Siquijor: Salagdoong Beach

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While we stayed at the Coco Grove beach resort, we never actually bathed in their beach. I guess we found their pools more inviting. And it really was. We, however, were bent on finding a really good beach in the island. Thus, we asked the resort staff what Siquijor's best beach was. Their automatic response was, naturally, Coco Grove. A little more prodding and you'll get them to say Salagdoong Beach.


The day before, we asked our trike driver, the same one that took us from the port to the resort, if he could hook us up with land transport for our inland tour. So he did. We didn't use his trike, though. We boarded the back of some sort of a mini-pick-up truck. The ride in and around the island was great. We got to see the real Siquijorenses. The coastal views were amazing, too. Real amazing.


Our first destination was Salagdoong Beach. It was about a 30 to 40-minute ride from Coco Grove, which was actually on the opposite side of the island. Upon leaving the provincial highway, we got to this narrow tree-lined, zig-zagged road, leading to the beach. It was really pretty.


Upon arriving, we saw this white-sand beach with crystal-clear blue-green water. The rocks there didn't really matter, because after the rocks, you have this wide open space, shallow enough to wade through but deep enough to swim in. The best part is its fine-white sand below. It was as if the rocks were intentionally brushed to the sides to form this natural pool. It was something I have never seen before.


Salagdoong Beach has its own restaurant and, as far as I know, a hotel, too. We were here lunch time so we rented a picnic table and ordered two of their very crunchy home-made pizzas. Very home-made, I should say. But good enough. If you wanted to cook your own food, however, you could. There are these outdoor grills around for guests to use.


Salagdoong Beach is actually two beaches. One side is the rocky part (at least, when we were there). The other side is the one that looked more like a beach. The sand on this side, though, is not as fine. A lot of small rocks. But I presume it's still worth the dip.


A very huge rock boulder divides the two beaches at Salagdoong. They have built a concrete footbridge leading to the top of this rock boulder. I really should stop calling it a rock boulder, because they've turned it into a very high viewing deck. And the views there are nothing short of breathtaking. Crystalline turquoise water as far as the eye can see. Really breathtaking.




To see more Siquijor-related photos, please see:
Siquijor: Coco Grove

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Siquijor: Coco Grove

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Travel, Photography, Asia
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Do not let common belief scare you. While Siquijor is surrounded by stories of mangkukulams and arbolarios, it should not stop you from exploring the island. In fact, it should encourage you to visit it. Folklore as rich and as widely believed says a lot about the place.


But we did not come to Siquijor for that. I guess we were too scared to go looking for it. Besides, we figured the little island in the southern part of the Visayan archipelago has something more to offer. And it has.

But first things first, how do you get to Siquijor? Really easy. Take a plane to nearby Dumaguete City in Negros Oriental. From there, take a tricycle to the city's port area. Fare is eight pesos a person and don't let anybody tell you otherwise. At the port, get on the next ferry to Siquijor and that's it. If the Oceanjet ferry is available, get on it. If not, the Delta liner will do.


In Siquijor, we stayed at Coco Grove resort. This I maintain, had the place been a little more manicured, I would've declared it to be the poshiest resort I had been in. Notwithstanding, I think it is the poshiest resort I've been in. It's the kind where foreigners (by that, I mean Europeans) go in search of peace in the tropics. In fact, our group (all Pinoys) felt like we were the foreigners there. They're very friendly, though. So no worries.


The beach at Coco Grove is something to be desired. The strip of soft sand under the beach water is quite narrow. After that, it's rocks and coral. Good for snorkeling, yes. But for swimming, not so much. Fortunately, the resort has two great pools. One even has a poolside bar. See? It's very poshy.


But, if you do want to take a dip at the beach, I advice that you bathe early in the morning. The tide is higher, so the strip of water before the rocks and coral is wider. And hey, the water is more inviting in the morning. You'll see.


Something has to be said about the food at the resort. The place has two restaurants. We were only able to eat at one, of which I was not able to take any pictures. But hey, the other restaurant's prettier anyway. In both places, though, I have to say the food's pricy. Not ritzy or poshy pricy. But definitely not-for-budget-travelers pricy. They serve all kinds of food--from Pinoy to American to Continental. Do you get value for money, though? Well, so-so.


Since this post has turned into somewhat a resort review already, let's just go ahead with it. Customer service in the resort is exceptional. The staff members treat you like important guests. And they should, because you are. But it's something to be said anyway. They're friendly, too. They take note of your names and answer your questions with a smile. We even chatted them up about Siquijor's esoteric aspects. They told us that's it's nothing, really. Kuwento ng matatanda. Maybe that's why few Filipinos come to the island. Too bad, really. Siquijor is definitely more than that.


By late afternoon, I was definitely beat. I had been up for about 24 hours by then. (I'm a night shifter. Don't ask.) Good thing, though, the beach faces west. So we had a beautiful sunset to cap off the day.

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Lakbayan Update: Dumaguete-Siquijor

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Time for a Lakbayan map update.

My Lakbayan grade is C minus.

Yes, that's right. I just went to small-town-but-with-a-lot-of-personality Dumaguete and the mystical little island of Siquijor. I plan to conquer more Visayan islands in the future. ;)

Photos to come.

