, except it's real, you can almost feel the house breathing, as if it's alive. I'm not talking about ghosts or anything, but you get a sense of how these historical figures lived and moved about in their day.

Downstairs there were basically paintings, lots of plaques, and portraits and a few rooms. Antique books and other collections.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were even antique coaches and vintage cars.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite rooms was the Law Office.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upstairs are the old family bedrooms, dining room, and living room. It's strange how it's all upstairs and what's downstairs are offices. I wonder if that's really how houses were arranged back then. Gotta love the stairs though, really solid hardwood, no creaks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The antique kitchen appliances were so cool! Those appliances were really built to last. I mean they probably don't work anymore, but you can clearly see the sturdiness and the workmanship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The bedrooms were really charming too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really adore the vanity tables with all of the perfume bottles and the cosmetics. I want one of those. Narcissism strikes again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was even a separate walk-in closet with designer bags, clothes and shoes. I want an Imelda-style Terno. Someday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next place we went to was the Syquia Mansion which was less than a five minute walk. Since Vigan is a UNESCO heritage site, as our guide told us, all the streets are pretty narrow, some still with cobble-stone paths, cars can can only go up to a certain point and only horse-drawn carriages or kalesas can pass. Anyway, The Syquia Mansion is the mansion of former President Elpidio Quirino's wife's family. And Mansion is not an understatement. It was really a mansion. It doesn't look big from the outside, but it's actually an entire block to itself. Going in, what greets you is a really well-preserved carriage. Papa got a nice picture of me and my youngest sister next to it. My outfit of the day is a pink floral print dress that crisscrosses at the back and my green sandals again. It was really hot that day, so I'm looking a little flushed.

       

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was this really stately portrait of former President Quirino. It's a lot different when you see it from a history book, and then see it in real life. A man who happens to be a descendant greeted us and directed us to join another group of tourists. There was an entrance fee if I recall. We visited the old houses first because they have a lunch break and are closed to visitors at that time, unlike the rest of our destinations. Anyway, I noticed that the downstairs was also just a reception area, and in the back there was a stable for horses, but all the socializing or living areas were upstairs, just like the Crisologo place. You could really see how opulent it was because there were all these very well-maintained antiques and the tiles and the woodwork were all really superb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was even a grandfather clock. Everything was very European, very Spanish, from the carvings to all the furniture and the paintings. There were even life-size replicas of Juan Luna paintings. I've never seen the original Spoliarium, but the one at the Syquia Mansion was very, awe-inspiring. The picture I took doesn't quite do it justice, I'm sorry.  

All the furnishings were either in marble, hardwoods, porcelains, fine China, even 18 karat gold plated vases and mirrors. Silk draperies and upholstery. If that's not the epitome of lavishness, I don't know what is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Master's bed, we were told by the on site guide, had special meaning and significance to the carvings. Papa took this of me next to it. Again, I have a poor memory, but the family crest is the pineapple at the top center of the headboard. And the round pointy things are supposed to be pumpkins. They said the bed was straight from Europe and that the pumpkin halves were the husband and wife, and because this was a matrimonial bed, the husband's was on top of the four-poster, and wife's on the baseboard. At the bottom was a whole pumpkin for their union and prosperity. Something to that effect.

Moving on to the rest of the house, here we have the dining room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were a lot more pictures, paintings, and portraits, but they were much the same as the Crisologo's. The Syquia Mansion was just more on the classier side as far as furniture, with more ornate and heavy European styles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

They do have a nice patio with a fountain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just another bit of trivia, part of the house has been renovated, because on occasion descendants like Cory Quirino come by to visit and instead of staying at a hotel (I mean, why pay for a hotel, when you have a mansion) they stay in rooms inside the Mansion. One of the guides says sometimes he sees things at night. Ooh. Anyway, here's a money shot.

