Cebu via Dumaguete – soaking up every bit of it all before our next chapter...

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Our trip back into the real world from Sipalay was through Dumaguete, the road there involved 3 different busses, two of which were local, dusty and hot, but, really, nothing to complain about. Dumaguete itself was a bit more on the charming side, with a beautiful cathedral (complete with a fiesta upon our arrival) and a riverside lane with restaurants and places to hang out.

We basically indulged ourselves on this last leg of our trip in the realm of cheap luxury. We took tricabs for 18 pesos (about 40 cents) for 20 minutes, we ate the most amazing pig trotters (a platter fit for a king) for about 3 dollars, and yeah, did a lot of consuming and engulfing. This was our last chance.

Oddly enough, we had picked the Philippines for relaxing, but had never really expected it to be the cheapest country we'd been to in Southeast Asia when it comes to travel, food and accomodation, mostly because of its long-term exposure to tourism. But you really can get lost there for months, island hopping to your heart's content and not really making a dent in your budget. If that's your kind of thing. We like to live on the dangerous side, apparently, and were gearing up for overpriced fleabag flophouses and 6-dollar coffees. We were getting ready for Australia.

Our last day in Cebu it poured the whole day while we waited for it to be time to go to the airport, and this reassured us, it was ok to leave this little paradise. After all, it had given us everything we had needed from it as well as a whole lot more. Also, we had probably gained a few kilos while constantly ingesting fried pork and lying in a hammock all day (volleyball excluded), and it was our turn for leaner times...

Favorite Philippino dish: Lechon Kawali, hands down. Adobo is a close second...

Favorite place we stayed: do you have to ask? Driftwood Village, Sugar Beach, Sipalay!

Next time in the Philippines: Siquijor and its witchery is a draw, and Bohol, and....

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Photos

All in one place
The housing around the islands is worth a travel on its own

Who made this?
It seems like some Norwegian left something when passing through Dumagete

The wonder of jeepney
There is nothing better then seeing a stretched Jeep, Toyota HiAce or its like being used as busses to transport 30 or more all around the Philippines. Unfortunately, we did not get to travel by one this time

Get ready for cock fight
As we traveled on a weekend, the locals were bringing their cock to cockfights around the different towns. This is how two of them were transported

More local market
On our way back to Cebu, we had to stop by quite a few local markets to stock up on food and drinks

Comments

[mom]

next time with mom
you can just leave me on the beach...to write and dream...i love all this local color and you sure eat yummy and enjoy every bite, food and tastes, flavors and joy--- oozes out of the comments sadie! well written and so inviting. sadie chatwin.

[mom]

surprise!
never saw one of my comments 'live' before...next time with mom...now that's a title i like! tell it like it is: beach bum that's me. guess i'm a perfect candidate for getting "lost there for months, island hopping to your heart's content and not really making a dent in your budget." so get back to work miss chatterwin!