Michi Photostory

Anyway, I’m excited to share some of the Back-to-School Projects I’ve finished over the past few weeks!

The Back-to-School Truck and Flower Pot designs are by Craft with Sarah. I love cutting her truck and flower pot designs whenever I just feel like crafting or want to use up paper scraps. 

My Back-to-School Stickers blog post is now live on the Printable Cuttable Creatables website! In the post, I shared how I made these cute stickers using matte sticker paper and various photo top finishes. I used matte, glossy, leather, glitter, and broken glass photo tops—my personal favorite is the broken glass one! 

If you'd like to recreate this project, you can download the files from Printable Cuttable Creatables and use code MICHIPS15 for 15% off. 

This Backpack Favor Bag was designed by Dreaming Tree, and I made it as my entry for Bee Happy Weeklies – Week 32: Stripes. 

To match the theme, I printed striped paper using the Lisa Glanz Texture Pack and incorporated it into the design. I used my Cricut Maker, along with Cricut pens and cardstock.

This little backpack is perfect as a party favor or a fun back-to-school gift—both cute and practical!

Hotel Luna is the first museum hotel in the Philippines. Of course, we didn’t want to miss the chance to see the different masterpieces of renowned artists. 

After visiting the museum, we went out to explore Calle Crisologo again. So we could take pictures without the tourist crowd, we recreated our 2012 shots. 

Because of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake last July 27, 2022, some tourist spots were damaged, including the Vigan Cathedral, old century houses, and Bantay Bell Tower. 

The original structure was built in 1574. In 1641, it was replaced by a church, and in 1800, it became a cathedral.

In 1763, this was the site where Gabriela Silang was executed. 

It was built to remember Father Jos P. Burgos martyrdom

In 1999, Vigan City became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in 2014, it was named one of the New7Wonders Cities. It is one of the few remaining Spanish colonial towns in the Philippines. So it’s not surprising that even the restaurants adapt their designs to match the heritage village vibe.

I’m glad that some stores were already open, so we were able to buy souvenirs and pasalubong before heading home. 

We were debating whether to ride a kalesa or not. I felt like we wouldn’t all fit in one kalesa. When we tried this in 2012, our son was still a toddler, so we all fit. 

I had no idea that Hotel Luna offered a Vigan Kalesa Tour. I didn’t notice it when I was browsing their website because I was only focused on the Vigan Tour. Sayang! Their kalesa looks nice and is spacious enough for four people. 

 Anyway, we went back to the hotel to get our luggage. We checked out early because we planned to visit Thunderbird Resort in La Union on our way home. 

I checked the Klook website for possible options: 

Hotel Luna also offers a Vigan City Tour for PHP 5,500 (minimum of 1 person, maximum of 5). But since we were only three people, I felt like we could save more with a DIY tour—so we went to Vigan without a fixed itinerary. 

If I had booked the Hotel Luna Vigan City Tour, here are the places we would’ve visited: 

Vigan Cathedral 

Padre Jose Burgos Museum 

Syquia Mansion (with entrance fees) 

Crisologo Museum 

Burnayan (Jar Making) 

Baluarte (Mini Zoo) 

Hidden Garden (Lunch) 

Camangaan Loom Weaving 

Bantay Bell Tower 

Calle Crisologo 

Hotel Museum Tour at Hotel Luna 

After reading the list, I realized there were three tourist spots we hadn’t visited during our first trip: Padre Jose Burgos Museum, Hidden Garden, and the Hotel Luna Museum.

We started our tour a little past 8 AM. Our first stop was Calle Crisologo. We walked around, took pictures, and checked if any stores were open. After going around, we found ourselves back at Hotel Luna. I asked the guard how much the fare for the tricycle to Bantay Bell Tower was. What a coincidence, a tricycle arrived, and the driver offered us a Vigan City Tour for PHP 800. 

I think it was a good deal—better than hopping from one tricycle to another. We also let the driver decide the order of the destinations. 

Our first stop was the Parish of Saint Augustine of Hippo and the Bantay Bell Tower. The tower once served as a watchtower during the Spanish Colonial Era. 

Thirteen years ago, we were lucky to go inside the bell tower, and this was the view. But during our latest visit, we couldn’t get near it anymore. Part of the structure crumbled on July 27, 2022, due to a magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Abra and nearby provinces. 

There’s no entrance fee, but you’ll need to register. The staff will gently remind you about the donation box. One staff member followed us and offered to take our pictures—so we ended up with tons of fun shots, like we were at the Leaning Tower of Pisa. He was really good at taking photos!

After that, we made a quick stop at the church. 

Crisologo Museum is the ancestral home of the late Congressman Floro S. Crisologo. The museum provides insight into his life and tragic death. 

Opening Hours: 9 AM to 5 PM, Mondays to Saturdays 

Entrance Fee: None (Donations only) 

Syquia Mansion was under renovation, so we went straight to Baluarte Zoo. We were hesitant at first because I found out na meron ng entrance fee—it used to be free. We’ve visited a few zoos abroad, and I knew this one was relatively small, but since we were already in Vigan, we decided to go. 

PHP 100 – Entrance fee only 

PHP 150 – Package A with shuttle service 

PHP 300 – Package B with shuttle service 

We just paid the basic entrance fee. Like last time, we didn’t explore the whole zoo. We just checked out a few birds while waiting for the live show, then left afterward. 

It was our first time visiting Hidden Garden. The area is quite big, with lots of items to buy and places to eat. I originally planned to have lunch here, but we weren’t hungry yet when we arrived. So, we explored, bought some plants, and picked up souvenirs. 

Lilong and Lilang Restaurant 

Plant Collection 

Grotto Area 

Bamboo Groves 

Lovers’ Corner 

Coffee Shop 

Bonsai Garden 

Plant Souvenirs

Clean Restrooms (with a small fee) 

Thirteen years ago, we only watched how they made pots. Now, visitors can try making a clay jar themselves! My son gave it a try since he didn’t get the chance to do pottery in Sagada. I didn’t join because we were in a bit of a hurry to finish the tour. 

We were the only guests at the time, so it felt like a private demo. No entrance fee; donations are appreciated. 

The driver asked if we wanted to visit a longganisa factory. I thought we’d see how it was made, but it turned out to be just a shop selling bagnet and longganisa. Hehehe! Still, we bought some since we had a fridge in the hotel and a cooler in the car. 

1 Kilo – PHP 560 

3/4 Kilo – PHP 420 

1/2 Kilo – PHP 280 

1/4 Kilo – PHP 140 

Vigan Longganisa 

PHP 160 – per dozen (large)

PHP 140 – per dozen (small) 

Actually, the bagnet my husband bought for his officemates at Calle Crisologo was cheaper. But maybe the driver earned commission from our orders—that’s probably why the price was higher. Still, both the bagnet and longganisa taste good, so no regrets! 

Our last stop was the National Museum. No entrance fee or donation needed. It’s an ancestral house built in 1788 and now houses three museums: 

Old Carcel Museum – Originally a jailhouse in 1657; President Elpidio Quirino was born here.

Magsingal Museum – Used to be a convent during the American period

Padre Burgos Museum – Previously served as a post office, Philippine Constabulary headquarters, and a branch of the Philippine National Bank

We completed our DIY Vigan City Tour in 4 hours and were back at the hotel before 1 PM.

After sunset, we returned to Calle Crisologo to take some night shots. We were planning to watch the Luneta Park Musical Dancing Fountain at Plaza Salcedo, but I wasn’t sure if the show would push through because it rained. So we just went back to the hotel to pack our stuff.