(Again, to get your own Lakbayan grade and map, please visit this website, created by one Eugene Villar.)

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Laguna: UP Los Baños

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I have been to Los Baños a number of times as a kid. Sadly, we never got past the hot springs. I say it's sad because beyond the pools, the town has so much more to offer. Thanks to a friend, a local there (see? it pays to know the locals), I discovered a weekend getaway just a couple hours drive from Manila.


One great place to see in this neck of the woods is the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UP LB) campus. To get here, continue driving the Los Baños highway, past the hot springs, and you'll reach a very busy intersection. Take the right and drive further, until you reach the UP LB gates.


They have a park here--Freedom Park--right in front of Baker Hall. The park is quite the perfect place for a picnic. The trees on the side of the field will give you enough shade on which to set your spread. It's a great place to spend the afternoon. Rest lazily on one of the stone benches or run around the wide green field--your choice.


Do not miss to marvel at UP LB's fertility tree, too. Hard to miss, actually. It's easy to spot if you're standing anywhere at the park. It's the big and tall tree beside a concrete tower, which is actually UP LB's Carillon. Yes, they have one, too. Anyway, there are other interesting places in Los Baños. Will be posting photos of them in the days to come.

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UP Diliman: Fallen Fire Trees

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I went to UP Diliman last Friday to enroll myself as a special student once again. I knew I had to bring my camera with me because I had been wanting to photograph the campus' brilliantly red fire trees. I think it's the closest thing we have to Japan's cherry blossoms.


I found the fire trees, yes. But due to the strong winds during the past couple of days, the blooms of the trees had already fallen to the ground. Still, I clicked away. And here be the results.

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Cebu: Fort San Pedro

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The third destination in what turned out to be our historical tour of Cebu City is Fort San Pedro. The fort is in an area now known as Plaza Independencia, just walking distance from the Basilica de Sto. Niño and Magellan's Cross. Facing the front entrance of the basilica, walk down the street to your left. After about three blocks, you'll find the plaza and the fort's walls.


There is an entrace fee of 21 pesos. Well worth it, I think. The place is well-maintained (too maintained, if you ask me). They've developed the interiors into some sort of a park. Good thing the structures are still there. One old-looking building has been turned into a museum. Pity it was closed when we visited.


I discovered later that the fort was built by the orders of Miguel López de Legazpi himself. It's that old. The adelantado wanted a military fortification there in order to protect the then emerging Spanish settlement from raids and assaults. By the late 1800's, the historical site served as a stronghold for Filipino revolutionaries.


Again, walking into the fort, you wouldn't really see this "history." Mainly because the park/garden dominates the interiors. That isn't the case, though, when you climb up the fort's battlements. There are many staircases leading up to the walls, one even wheelchair-friendly. So do go up.


There you'll find stone walkways (again, very well-maintained), out-of-service cannons and some sort of a steel artillery storage bunker. Also, there is a concrete staircase leading to the rooftop deck of the front walls. An area higher than the battlements. From there, you'll have a view of a terracotta rooftop and, of course, the streets and buildings right outside the fort.


Before leaving, make sure you drop by the souvenir shops beside the entrance/exit gates. Aside from the keychains, necklaces and bracelets (which you can get personalized with your names, by the way), you might find there a blind man singing together with a young girl gifted with an amazing voice. They were singing some old songs. Some in Tagalog even. So listen and spare some change.

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Cebu: the Cross and the Basilica

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After visiting Bantayan Island in northern Cebu province, we made sure we also visited some of the more touristy sites of Cebu City proper. Hey, it has to be done. My goal was to find as much old Spanish Cebu as I can get. It is a very historical city this one. In fact, Cebu was for a time the capital of the Spanish colony here. Luckily, it did not disappoint.


First on our list, is, of course, Magellan's Cross. The first time I saw this landmark was in grade school, in a history textbook. So, walking into the small stone kiosk that houses it was actually the first time I was beholding it. Well, I expected something taller, but hey, it's tall enough.


The cross can be found in the heart of downtown Cebu City, along Magallanes Street, right in front of the city hall. As I discovered, though, no one will actually ever lay eyes on the original Magellan's cross. The original one has been encased inside this hollow wooden cross, reportedly done to prevent devotees from chipping off its wood, believing it to have healing powers.


Right beside the cross is the back entrance of one very big Catholic church. The Basilica Minore de Sto. Niño is said to be standing on the spot where a sculpture of a black Holy Child was found. Spaniards stumbled upon this Sto. Niño preserved in a burned wooden box left behind by Magellan's 1521 expedition.


Today, the black Sto. Niño is still there. We saw it inside the church, in a special room beside the altar, along with other things inside the basilica. Again, I could not shoot inside the church out of respect to the many devotees praying there. So, I contented myself on other interesting things I found. Trust me. There are many.


We found a well-maintained patio inside, which had this beautifully crafted wishing fountain. Walking inside the church again, I found this staircase whose intricate design amazed me. The balusters and the steps themselves were all beautifully sculpted from wood. I guess this is why I never actually fully resented religion. If it could inspire beautiful works of art like this one, why should I?

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