Caramoan Island Hopping

Since the owner of the Pension House owns a boat too, we decided to get his boat rental for P2500. Most of the famous islands in Caramoan were closed due to Survivor taping (which was really a big disappointment) that’s why we had no choice but to see only two islands which were spared for the tourists. Well, thank you then Mr. Governor!

pic from pinoy exchange

We spent a 30 minute rough ride to Pical Port to catch the boat for our island hopping tour. Since most of the nice islands and beaches were closed, Cotivas Island and Manlawi Sandbar were the only places where we could go. I think there was another island that we were supposed to go but since we would be visiting Brgy. Tabgon, Nelson decided not to include it in the list.

early morning at Pical Port

We reached Pical Port at around eight in the morning. There were also a few people who would go island hopping that day. BIL even bumped into his batchmate from UST, who happened to be the son of the Mayor of Caramoan, whom we also met that day. Got the bragging rite eh?! Well, talking to him was like being inside the freezer.. sa sobrang hangin, super din ang lamig! 😀

Johannah: Caramoan Bed & Dine’s boat

Cotivas Island

low tide in the morning

It took us almost an hour and a half in going to this island. Unfortunately, it was low tide. Even if you’ve walked a few meters away, the water won’t go waist deep. 😦 The water was crystal clear and aside from that, the place was blessed with so many starfish. 🙂 Since it was low tide, they were scattered in the sand. Some were even folding their arms/rays, some were hard and some were soft. They came in different colors too. What a beautiful sight!

a few cottages in the island at P50

another island next to Cotivas Island

There was an island next to Cotivas Island, where we planned to check. Unfortunately, there were many sea urchins scattered everywhere. Actually, without those sea urchins, we would be able to set our feet in that island since it was low tide. Water was just leg deep. 🙂 A sandbar appeared to us a few meters away from our cottage. It was close to where our boat was. How could you enjoy swimming in this beautiful beach if the water is not that deep? 😦

Sandbar close to Cotivas Island

at the other side of Cotivas Island

After we had our lunch, Kuya Nelson decided to leave the island and head to Manlawi Sandbar. Of course, we were kinda excited that we could finally take a dip. It took us around an hour to reach the sandbar. The place were kinda crowded, boats were everywhere as well as the people enjoying their stay. Floating cottages were available for P200. OMG, so expensive! 😀

floating cottage at P200 each

waist deep water at Manlawi Sandbar

photo shoot?

heaven for camera addicts

I think this was the place where most people enjoyed the most. How did I say that? Wasn’t it obvious? Wherever you turn head, you would see cam whores so busy taking pictures of themselves as if there was an on going photo shoot for a sexy magazine. tee hee! All you have to do is to look for a nice angle where you could take your shot like there was no other people in that place aside from you. Yup, believe me. The place was so incredible and magnificent.

as if we’re the only people there huh!

After an hour of taking beautiful shots, the water finally went high. We were able to enjoy swimming! Yey! After a few minutes of dipping in the water, we left the place so that we could reach Mt. Tabgon before sundown. The trip was like forever! From Manlawi Sanbdar to the mountain where the Mother of Peace Grotto can be found took us around an hour and a half.

 

Surviving the Trip to Caramoan

Going to Bicol, we took the Philtranco bus at the Pasay Station. Our trip was scheduled at 8:00pm of the 4th day of April. Since there were some road improvements going on in some provinces like Quezon, we arrived at Naga City bus terminal station at exactly 7:00 am. (3 hours late, super sakit sa p*et!) After having our breakfast and booked a trip to Manila, we headed to the Filcab terminal which can be found accross SM Naga. The bus terminal is located behind the mall. So going to Filcab terminal from the bus terminal was a just a few steps away.:)

Naga City Bus Terminal

There were many passengers going to Sabang that time but there were only a few vans. MIL decided that we take a taxi instead so that we would be able to catch the last trip at 1pm. The taxi driver of a Revo we found in front of SM City, charged us P1500 for the trip. But if we would base on his meter, it should have only cost us P750. 😀 We reached Sabang at around 11:30am, that was just an an hour and a half of travel.

