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ajourneywithme | A Journey With Me

Revenge Travel

It’s been a long time since I authored an article in my blog. I don’t know if I still know how to write a travel blog.

Before the pandemic in 2020, my last trip was in January 2020 during my birthday week. It was the first time I travelled with my childhood friend, and she also needed the trip badly. We got onboard a bus going to North Luzon and made it to Urbiztondo, San Juan, La Union.

I have been to La Union numerous times, both for work and leisure. I usually stay at Sebay Resort. With an excellent restaurant and a view of the beach, it was heaven for me and my friend.

And then the pandemic happened. On March 15th, the whole country was locked down. Days before the lockdown, I also went to a major surgery that needed time for recuperation.

Two years later, people started to travel. Businesses like hotels, resorts, restaurants, and tour guides started to open. At that time, I was also on a break from working. I planned my trips for 2022. My first trip was in Bantayan, Island, where my love for the Philippine Island started. You can also check out all my previous posts about the island:

We booked our flight with Cebu Pac and planned a four-day trip exploring the island. It was also my friend Jigs’ first time going to Bantayan Island. I was excited to go back, and he was overjoyed to get out of the house-store kind-of-life. Equipped with masks, alcohol, sanitizers and our QR traceability codes, we managed to get to the island after being screened prior to our booked beachfront resort. And we made it. I’d draft a different article about the journey we had during our pandemic trip.

Then 3 days after I went home from the trip to Cebu, I went to El Nido, Palawan. I spent another 5 days exploring the beautiful El Nido with another travel friend, Mcki.

Fast forward 2023, when all restrictions were lifted like not wearing a mask, I went to Batanes in early February, Coron in April, and Laguna in May. I also joined our company team building in August. Finally, I had my international flight to the UK in October, 4 years after my USA trip in 2019.

When I got back from my England and Scotland trip in November, it inspired me to start writing again. Visiting castles in the two countries reminded me so much of how I love history and architectural designs of places. Seeing William Shakespeare humble abode in Stratford-upon-Avon and having a walking tour of Harry Potter made me realized one of my greatest dreams – to be a writer. Be it a travel writer for magazines and website; a literary author and a poet, I had to start again somewhere.

So, let us start again by reviving this website. I never thought that there would still be readers in the age of TikTok’s, IG stories and FB reels, YouTube Channel. But hey, there you are, you are reading this. I am grateful to you.

Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon

Pahiyas Festival: Teope Legacy

Pahiyas Festival is a yearly festival in honor of San Isidro de Labrador for the good harvest of the town in Lucban, Quezon. Every 15th of May the creativity differs from house to house with colorful kipings, anok, different fruits, vegetables, root crops and rice barn, woven hats and other native products, delicacies and food that originated from Lucban.

The family of Teope is known for creating famous designs for the Pahiyas Festival. The ancestral house of Teope is along Regidor Street and always refers to as Daang Dalahican, a commonplace known by Lucbanin’s. During the early days, Daang Dalahican was a street filled with award-winning payas.

The Teope family always bagged awards every Pahiyas Festival for the years that the route will end up on their street. Even the extended families of Teope who live in other streets also make a beautiful design that also generates awards. The kin also established themselves as creator of kiping. Some of the Lucbanin buys kiping to the different Teope kin who made the kiping their business.

Pahiyas Gallery

Pahiyas in Black and White

Pahiyas 1970’s

Pahiyas 1982 – Photo c/o C. Raneses

 

Pahiyas 1984

 

Pahiyas 1988
Pahiyas 1990
Pahiyas 1992
Pahiyas 1995
Pahiyas in 1998
Pahiyas 2000
Pahiyas 2009
Pahiyas 2013
Pahiyas 2018
Pahiyas Festival Postcard
Pahiyas Portrait in Museum

Some photos of the old house are also featured in a local Museum with their rice gallery and another one was used as postcard.

Pahiyas 2020 with Payas and Kiping Master – Rolly Teope

How to Make Kiping by Teope

We would like to give our heart felt appreciation to the different TV programs to feature the Teope Family particularly Bert Teope about the “Making of Kiping” and also for the International Rice Research Institute. Credits are due to the Youtube Channels respectively.

