summer fun 2010

(Bacolod-Guimaras- Iloilo)
June 11-14, 2010 with a bunch of great personalities

i've been to these places several times but i never thought i could still get to discover more places and enjoy it even more. this is one trip we plan out each year and everything seemed to have worked out as planned.

for one, we managed to secure promo flights from air philippines express at just around 2333 roundtrip.

Day 1:

we touched down Bacolod-Silay airport at around 7am where our previously arranged chartered van waited and proceeded immediately to our Silay tour after breakfast at El Ideal, one of Silay's oldest restaurant where we also got to try their famous guapple pie.






from El Ideal we visited Balay Negrense, San Diego Cathedral and the Hofilena Ancestral Home where we stayed almost 2 hours having been entertained by the owner/curator Ramon Hofilena.

A descendant to one prominent family in Negros, Mon came home from New York and tried hard to restore their ancestral home. their home eventually became the first ever ancestral home in Silay which was opened to the public, and yes, he still lives in the same house thus visiting the place is taking a peek on his private life. we got to see his rare collection of paintings even his portraits and old quite revealing photos.

he beguiled us with his knowledge of Negrense and Philippine culture in general peppered with anecdotes and trivia which entertained us to no end. never mind if he called us dumb at one time for not recognizing his favorite artists from the days of yore hehehe...


he could have invited us to stay the night but we were not really in the mood for an orgy wehehe...

from Silay we proceeded to Bacolod City and checked in at Saltimboca (not Salbakuta, stupid!)


from the hotel, we walked quite a short distance to have lunch at the nearby Chicken Deli for our first taste of authentic chicken inasal.

at around 5pm we went out to the capitol for fish feeding, playing and more photo ops. Bacolod's capitol has to be the most relaxing landmark i've ever went to. i remember taking Xan there and enjoying running around, feeding the fishes, and squealing at the sight of the swings, slide and seesaws at their park.




and it kinda reminds me of the monument in Washington DC, not that i've ever been there hehehe...

from the capitol we went Pala-pala for dinner consisting of fresh seafoods (dampa style).





after dinner, we took a dip at the pool in Saltimboca to hopefully burn some calories before we went out for some Bacolod nightlife! we had a few round of drinks at the billiards bar with May and hubby, then went up the rooftop of L Fisher Hotel for a glimpse of Bacolod skyline.

from there we walked towards Cafe Bob but it was closed already (around 2am) so we had no choice but to go to Starbucks instead for our caffeine fix before finally calling it a night.


Day 2:



we woke up quite early the following morning to check out and to visit more places in Bacolod and its nearby towns. we first checked out the Chapel of Cartwheels and the Gaston House in Manapla which is a good 45 minutes from town.




the Chapel of Cartwheels as the name implies boasts mostly of cartwheels used as walls and decorated with broken glass for its windows. shaped more like a salakot, it's high ceiling gives it a more airy and bigger feel.

on the same compound is the Gaston mansion which i remember more as the house where they shot the classic movie Oro, Plata, Mata.




from Manapla we dropped by at Victorias for the Church of the Angry Christ also known us The Church of St. Joseph the Worker. Sir Mon Hofilena would definitely disagree that the mural portrays that of an Angry Christ but rather Christ showing intense passion.



as per Sir Mon's suggestion, we also went around the chapel and checked the mural at the back which reportedly uses imported paint that could withstand rain and heat and the harsh outdoor weather.



from Victorias, we dropped by Talisay to see the Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson Ancestral Home which is now more known as the Ruins. Built in the 1900s the house is made by the sugar baron, Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson for his first wife, Maria Braga. It boasts of Italian architecture with belvederes and renaissance-type balustrades. The high grade cement is said to be mixed with egg whites thus giving it a more lustrous finish? I don't know, i didn't bother actually tasting it.

the house was burned down by the Americans just so the Japanese cannot use it as their headquarters. it burned down continuously for three days destroying its wood work but its strong enough pillars and walls stayed standing tall.





after lunch and quick pasalubong shopping of Victoria sardines in Robinsons we rushed towards the port to head off to Iloilo and later to Guimaras Island.

it was almost 6pm when we got to Guimaras so we caught a glimpse of the sunset just before we got to the resort.


checked in at Villa Igang at almost 7pm and had pale pilsen after dinner kasi yun lang ang available. haay, there isn't much to say about Villa Igang, we felt we were way too secluded in the island that last orders for food was at 7pm and there isn't much to buy in their store. our room was further up some hill and we didn't get to wake up early enough to check out the caves and the rock formations around the resort.

