December 2016 – Just another @owrange site

Dec. 29, 2016

For 2 nights, going “home” looks like so “probinsya” life. It’s total darkness and dirtroad. And, I’m not complaining.

The one or 3 people we met when walking early in the morning always pointed to us the fancy resort on the other side of the mountain. I guess they felt pity on us being on the not-fancy part of their town. I tried hard not to reply that we have a lot of those fancy resorts back in Seyboo; we want this DIRT ROAD! Kidding; We really cannot afford the fancy resort. @.@

The place we’re staying ⬇️. It should not be misspelled as Violent (corny!).
I felt we’re being glutton on this day; we kind of cram all the Top 10 Things to Do when in Dumaguete / Valencia:

Al Fresco Breakfast at Valencia Plaza

I really love this strip of eatery / carenderia across the Plaza / Church of Valencia.

Trekking to Casaroro Falls

Dip into a “public sauna bath”

We went to Pulang Bato, Valencia popular for its “steamy” scene. It’s amazing to see “smoke” blowing up on the sides of the road. I’m not sure but this is probably where the geothermal plant of Valencia must be located. Anyhow, we did not go there for the geothermal plant.

We took a dip at Red Rock Hot Spring, which seems to be also the plan of other people. With more people coming in, it can get really intimate in the pool. 🙂

Climb for P50

Anywhere we’ll go, Migi would always take his climbing shoes with him. So as not to disappoint him, we drop by at Greyhound Climbing Gym, located in the FU Gym (Foundation University North Campus). It’s manned by a local legend climber, Mich, so it’s a decent indoor climbing facility in Dumaguete.

Cafe Chilling

Meg has this thing for hanging out at “cafe.” I don’t know where she got that “cafe” concept.

For the few cafes I’ve been to in Dumaguete, i think Poppy’s Coffee tops the “chill feel.” On the “coffee” part, Mark would call them “hotel buffet” coffee.

Gadget rules this family. @.@

Walk?!? Nah!

I really love the University town feel of Dumaguete though lately, it kinda feels it’s also having the “American Dream” phase — too many cars. Or maybr it’s just the Holiday.

Upscale Carenderia

I think Sta. Teresa resto replaces Gabby’s Bistro as our default go-to eating place. It’s cheaper, and Gabby’s kinda felt too greasy. But Gabby’s is always something to be in the itinerary.

Stargazing Attempt

Dec. 28, 2016

(I think it’s apt to call this trip now as Negros because Negros Oriental and Occidental is now just one province.)

Sometimes airbnb-ing would take us to a a place like this, taking the path less travelled literally.

Mark had been planning for a Christmas holiday trip with the kids for some time. The original plan was Biliran but backed out at the last minute after his meticulous research that there’s not enough amenities for a “children” type of activity like swimming pool, or JollibeeMcdo. So we decided that Biliran is reserved for a legit “backpacking yolo” kind of trip; I mean you know like millenial kind of trip.

So last minute, we decided to go to Dumaguete because it’s kinda tried and tested destination. But then somehow we ended up in a truly remote area of Valencia; probably not much different from Biliran.

So we stayed in a placed owned by a year+-old Chinese immigrant. It’s located in the Mt. Violin (I dunno if he just made it up or it’s the place legit name). Based on google maps, we thought it’s just a bit on top of a hill in Dumaguete. But based in real life, we’re right above smack on a mountain area minus the cemented road kind of mountain.

Being entertained by a legit newly immigrant Chinese with his very new acquired English who said that he’s never going back to China (or probably I just did not get his English right), this remote piece of Valencia felt like those mountain villages of China featured in documentary videos. Think about those mountains in the border of Himalayas.

In between of trying to understand each others conversation, it made me wonder if China had been so harsh to him and his family or is he just very risk-taker to decide to relocate in the Philippines despite the language barrier?!?

Seeing him attending to us with his 2 young daughters in tow makes me think that immigrants tend to be successful is probably because they have the need to work harder, harder than the locals to make it in their new place.

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More photos from Day 1.

Maria’s Batchoy, default breakfast place in Dalaguete.

Maayo shipping line. I think fee for back and forth is P1k+. You can pay in advance for the return ticket.