Photo Diary — Vigan City 2016 PART ONE

As what have I mentioned on my previous post, we visited Bantay Bell Tower first because it's near to where we are staying. When we got there, there were a lot of people already. Luckily, we managed to snap a photo here while they're touring inside the tower. We used our tripod to capture these photos. 

Inside St. Augustine Church

After exploring Bantay Bell Tower and St. Augustine Church, we immediately went back to our hotel. We wanted to watch the Oscar's to see Leonardo DeCaprio get his award but, we were so tired all of us fell asleep while watching. 

Next stop... Pagburnayan Pottery! Too bad I wasn't able to try it because of my wound in my finger.

Outfits I Wore In Vigan City

Ohhhh! I miss my hair!

When traveling, it's best to keep in mind the weather forecast for the duration of your trip then build your outfits from there.

I remember when Keziah and I were planning our outfits, we wanted to wear something that complements the "Vigan-vibe" but because I had to suddenly pay way too much tax, I just decided to not buy anything new.

I've never been a fan of style over comfort and when I travel, I like to wear something that I'm comfortable in. And, I think you should too.

Outfit 1

Hat: from China

Blazer: Thrifted

Top: Bench

Pants: Thrifted

Outfit 2

Top: Bazaar

Culottes: Thrifted

Sandals: Solemate

Outfit 3 

Dress: Thrifted

Sandals: Solemate

Travel Vlog — Vigan City, Philippines 2016

It took me forever to finish this video. I think, I made a total of 3 different edits before I finally settle. I'm so happy to share with you the first part of our Vigan travel vlog! Our first day was touring the spots near our hotel and spending much time in Calle Crisologo. Don't forget to watch it in HD! I hope you enjoy! :*

New To The City: Vigan City Travel Guide

Our first adventure last year was in Vigan. Vigan is located on the northern west coast of Luzon and it's the capital city of the province, Ilocos Sur, Philippines. It is the only UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Philippines and last May 2015, Vigan City became part of the New Seven Wonders Cities of the world. 

HOW TO GET TO VIGAN

Going to Vigan City by bus takes about 8 to 10 hours long. If you are going by a private vehicle, maybe it will take less than 10 hours depending on how many stopovers you will take and also, depending what time you will leave Manila. We rode the Partas bus at their Cubao terminal, it's along Aurora Blvd. I highly recommend you to ride here. We decided to take the Deluxe class because we want to feel comfortable during the entire trip. Deluxe Class - P805 // First Class - P665. Our scheduled departure was 10 pm but, we left the terminal at 11 pm. The bus didn't disappoint. It was spacious and the seats were really comfortable. Further Information: Partas Bus 

WHERE WE STAYED
We stayed at Henady Inn's main building for our 4 days and 3 nights stay in Vigan. We arrived at around 3 in the morning, our check in was 2 in the afternoon. We were all exhausted from the trip, and when we got there it was drizzling. We asked if we could check in early but, the staff said their earliest check in was at 9 am. We also need to pay extra for the early check in. The room we booked was their Standard Triple, it has 1 single bed and 1 bunk bed. I slept on the bottom of the bunk bed, it was okay but, my head kept on hitting the top bed. It was a hassle because I can't really sit on the bed. If I want to sit, I will sit on the single bed. The room is small, clean and secured. The view from our room is the first photo of this post. You can book a reservation through Agoda or message them on Facebook. I booked using Agoda. Further Information: Agoda or Facebook Page

We left our baggage in one of the rooms in front of the reception area then headed to Jollibee to have breakfast. After eating, we went back to the inn and stayed at their small lounge. Actually, it wasn't really a lounge but, there are benches and a balcony. We took pictures, charged our gadgets and rested until it was 8 am. 

GETTING AROUND
Tricycles and Kalesa are the main modes of transportation in Vigan. Each person costs 10php to 20php depending how far the place you are going to. Unfortunately, based on our experience, some tricycle drivers took advantage of us, being tourists, especially if you ask the driver how much or if you look clueless. I highly suggest you to have coins. We experienced being tricked by a tricycle driver. I even asked a policeman along Calle Crisologo about the fare rates in Vigan. He told us "Ay Mam, naloko po kayo". I think that happened because we paid using 100php.We didn't have any spare change with us. The policeman also said that at night, some drivers charge 15php each person. We also experienced a driver telling us that we paid less, he started asking for more. So, I was the one who talked to him, telling that I know how to get around Vigan and I'm well informed about the rates. He stopped blabbing and left. As for the Kalesa, they offer tours which cost 150 per hour. We were lucky enough to find a very friendly kutsero. We really enjoyed his company, he made the tour enjoyable and we learned a lot from him.