Sabang Port

Hubby and I looked for the registration area but what we only found was a long queue of people at the back of the Filcab terminal. There was a man who was manning the registration. The schedule of trips to Guijalo Port had been changed due to the big number of passengers at that time. But the regular schedules are as follows: 5:30 am, 7 am, 9am, 11 am and 2pm. I never thought that many people would also spend their Holy Week in Caramoan. 😀 After spending around 20 minutes of queueing, we were able to list our names and got the paper tickets. FINALLY! All we have to do was to wait for the boat “HARRY IV”. For how long, no one knew….

Hubby queueing for the registration

Passengers queueing for boarding ;D

Manong Porter; the man in black

If you want to have a good seat on the boat, let Manong Porter take your bags to the boat. The porters save seats for passengers too. It’s up to you how much tip would you give him. 🙂 All of them were nice and accommodating.

The floating boat

On 2010, passengers were being carried by the porters on their shoulders during low tide. But since last year, there were some men who made a floating boat (I am not that sure if that’s how they call it) that could transport the passengers to the boat. Each passenger needs to pay P10 for that service, to those men in red. Out of curiosity, I asked them why there’s only one. According to them, making that thing had cost them P60,000. Yep, because those pvc drums used as floaters were kinda expensive.

Men in red

The place is secured and safe: Soldiers nearby

Now ready for boarding

life jackets on boat

We left Sabang Port at around past one. Another 2 hour trip on the boat to Guijalo Port. Gosh! Pudpod na wetlocks ko! Imagine, going to Caramoan was like a “penitensya” already. 🙂 Manila to Naga by bus: 11 hours, Naga  to Sabang: 1 1/2 hours, Sabang  to Guijalo Port: 2 hours, Guijalo Port to Caramoan town proper: 20-30 minutes. Should this be considered as Visita Iglesia?! 😀

On our way to Guijalo Port from Sabang Port

Who wouldn’t get sleepy in a two hour boat ride?! Parang duyan lang eh. 😉 There’s nothing much to see aside from the grassy mountains on the left side (looks like NZ right?) and endless body of water on the right side. We were so thankful that the waves were kinda good to us. The ocean was calm on our way to Guijalo Port.

Docking at Guijalo Port

at the Guijalo Port

Upon reaching the place, you have to pay P5/pax environmental fee to the staff that can be found at the Caramoan Feeder Port Area. We were picked up by Kuya Allan, the owner of Caramoan Bed & Dine, by his non airconditoned old toyota fx. He charged us P300. But you can rent a trike to the town proper for a P150. It took us around 20-30 minutes of reaching the town proper. Finally, after a very loooong trip, we can now relax and have some rest!

Caramoan Town Proper

Caramoan Bed & Dine

We checked in at Caramoan Bed & Dine’s Pension House. Aside from the Pension House, rooms are also available here which are quite affordable. After we had our late lunch, we took a short walk and bought some stuff. MIL and SIL bought fruits at the nearby market while hubby and I bought fried isaw along the street and some ice cramble… 🙂 Super solved. We also went to the Caramoan church, the Parish Church of St. Michael the Archangel. This church was put up by the Franciscan missionaries who wanted to spread the good news in the late 16th century. The church has a mezanine where in the public can go to and see the wonderful view of Caramoan Peninsula, which we were not able to do. Next time, we’ll give it a try… 😀

St. Michael The Archangel Parish

Camsur Escapade on Holy Week

Since SIL will be home this Holy Week and decided that Camsur would be our next destination, I made a research about it. None of us has been there yet, meaning… no tour guides. 🙂 So I thought that reading would at least help us in some ways. Our initial plan was to go there by plane, actually we already booked last year, but Zestair cancelled all of their flights to Naga for an unknown reason at all. Maybe you already know how it feels like huh… 😦