 

The next place we went to was the well-known street in Vigan where as far as your eyes can see are Spanish houses and cobble-stone. One of the reasons why Vigan is a UNESCO heritage site is because it's the best preserved Spanish colonial town in the whole country. Our guide told us that Vigan was the third city founded by the Spanish, after Cebu and Manila, but it's the only one that remained intact after WWII. Apparently there's a local story (how accurate or true this is, I can't say), but during the time of the Japanese one of the generals staying in Vigan had an affair with a Filipina, but he had to keep it a secret, so he enlisted the help of friars, in return the friars asked that Vigan be spared from bombings. So they say. But we found ourselves almost transported back to Spanish colonial days, with beautiful facades and carriages.

Here is the cobble-stone street up close. Please ignore my youngest sister's foot. As you can see, the local government has really taken pains to preserve it, as only carriages and people on foot are allowed to pass. Cars have to be left behind some distance because that would ruin the streets. Also, it's turned into a commercial district, full of restaurants and souvenir shops. The facades are the original ones, but over time (centuries), the owners have rented them out or converted them from residential to commercial, so no more antiques here, just a lot of cafes and souvenirs. Mama bought some longganisa and chicha-corn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was really very hot, sweltering even, so we bought dirty ice cream and there they had a flavor I've never tried before, much less knew existed: Pineapple! And I thought I'd eaten all kinds of dirty ice cream flavors: chocolate, avocado, cheese, cookies and cream, mango, strawberry, ube, but this was my first time to encounter a pineapple flavored one. Well all dirty ice cream pretty much tastes the same, except there was the faintest hint of pineapple flavor. First time for everything.

Since there wasn't much else to see other than souvenir shops, we left. Now, I can't remember whether we had lunch first or headed to Baluarte. Anyhow, we went to Vigan's plaza, and here the Spanish city-planning is even more obvious, because it's a rotunda surrounded by a Church, some municipal, and some commercial establishments. Even the fast-food restaurants were built into the old buildings, so they had a Spanish style. Ilocos has all your standard fast-food restaurants and some of the bigger chains that you can find in Manila, but on that day, everything was packed, so we went to McDonald's to eat. At their McDonald's they have a ketchup dispenser like Jollibee, but no Manila McDonald's I've been to has that. More on this in my succeeding entry.

Going back, the next place we visited was Ilocos Sur Governor Chavit Singson's place, the Baluarte. It's his bulwark or his territory, so to speak. I remember, in my Kas 100 class, my professor mentioned that there's a place in the Philippines where you can see alpacas, ostriches and other animals that aren't found in the Philippines apart from a zoo, and that's in Ilocos Sur because Governor Chavit Singson is known for keeping exotic pets, as well as being a notorious gambler. On another note, on our way there we passed by this big cock fighting stadium, and our tour guide told us that while there's a saying that Ilocanos are kuripot or thrifty, this is contradicted by their love of cock-fighting and illegal gambling, like jueteng, which the governor is said to be behind. They openly admitted to this, but they said, that even if that's the case, at least, they as constituents of the province benefit, their roads and schools, and it doesn't just go to dirty politicians' pockets.

So yeah, the Baluarte has the governor's residence, his offices, and a hotel and casino, but the main attraction is the mini-zoo that is open to the public. They even have horse rides, and a butterfly zoo, and a tiger show. Something unique about it too is most of the animals are free-range. There only a partial enclosure, but animals, like the deer and the sheep can wander out and you can approach them. It's just such a funny sight, seeing animals from different parts of the world and different climates and habitats interacting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was hot and it stank of manure, so we left right after strolling around the grounds the place. I wanted to go on a horse ride, even on the kalesas at the heritage village, but the sisters felt sorry for the horses in that heat, and I didn't want to go it alone.

