Bacolod Chronicles: The Ruins

Also known as the Taj Mahal of Negros, the Ruins is one of Bacolod's attractions that you should not miss.

Located in Talisay, just a few minutes away from the city - thanks to the newly built roads, the Ruins is accessible, easy to go to and a tourist favorite. It's currently the number 1 attraction in Bacolod according to Trip Advisor.

The Ruins

There are tour guides provided to tell stories and trivia around the house. Unfortunately, we came at a busy time and we weren't able to find any available tour guide. Personally, I love it when there are little or no people in the Ruins. The empty house is just a little more appealing. You can read up on the historically romantic story of this iconic house on their website.

Faux Children
This place truly is romantic, it puts you in the romantic mood but there are a few things that (for me) snap be back to reality. When the sun goes down and the magic hour is done, the house then starts to glow. Not because of magic but because they have placed lights all over the place, even outlining the house.  There is also a huge christmas tree obstructing the view of the house, although bearable, I think that the house would look better without it.

Guest Entrance
Fountain
On the brighter side of things, the house is well maintained and the place is kept clean. Although this fountain has been retouched a couple of times, it still stays true to its form. It reminds me of me grand people used to live and yet it was elegant and beautiful. Past the fountain is their azucarera a.k.a sugar factory. Originally known as the Sugar Capital of the Philippines, it would only make sense that this rich family was involved in the sugar industry. Unfortunately, that area is not open to the tourists and I have no photo.

Children's Entrance
We would like to think we're the fun tour group and so we danced to our favorite chant from the party - CLAP YOUR HANDS UP IN THE AIR
The Crazy Bunch
The Ruins is definitely a must see for a lot of reasons. If this place has captured your heart, like it did ours, you can actually hold events and photo shoots here.
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Bacolod Chronicles: Campuestohan

Known as the Sugar Capital of the Philippines or the City of Smiles, Bacolod is definitely a place you must visit. The last Masskara festival I went to was two years ago and I must say, not much has changed.

It was sort of a last minute trip and there are no regrets. Being the only one who's been to Bacolod a couple times in the group, I instantly became the group's tour guide. It was quite a challenge because of the traffic and weather during our visit but we made the most out of the times where we were complete.

First destination - Campuestohan

Lodge
Located in Talisay, it's an hour or so away from the city. It's a highland resort where friends and families can hang out. They have two pools and a lot of other attractions that can definitely keep you busy. Although it was raining during our visit to Campuestohan, it didn't stop us from having fun at the resort and maximizing the Php 150.00 entrance fee.

Swimming Pool & Play Ground



The pools were far away from each other which brings up a hygiene problem because kids and adolescents run across the grass barefoot to go to the other pool. If you don't want to swim - like us, there are other options to keep entertained. You can cross the hanging bridge, bike in the air, zip line or go through a rope course.

Cycling in the air

Just Hanging out
We didn't stay as long as we originally planned because of the rain and also because we started craving for some coffee and cake. We headed over to Calea and got our cake fix. (You can read more about our food adventures here).

Did anyone say 'cake'?

Whether you're with your family or friends, make sure to drop by Campuestohan and see another side of Bacolod.
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Strolling around Zamboanga

Before heading out to Zamboanga, I made sure I did a little research on the places I should see, the restaurants I should visit, etc. Unfortunately, I was only there for a couple days. Not enough for me to leave the city and explore the beaches.

I arrived in Zamboanga just in time for their Hermosa Festival also known as Fiesta Pilar held in honor of Nuestra Señora del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pilar). I had no idea what activities were happening. Too bad I missed out on some good ones.


Regatta display in Lantaka Hotel
After settling in our hotel, I left my parents and walked around the city. A lot of the roads were closed or turned into one way streets to ease traffic and give way to pedestrians.

I started off at Fort Pilar, one of the historical forts in the Philippines. Along the side of the Fort is a small entrance and sign leading into their National Museum. I was so excited to learn more about Zamboanga and what their museum has to offer.


National Museum Zamboanga City
It feels a lot like Intramuros but on a smaller scale. Unfortunately, the museum was under renovation during my visit and only two exhibits were open to the public. These were small but information packed exhibits.

There is also a ramp inside the premises that lead up to the walls of the Fort. 

Fort Pilar
The Fort presents a beautiful view of the city. On one side you have the ocean and Paseo de Mar and on the other side you would be able to spot the barangay hall and Sta. Barbara school (where the siege happened). The other sides were closed due to renovations.


The only problem I encountered was going down the ramp. You see, I was wearing sandals and  the ramp was pretty steep. I wasn't sure if I was going to slide or roll down, if ever. Good thing I was able to make it down on my feet. lol

Right beside the Fort is the shrine of Nuestra Señora del Pilar. This place was packed with people and it wasn't even the feast day yet. There was a long line in front. People were lining up to be able to pray to and touch this miraculous statue.

Viva Nuestra Señora del Pilar
Every other chair was occupied by someone either praying or waiting for someone praying. The volume of people was quite overwhelming, or so I thought.