Of course, Caramoan shouldn’t be missed! 🙂 After having some research, I made a tentative itinerary for 6 days. Mahaba ba? 😉 Well, I am not sure if it could be strictly followed… but I guess having this on hand would be a great help to all of us to keep track our schedule. So far, this is what I had showed to SIL and MIL:

Day 1 :

Arrival in Naga
Hotel Check in

Day 2:

(am) Donsol, Sorsogon: Whale Shark Watching/Interaction
(pm) Legazpi: Embarcadero Lighthouse Viewdeck + Daraga: Cagsawa Ruins

Day 3:

Going to Caramoan
Island Hopping Tour

Day 4:

Caramoan Island Hopping/
Shrine of our Lady of Peace
Hardcore Caving at Culapnit Cave

Day 5:

Going Back to Naga
Wakeboarding/ Daytour at CWC
Buy Pasalubong

Day 6:

Departure to Manila

I already checked for the rates of the activities included in our itinerary. It’s all based on the blogs I had read which were posted on 2010. Well, there might have been some changes now but at least it would serve as a guide right?

Whale Shark Interaction:
Admission – P100/pax
Boat – P3500/group (max of

Caramoan Island Hopping:
4 islands – P1500 (magkakalayo daw ang mga islands)
additional island – P500
8 islands – P3500

Hardcore Caving:
Fee – P20/person
tricycle fare to the cave & back – P200
tour guide fee – P200
use of gas lamp – P250
tip to cave exploring assistants – P40/person

MIL had our reservation at Caramoan Bed & Dine. I haven’t found any reviews about this place though. But if you’re looking for other accommodations in Caramoan, check this site.

And what awaits us this Holy Week? Oh my…. these photos were like talking to me! XD

whale shark watching

Embarcadero Lighthouse Viewdeck

Cagsawa Ruins

Caramoan Islands

Grotto of Mother of Peace

Kulapnit Cave

Wakeboarding at CWC

Based on what I had read, most of the beaches near Gota beach will be closed for the shooting of Survivor. So, do you think we would be able to see the true beauty of Caramoan if it is prohibited to the Filipinos? Strange isn’t it? Filipinos are prohibited to set foot on his own land. Tsk tsk tsk…. It’s not only for a year but for so many years. 😦 Should we need a dialogue to the Camsur government?

off limits??

A Taste of Taiwanese Dishes at Shang Tsu

So after being idle for a while, I decided to keep myself busy again in writing posts here on my blog. Oh, during the past months I was so busy doing lots of things, most of the time I was online but can’t drop by on wordpress for I can’t think of anything to write. Yeah… can’t think. 😀

Two weeks ago, hubby and I, together with my youngest sissies, went to Shang Tsu. It’s a Taiwanese Restaurant located in Tomas Morato. It’s not that I like Taiwanese food, but since I was to able to get the deal from MetroDeal (yes, t’was my first time to buy online and guess what, I bought 8 vouchers!), there’s no turning back. Each voucher cost P80 only but its actual worth was P160. Great steal right?

It was stated in the fine print that only 4 vouchers can be used per table but when we get there, we were able to use all the vouchers. Another thing was, the lady staff never asked for my ID. Oh well, after signing 8x (I wasn’t even sure if my signature were all the same.), our orders had finally arrived. All of us ordered for a set meal plus some appetizers and drinks.

Complimentary Tea

Fried Chicken Leg with authentic Taiwanese sides; bestseller (P165)

Crispy Porkchop Rice with authentic Taiwanese sides; bestseller (P165)

Stir Fried Beef w/ Black Pepper & Onion with side dishes (P165)

Sweet and Sour Fish with side dishes (P165)

Authentic Taiwanese Sides: century egg, bean curd and mixed veggies

Shredded Beef Noodle Soup (P165)

A piece of cake? Nah, it’s a tofu… (P65)

Homemade Sweet Potato Fries (P65)

Jumbo Sour Plum Juice (P90) and Taiwanese Milk Tea with ice cream (P70)