Our next destination was the Paoay Church. And it was the most magnificent we've seen in Ilocos so far. Again, our tour guide provided pertinent names and dates regarding the Chuch, they just didn't stick in my memory. But,we learned that the facade is made out of coral, and if you come closer you'll really see the texture of the corals, and also the Church is known for its buttresses. I'm not exactly sure if it's gothic or baroque-influenced architecture, whatever it is, it's almost Medieval in its imposing character.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We stopped at the cafe across the Church because Mama needed to use the bathroom and while waiting, I took these pictures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The sampaguita bushes were in full bloom and walking to the Church, you could really smell them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The buttresses are really huge, and upon entering the threshold, it's actually very bright inside, not what you would expect from a solid rock building,

 

 

 

 

 

 

Papa took a picture of us three sisters on the right and Manang Michelle took this picture of us in front of the Church on the left. 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

That was the last stop in Vigan, and since we were ahead of schedule we headed back to Ilocos Norte to finish the last of the heritage tour that was supposed to be for the last day. We went to the Marcos Museum, in Batac. No trip to Ilocos Norte would be complete without it.

On the first day we visited the ancestral home of Marcos' mother's side, now we went to the one on his father's side. We were told that Imelda Marcos from time to time goes home there and that if she sees visitors from the balcony she waves to them and sometimes comes down to greet them. I can really imagine that they lived there. The doors alone have this vibe, like the greats passed there.

Anyway, the family home isn't open to the public, but the Mausoleum and the Museum are just next door. We stopped by the Mausoleum first, but we weren't allowed to take pictures inside. It's just this air-conditioned, black room lined with fake flowers with serene music playing in the background. Growing up, every time there was a commemoration of the EDSA People Power Revolution or Martial Law, they would always show footage of Marcos in his refrigerated crypt on the news, and I remember how curious it always got me. Not to be irreverent or disrespectful of the departed, but as a kid, I always wondered how they did it, I had all these sci-fi thoughts of how they preserved him. Sorry for digressing, but yeah, we noticed that Marcos looked a little bit waxy and my sister commented on how excellent the embalming must have been for him to look so pristine, even if he is refrigerated.

But our tour guide enlightened us and told us that was no longer the real body, and that under the glass was where the actual remains were kept. Before, it was the real deal, but after so many years, it was hard to maintain, or so she said, that they replaced the real one with a wax replica. There is a lot of speculation and I suppose only the family would know the truth. In any case, I should think it's about time for him to get his due, and that is to receive a decent and honorable burial. Last year there was a divisive public, political, and legal debate on whether he was worthy of a hero's burial, or at the very least a military one, having served the army, but PNoy, bearing a grudge, won't let that happen. Whatever anyone says, and this is regardless of his political success or failure, I don't think anyone deserves to be vilified even in death, that they would be denied burial rites. Let's give the man some peace. That's just me.

So, where were we? Oh, right the Museum. Yes. It's quite a comprehensive museum, following the entire course of Marcos' life and beginnings, from birth, education, rise in political ranks, marriage, his two terms, and so on, all his achievements, the revolution, until his death. I enjoyed it very much, the select array and all the memorabilia. I liked reading the newspaper clippings about his courtship of Imelda and how he was a bar top-notcher. All his medals from the army were on display too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let's not forget the small section of the museum devoted to Former First Lady Imelda Marcos' impressive wardrobe. You can never forget a woman with style and impeccable taste.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We left Batac after we were done looking around the museum and headed back to Laoag. On our way back to the car, we saw a small stall selling refreshments and snacks and its name was "Store-bucks" and we had a bit of a laugh at that. Filipino inventiveness at its finest.

So, back in Laoag at around 4, we stopped to have merienda, and our guide brought us to a cafeteria type of establishment because my parents and sisters wanted to try Ilocos empanada (I passed). I had halo-halo instead because it was just that hot. After that we went back to the resort where we went for a swim in the pool to cool off after a long hot day. We also had our dinner there too.

It was lights out after that because we were so tired.

There you have it, folks. That wraps up Day 3.

One more day ahead!