Isla del Fuego

5:00 PM kAtYa Pro

Siquijor is also known as 'Isla del Fuego' or 'Island of Fire'.   This island was first sighted by the Spaniards.  They named it that way because at the time that they were there, there was a different glow on the island.  There were lots of fireflies that are on the molave tree that's on the island.

There are a lot of people who are curious of this place because its known for its reputation as the place of magic and sorcery.  They also say that if you want to make potions for whatever purpose you would like, you would just have to go to this place since they have lots of it.  They are also known for stories about witchcraft and witches.



When we reached Siquijor after our boat trip, we then road a tricycle going to the place that we are staying.  It was really dark going to the location and it's so quite.  It makes me think about the here say on witch crafts.

When we got to the resort where we were staying, it's really nice.  It has a very big space and could really accommodate a lot of people.  The house has two bedrooms with one bathroom.  It has a living room, dining room and a kitchen.  Outside the house you would see the pool.  I don't know how much the rent for the  whole house would cost since I was not able to ask the team lead who canvassed the different resort.  Since it was a very hectic and tiring day, we rested after having our dinner.





When morning came, we then prepared for our trip.  We rented a jeepney for the whole trip today. 
When the driver for the jeepney came, he showed us th emap of Siquijor and the places that we would be able to go to on our one day trip.


The first stop would be the Capilay's Spring Park.  
If you just wanted to relax, have a date, be with friends, or with family, you can come here and enjoy the small spring and the relaxing site of nature.




The second stop would be the oldest tree in Siquijor.  
It's the Banyan or "Balete" tree. It is a very large tree with lots of branches and hanging roots.  This is the tree that stories says that there would be people coming out and would bring you to a different world.  They say that its the tree that is an abode of evil.  This tree add to the mysticism that the island has already possessed.

Near the tree, you can also have a fish foot spa but there would be a fee.


The third stop would be the Lazi Church and Convent. 
After hearing about scary stuff, we need to still have faith on our God.  There was a mass being held since it was a Sunday, so we just lighted candles.  



This convent is now a school building.


The fourth stop would be the Cambugahay falls.   

There is no entrance fee there.  You will have to walk down the concrete steps.  One has to be careful because there are some steps that are cracked.  Since it was a weekend, there are a lot of people swimming.

The falls is not the same as the usual falls that one usually sees wherein the water drops at the very top.  This one is just a small falls.  The water is clear and clean. 


The fifth stop would be the Salagdoong beach resort.  
The entrance fee is P 15.00 for adults and P 10.00 for kids.
We did not rent any cottage since we wouldn't be staying for a long time.
It has two beaches which were separated by a rock.  On that rock, you would be able to see the view of the sea.   There are a lot of people that would jump from the rocks which is about 20 feet into the water.  Some of my friends did that.  I just took their pictures since I'm not fond of doing such activity.




It's lunch time and we are very hungry after seeing the different places.
The suggested place to have our lunch would be at Larena Triad.
It's a very bumpy ride going to the place.  Some parts of the roads are concrete while others are not.  There are lots of curves and turns.  


The Larena Triad is a coffee shop but not its not just an ordinary one since you get a very nice view up there.
They say that you could see the view of Siquijor.  It's a very quite and relaxing place.  It's an open air restaurant.  There is a small ground that you can relax on and take pictures.


Since we were very hungry, when we arrived we then looked for the menu and ordered.  
They have affordable prices.
What's so unsatisfying about their service? It took about an hour to serve our orders.  We were really aggravated and complained.
We then thought that it was much better if we called earlier and just ordered so that when we arrived, it was served.
When the food came, no one was talking.  We were to hungry to talk.



After the meal, we then went to our last stop which is the St. Francis of Assisi church.
We just took pictures of the church and the one that's in front of it.  It's the greetings to all people who arrived in Siquijor.  The port is just in front of this.  We were not able to take a picture of this when we arrived since it was night time and it was too dark.  We then took a picture of the bell tower which is separated from the church. 
We bought our ticket for our trip the next day going back to Dumaguete.






After buying ingredients for our dinner and breakfast the next day, we then headed back home.  It's another time to relax before leaving.











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City of Gentle People

11:00 PM kAtYa Pro

When one of the teams in the office decided to have a trip to Siquijor over the weekend,  me and my friends Jenn and Cito decided to join.  
It's my first time to travel to those places and since it's a group activity, the budget for the trip would be less costly.

