Blogs from Negros, Philippines, Asia
April 6th 2012
Samstag, 24. März 2012 Nach einer nicht sehr erholsamen Nacht wurden wir um 07:30 überflüssigerweise vom Wecker ermahnt, aufzustehen. Um 08:00 wurden wir von Jimmy Boyd abgeholt. Jimmy ist nebst den zahlreichen Bordellen in Angeles so ziemlich alles, was von der 1991 aufgegebenen Basis der US Air Force in Clark noch übrig geblieben ist. Er ist ehemaliger Starfighter-Pilot und durch und durch Amerikaner. Wir schätzten ihn auf ca. achtzig Lenzen, er war aber immer noch rüstig und mit einem imposanten Schnauzer ausgestattet. Mit seinem schwarzen Willys-Jeep fuhr er uns uns und unser Gepäck in gemächlichem Tempo zur Airbase, wo er letzteres durch ein simples „Howdy; got some bags back there!“ problemlos an der Security vorbei brachte. Beim Hangar angekommen, zog er seine Flugzeug trotz seines Alters problemlos von Hand aus dem Hangar. Die Ryan Navionair ist ... read more
The Ruins of Lacson Mansion History- Talisay Bacolod
Published: March 2nd 2012Asia » Philippines » Negros » Bacolod
March 20th 2012
Wealthy sugar baron Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson built the mansion in 1900′s for Maria Braga, his portuguese wife. He made sure that the mansion was furnished with imported luxurious items. The Mansion’s structure resembles that of the italian architecture with neoclassical columns. The facades of the mansion is comparable to the ones in Carnegie Hall. The belvedere facing west enables one to view the beautiful sunset through the bay window.... read more
March 2nd 2012
Took me two months to write about my first backpacking trip to Bacolod in Negros- alone..With two months of planning and three months mustering courage to do it, everything went smoothly as a breeze... img=http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UIH6h5IGzIw/TskjpiC3LCI/AAAAAAAAABM/EmrH... read more
February 22nd 2012
The Miag-ao Church was built in 1786 by Spanish Augustinian missionaries and was declared as part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Baroque Churches of the Philippines" in 1993. On the front facade, which is flanked by two watchtower belfries, one can see the unique blending of Spanish and native influences.The central feature of the bas-relief facade is a large coconut tree which reaches almost to the apex. While an integral part of the Philippine landscape, the coconut tree is also the subject of lore. According to an old Philippine legend, the coconut tree was t... read more
February 21st 2012
Located in Rizal Street in Bacolod, just few steps away from SM City is a Dining experience for every chicken lovers and not so chicken eaters. If you want to try the authentic Inasal at its best taste and best price it is the place to be. Be ready for a gastronomical indulgence and battle with the finest of them all, inalsal, the grilled chickens of Bacolod. Ranging from 35-65 pesos per stick depending on the chicken size and parts youl enjoy dinner with sides of talaba and other choice of seafoods. Don’t forget to try chicken oil to your rice and for best tasting experience, use bare hands for eating. Don’t worry, there are lavatories for hand washings. For ... read more
Trading in our sarongs on white sand for a cardboard bed was UNPLANNED! (One hell of a ride to Palawan)
Published: November 17th 2011Asia » Philippines » Negros
October 15th 2011
There were plenty of options for buses to take when we got back to Caticlan, all heading to Manila via the same route. Originally when we had spoken with a man at the tourism office in Boracay, we got the impression that there was one company operating this trip with a few different departure times throughout the day. In reality, there were at least 5 different companies all with their own touts trying to recruit you as soon as you took a couple of steps in the direction of the buses. They were probably a bit irritated with us that we wouldn’t commit to anything without seeing the actual bus we would be taking, but we were glad we waited. Obviously not all of the buses turned out to be as nice as they had been ... read more
Typhoon Nesat gave us its best shot, drenching all that we've got!
Published: November 6th 2011Asia » Philippines » Negros
September 28th 2011
There was no way to hide the fact that we were feeling a little down about having to leave the place we had fallen in love with. When it was time to go, the owner even waited out by the road with us and flagged down a tricycle, making sure that they would only charge us the correct amount to get back to the town we were leaving from. After letting a couple of guys go away because they wanted to hammer us on the price, we eventually found one who was fair. We tossed our bags up on top and squeezed into the tiny little seats that seemed to be made only for toddlers. On the way to the pier, we ended up talking to a couple of local women as the man picked up ... read more
So much to do in Dumaguete
Published: October 17th 2011Asia » Philippines » Negros » Dumaguete » Banilad
September 20th 2011
I stayed at Harolds Pension which is probably the best place I've stayed at in the Philippines and the cheapest after initially only going to say for three nights I changed my mind to five as there is loads to do here, including awesome diving at Apo Island and the worlds best muck diving. The first afternoon I had a walk around the town and the waterfront. Then the hostel was having a BBQ night so at 6pm they took us to the market to buy whatever we wanted I had some fresh tuna with egg plant and pumpkin. Then they seasoned it for us and cooked it, I ate too much but it was delicious. I met everyone else staying at the hostel and we spent the evening sat on the roof top restaurant ... read more
Dreamin' of Bacolod's MassKara Festival
Published: August 23rd 2011Asia » Philippines » Negros » Bacolod
August 23rd 2011
Ever since I bought my first DSLR camera and shot the Aliwan Festival on the streets of the CCP Complex in 2008, I’ve been fascinated with shooting people during festivities. The aura of the people amidst the colorful and joyful backdrop is electrifying. It was pretty difficult to shoot in the middle of this chaotic but enjoyable event; still, I think I was able to get some pretty decent shots. So, when my HolyWeek Traveler friends and I decided to travel for the weekend, we opt for a Philippine province where we could experience being in the middle of a festival. We’ve been traveling to other countries every Holy Week for several years now and so we haven’t been experiencing much Filipino “culture” lately. A festival would be the perfect weekend get-away for all of us. ... read more
August 8th 2011
This year I headed to the Philippines for my week vacation. Many had suggested that I should visit the country since I got to Gwangju. It was a well-deserved week of relaxation. I arrived in a drizzly Manila at two in the morning. The metered taxi from the airport to the hotel took around 30 minutes. I only stayed in Manila one full day and two nights at the Leesons Residences Hotel in Malate. The whole time I was in the city it did not stop raining. I did very little sightseeing, starting first with a trip to the National Museum. Just outside of Intramuros, the museum exhibits wonderful historical, archaeological, and ethnographic material on the Philippines. After spending the morning in the museum, I made my way to Intramuros, the oldest district in the city, ... read more