Day 3:

we went island hopping early the following day and was so amazed with the marine sanctuary at SEAFDEC.




the most awesome creature for me will have to be their giant lapu lapu at about 10 kilos each and they are all carnivorous, EEEEK!


from there we moved to another sanctuary where we got to interact with live turtles. ;)





our last stop was this pristine white beach at an islet in Ave Maria where we finally got to dip and frolic in the sun.

just before 12 noon, we headed back to the resort, checked out and transferred to Raymen's for lunch and more beaching and stayed there till late afternoon.





went back to Iloilo late that afternoon stopping at the Trappist Monastery, the smallest plaza and the municipal hall in Guimaras before heading to the port. we checked in at Ong Bun in Iloilo, rested and checked out the night scene. after dinner at Ted's we went to Smallville and spent a couple of hours at some ktv bar, had cocktails at O2 and coffee at Coffee Break.


Day 4:



we started out with an early breakfast trip at the public market consisting of fresh mangoes, native delicacies and rice meals at some carenderia.




we later went to Breakthrough for lunch and stayed there a while pigging out on seafood and lechon.

we checked out at Ong Bun and went for a quickie visita iglesia starting with the prominent and breathtaking Miag ao Church, around 45 minutes from Iloilo proper.



after visiting several more churches namely Tigbauan, Guimbal, Molo, Jaro and dropping by Biscocho house for pasalubongs, we headed to the airport for our 9pm flight.

sunkissed, sated and full we could not help but say how much fun we had from this trip.
phew!

want some french?

extreme food trip (Bicol 2010)

this is how i torture myself, reminisce on the foods i once pigged out on during my travels and hope it will motivate me to go on diet so i can indulge once more when i am out of town again.

The extreme burger from Bigg's, i love this more than McDonald's Big Mac burger.

Ice Blink's cheesy halo-halo, they say that the secret to it's unique creamy taste aside from the cheese topping is the buco ice water. i heard there's an Ice Blink now at SM North? *teehee*

kinunot, we bought this from some sidewalk carenderia which costs just about 25 pesos. it is made of shark's meat but sometimes it is made of sting ray's meat, i forgot to ask what this is. baka ordinary isda lang. :p

Bicol Express consists of minced meat, shrimp paste, some coconut milk and a lot of chili for that extreme kick.

Cena Una- One of our interviewees owns this place. It's an ancestral home which they have converted into some fine dining resto. Proceeds to the restaurant goes to their foundation which sponsors feeding programs to the nearby towns around Bicol.

whatta feast!

fish fillet in creamy mushroom sauce

chicken rosemary

ahhhh, i miss this! Laing pasta, fetuccine noodles with gabi leaves, coconut cream and a lot of spice, yum!

Dessert: opera cake...i could'n quite describe it. it's some cake with a little bit of crunch and a lot of cream and subtle sweetness.

squid in coconut milk from Sibid-sibid...this order took forever to arrive but it was all worth it.

and here's saving the best for last, chili ice cream from Colonial Grill at Gaisano Pacific Mall in Legazpi City. it's sweet and cold and creamy till you'd feel the burst of its spiciness down your throat. it's some kinda experience indeed! hehehehe....

okay, chow! i'll have more in my next trips!

extreme bicol!

May 21-27, 2010

Day 1:

work somehow led me to this exotic province and i never thought i could truly enjoy it once more, after all it's been 5 years or so when i last visited the place.

our first stop was in Naga where i was already psyched up with their gastronomic delights. thus after a quick visit to the Penafrancia Basilica, we took off to Ice Blink for their much talked about cheesy halo-halo.




Day 2:

the following day, we went early towards CWC or the Camsur Watersports Complex. although it is specifically designed for wakeboarding and waterskiing, we were not really able to try it out since there were just so many people queuing for the said activity that we contented ourselves with playing and hurdling the extra challenging flotation devices at the nearby Lago Del Ray and their kayak.


for the basics:

* taxi ride to and from the city center up to CWC is 250 per way
* we paid 200 pesos each for the half day (4 and 1/2 hours) at Lago del Ray
* tent is at 200 which can be shared by the group.
*kayak is at 100 pesos per hour.

Day 3:

had to work the entire day but we also managed to squeeze in food trips and ukay shopping in between. i actually got to buy 3 pairs of branded swimsuits at some sidewalk for 200 pesos a pair, and they are all brand new!




and yes, i finally, finally had a photo taken at Ateneo de Naga!