For other posts about Lucban, check this out: Lucban Pahiyas FestivalLucban, QuezonKamay ni Hesus

Note: Please check with the Lucban Municipal Tourism Office for the requirements needed to visit the destination. Please contact 0425401279 or email at lucbantourism@yahoo.com.

Bacolod, The City of Smiles

Bacolod City is the capital of Negros Occidental. Bacolod is known for the Masskara, an annual celebration held every 4th weekend of October. Because of the festival, Bacolod became known as the City of Smiles.
I’m not sure why I don’t have photos of Bacolod City, but mostly because it is a jump-off city for the beautiful Negros Island as well as Dumaguete in Negros Oriental.
The best way to complete the Bacolod trip is to try a gastronomic tour of the different restaurants in Bacolod.

Best Restaurants in Bacolod

L Fisher Hotel in Bacolod

L’ Fisher Hotel is one of the 5-star hotels in the heart of Bacolod City along Lacson Street which is the Tourism Strip of the city. The hotel is near shopping malls, restaurants and bars, resorts and even museums. Aside from the elegant rooms in the hotel are 3 restaurants, a coffee shop, a gym and spa, a pool at the roof deck and different rooms for conferences and conventions. The restaurants are Riffles, Yakinuku Room and L’Fisher Chalet.

L’Fisher Chalet

The restaurant is on the roof deck of L’ Fisher Hotel. They serve Filipino dishes overlooking some parts of Bacolod City and enjoying the resort-like ambiance near the pool.

Riffles

The restaurant is in L’Fisher Hotel that serves local and international cuisine and also serves a buffet every Friday and Saturday.

Calea Pastries & Coffee

The most popular pastries in the Tourism Strip in front of the L’Fisher Hotel. They serve different cakes and one of my personal favorites is the cheesecakes especially the blueberry cheesecake and also the mouth-watering chocolate mud pie.

Diotay’s Eatery

Diotay’s Eatery is located in Gatuslao Street near the Capitol Park and Lagoon and Provincial Capitol of Negros. It is the best seafood paluto in Bacolod. You can order the ingredients like fresh seafood and fish and some pork and chicken. The best-sellers are buttered garlic shrimps, sinigang na ulo (head) of fish, grilled fish and grilled liempo.

Pala Pala Seafood Market

It is located a block after Capitol Park in N. Capitol Road. They serve freshly cooked food. The seafood has different varieties and is very affordable.

Aida’s Manukan Country

Bacolod is also famous for inasal chicken. The best Bacolod Chicken Inasal is from Aida’s Manukan Country which is near SM City Bacolod and San Sebastian Cathedral.

The Other Side of Siquijor

After our coastal tour, it was already past 7 in the evening as my friend enjoyed the Tulapos Marine Sanctuary and explored the waters. My tour guide and I and the rest of the sanctuary’s guardian waited for my friend and her diving guides. If you want a tour, you can also contact our driver:


He took us back to our resort but told him to drop us at a nearby restaurant called Ayans Local Food. It is the restaurant that serves Siquijor dishes and breakfast meals and Filipino dishes for lunch and dinner.
After dinner, we went back to our resort. Unluckily we turned on a different path going to our resort. We end up with private houses along the pavement that was too dark because there were no lights. We get back to where Ayan’s food was and walked going to the correct way going to our resort which was the next walkway with no lights again going to La Villa Alta.


It was really scary when we were walking on the dark pavement. It is due to the fact that there is another side of Siquijor that is known for witches and healers. Siquijor uses the traditional way of healing. People also visit the island because of the mysterious effect of their healing of different illnesses. Siquijor celebrates “The Healing Festival” during holy week.

The special location for the festival is Mt. Bandilaan where the healers would gather after getting the ingredients, to make their traditional rituals in the blessing of the ingredients.
Since we had a limited time exploring Siquijor we couldn’t avail of the next tour which is the Mountain Tour. The mountain tour includes the tour in Mt. Bandilaan and Cantabon Cave.
After the day tour, we enjoyed the rest of the night in the resort. The following morning we took a swim in Sandugan Beach which was in high tide.

Our tour guide from the start fetches us to go back to Siquijor Port. But before that, we went to St. Francis of Assisi Parish. The parish was founded in1783 but the church built with coral stones was finished in 1831.
While waiting for the time of our departure for the ferry going back to Dumaguete., we enjoyed the sandbar at the Siquijor Pier Beach. The sandbar is visible during low tide. The beach is a beautiful scenery of turquoise water and glistening white sand under the scorching sun.

