Dumaguetaway

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As usual, Cebu Pacific got delayed again.

Dumaguete is just an hour's plane ride away from Manila but we got there at 10AM.

Touchdown was not very smooth either. My seat mate, who was a local, said the Dumaguete Airport is one of the local airports with the most potholed runway. Either that or Cebu Pacific is really giving its passengers what they paid for (which shouldn't be the case since "customer is key").

We were met at the Arrivals Gate by Tito (that's "uncle" in Filipino) Tony Cabrido, the Regional Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Negros Oriental. He actually is the Uncle of my friend Netnet. He gave us our itinerary for the whole trip, and whoa, was it an itinerary.

Since we failed to arrive at 9AM, we had brunch at Kamayan Sa Jo's II* a homey cafeteria lavished with red and white checkered paint and tablecloths serving affordable rice meals.

*Eat With Your Hands at Jo's branch number 2
Beef with broccoli with rice plus regular drink - P80
After an hour or so, we rode the DENR pick-up truck and went to our hotel.

The owners of Sta. Monica Beach Resort were gracious hosts. One of them even carried my bag to my room (which was not very heavy as i pack light) but even so, it was still a reprieve. Dumaguete may be one of the hottest cities i've ever been to (Vigan tops my list but that's for another entry). My back was screaming for a fan.

Our room has air conditioning, an ensuite bathroom, cable television, a thermos, and a King James Bible. There were 3 beds and 3 extra mattresses. They provided the six occupants with towels (which was great because i don't bring a towel with me to my travels) and 3 sets of the basic toiletries. The aircon was quick to cool the room.

There was hot and cold water in the bath. No bathtubs. Just a sit-down toilet and a sink and a mirror.

Sta. Monica Beach Resort has a pool which is open til 10pm. It's free to all guests.

The front desk sells cigarettes but you have to stock up on your Lights or Mediums as they only sell the regular Marlboros. There are no Winstons either. There's room service up to 10pm as well.

Around 2pm, Tito Tony brought us to the Forest Camp, a 2.2 hectare camping site open to the public. There are 2 large nipa huts (perfect for conferences or team buildings), picnic grounds, and a hanging bridge. There's also a freshwater pool that's ice cold. The water comes from nearby Casaroro Falls.

There's a trail heading up to the waterfall. Watch out, though, the hike to it is almost vertical but not too hard if you're experienced. Completing the climb is worth it--Casaroro Falls is considered to be the region's most photographed body of water.

At about 6pm, we went back to the hotel to dress up for dinner, which involved two slices of pizza each and hawker food.

Buonissimo Pizza 2000
Contrary to the name, the restaurant also served Filipino cuisine.
We ordered pizza and seafood and rice. There were twelve of us so we split the bill - P150 each

Rizal Boulevard was just across from where we had dinner and the smell of hawker food wafted through the air. It was no wonder that even after overloading on the carbs, we just had to eat again.
You could've just thrown ice water at me

The Boulevard is actually a promenade facing the ocean. Named after the national hero Jose Rizal, he actually made a stopover here on his way to Dapitan where he was sent into exile. It's a 780 meter stretch, actually serving as the seawall for the whole of the Dumaguete commercial district. Like tonight, locals of the city relax on the grass and benches amidst the cool sea air, the mixed sounds of the waves crashing against the wall and children playing, and the lazy glow of the tivoli lights wrapped around trees and lamp posts. It was a refreshing view. The people here really are laid back, hence the city's nickname.

The food stalls have their own long tables and chairs where you can sit and relax while you eat your food. We chose to buy from Daniella, a 15 year old high school student. We ordered tempura, squid balls, and the famous balut. Daniella was great, whatever food we ordered he delivered to us quick, and he was very smart. He told us that he was working as a street food vendor at night to help his mother who was a laundrywoman and his father who was a welder, put himself through high school. It makes me feel proud that a boy as young as he has the mojo to sit through hours of lectures in school then wait on customers at night just so he can reach his dream of becoming a teacher.

Now you know what fish tastes like. And squid. But nothing compares to the taste of the delectable balut. Yeah, yeah i know, one would argue that i can eat it because i'm Filipino and i've been eating it since i was 10 but you just have to try it a couple of times and set aside the fact that it really is a baby duck WHICH WHICH!!! Is too young not to show it's beak, claws, and feathers. You'd see that it's far better tasting than you'd expect. Eat it with salt or spicy cane vinegar and of course, San Miguel Beer. It's a gastronomic delight. Still, there's no forcing, especially if you'd rather die than eat it. Lots of Pinoys never liked the balut even.

Don't be surprised if local musicians approach your group and "serenade" you with songs like "What's Up?" by the 4 Non-Blondes, "It's My Life"
by Bon Jovi, and "With Or Without You" by the U2. It's great entertainment laced with Dumaguete flavor. A tip is often expected and ranges from P20 - P50. It's more polite to give bills than coins and 20 and 50 peso denominations are acceptable rates for tipping street musicians.

