Havaianas Junkie Takes Bacolod

When I heard the news that I would be going to Bacolod for weeks, I thought it was a joke. I'd been wanting to go there given a perfect timing and a sufficient budget. But God is so good and I was able to make it for free. Honestly, I had never been to Bacolod before nor to other provinces in the Visayas Region. So the idea of going to the “City of Smiles” made me feel excited and nervous at the same time. Good thing there was Marvin to accompany me.

So what if that was my first Bacolod trip? Though I only stayed there to work, I've had an amazing time and I have stories you wouldn't believe. Even I couldn't believe them - and they happened to me which I really enjoyed and treasured.

Yes, I maximized my entire stay where I visited some places nearby, ate foods which cannot be found in Manila, saw the new SM Bacolod (still under construction), had trivia moments with my officemates, took some pictures, had my first-time-moments, gained new set of friends and the best of all, bought a limited edition Havaianas Butterfly in ruby red. It was a blast and that's only the beginning.

On the day of my flight back to Manila, my officemates and I went to a road trip. We called it “The Negros Occidental Road Trip”. I even used my new pair on the trip. It was fun. Crazy fun.

Our first stop was Silay, “The Paris of Negros”. We went to this “Balay Negrense”, an old house built some time in the Spanish era which on the latter became a museum. A lady dressed in baro't saya who happened to be one of the caretakers, gave us a short tour. And since were all camera addicts, we took lots of pictures in the house.

Then we went to Talisay - sir Eric's hometown. This time, we went to Spa by the Sea. I've been hearing lots of stories about the place so I decided to drop by before I come back to manila. Again, we had a short tour and took some pictures. We didn't stay long at the place because we had to get to our next destination right on time.

Our next stop was Murcia where we went to Mambukal resort, a pseudoheaven for the ecological enthusiasts. This is where we spent most of our time. We had lunch, toured the place and had Kodak moments with nature. The place is so relaxing that you can forget about the time. And yes, we almost forgot the time. We left the resort around past 4pm where I should at the airport by 5pm.

Since Panaad is in Bacolod, we managed to drop by. Then we went to Panaad Park and Stadium, Negros's version of Nayong Pilipino. Unlike Nayong Pilipino, the park only showcases the different aspects of the towns and cities within Negros Occidental. This is also where the Panaad Festival being held, the biggest festival in Negros Occidental. We had a few more shots and then we off to Casa Amparo to get all my things and say goodbye to my room which I started to love after the “mystery of my missing creamsilk pink sachet” incident.

The Bacolod Domestic Airport was my final destination. We arrived at exactly 5pm, few minutes before my flight. While waiting for the plane, I'm still reeling from the awesome two weeks that I've had in Bacolod. I really had a blast. Though I'm too tired from the road trip, I still managed to enjoy the view from the plane and thought of how to unload my stories. The trip was fast that I didn't notice that I'm finally home.

Bacolod is indeed "The City of Smiles". People are so accommodating and patient especially when they are communicating to strangers like me who slightly understand their dialect. Being able to visit Bacolod is such a wonderful experience and I would never forget all the things that had happened to me both happy and scary.

I heart Bacolod. I love it. Super duper love it.

And oh, did I mention that it was my first time to ride an airplane? Silly but true. And I savored that moment especially when I went back to Manila alone.

So what's my next destination? Palawan!