May 25, 2014

Our Bacolod Adventure

They say you go to Bacolod to eat. That's only 60% true. Yes, the food's really, really good (we have such good memories of the things we ate..) but Bacolod has some beautiful sights as well. We visited a few and had a great time. I mean, we had to do something in between meals, right? haha!

Since the purpose of our visit was mainly to go on a food trip, we never got around to planning an itinerary for the non-food places we were going to visit. In fact, we only started Googling and using Trip Advisor (yey for Trip Advisor!) after we checked in at our cozy pension house. Thankfully, Eliel and I have pretty similar travel interests and it's not difficult for us to reach a consensus on what places we'd like to visit. I do the research on the potential places, Eliel makes sure we get there. I'm the planner, he's the navigator. We take public transportation and we get around with ease because Eliel uses Google maps like a pro. =)

So there.. In between meals, we went to the following:

1. Mambukal Hot Springs and the 7 Waterfalls

2. The Ruins

3. Silay Heritage Homes

Our first destination was the Mambukal Hot Springs. I'm not a big fan of hot springs, because I like swimming in cold water (not freezing, just cold). I find it more refreshing. However, what drew us to visit was the promise of seeing the famous 7 falls.

Eliel and I took the the bus to Mambukal.

The moment we arrived, we decided to go straight to the seven falls. There are two options. The first is to take a habal-habal to the 7th waterfall and trek going down, towards the resort. The second option is to go inside the resort and trek all the way going up and trek again going down. Because we had limited time, we opted to ride up and trek going down. It's less tiring, but I guess you can also argue that it would be less fulfilling. But we had to do what we had to do to maximize our time.

Before heading up, we took the mandatory photo beside the resort entrance and the lagoon. You can actually go kayaking there.

Disclaimer: Photos may not be shown in chronological order. hehe

Our trek to each of the falls was scenic and refreshing. I love seeing green everywhere and hearing the sound of running water. It wasn't a very hot day, which was perfect. Our guide pointed out some of the wildlife including some species of bats.

The water in some parts of the river was so still, you can see your reflection. I was reminded of that Aesop fable about the dog who barked at his reflection thinking it was another dog. Took a photo of Eliel feeling all "Mulan," asking when his reflection will show who he is inside. Feeling model!

All of the falls are connected to one river. The river drops 7 times, hence 7 falls. We arrived at the 7th waterfall first. This one had a small lagoon where you can take a dip. You can also go under the waterfall for a free massage.

During our visit, 2 of the falls were closed because of the weather conditions (I think). So we only got to see 5. Not really much of a disappointment. The trek was still as enjoyable.

Once we got back to the resort, we took a dip in their Warm Sulfur Dipping Pool. The resort is near the Kanlaon volcano and that's where all the heat comes from. We sat there and relaxed until sunset.

Mambukal resort actually has a lot more to offer. Too bad we could only stay for half a day. It's definitely worth visiting, especially for nature lovers. I recently read a very detailed blog post about Mambukal. It's worth sharing, so here it is, in case you're interested in visiting soon. :)

Probably Bacold's most popular tourist destination in the recent years, The Ruins was a must-see for us. It is not only a beautiful work of architecture, it also has a romantic history. Dubbed as the Taj Mahal of Negros, it was built during the pre-WWII era by a sugarcane baron, Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson. He dedicated it to the memory of his late Portuguese wife, who died while bearing their 11th child.

The mansion, at the time it was built, was like no other mansion in the Philippines. It was inspired by European architecture and its grandeur was incomparable. According to our tour guide (none other than the famous tour guide featured on TV), the concrete walls were said to be made with a mix of cement and egg whites. Apparently, the egg whites make the concrete look smooth and marble-like. The structure itself was made of the sturdiest materials.

Once it was completed, it became the house of Don Mariano and his children.

Unfortunately, during World War II, Don Mariano, together with the American soldiers, had to burn down the house to prevent it from being seized by the Japanese and used as their headquarters. It is said that because of the mansion's strong framework, it took three days to fully burn down the wooden parts of the house. Its concrete structure remains beautifully intact until today.

For decades it has stood there, but it was only in the recent years that the owner decided to bring it to life and make it the tourist destination that it is today. And wow. I can understand why people take photos like crazy when they're there. It lends a perfect backdrop for pictorials. You'll definitely feel like a Don or Doña. hehe

On our last day, before heading to the airport, Eliel and I visited some of the historical houses in Silay City. We found this handy map from Project 7010 online and it proved to be very useful for our little walking tour.

Before anything else though, my biggest advice to anyone planning on having an extensive tour of these ancestral houses? Do not do it on a Monday. Like most museums, most of the houses are closed from the public on Mondays.

Since Eliel and I went on a Monday, we were only able to take photos outside the houses. Our first stop was the Balay Negrense, which was of course, closed. Just as we're about to give up, we found that the Hofilena Ancestral House was open! Yey! Lucky for us, the owner was there and was quite happy to give us a tour.

The Hofileña Museum, or the Hofileña Ancestral House is the only heritage home in the area that is still inhabited. The man of the house, Mr. Ramon Hofileña is someone you would describe as loquacious. He is the perfect host because he knows everything about the house (well, he lives there!) and is a wonderful storyteller. He tells of the history behind his collection of small jars used to store tears during ancient(?) funerals, of where he acquired the smallest dolls I've ever seen (smaller than my fingernail!), and how he managed to own a vast collection of artwork and paintings from no less than the likes of Rizal, Luna and Hidalgo. He shares stories of his childhood in America, and how he was such a stud back then. He even gave a short demonstration of the old art of manual printing. We had a great time and we're really glad he was around when we dropped by! It's a house filled with wonders, and I would recommend art and history lovers to visit.

Before leaving, we bought from him a piece of tektite (which I believe are small pieces of meteorite?) because they say it brings good luck. We have yet to see if it's true. hehe

We also saw the Jalandoni Museum and the San Diego Cathedral. To complete our tour, we dropped by the Locsin y Lacson Ancestral Home which houses the El Ideal Bakery, one of the oldest bakeries in the area.