We met up with the rest of the team of Janet in Citilink Terminal.  We took a v-hire going to Lilo-an Port.  When we got there, we bought tickets for our fastcraft going to Negros.

We arrived at the Sibulan port and then took a jeepney going to Mommy Dy's sisters place.
When we arrived there, we were already in Dumaguete.  

Dumaguete is also known as the "City of Gentle People".  The name comes from the Visayan word, "daggit" meaning to snatch people.  They have a way to attract visitors and  make them stay.

When we arrived at Mommy Dy's sisters place, we had our late lunch.  When we became full, we then decided to go to Robinsons Place Dumaguete to stroll around while waiting for the trip to Siquijor.  Our trip would still be at night time. 



I then contacted my friend Kenneth who used to be a co-worker, that we have arrived in Dumaguete.  He used to tell us that once we are in Dumaguete,  he could give us a tour of the place. 

He fetched us from Robinsons and we went to his house.  We then headed back near the port.  At the time that we went there, there was also an occasion.  It was their Kabulakan festival.  It was so nice because the security is not that tight.  We were at the center of the streets taking pictures and no one bothered to let us move away.  We really felt like we were tourists.  We even saw artists up close.  






After seeing the different floats and artists, we took a look at the St. Catherine of Alexandria  Cathedral.  Beside the cathedral, we paused and prayed at the Lady of Lourdes grotto.   





Beside the grotto was the old Belfry.  It is the oldest bell tower in the Visayas.  The belfry used to be a watchtower but now its used to inform about the different masses being held in the Cathedral.





We then had our snacks in one of the restaurants near the area.  We chose Ka Waway restaurant.  Based on forums I have read, Ka Waway has the best halo-halo in Dumaguete.  When I tried it, I was not amazed and was not convinced by what people were saying in the forum.   The taste was just okay.  There is nothing more that I can say.




We then headed to the Port to prepare for our trip to Siquijor.

After our 1 day trip in Siquijor, we decided to go to Dumaguete early to see some tourist spots there.  We took the boat that leaves at 6 AM.  We decided to meet up with our friend Kenneth and have a short tour in Dumaguete.

When we arrive in Dumaguete, our friend fetched us.  We don't have to worry with our transportation since Kenneth has a car and he could take us anywhere in Dumaguete.  Since an early morning trip would make you hungry, we decided to have breakfast in one of the Resto in the city called Sta. Teresa.  We all had breakfast meal at a very affordable price.




We then headed to The Forest Camp.   It is located in Valencia, Negros Oriental.   The Forest Camp is where family could have picnics and gather.  There are huts, function halls, garden and a waterfall.  
The entrance fee would be P 80.00 for both adults and kids.



The next place that we went to was the Casaroro Falls.  It's not quite far from the Forest Camp
It's a rough road going to the area and Ken's car was able to make it.  There are big stones surrounding the road so you have to be careful when you pass by it.  
When we arrived on the area, there was no one managing the area where you are going to buy a ticket to get in.  The entrance fee was supposed to be P10.00.   We then just walked the stairway going to the falls.  It's quite far from where we left off.  We have to walk the stairs and then pass by creeks and a bridge. 



Once you see the falls, you would really be astounded.  You would like to come near it to see a better view.  Since we wanted to get a picture which is closer to the falls, we passed through rocks and even slipped to see the beauty of the falls.   The water is so cold and it was really nice to take a bath.  

Since we were just there to take a picture, we then left after it.  It was easy going to the water falls but its going back that is so tiring.  Your feet would hurt and you would be out of breath since you have to pass a lot of staircase.  
I was the first one to reach the top but while I was trying to go up, I was praying so hard that I wouldn't faint.  It's so tiring. You would really lose weight if you go there everyday.  
We rested for awhile when we were back where we started.




The next stop would be the Siliman University.  We were able to gain access to the University since Ken used to study there.  We toured around the university and got to see how big it really is.  Just like University of the Philippines, they have dorms, special buildings for different departments and a large field.

I remembered my lolo when I went there since that's where he used to study.



Our last stop before leaving Dumaguete would be their delicacies.  We will be bringing it back home as gifts for our families and friends.  
The Sans Rival Cake and Pastries is famous in Dumaguete.  Aside from the Bongbong's Piaya, we brought home silvanas.

Silvanas is a frozen cookie made with butter cream and meringue wafers.  Aside from silvanas, they also have other desserts.