WHERE WE ATE
There are a lot of restaurants to try in Vigan, the most popular ones are around Calle Crisologo. My personal favorite was Cafe Leona. The service, food, and price are great! What makes it my favorite is because of the ambiance, it brought me back in the past.

WHAT TO DO & VISIT
Here are the places we have managed to visit when we were there:

Vigan:
Crisologo Museum
Burgos National Museum
Syquia Mansion

Hidden Garden

Baluarte

Calle Crisologo

Plaza Salcedo Dancing Fountain Show

Pagburnayan Pottery

Mindoro Beach

Outside Vigan:

Unfortunately, I forgot what the name of the weaving place we went to. But, one of the popular weaving places is Abel Loom Weaving in Caoayan.

WHERE TO BUY SOUVENIRS
You can simply buy souvenirs in Calle Crisologo. I suggest you check all of the stores first before buying because they all sell similar items at different prices. 

SIDE TRIP
We decided to pay Pinsal Falls a visit, located in Sta. Maria, Ilocos Sur. Going here is easy, we rode a UV Express in the terminal and dropped off at SM Savemore, the trip was around an hour. From SM Savemore, hire a tricycle and tell him you're going to Pinsal Falls. Hiring a tricycle is a must unless you want to walk from Pinsal Falls to SM Savemore. Hehe

There are still a lot of places to see that is not mentioned here but, I hope this little guide helped you somehow. Have fun! Oh, and don't eat too much bagnet! :) 

What My 2017 Will Be Like

We are on the 9th day of 2017! Wow! That was fast! I hope you are all having a wonderful year so far! (* ^ ω ^) 

2016 was a year full of travel, I was able to ride the airplane multiple times, ride buses and boats to see old and new places. But, I'm a little sad to say that my 2017 wouldn't be like that anymore. I said, "a little sad" because there are places I haven't visited near me, provinces that aren't far, activities I have yet to experience. Besides, there's always something new to see. 

We travel to a place to see and experience what that city or island has to offer. Often times, we don't offer our time to explore the city we are living or the cities/places near us. I call myself the adventure traveler, I don't like staying in or relaxing by the pool but, don't get me wrong, that is also awesome. Whenever I travel, I like seeing their culture and history, what they are popular and the least popular for. 

Every month this year, I'm thinking of going to places with in my reach and experience activities that I haven't done before. 

Maybe you are confused to why I'm saying this. That is because I am paying my own tuition fee - in full, I need to have a budget for my food and, I also have bills to pay. Despite living in my parents' home, I'm pretty much independent. So, I really need to lessen my expenses. #adulting

As much as I want to travel and ride airplanes, I'm just going to save that for later and finish school. With all that being said, I know with all my heart that my 2017 will be tough but, I'm excited to deal with it. 

I hope in 2017, you'll be able to do what makes you happy because, at the end of the day, it's your life and you have the right to chase your dreams and happiness.

Cheers!

Travel Moments of 2016

2016 was the year I got the chance to travel to both new and favorite places with friends, my boyfriend and his family. Despite some downturn, I will still say, 2016 is my best year so far. Here are the places in the Philippies I was able to visit in 2016:

MARCH - VIGAN CITY

My first trip this year was in Vigan, a city 10 hours away from Manila. It's also my first time to travel with Keziah and rode on a first class bus! Going to Vigan was an easy decision because it's all in our bucket list. Aside from the head bumps I had from the bunk bed I was sleeping on, for me, what made this trip memorable was our game night in our hotel room and our loooong kalesa tour. 

APRIL - BORACAY ISLAND

Ahhhh! If you don't know, I love sunsets! And the sunset I've seen in Boracay was the best! Going to Boracay was an opportunity that was given to me by Philip's family, I also got the chance to bond with them more. Honestly, I am not an island girl, I don't know how to swim, so I've never thought I'll visit Boracay someday. Thank you! Going to Boracay made me want to take up swimming classes! Haha! I've also witnessed how friendly and fun foreigners are. This trip was beyond amazing! I'm definitely coming back!