6 Tempuras (about as long as a closed tri-fold wallet and as wide as a Zippo lighter), 10 squid balls (the size of a small rose bud), 2 baluts (three is too much and can give you a heart attack. This delicacy is high in protein that's why it's considered an aphrodisiac), and 2 bottles of coke - P100. You won't be able to stop eating coz it's really that delicious. As for the tip for street musician: if you're with a local host, let him or her take care of it.

Here, 11pm on a Saturday is still early. We headed over to Hayahay Treehouse Bar and View Deck which serves cheap beer and great food (yep, we ate again), and features a live rock band. The band was very good and all very good looking. No wonder Hayahay is one of the many bars in Dumaguete who has the biggest number of customers every night. Rock music, affordable bar food, fast service and good company awards Hayahay a spot in my "Must Visit" list.

San Mig Light Beer P25, Bar chow ranges from P150-250


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We rented a van for the duration of our stay (which to me is expensive. I'd rather travel using local transport). We got off to an early start today. Lake Balanan was in the town of Sibulan which is 7 kilometers away from Dumaguete City. It was a rough winding road up a mountain and a steep descent halfway where we had to ride a tram going to the lake.

The lake was huge. Balanan Lake is tectonic in origin so there were boulders the size of houses all around. Tito Tony said the water was 50 feet deep which scared the hell outta me. At the water's edge, we saw picnicking families, women doing their laundry, kids diving from the smaller rocks into the cool, deep water.

There was a bridge on the mountain's side facing the lake which we have to cross to get to the concrete steps up the mountain's summit. After seeing the steep climb, some of my friends backed out. But being the trekker that i am, i was all up for it. Little did i know that it was 300 steps to the top. I wasn't even done with the half of it but i was already short of breath. I stopped for a cigarette. My, was that a dumb move.

We finally reached the top. There was a small "kubo (hut)" there which overlooks Balanan Lake. Again, I had to lit up first before proceeding to going down the other side of the mountain. It wasn't as hard as going up but i believed it was much more dangerous. The concrete steps were cracked to the point of crumbling threatening to throw you off balance and cracking your skull on the jutting rocks at the sides of the east face. There really wasn't anything to hold on to while you climb down, and humongous tree roots seemed to appear out of nowhere right on the steps. Given that we didn't have the equipment to trek down as this was impromptu, I had no choice but to trust my instincts and try to remember everything i've learned in mountaineering school.

Finishing the descent was dramatic. After 40 minutes of scary-ass climbing you'll cross the lake by a roofed raft with a makeshift pulley to the other side. It was one of the most relaxing moments of my life: the calm water, the gentle wind against my face, the soft sound of the water against the raft. The ride was so laid back which made the whole experience so wonderful.

In the evening, we heard a Visayan mass and took pictures of the famous Dumaguete belfry, ate authentic chicken inasal (grilled chicken thigh, leg, breast, or wing; there many chicken inasal restaurants in Manila too), and then called it a night.

Waking up at 3 in the morning was never a problem for me who, because of Cebu Pacific's outrageous schedules, have to race against departure times. However, with the airconditioning and comforters of the Sta. Monica Inn, dragging myself to the shower was a feat.

Bais City was at least 45 minutes away from Dumaguete City. We passed by sari-sari stores, burger kiosks, ancestral houses, but something about the olden gleam of the first train in the region made us stop and take pictures. It was solitary against the backdrop of vast rice paddies.

I was never a fan of water activities but i was very aware that the highlight of our trip to this region was to dolphin-watch. I can imagine how i must've looked like when i saw the pump boat. It wasn't small but it wasn't very big either. I was silently screaming to get far away from it but seeing that i had no choice but to join my friends, i anxiously crossed the wooden planks from the dock to the boat.

We placed our bags on the small table at the center as the boat began to move. Ms. Dolly, the tour guide, went to the bow. She led a prayer and discussed with us the cruising rules:

Cruising Rule Number 1: When you see the dolphins, don't rush to one side of the boat because we have to keep our weight properly

Cruising Rule Number 2: Don't jump overboard to swim with the dolphins as we are not allowed to feed and touch with them

I was able to remember those two rules only because i was filming it for my youtube channel but my mind was elsewhere. I know that i've mentioned in many of my articles that i never liked the sea but seeing it on a small boat was AMAZING. The mixed smells of saltwater and kerosene added to the exhilarating feeling of being free and out in the open.

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Photos

Whadda?
Net and I managed to pose despite the incredible heat

DENR Regional Director
Tito Tony, Oyie, and Tita Penny

Forest Femmes
Hanging on for dear life. But i'm cool.

Get drunk, hug a friend.
Not too drunk. Seems like we are, though.

The hut up there
Man, i look pissed here don't i?

Crossing the lake
Taking footage for my show on YouTube