 The next day, during the feast proper, the place was beyond packed at 6AM. People made sure to attend the first mass before the statue was taken out for the procession in the afternoon. I was surprised at how the place was already like a can of sardines and yet people just kept coming and going in the shrine. I couldn't figure out how they fit.

Prayers and Intentions

I was wonder why almost everyone came with a balloon or two in hand. Some of them were busy writing, forgetting to listen to the homily, while some of them where busy keeping it away from their kids. Sometime after the homily the priest told everyone to release their balloons along with their prayers and intentions. Pretty creative, except it's bad for the environment.

Making your way out of the shrine is easy though, there is a path that will lead you to the exit. Thankfully, people were kind enough to step aside and not block the exit. There was a monument for the last bells of, I guess, a bell tower standing there before. There is also a nice surprise by the exit - two bird houses. 


In the morning, these birds come down to the ground and it is absolutely beautiful. I should have taken a photo but I left my camera. It was 6AM. Right beside this is Pase de Mar. It is a gated park by the ocean with food stalls and restaurants. It's a great place to hang out or go on a food trip. And what really caught my attention was:


This gigantic bra made out of bras! Finally, a bra that comes in my size! lol This display was made for Breast Cancer Awareness month and they have a whole exhibit of decorated bras for this. I think it's a great idea to raise awareness and turn used bras into art.

Just a couple blocks further is the city hall. I love how they preserved (and maybe enhanced a little) the facade of the establishment. It really makes you feel like you have time travelled to the Spanish Era. Most establishments near Fort Pilar kept and enhanced the facade of their buildings.

Zamboanga City Hall
I wasn't able to go inside and take a tour but it definitely looked secure from where I was standing. In Zamboanga, they don't have just the police. They have military men  to aid the police. You'll see trucks and trucks of these men in camouflage going around the city with their long firearms. It somehow makes me feel a little safe and unsafe. lol 

Another place I made sure to visit was the Barter. My mom loves this place, whenever she visits Zamboanga, she would always pass by and buy some goodies from the Barter. I would say that this place is the perfect example of perfect competition most (if not, all) stalls sold pretty much the same things and all their prices were the same. It was just a matter of making good friends with your favorite stall and asking for friendly prices.

The Barter offers a wide variety of goodies. You can find almost everything there, well maybe except for love.

Cloth, clothes, scarves, etc.
Pearls
Chocolate
Malaysia, being closer to Zamboanga than Manila, is the main source of these goods. I almost lost hope in looking for my favorite instant Malaysian coffee. Fortunately, there was one store that beat all of the other stores because it sold my favorite coffee.
Coffee
More Coffee
Be prepared to spend hours in the Barter just going around, looking at the goods sold, trying to haggle, etc. Time easily flies by when you're here.

I missed out on a lot of other things but I guess I'll just have to reserve them for when I come back.
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Baguio's Diplomat

It's the nth time I've been to Baguio and every time I visit this place, I always end up going to the same places and doing pretty much the same things. This time, I made sure to do a little planning and research on the things I want to visit and do. Having only one full day in the city, it was quite a challenge picking the places I want to visit.

There were four things on my list: The Old Diplomat Hotel, Kape Umali, La Comida De Antonio Ristorante and of course, Wagwagan. These (except for wWagwagan) are places I've never been to or heard of before. Thanks to Trip Advisor and some friends, I found these places.

The Old Diplomat Hotel


I've never heard of the Old Diplomat Hotel in Baguio. I know some of the haunted places there but I've never heard of this one 'til this trip. Situated in Dominican Hill, it's quite a challenge to go to. I was planning on walking going there since it was more or less 2 km away but I ended up taking the cab. I was glad I took the cab, the Old Diplomat Hotel is located all the way up Dominican Hill. My legs would have probably died if I did.

Fountain
This place is open from 8 AM to 5 PM. There is no entrance fee and no guide to give you a tour of the place. Famous for it's eerie look and feel, haunted stories and history, it has become a favorite for pre-nup, debut and other photo shoots. There are two fountains located on the first floor which makes beautiful instant backdrops to any photo.

Gated Staircase

The house consists of three floors (including the rooftop) but only one is open to tourists. I don't know why they don't allow tourists to explore the whole place. The second floor looks a lot scarier too.

Windows on the 2nd floor
I went around to check the surroundings of the house and the moment I stepped out, the fog was slowly creeping into the house. It just made the whole experience creepier and more eerie.

One of the sides of the house
Foggy Diplomat Hotel
Behind the house was a walk way covered in trees but it seemed like a private property. There was some sort of gate at the end of the walk way so I didn't bother check it out anymore. Looking back, maybe I should have. Maybe there was another house up there or a cooler place. lol

Private Property
This seminary turned hotel turned ruins turned tourist spot has so much history behind it. It would be great if the local government takes over and puts tour guides. It's quite a waste of this historical building because it's just known for being haunted.

Diplomat Hotel sans the fog
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