WATCH MY BORACAY ADVENTURE || 

SEPTEMBER - BACOLOD CITY

As you may or may not know, Bacolod City is where Philip grew up, so going here makes me happy. We did a 2 day stop in Bacolod before we head to Iloilo City. During our trip to Bacolod-Iloilo-Isla de Gigantes, I made sure to gather video clips as much as possible and get close to what I like my video to look like. I still need a ton of practice though and, I'm still trying various of styles in terms of videoing and editing. During our stay in Bacolod, I was able to meet Philip's Highschool friends and also, we went to Mambukal Resort. For further information about Mambukal Resort, please check it here. 

WATCH MY BACOLOD ADVENTURE || 

SEPTEMBER - ILOILO CITY

After spending 2 days in Bacolod we headed to Iloilo City to attend Philip's nephew's baptism. It's my first time in the city and it was also my first time riding a speed boat. Our time here is not enough, there are a lot to see! Iloilo is such a beautiful city! I would love to go back!  

SEPTEMBER - ISLA DE GIGANTES

Isla de Gigantes has been on our bucket list since it became popular. Our trip here was hella memorable! Haha! I will talk about our experience on a different post! You better watch out for it! I will update this section once the post has been published!

DECEMBER - BAGUIO CITY

Welcome to our new home! Haha! Just kidding! As you may or may not know, Baguio is my most favorite place in the Philippines! It's like a second home to me! After our trip last September, I wasn't planning to go on another trip but, Philip insisted! He wanted to go to Baguio so bad just to see the big Christmas tree! <3 But, I guess agreeing to go here is a good decision and a better way of ending my year in travel.

I can't still grasp the fact that a new year has started! 2017 will be a different year for sure! Honestly, 2017 will be a difficult year for me. >__<  But, I'm going to try my best to make it a fulfilling one! Cheers to another year! 

New Year. New Name. A Fresh Start.

Happy New Year my loves! I hope you had a happy and fulfilling 2016! Today is the first day of 2017. A time to make new memories, new plans, new start, new what-ever-it-may. 

Before you start reading, I'd like to thank you for clicking the link and I hope you will continue and reach the end of this post. :)

After jotting down the articles I will share this month, I thought today's post will be the easiest. But it's not, I've consumed much time just thinking about the title for this post. I wanted it to be straight forward. Hence the title: New Year = 2017. New Name = Love, Armi. A Fresh Start = For the blog. 

I wanted to start from scratch ever since I stopped blogging on The Wanderer's Rush. TWR has been a place where I share my love for fashion, I share my outfit of the day, my favorite designers, a little bit of beauty and travel. I felt a disconnection with TWR and/or what I'm blogging about when I started experiencing a sudden shift of lifestyle. 

I started blogging back in 2012, when I was still studying Fashion Designing at the Fashion Institute of the Philippines. If you will look at my archives, I deleted most of the TWR posts and left the posts that have gotten a lot of views. I've tagged it as the Best of The Wanderer's Rush.

Mid last year, I made a new blog called, "Inspired By Desires", a blog title that is so relatable to what my life is at now. I'm doing everything I could because of my desires; my goals. Honestly, I have already written my aim for that blog but, early December, when I was about to buy inspiredbydesires.com, it said it's not available anymore. I was so surprised because when I made that blog there's no "Inspired By Desires". I checked the domain and voila! A new blog with the domain I want and with my blog title. I emailed them. Didn't get a reply. As much as I want to keep the title "Inspired By Desires", still, I will not be able to get that domain I wanted. That's why I'm here, back in the platform of TWR. After much deliberation with my boyfriend Philip, I have decided to rebrand. 


Love, Armi ❤ is a place where I'll share all the things I love, my experiences and what makes me happy. Aside from that, I will also share the places I want to visit in the future, like hotels, countries, tourist attractions and also, a guide for newbies. I am passionate with a lot of things and I am very (veryveryveryvery) excited to share it with you. To get an idea, you may check the navigation bar or main menu of my blog.

I hope you'll stick around! Thank you very much for reading this post. If you have a blog feel free to share it down in the comments section! I'd love to visit it! Have a great day!