It’s my first to drink in a huge glass like this, which I believe is a vase. Sour Plum was of course, sour! The taste was too strong… Hubby had only a few sips to think he was too excited to have the jumbo drink. 😉 I hope they could make it a bit sweeter. While for my sisters who ordered for a milk tea (which has no milk literally) with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (I guess) were kinda disappointed. Perhaps they were used to the taste of the commercialized milk teas which are more extravagant than this one which was plain and simple. As for me, I am not a tea lover that’s why I have no time checking out the new tea places like Happy Lemon and Cha time.

Picture.. picture!

Of course, my sissies were too busy taking pictures. Can you see the bowl of noodle soup? Hubby was so shocked upon seeing the BIG bowl. heheh.. It’s bigger than my head huh! In fact, it can by shared by four, promise! Apparently, the soup was absolutely delicious and I loved it! It has a generous amount of meat and veggies. Perfect for those who are in a diet. 🙂

I have read from other blogs that the chicken leg is a must try because of its distinct taste. Uhm… actually, I was not that satisfied (same feling when I tried Bonchon Chicken but different reasons, of course). The chicken was a bit dry. I was expecting it to be juicy but it’s not. The only thing I like about the chicken leg was the meat. It was so tasty even without the covering! No need for any sauces.  😀

A feast on our table *winks

Of course, we can’t leave the place without a group pic. That’s why I approached one of the kitchen staff to take a shot of us but a young and cute gentleman volunteered and insisted that he would take our pic istead. According to him he’s the acting manager of the restaurant and drop by there to help at times. Oh by the way, he was with his wife and new born child. 😀 That’s why I didn’t bother to ask for his name. lol

Leaving Shang Tsu

We were so full that we were not able to ingest all the foods in our table. So we had the noodles, sweet potato fries and tofu for take out. They were all placed in a paper bag. Eco-friendly resto huh! Nice. 🙂 Since 10pm was their closing time, we decided to left immediately. All in all, our dining experience here was a great one. It’s like having dinner at home. Why? Because the place is quite small and can only accommodate 20-30 persons. Ooops, I super love the homemade fries! New favorite of mine. 😀

How to get there:

From Cubao, take the jeepney bound to Quiapo then get off in Tomas Morato. Petron Station is the landmark. From the gasoline station, turn right. Keep walking until you see the Creekside Square, before the bridge. Minimum fare only.

From Quaipo, take the jeepney bound to E.Rod/St. Lukes/Cubao then get off in Tomas Morato. Petron Station is the landmark. From the gasoline station, turn left. Keep walking until you see the Creekside Square, before the bridge. Minimum fare only.

SHANG TSU: Unit 5, Creekside Square
74 Tomas Morato Ave., Barangay Kristong Hari, District 4
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

50mm Lens Bracelet by Adam Elmakias

Finally, the package I have been waiting for a week has just arrived yesterday! Yey! I was so happy and excited to open it and see the prize I got from posting an insight at Photoworld Manila fb page. 🙂 The waiting has finally come to an end! 😀

Air21 package

Winning a prize was so overwhelming! As soon as I opened the package, the bracelets came out. They are so cute! Of course, I have to keep these away from hubby’s sight because it would be my graduation gift (he’s taking Basic Photography class at FPPF) and at the same time my anniversary gift to him on our 4th year wedding anniversary. hehehe…. That’s why I was so determined to get this from Photoworld. What did I do? Kept my fingers crossed and whispered a prayer while typing my message out of desperation. lol!

50mm Lens Bracelet by Adam Elmakias

These bracelets are not available here in the Philippines but you can get it online. As I googled it, here are some details I found about these bracelets.

• The soft silicone bracelet is a replica of the camera’s lens’ focusing ring.
• It’s one size fits all.
  
• Available in 50mm prime or 24-70mm zoom.
• Embossed lettering and ridge detail.

