After having a quiet moment in a Church in the town of Bantay just outside Vigan, we went to the famed BALUARTE of Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson. He used to live here, but now serves as a zoo and a conservation facility for endagered animals. But what's cool is that admission is ABSOLUTELY FREE!
Once you've entered, the first animals you see are these beautiful, colorful birds. We couldn't resist having our pictures taken! They were so sweet!
Look at these cute, orange birds. Don't they look adorable? Well...looks can be deceiving. When Milds tried to touch 'em, one of the little imps gave her a peck on the finger! NAUGHTY!!
But this one, MY GOSH! It knew I was taking photos of him or her. And he/she was just so game showing off all of his/her angles! Photogenic!
The big ostrich is also found here in Baluarte. It's funny because they kept pecking at the paint in their enclosure. Is that an ostrich's main diet?
Other animals in Baluarte are the Miniature Horses (you could take them out for a ride via a tiburin, or a small horse-drawn carriage,) and some kind of sheep or deer which we saw were grazing in the vast field. There were also geese, swimming around a tiny pond.
And lastly, this is Chavit's pride: HIS TWO TIGERS. It was so cool to see them lounging around. If they weren't wild animals I would've hugged them!
It was nice to see that Chavit Singson really makes sure his animals are healthy and have their freedom to roam around, and their sanctuary clean. The animals look happy their. Plus the kids had a grand time interacting with the animals. It's a great way to teach them about these animals and conservation. For that, I say KUDOS TO CHAVIT SINGSON! :)
Since we were kind of rushing around and also hungry, we left Baluarte for yet another clean-and-green area: HIDDEN GARDEN. Kuya Richard said there was a nice restaurant we could eat in (that will be in a separate post) so we hurried towards it. It's my first time to see these places, so I was totally psyched.
Although I'm not a big fan of plants, Hidden Garden was a breath of fresh air. There were lots of plants (most were for sale), my Mother would've loved this place!
The Hidden Garden has been visited by some local celebrities like Pops Fernandez and Gabby Concepcion, as evidenced by their wall with photos put up by owner Francis Flores, a landscape artist.. And it has also been used by the Going Bulilit (a popular gag show for kids) kids in one of their shows. I didn't really know that the place was THIS popular.
So if in Vigan, don't miss out on these places. They're really beautiful and it can help you de-stress! If only we had a lot of time in our hands, we'd really take time to go around and take in the sights.
For more information on Baluarte click on this link.
For Hidden Garden please click on this.
Other links to our Vigan tour:
Part 1: Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
Part 2: Cordillera Inn, Night Shots and Empanada
Part 3: Crisologo and SyQuia Museums
Part 4: Bantay Bell Tower and St. Augustine Parish Church
Vigan is my most favorite place, and I try to go to Baluarte each time I am there. My favorite animal there is the camel - so friendly. :)
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Hi Jenn!! It was my 1st time in Baluarte and it was so cool talaga! Sayang we weren't able to see the camels while we were there cos we were rushing by lang.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the follow too! Your blog entries make me hungry! Will read more of your entries! :)