Coastal Tour in Siquijor

We hired the tricycle driver who dropped us in La Villa Alta. We chose the Coastal Tour over the Mountain Tour. We started at 8 am.

Siquijor, Siquijor

We went to the municipality of Siquijor in the famous restaurant called Joel’s Lechon Manok for our brunch. We also check the nearby Bell Tower which was being renovated. We bought foods and drinks in the Public Market.

Paliton Beach

Paliton Beach is located in San Juan. It has become famous and is also called  Little Boracay. The beach is lined up with coconut trees. The beach is also overlooking Apo Island in a distance.
San Juan is a municipality with the most visitors because of the number of resorts, guesthouses and restaurants. It is also a place to hang out for nightlife for bars.

Century-Old Tree

The third place to visit for our coastal tour is the Century-Old Tree in Lazi. It is a 400-year-old Balete tree. A small spring is at the base where you can also enjoy a foot spa with small fishes.
Beside the tree are souvenir shops and a restaurant. The souvenir shops are famous for Love potions, amulets and some handcrafted voodoo dolls.

Lazi Church and Convent

The San Isidro Labrador Church also known as Lazi Church is a Roman Catholic church. It was declared as a National Treasure by the National Museum of the Philippines. The Baroque church is a neoclassical style built from sea stones and wood.


Across the street is the San Isidro Labrador Convent which was turned into a museum.

Cambugahay Falls

From the Church, going up to a steep road will lead to the entrance going to Cambugahay Falls. It is one of the famous falls in Siquijor with three-level waterfalls. It is also a popular spot on the island for rope jumping.
We had our lunch after along the Circumferential Road of Siquijor in the municipality of Maria called La Guerta Kuzina which offers Filipino dishes.

Salagdoong Beach and Cliff Jump

In the municipality of Maria, a secluded beach called Salagdoong Beach Resort is located. Upon entering the beach, you will enjoy the trees in the Salagdoong Forest. It is a public beach The resort has two platforms for cliff jumping. It has two coves great for swimming and snorkeling.


We also bought the famous Torta, a local bread in Siquijor in Lilibeth Pan de Bisaya before going to our last stop for the tour.

Tulapos Marine Sanctuary

It is the oldest marine sanctuary in Siquijor. The sanctuary is the best place for finding abundant marine life including barracudas, blacktip reef sharks, sea turtles, jackfishes and so many more.

Enchanting Siquijor

Siquijor is a small island in Central Visayas near Dumaguete City, at the tip of the Southern Cebu and Bohol. It is also known as “Isla del Fuego” because of the mystical fireflies, pristine beaches with tropical marine life and a mountainous area. Siquijor is also has been widely known for black magic.
There are 5 major municipalities in Siqujor. These are Siquijor, San Juan, Larena, Lazi and Maria, Enrique Villanueva.

How to get there

The best way to Siquijor is in from Dumaguete City Sea Port. There are different schedules of the ferry going to Siquijor. There are two ports in Siquijor, one from Siquijor and one from Larena.


From the municipalities, you can ride a tricycle, but take note that some tricycles are exclusive to the municipalities. There are tricycles used for touring the island. There are some tours like the Coastal Tour and the Mountain Tour.

First Night in Siquijor

We arrived late in the afternoon in Siquijor Port after a 1 hour and a half from Dumaguete City. My friend booked us in Larena. We found a tricycle to take us there which took us about 40 minutes to see our resort. You can also see the beautiful Larena Bay along the road until we reach the center of the Larena which is near the Larena port.

La Villa Alta

Villa Alta is in the outskirts of the municipality of Larena where you can see from afar the island of Bohol. It has a restaurant, a bar, a garden and a private beach area.

Our bungalow is overlooking Sandugan Beach. There are so many other resorts in the nearby area.

Sandugan Beach

It was already low tide when we explored Sandugan Beach. We explored the mudflats and waited for the sun to set while enjoying the beach.

Famous Restaurants in Dumaguete

Dumaguete is one of the places I’d love because of their food with the line up of different restaurants most especially in downtown. My favorite places are near Siliman University and in front of the waterfront of Rizal Boulevard.


The Dumaguete City Baywalk is also known as Dumaguete Boulevard is a stretch of walkway and park along the bustling busy Rizal Boulevard.

