Day 64 - Monday March 18, 2024, Ilocos (Salomague), Philippines

Arrival: 10:00 All Aboard: 18:30 Departure: 19:00

The ocean is like glass as we make our way to our second and final stop in the Philippines. There is not a breath of wind to speak of.

Wow what a welcoming! This port gets very few cruise ships, we were just the fourth this year, so the locals were very excited.

First the tugboat adorned with flags greets us with its water cannon streaming water. Then as we dock roughly three dozen dancers perform for us with background music. What a treat!!

We are off to Vigan a Spanish colonial town established in the 16th century. The village is considered an UNESCO heritage site with its historical buildings. The village was significantly damaged by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake on July 20,2022 killing five people. Most of buildings and churches are in need of repairs.

Most of the churches in Vigan need repairs.

We enjoyed a walk about and had a typical Philippine lunch which included sweet potato fries cooked in coconut oil and served with sugar and banana ketchup.

With everyone on board, Insignia is now sailing off to Taiwan 476 nautical miles away. You can see people on the dock waving goodbye to crew members who make this part of the Philippines home.