Pinky is overheating there too in the heat needing to get a drink of water which we actually need to put in the radiator. We loaded some extra water in some empty one liter Sprite bottles as you can see on the left hood of the car. So before this trip, old Nelly needed to have the radiator repaired and the brake master cylinder repaired since only the front brakes were working since the fluit was leaking from the master cylinder. So the car was back in the shop at our trusty mechanic, Freddy, in Manila.
He replaced the radiator and then proceeded to use household thread to wrap around the brake line connecting to the master cylinder. Good Lord, I hope this works. I've never heard of using a thread to fix a leaky master cylinder but hey, this is the Philippines.
The car was finally repaired and we packed up the kids into the car and proceeded to go up North. On the way on EDSA boulevard to the freeway entrance, Joanna and I got into an argument since she likes to critique my driving, but I loathe backseat drivers given the fact that I'm new to driving in Manila so I tend to be more cautious and slow in getting around. She told me to get gas on EDSA, but I was still seething from the argument that I told her we will just fill up when we got to Northern Luzon Expressway(NLEX). Well, guess what, we ran out of petrol right after the toll booth on NLEX. She was right, and I was apologizing profusely since she decided to pout(tampo) and sat in the car while I contemplated what to do. The car literally died at the toll booth so some booth workers got out from out of nowhere and pushed the car to the side while I contemplated on a solution. I was directed to a nearby building to talk to the supervisor who called a local version of AAA car service who bring out some petrol for me for $20. This is the third time we ran out of gas with this old car since the gas gauge is not functioning so guessing gas level is like playing the roulette anytime we take a long trip. Too bad there were no tricycle drivers around to fetch me gas in my empty Sprite bottle kept exactly for that purpose after running out of gas in Tarlac, Urdaneta, and Bolinao. A big yellow truck finally came and gave us gas and I was so thankful they had this service even though it took an hour and I swear every vehicle coming out of the toll booth seemed to be the yellow vehicle to save the day. Filipina girls are unforgiving and pout a long time and so I just kept quite until we made the next exit just a kilometer ahead. If I had known the exit was so near, I would have taken my bike and ridden on the highway shoulder and got the gas myself. Oh well.
We decide to go to Bolinao first to stop by and see her family and attend a food festival they were having. They have this annual tradition where the local barangays or townships in the county prepare on tables lined end to end to feed the public free for this one occasion. A lot of seafood was served since Bolinao is seafood central on the coast.
To make it up to Joanna, I decided to paint her house which has not been painted since it was built years ago. Luckily, her aunt owned a hardware store next door and she gave us some discount on paint and brushes for $300, and I enlisted her brother Carlson to help me paint the house. Joanna helped with the trim.
A day and a half later the house was finished. I don't like to play around, and I knew I could get this project done in two days. We decide on basic white primer and final coat just to give it a much more bright and open feel like in the Mediterranean.
We are now off to Vigan, and hopefully no more car troubles or else there will be more pouting in the car including Maya and Pinky.
Joanna seems to know all her favorite places to eat and we stop in La Union City for some palabok(noodle dish like Pad Thai), and all the girls are happy again. I snap a few pictures of the cafe just in case I open a cafe in the Philippines someday. The rustic decor really appeals to my aesthetics.
It's a fairly long drive to Vigan from Manila, about 9-10 hours so good thing we stopped in Bolinao first before going up to Vigan. I do all the driving since Joanna just wants to relax and Maya can't seem to find a comfortable place to sit despite having the back seat to herself and Pinky. Pinky doesn't seem to have any problems finding a place to sit on. So she finds her perfect spot finally.
Maya always finds her way to the front somehow sometimes irritating Joanna. I find her behavior amusing.
I guess she found her handrest and I find my head rest. Pinky in the back just lost her seat. Joanna reluctantly takes this photo since she hates Maya always getting her way into the front seat. After five hours of driving or so, we finally roll into Vigan in the dead of night. I almost pass Vigan, but Joanna points out the historical route into the city so we make a left into the old town and things become familiar again since I was last here in 2007 but on a bus on that trip. I guess Vigan has been undergoing some major renovations and renewal because there are a lot more traditional homes converted to boutique hotels. I find Hotel Felicidad down a small street parallel to the famed cobblestone promenade, Crisologo Street and inquire if they allow dogs. I get a negative response, and we are all very tired at this point of the evening after the long drive. I go to the next hotel down the street, Hotel de Salcedo and strike gold. The front desk agent gives us a nice cold drink and a hot oshibori towel and we check it for the evening to a basic room on the ground floor for about $75 per night. We have to switch upstairs to a bigger room tomorrow night because someone has reserved the room we are staying in this evening. I take the girls out to the famed street for a little walk since they are so excited.
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