Jo’s Chicken Inato

The original inato or chicken barbecue restaurant in Dumaguete is called Jo’s Chicken Inato. It is in front of Silliman University. They also serve different Filipino food. I also love the buko halo-halo.

Casablanca

Casablanca is located along Rizal Boulevard. It is a fusion of Western and Filipino style restaurant. It is one of the best fine dining restaurants in Dumaguete.

Sans Rival Cake and Pastries

This has become famous because of the sans rival, silvannas, cakes and pastries. They also offer a different variety of food for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Qyosko Café and Espresso Bar

It is located in Sta. Rosa St. which is near Quezon Park and Dumaguete Cathedral. It is a nice go-to place for coffee, drinks and cakes and other merienda food. They also serve rice bowl plates like the crispy adobo rice.

Handumanan

Before you leave Dumaguete, it is also nice to go to Handumanan, where you can buy handcrafted souvenirs from Negros.

Manjuyod Sandbar

Manjuyod is a municipality in Negros Oriental after Bais City. The municipality became famous because of the Manjuyod Sandbar, a must-see attraction in Negros Oriental.

Manjuyod Sandbar

The sandbar is a hidden gem in North Bais Bay. Manjuyod Sandbar became popular and was known as the Maldives of the Philippines.

It is located geographically in Manjuyod along the North Bais Bay in the Tañon Strait. The fine stunning white sandbar is 7 kilometers during low tide. It submerges into deep water during high tide. There are only 4 cottages for accommodations.

It is best to arrive early in the morning to enjoy and explore the 600 hectares of powder-white sand. Most tour operators start in Canibol Wharf in Bais City.

It is a fifteen-minute boat ride to reach the sand bar. The tour also includes dolphin watching.

After the dolphin watching, the boat goes back to the sandbar for the guests to enjoy swimming and after which, a sumptuous lunch awaits the tourist while enjoying the turquoise water and the scorching heat of the sun.

Bais City Dolphin Watching

Bais city a second-class city and a small agricultural town in Negros Oriental. The city is also known for sugar mills with the popular landmark of the Central Azucarera de Bais, a Spanish structure in the city and the largest producer of raw sugar in Negros Oriental. It is known as the pioneer in the sugar industry in the Philippines.
There are so many old Spanish houses in Bais city, where the Spanish influence and culture is very evident. One famous old house is the Casa Grande, an old residential compound built for the employees of the Azucarera.

La Planta Hotel

It is originally an electric supply building after it was turned into a restaurant. In 1990, the building was extended and became La Planta Hotel. Another hotel in Bais is the Casa Sandoval Pension House and Restaurant. We stayed here for a night and enjoyed the night swimming.

Dolphin and Whale Watching

The city of Bais has become popular for dolphin and whale watching in Tañon Strait. The Tañon Strait is between Negros and Cebu in which its seas are a haven for the two friendly creatures. Canibol Wharf is a jump-off to the tourist attraction.
During my visit, we saw the dolphins, which is actually near the island of Cebu.

Canibol Wharf is also a gateway to the popular Manjuyod Sandbar. You can see the cottages from afar.

Dumaguete City

The City of Dumaguete is a major transport hub in the Negros Island going to different provinces in Visayas and Mindanao. It is located on the southeastern tip of the island with Siquijor and Cebu as its neighboring islands. It is also a gateway to the famous Apo Island and going to different destinations anywhere on the large island of Negros. Dumaguete is also known as the “the City of the gentle people” with laid back city life.

Silliman University

One notable destination is the oldest university which is the Siliman University. It occupies almost one-third of Dumaguete City and is also one of the beautiful universities in Asia. It is a university town with luscious acacia lined trees and open field surrounding the school. Silliman is also a home of the Siliman Anthropology Museum, Silliman Hall, Silliman University Church, The Gate of Knowledge, Gate of Opportunity and Silliman University Bell.
A campus tour is also available inside the school for tourists to enjoy the 62-hectare of the historical university. The guided tour is administered by the university’s student ambassador.

Dumaguete Cathedral / St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral

The Dumaguete Cathedral is located at Perdices Street. It is a catholic church with stained-glass windows. Beside the church is the ornate, stone Belfry Tower also known as Campanario de Dumaguete.