Winning these bracelets was like winning in the lottery. I haven’t won anything in the past, not even in the raffle draws during Christmas party. That’s why I am so grateful for being one of the lucky recipients of these cool bracelets! :))

 

Lens Bracelet from Photoworld Manila

As I was browsing the facebook fanpage of Photoworld Manila, I happened to see the latest promo that was soon to end on that day. In short, it was the last day for the “Pay it Forward” contest where three winners will receive a pair of 50mm lens bracelet.

“Pay it Forward” is used to describe the concept of asking that a good turn be repaid by having it done to others instead.

The mechanics were just so simple: The likers were asked to answer this question: Who will be the person you will give the bracelet to? Many had responded and shared their thoughts about it. And since it was not yet too late for me to make a comment, I wrote down my answer hoping to win this stuff so that I have something special to give for my hubby as he graduates from his Basic Photography Class at the FPPF.

Hubby was indeed a collector of such items and I am pretty sure that this bracelet would put a huge smile on his face. And at the same time, it would be our second couple thingy. 🙂 We are both into photography and these bracelets would surely be a symbolic representation of our shared passion.

Well, the announcement was made at 12 midnight of December 5th. I actually forgot about it and had the least expectation that I would win from this contest. Of course, many had joined and shared wonderful insights about the “pay it forward” theme and only 3 lucky winners would be able to get this prize. But I was surprised to see that one of the notifications I received today was from Photoworld Manila. The winners have been announced, not only three but FIFTEEN! Wow! 😉 And I was soooo lucky to be included in the list. Yey! Clap clap clap!

All I have to do is to wait for the delivery of these cute bracelets! Can’t wait to gift it to hubby and wear it as well. :)) Thanks Photoworld Manila for being so generous. May you continuously inspire the Filipinos to do well at photography.

Cebu City Tour in One Day

Oh, it’s been a while since my last post…. Quite busy with so many things. But hey, got another one about our last trip. :))

Since I wanted to surprise hubby with a different way of celebrating his birthday, I booked a flight several months ago without him knowing. A few days before his birthday, I decided to let the cat out of the bag so that he can file a leave of absence before our flight. He was kinda “surprised” and “speechless” when he learned about that. YES! 🙂

We headed to Cebu with no hotel in mind to go. That was the first time we went out of town and did not bother to book a hotel. I was too confident that we can find one. So upon reaching Mactan, we decided to drop by Mactan Shrine. I cannot remember how many rides we had taken. From the airport, we took the blue cab with the “Merkado” signboard. Then took another jeepney with the “Punta Engano” signboard. Going to Mactan Shrine was a very long ride. Tip: Ask the driver to drop you off at the Mactan Shrine. It’s before Shangrila Mactan resort.

From the shrine, we rode another jeepney with the “Highway” signboard. Then we asked the driver to drop us off where we could take a jeepney to Cebu. We were instructed then to take a jeepney with “Colon J’ signboard. Wrong jeepney… I thought any COLON signboard would take us to Colon Street. Of course, I was wrong. 😦 Their jeepney routes were quite confusing, most especially to first timers like us. Tsk tsk tsk…

We were able to reach Colon Street. As we were trying to look for Ms Sherry Pension House, the hostel where I was planning to book for, we found Mercedes Hotel. Because of the creepy look of the Pension House, we opted to stay at Mercedes Hotel though it was quite pricey compared to the other one. No regrets! :)) Soon after getting enough rest, we started our walking tour through the help of the map I copied from google map. 🙂

Mactan Shrine

Lapu Lapu Monument

Mactan Shrine Tablet

Heritage of Cebu

Lapu Lapu and his men (Heritage of Cebu)

Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House (P100 entrance fee)

The pricey entrance fee stopped us from getting in. 🙂 Nothing much to see aside from old furniture and stuff that can be seen from the opened door. We opted to take a peek at the Casa Gorordo Museum. Oh boy, no photography allowed. The house was great, old stuff used from the past was preserved with care, from the dining wares to the wooden beds. One of the things I learned: Guests of the family were not allowed to get inside the house, they can only stay at the living room near the house entrance.

