Summer 2012: FUNtastic Island, Medellin

To kick off summer (and to clear my mind and heal my heart LOL), I decided I want to spend a day on the beach. With the help of my CVG friends, I was able to arrange a trip to FUNtastic Island in Medellin for 1,000 Php back and forth. :) Since it's also almost my birthday, I promised my LXK friends that I will take care of the food as long as they take care of everything else and viola! We took the bus to Medellin and after five hours, arrived on the port. We met Kuya at the port and when we saw the boat that is supposed

Can you fit 13 people (plus the boat driver in this boat? Yes you can!

to take us to the island we were hesitant (there were thirteen of us and when you see the boat, you'll understand why).  Nevertheless, we lack sleep, we're feeling adventurous so off to the island we go!

FUNtastic island was developed by the government of Medellin to attract tourists to Gibitngil, Medellin. Cottages were built on a huge rock and you can get there by walking on a bridge (or swimming to the rock on high tide or walking during low tide). Residents get to swim around the island for free on certain days while tourists pay a small fee. Rates as of April 2012 are below.

Cottages on the rock

Rates as of 2012 we saved 500 Php for the pumpboat!

As this is my trip with my office mates, I took this time to get to know them. Most of us were heart broken in one way or another and some of us are happily in relationships. Despite the differences, we all had one goal on the island and that is to have fun! For food, there were some stalls that sell fresh fish and meat and they will cook it for you for a fee. All in all, I spent 850 Php to feed 13 people. :) Had I taken them to a restaurant, it would have been more so my wallet is happy. :D

Hello there, little boy!

Loving the island life

Around 4 PM, we decided it was time to head back to Cebu. The trip to Medellin proper wasn't as smooth sailing as it was in the morning, unfortunately. We were laughing and talking when suddenly big waves started coming our way. We kept quiet for the rest of the trip as Kuya sailed on with his 13 passengers with no life jackets. We all sighed with relief when we reached the shore and thanked kuya for keeping us safe.

We survived the waves! 

With happy hearts and renewed spirits, we are ready to face another week of work. :)

A Day in Negros Occidental

After weeks of juggling work and personal issues, I spent a day in Negros Occidental. With no plan in mind, I just wandered around Bacolod and its neighboring cities. Luckily, my parents knew someone who was kind enough to take their troubled daughter around. Our first stop was Victorias to go to St. Joseph the Worker Parish Church or

See the all-seeing eye?

"Church of the Angry Christ". The Church got its nick name from the mosaic on the altar of the church. It features Christ with his arms outstretched, looking angry. I was amused at the colors and the Masonic symbols that come along with the mural of Christ (see the all-seeing eye?).

We said our prayers and drove to Talisay City to see the famous "Ruins", one of the most-photographed tourist spots in Negros. Initially, we weren't allowed to go in as the whole place was rented out for a wedding bit after promising that we won't take long, the caretakers let us in. The ruins was once a magnificent mansion of Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson, built in honor of his wife, Maria Braga. Sadly, it was destroyed during World War II. It was burnt to the ground so that the Japanese forces could not use it as their headquarters. What remained after the fire was the concrete structure that now attracts hundreds of tourists. Wandering around the grounds made me imagine how grand it must be during its glory days, with Don Mariano and Maria's children on the grounds, enjoying a quiet night.

Still beautiful.

We headed back to Bacolod City to have lunch. I got to taste the famous Bacolod Inasal in Manokan Country and had desserts in Calea. Their cakes were so good I considered bringing some to Cebu but realized that the day's still long and the icing would melt under the heat. With full stomachs, we headed to Silay City, the "Vigan in Visayas" to see the old houses and museums. Just like Vigan, Silay is considered a "Museum City" where old houses and buildings were kept preserved.

Inside Bernandino-Jalondoni
Museum

Our first stop was the Bernandino - Jalondoni Museum. We didn't know we were already in front of the museum until we asked around as it blended in with the many old buildings that were turned into modern day establishments. After paying our entrance fee of 20 Php, the caretaker gave us a tour of the museum. The two-storey house was once the residence of Don Bernardino and Doña Ysabel Jalandoni. The rooms were very well taken care of and the furniture were reminiscent of our old furnishings when my grandparents were still alive. I sort of connected to the framed poster of Jesus and the framed photographs of beauty queens as my aunt used to have those on her wall back at home. We asked the caretaker if there were other worldly beings in the museum. She just smiled and said yes.

Our next stop was the Balay Negrense, the 

Child's play. Inside Balay Negrense

ancestral house of Victor F. Gaston. Although the lower storey is not really made of stones, it is still considered a "bahay na bato". I paid my 50 Php entrance fee and went inside the house. There were no tourists at that time so I had the house to myself. :) I went to the second floor and it felt eerie, with the afternoon wind blowing through the large windows of a child's room ( I assumed it's a child's room 'cause it had a  crib and toys). I wandered a bit more until I heard a sound of something that fell the moment I stepped into the room. Seeing the dolls on the rocking chair and their lifeless eyes, I quickly went down, said thank you to the caretaker and continued to walk the streets of Silay. There were several ancestral houses there but they were all gated so I just admired the architecture, took a few photos from afar and walked on. I passed by the Cinco de Noviembre Memorial which commemorates the Negros Revolution against Spanish rule. After reading the memorial marker, I hailed a cab and headed for the airport to catch my flight back to Cebu.  

Cinco de Noviembre. The cannon is an authentic Spanish colonial-era cannon donated by Claudio G. Akol, Jr.

The trip was short but it was enough to make me forget about the things that I have to face this Monday. Ha!

That Waterfall in Samboan

When a door closes, somewhere there is another door leading to things undiscovered.

So, the original plan was to swim with the whale sharks in Tanaw-an, Oslob. However, after seeing the hoards of people waiting for their turn since 1 AM and the thought that the whale sharks are probably already worn out with the sudden influx of tourists, we decided to ditch Oslob and look for fun and adventure somewhere else.

I didn't know the name of the waterfall, all I know is that there is another waterfall in Samboan besides Aguinid and it is somewhere in Brgy. Bon-Bon. With the help of locals, we trekked to the waterfall (we found out later on that it's called Binalayan Falls but it's widely known as Bon-Bon falls). There isn't a definite pathway to the waterfall and the way up is a bit steep and slippery but as long as you keep your balance and wear non-slip footwear (Thank you, Havaianas!), then you're good to go.

After 20 minutes, a few slips and the occasional, "Are we there yet?" from my little brother, we finally reached our destination.

The waterfall isn't as high as Mantayupan or Kawasan Falls but the fact that it isn't commercialized yet and that we have the waterfall to ourselves is good enough for me. :)

The steep way up. It was actually harder going down. T.T

I can see it now...weeee!!!

How to get there: One can reach Samboan by public buses or by private vehicles. Travel time from Cebu to Samboan is 3-4 hours, depending on speed, traffic and the number of stopovers made.

Hello, 2012!

After procrastinating for months, here I am again, writing about whatever comes to my mind. :) Actually, I just remembered this blog when I received my SSS ID almost after a year from applying for it. Yes, it took a year before I actually received the ID and it doesn't even look pretty. :( Hopefully though, this card (Now known as Unified Multi-purpose ID (UMID)) will make transacting with government institutions easy. Well, not all of them, just SSS, GSIS, PAG-IBIG and PhilHealth.

Once again, hello 2012! I won't make any promises but I will update this blog once in awhile. :D