Day 4:

went to Daet to do some more business but also gave time to check out Bagasbas Beach. Daet is about 2 hours off some winding road from Naga and Bagasbas Beach is just about a good 10-15 minutes from the town proper. we managed to finish our interviews and got to check out the beach.



it was a bit inviting alright but there wasn't any facilities for shower or even some make shift changing area so we didn't bother swimming there anymore. we went to take a dip at the nearby pool resort though if only to cool down a bit but from the sweltering Bicol sun.

Day 5:

our last stop was in Legazpi City which is about 2 hours and 30 minutes from Naga. after resting for a while from the trip, we rented a tricycle for 400 pesos to take us to Cagsawa Ruins and Lingnon Hill. we were blessed with a real clear view of the majestic Mt. Mayon and had a great time taking photos with the help of kids offering their services with the many camera tricks that they have learned.





and i got to try the zipline too for 200!!




Day 6:

after wrapping up with work, we finally flew back home still bearing silly grins on our faces for having had so much fun.

granted!

mom and i had a sort of early mother's day gift when we were granted our US visa last May 3.

a few days before that i sort of panicked when Pres. Arroyo declared May 3 as a non-working holiday especially since my mom was already here in Manila and we have booked our plane tickets for the following day, she was to go back home to Iligan while i had my work assignment in Palawan.

that very early morning of May 3, we left the house and headed to the embassy at about 6am. our interview schedule was at 8am and we were instructed to be there at least an hour early. the cab driver even asked us if operations continue even with the declaration of the holiday, we told him we were going there para mamasyal lang. as we were nearing the embassy though we saw a lot people queuing already. i was both relieved and anxious at the same time.

for a little bit of background, i was already denied of a visa years back. i was granted a Guam-only visa back in 2002 but got denied when i applied again supposedly for a work assignment in 2004. i've never really tried applying again since i'm never really good at rejections.

early this year though, my sister suggested that i try it out again so i could visit her along with my mom. i kinda forgot about it till she reminded me about it again just a few weeks before the appointment. i didn't really get to prepare. my bank statements were requested that friday, my employment records were signed by my boss the night before the interview. my mom was more prepared though as she had a lot of documents with her. my sister was able to send us her supporting papers a week before.

anyway, we were interviewed by an an obviously pregnant african-american woman and this is how the interview went:

consul: is she your grandmother?

me: no, this is my mother.

c: oh, i'm so sorry!

my mom (in her Bisaya English): mother only not grandmother!

(awkward moment here hehehe)

c: so sorry again. what will you do in the US?

me: we'll be visiting my sister and her family.

c: (to my mom) have you ever traveled out of the country?

mom: yes, to Hongkong and China for an educational trip. i have a letter from my daughter.

c: no, i don't need to see anything. how long do you intend to stay in the US?

mom: 3-4 months. i have a letter from our bishop.

c: no, i don't need to see anything. i don't need to see anything.

(i had to nudge my mom, apparently hindi ko pala siya na brief na dapat isang tanong-isang sagot lang.

c turned to me and asked: what is your job?

me: i am the assistant project director of a non-government office, the ____ foundation.

c: how much is your salary?

me: around XX,000.00

c: what countries have you gone to?

me: I've been to Japan, Hongkong-Macau, Singapore, Guam, Thailand...

sumingit ang mom ko: Malaysia

nabitin pa ata sa interview si mama haha!

me: yes, Malaysia

c: you've been denied of a visa before?

me: yes, mam, that was for a work assignment.

c: what is it all about?

me: we are involved in gathering research materials for overseas Filipino workers.

c: are you still in the same kind of job?

me yes, mam.

c: do you intend to do this kind of work there?

me: no, not this time.

c: okay, you are both approved. please go to air21 at the pavilion for the delivery of your passports.

my mom and i slowly walked away in disbelief asking each other, "tapos na? yun na yun?"

sabi pa ng mom ko, naiihi ata yung buntis kaya nagmadali.

here are the many documents we brought with us, for documentation man lang at para may silbi kahit konti hehe...


i had some photos of Xan and the rest of the family just in case we'll be asked. my mom even brought receipts of our utility bills, etc..we rehearsed so many answers to whatever possible questions and just prayed...i guess this time luck was very much on our side.

i received our passports a couple of days ago and found out that we've been granted 10-year multiple entry visas.