Casa Gorordo Museum facade

Casa Gorordo Museum (P40 Entrance Fee)

Entrance of Fort San Pedro (P40 Entrance Fee)

Fort San Pedro

Inside Fort San Pedro

Magellan’s Cross

This was where I had fun the most. Colorful candles have meanings according to their color. And manangs wearing yellow blouse and red skirt will dance as they pray for you. You have the choice not to leave the candles. It can be brought inside the Basilica or can be brought at home. Take your pick! Candles were not being lighted here because all of the candles here are being offered in the church, where these candles will all be lighted. 🙂 Manangs here were also approachable. For a souvenir pic, we approached the manang who danced for me to take a picture of us. She’s so kind to do so. :))

Colorful Candles (with meaning) at P10 each.

Basilica of Sto. Nino

The Original Sto. Nino Image

Pilgrim Center (P10 Entrance Fee; No Photography)

Mambukal Resort in Murcia

On the third day of our stay in Bacolod, we went to Murcia hoping to have an enjoyable day at Mambukal Resort. From Lacson Street, we toook a Mandalagan – Libertad jeepney in going to the public market where we can take the bus heading to Mambukal Resort. We were told to wait at the bus terminal but not a single bus to Mambukal had come. Buses to Murcia were just passing by the public market. Upon seeing one, we hurriedly hopped in at the small mini bus. Fare was P35/head. It took us two long hours in reaching the resort. But on our way to Murcia, we had seen big sugarcane fields. For fear of losing my camera, I did not mind taking snapshots of the magnificent views. Murcia also has beautiful churches… People were simple as well as their way of life.

Mambukal Resort

The bus stopped at the entrance of the resort. They have a terminal outside the resort that’s why going back to Bacolod won’t be a problem at all. As we entered the resort, an entrance fee of P50/adult and P40/kid was paid at the booth near the gate. Going to the pool as well as to the other amenities of the resort was quite a long walk from the entrance. But the view won’t make you feel tired.

our group pic 🙂

two pathways… taking the left side was better.

Mambukal Resort Rates

river

There were only a few people we had seen at the resort at around half past eight in the morning.  After our breakfast, we headed to the swimming pools. There were only three swimming pools in the resort, one of them was a sulfur pool. A pool which I think is best for the oldies for they can relax in the pool. I would like to try dipping in that pool but my hubby as well as the kids love to dip in the regular pool. 😥 Not that bad because the regular pool was the biggest among the three and it is divided into two parts, one for the kiddos and the other side for the adults. Wearing of swimming attire should be strictly followed. Even putting on see through blouses are not allowed. We had enjoyed swimming in the pool with no other people. During our stay, the pool was all ours! 😀 Soon after we got tired, we left the resort and did not bother to climb and see the popular falls of the resort. We were not sure how long the weather would be nice to us and we didn’t like to encounter any problem at all. It was drizzling that time and the steps to the top might be slippery. My sister would like to try the zipline before we leave but according to one of the staff of the resort, using other amenities of the resort during weekdays needs appointment. Boooo!

kainan sa Mambukal

one of the rooms at Mambukal Resort

vendors selling ornamental and flowering plants

Spa at Mambukal Resort

sulfur pool

shower room and covered area

river

big swimming pool

The Ruins in Talisay City

We wanted to explore other places in Silay but decided to leave the soonest because it rained as we started to leave Balay Negrense. Since The Ruins is in Talisay, we hoped that it was not raining there. Along Rizal Street, we took a jeepney to Bacolod and got off at Pepsi Plant. The fare was P15/pax. After crossing the street, we then again took another jeepney across Pepsi Plant and asked the driver to drop us of at Rose Lawn Memorial Garden where the terminal of tricycles to The Ruins can be found. If only we had known that it was not that far, we would walk our way to the terminal…. seriously speaking! 🙂 Then we took a tricycle where Manong asked us to pay P70 for one way. I was trying to haggle but hubby insisted not to. We were eight, 4 adults and 4 kids. Instead of picking us up after two hours, he just waited for us outside. So we paid P140 for the round trip. Don’t dare t walk your way to The Ruins because it was so far from the terminal. Around 15-20 minutes by taking the trike.