Near the Sans Rival Cakes and Pastry store is the Rizal Boulevard.  This is one of the famous places in Dumaguete. During night time, there are a lot of people here who would just relax and enjoy the scene.  There are a lot of street foods also at that time.





After strolling through the Boulevard, we had our lunch at Food Net.  There are a lot of students, teachers and ordinary people waiting in line to eat their food.  They have a lot of foods you can choose from at an affordable price.


After having our lunch, we then headed to Robinson Mall to purchase other 'pasalubongs'. 
We then headed to the bus terminal to go back to Cebu. 



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Round South

7:00 PM kAtYa Pro

Out of the Blue, my mom and I decided to head to the South.  I haven't been to a lot of places there. We had a joyride in the South.

We were able to reach Dalaguete.  Since we haven't done any research on the spots on the different location, we just decided to go back to Argao.

It was my first time in St. Michael Archangel Church.  When we arrived there, it was still not opened.  We just lighted a candle and prayed.


We then purchased the famous delicacy in Argao, Torta.  We purchased from two different stores.  The first one was just an ordinary store near the church, and we bought 10 pcs.  We tasted it and wasn't satisfied.  We then went to another store called Chitang's Torta.  We purchased there not only Torta but also other delicacies.  It's quite expensive however its very big, not just the regular torta.

We then visited St. Catherine of Siena in Carcar.  I was so happy to see this church since we have the same name.



We passed by Talisay City and I was so curious of Crocolandia so my mother decided that we stop over.  It's quite hard to locate the place since it's far from the main road.  

It's located in Biasong, Talisay.  Crocolandia is a zoo where there are different animals.  There are crocodiles, birds, snakes and etc.  The entrance fee is P 80.00 for adults and P 40.00 for children below 12 years old.

I believe children would really enjoy this place.

You would also see here the biggest and oldest Crocodile named Lapu-Lapu.




Since I wanted to tour the south, my mother decided to have it every week or every two weeks that we explore the different sights in the different city in the South.  We invited our relatives to come over to have a fun summer escapade.

On our first week, we have been to a lot of places.  

First stop is the Mainit Spring.  There used to be a lot of people who would go to this place but it was not managed properly and the water is getting drained.




The water in the Mainit Spring is not that hot anymore where it got its name.




We then headed to Kawasan Falls which is my first time.  


From the entrance of the Kawasan Falls, you have to walk still going to the falls.  It's quite far from the entrance.  When I got to see the falls, it's really a nice sight.


We had our lunch there and we also tried to go near the falls by using the bamboo raft. I don't remember how much it costs.



After Kawasan, we visited the Riverstone Castle in Argao. The entrance fee for adults is 40/person and 20 for kids.
You would see there animals and there's a swimming pool too.



We then passed by Carcar where its known as the "Shoe Capital of the South".  


They created a big shoe which is probably the biggest shoe in the world however when we went there, it was covered.  We just bought espadrilles there wherein the price ranges from 200 - 400 pesos.





On another trip to the South, we went to Mantayupan falls.  It is located in Barili.  
The parking space cost P 20.00, the entrance fee costs P 10.00 and the movable cottage costs P 150.00.  

On my own opinion, Kawasan is much better but this falls is kinda high which is 98 meters.



We also went to Sumilon Island which is located in Oslob, Cebu.  
It's very expensive if you are going to stay in the place or have a day use.  It would cost about 1000+ to 2000+  pesos.

What we did is that we rented a bangka which costs about 250 pesos per person.
There is a part in Sumilon island wherein one could use without any fee.

In Sumilon, you would see there the white sand.
I haven't been to Boracay but I think the sand that I am experiencing there would be the same in Boracay.



After Sumilon, we then headed to Obong Spring.  



Obong Spring is located in Dalaguete. You have fresh water and beach water.  It's a taste of both worlds.



We then went to Simala which is located in Sibonga. This is a church for the Marian devotees.  There are a lot of people who experienced miracles on this church.


On our last summer trip, we went to Argao and have our trekking going to the Balay sa Agta.  We first visited the department that would handle tourists going to the place since it's not safe to go there by ourselves and they are the ones that would help us find the way there.

We walked for about 5 hours. We passed through a lot of rivers and have to climb up mountains.


After walking for a long time, we have reached the area.  We have finally seen the cave.
It has a small falls that you can bathe in.  It's very cold and it seems like you're owning the place since its very solemn.





I really enjoyed this summer, I've been to different places and experienced a lot of things.
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