The Ruins, Talisay City (c% hubby)

the tower (c% hubby)

After paying the entrance fee of P40 for adults and P20 for kids, we found ourselves enchanted by the fountain in the pond. The kids enjoyed watching the koi fish swimming back and forth to them as the kids tried to feed them with some barquillos. From there, the whole view of the area can be seen where you would truly begin to appreciate its beauty even if you haven’t seen the interior.

koi fish in the pond

the fountain and the pond

Inside the Ruins, we can’t help not to admire its beauty though it was been burnt thrice by the USAFFE and Filipino guerillas during the Japanese regime. According to Mars, the guide who took all of our group shots, The Ruins was built by Don Mariano Ledesma, a sugar baron, (look alike of JP Rizal) for his first wife, Maria Braga Lacson. The mansion was the largest residential structure ever built at that time and had in it one of the finest furniture, chinaware, and decorative items from Europe and Asia. Being the largest structure, it was said that the Japanese soldiers were planning to make Don Mariano’s mansion into their headquarters that’s why it was burnt down by the guerillas and USAFFE. It took three days before the roof and the 2 inch wooden floor got burned completely.

inside The Ruins

dining area near the main entrance

dining area near the kitchen

house entrance exclusively for Don Mariano’s children

It was abandoned for so many years until one of the great grandchildren of Don Mariano inherited the land where The Ruins sits. He then developed it, fixed the surroundings and put up a cafe where different kinds of food are being to served to the guests. They even cater to wedding events too only at The Ruins. It is great to be at The Ruins during sunset for it changes colors as the sun hits the walls. Too bad we can’t stay there for so long…. Below are some of the shots taken by Mars, our guide. Since he had taken wonderful shots, we handed him a tip. 😉

the mini-museum 🙂

edited?! ~nope~ the coolest effect ever! 🙂

just peeking!

The Ruins opened its doors to locals and tourists on 2008. In 4 years, it became the top destination in Negros and became popular to many. The owner is continuously developing the area. In fact, a mini-golf area has been added to the site. And I know, a few months from now, new stuff will soon be added to attract tourists. This was the best place that I have ever been in Bacolod.

a magnificent view from afar

Walking Tour in Silay, Negros Occidental

I was awakened early in the morning by the heavy downpour outside. How can we go to Silay on a rainy day? I was so happy when we woke up at 6am with no rain shower at all. 🙂 After breakfast, which was provided by the pension house: coffee and bread, we went to Lacson Street and took a Liberatad-Bata jeepney in going to Robsinson’s Mall. From there, we took another jeepney with “Silay” signboard and paid P15/pax. Upon seeing the church in Silay, we got off the jeepney and went inside to whisper some prayers.

San Diego Pro-Cathedral Signage

             San Diego Pro-Cathedral (side view)

San Diego Pro-Cathedral (front view)

Inside the Cathedral

San Diego Pro-Cathedral has an amazing structure that continually makes every visitor amazed and appreciates the beauty of the church. It’s interior would make you think of churches in Rome. Why? Pulpits can still be seen inside the church, the place where Spanish priests used to give sermon in the past.

Kapehang Silay

Across the church is the Kapehan of Silay. It is a small coffee and bread shop with a television but no aircon. According to some blogs that I read, you can taste Silay’s brewed coffee here for P10/cup only. If you are a coffee lover and ready to mingle with different kinds of people, you can try Silay’s brewed coffee here. When we got hungry, we tried to see if we can have our snacks there but when we got inside, most of the tables were fully occupied by smokers. How can we enjoy sipping our coffee in a place where our health would be at risk? But without those smokers, we would surely taste Silay’s coffee.

Green gate ~ entrance to Emma Lacson‘s kitchen

From there, we crossed the street and headed to look for Emma Lacson’s shop. We asked around but it seemed that not all of Negrense knew Emma Lacson until we found one trike driver who showed us the way to the place. He even followed us when we go past it just to show us the right place. It’s situated at corner Pitong Ledesma street and across BPI. After knocking at the green gate, an old lady opened it and led us to the second floor where the kitchen was located. Orders were only for take out. Emma Lacson is popular to it’s lumpiang sariwa and empanada. The lumpiang sariwa tasted good even the sauce was already included with the fillings while the empanada was so crunchy and delicious too. No need for vinegar. 🙂

Lumpiang Sariwa of Emma Lacson

My nephew with his crunchy empanada of Emma Lacson

El Ideal along Rizal Street

Since we need to dine in a place with tables and chairs, we decided to go to El Ideal which was a few minutes away from Emma Lacson’s kitchen. The place was airconditioned and quiet. El Ideal is not only a bakeshop, it is also a souvenir shop and cafeteria at the same time. You can buy different delicacies and pastries from El Ideal. Some of the goodies were baked by the shop itself while some of the goodies came from other pasalubong shops like Bongbong’s, Virgie’s and Sugarlandia. But according to the guide we met at The Ruins, Mars, you can buy non-commercialized goods at an affordable price at the public market of Silay. Too bad for it was too late for us to know. 😦

Delicacies being sold at El Ideal

Baked goodies of El Ideal

Since we were starving to death that time, we tried the foods listed on El Ideal’s menu. Nice to look at but not that good. 😦 My sissy and mom ordered for Wanton Noodle Soup ~ quite good; hubby ordered for Pansit Palabok ~ bland; I ordered for Pansit Guisado ~ bland; and my pamangkins ordered for Spaghetti ~ kinda sour, puede na but not a hit for the kids.

Wanton Noodle Soup @ P65

Pansit Guisado @ P65

Pansit Palabok @ P65

We also bought some pasalubong here. After our El Ideal experience, we continued our walking tour and headed to Pitong Ledesma Street. We had seen a few old houses as well as Cafe 1925. A small and airconditioned coffee shop that sells baked goodies too. The mugs hanging on it’s ceiling were kinda cool where names of the store owners were written. Too bad.. not for sale. 🙂

Cafe 1925

an old house which was newly restored

Jose “Pitong” Ledesma Ancestral House

Pitong Ledesma Street corner Cinco de Noviembre Street

The marker of Cinco de Noviembre Street is the place where Farmacia Locsin was situated during Spanish Era. Negrense revolutionaries made the pharmacy their secret meeting place where they helped in planning for the successful revolution against the Spanish Colonial forces on November 5, 1898. To commemorate the freedom against the Spaniards, Negrense celebrates their Independence every 5th of November.

Cinco de Noviembre marker

Our group shot, taken by my nephew ~ Jose

After our photo-shoot at the marker, we then headed to Balay Negrense Museum. According to the caretaker, the Balay Negrense was the ancestral house of Mr. Victor F. Gaston, who was the son of Yves Leopold Germain Gaston and Prudencia Fernandez.  This was the house where Victor Gaston, his wife and his twelve children lived from 1901 until his death in 1927. Since it was left unused by the family, the structure was abandoned in the mid-1970s and fell into disrepair until a group of concerned Negrenses. They finally acquired the house from the heirs of Gaston through a donation. With donations from prominent individuals and later the Department of Tourism, the structure was repaired and furnished with period furniture and fixtures. The museum was officially inaugurated on October 6, 1990.

Balay Negrense

Entrance is P40 for adults and P20 for kids. You have to use the doorbell (not the electronic one) to inform the people in-charge of your presence. Well, I can say that the Gaston family was really rich and famous in the past. The second floor contains two big living rooms as well as spacious bedrooms where the antiques owned by Gaston’s can be found.