We left Cebu for Negros on the 23rd. We expected a huge crowd at the terminal. However, we didn’t expect it to be THAT huge. We went to the South Bus Terminal at six in the morning for the 7:30 direct bus to Negros. The bus was already full even before the departure time so we had to stay and wait for the 9:00 am bus. As we waited, more and more people arrived greatly reducing our chances of getting good seats. With two heavy bags, a box full of candies and two plastic bags, we waited impatiently with the other impatient passengers. When the bus finally arrived, there were probably more than two hundred passengers waiting for a fifty-seater bus. As soon as the bus door opened, all eager passengers squeezed in. People were shouting, kids were crying and some bags lost their straps. Some people were cussing and one woman’s face was buried in the armpit of the man in front of her. It was a riot! Hahaha. My mom and I managed to get two seats, thank God. At the very far end of the bus. Bwahahaha. But what the hey! It’s better than standing all the way to Santander, right? Hehehe.
Here’s the scene inside the bus when it finally started rolling.
The look on this old man’s face says it all. After all, it’s a five-hour drive.
After five long hours, we finally saw the boat that would take us to Amlan, Negros Oriental.
Here we go!
Leaving Cebu!
See you soon!
An hour later, we reached Dumaguete City. It was around 4:00 pm and we still haven’t eaten.
Our bus passed by the famed Boulevard in Dumaguete.
So we got off and decided to look for a decent restaurant. And then we saw this boat filled with nuns. I don’t know the history of this ensemble.
Here’s the boulevard. Pretty, isn’t it?
A lot of food establisments facing the sea.
Why Not?
Another view of the boulevard.
The Honeycomb Hotel
Rocky beach
The acacia trees look grand
Aha! Pizza hut! Wait, let’s make sure we have enough money to last until our last bus ride…
Acacia trees!
Ahh. The Bethel Hotel. I saw this in the Internet once.
Yay! Lunch! Finally at 4:30 pm!
Nyum nyum nyum!
After a quick lunch, we went straight to the Ceres terminal.
We got a seat at the very front part of the bus. Hehehe.
It was already very dark and we’re still very far from Bindoy.
We reached Bindoy around 7 in the evening. And the party already started!
The simple joys of the people here are the videoke machine…
And the tuba.
The kids had an ‘exchanging gifts’
Let’s see what you got!
Now, it’s time to disco. But we only have the moon…
No problem! They have this improvised disco ball!
The next morning, my baby cousin Jenny woke me up!
She’s such a pouty pouty girl.
For breakfast, we had beef steak..
eggs, and inun-unan.
Don’t you just love waking up and seeing this view?
That’s my lola and lolo’s house. That used to be a huge house where all 12 of her kids lived. Now that they’re all married, they decided to tear the place down and build a smaller one just for them.
Bananas!
At around 3 pm, my uncle invited us to his house across the river. It’s his birthday!
It’s a long way…
The uncle said that dinner had to be early because the water would rise (high tide) around 8 pm and we’d have to swim across this small river. LOL.
My cousin batheing his horse as two kids look on. When the tide is high, the water could reach that part where the kids are sitting.
Smiling kids
My other uncle’s peanut fields
Just keep walking…
Ahh. We’re finally here! And there’s the lechon!
My uncle and his friends preparing paklay
Everyone’s waiting for the lechon
Is it ready?
Nah.. They’re just removing the remaining hair.
And they’re wiping it clean for a smooth finish.
On with it!
Carollers!
My cousins smiling for the camera.
Smile mo diha!
Nagpicture2x akong mama sa iyang celpon.
Here, roosters are free to roam anywhere.
My cousins and his horse fresh from the river
Maayo na kaayo mangabayo..
Smile sa!
A little girl from the neighborhood.
Little girls always keep the ground clean.
Road to the beach.
Oh, a pedicab from the main road.
The beach. Wow!
Fishing boats.
Mom catching up on the latest news with my cousin.
Mom’s old friend.
My cousin’s family.
Their cute house.
We decided to go back home to give the candies while there’s still light. And we found the ladies enjoying their BINGO.
Mom observing the players.
My cousin Kimmy as the ‘Bolero’.
Wow! They have a passport project here! Cool!
My tita’s store. Very limited stocks. Hehehe.
No Alaxan. LOL
Kids smiling for the camera.
They didn’t know that we were preparing the cadies for them!
All right kids, line up!
One for you!
Ok, no pushing!
There’s plenty for everybody
Kids enjoying their candies.
Ngisi!
Picture2x
Enjoying his lollipop
Alas! The lechon is ready!
And the table is set!
Dig in, guys!
After the hearty dinner, we went back home. In pitch darkness!
The water has started to rise.
We relaxed for a bit and then prepared for the midnight mass at the town church around 5 kms away.
The church was jam-packed.
After the mass, we dropped by the BINPARK.
The place is filled with christmas lights.
Their beautiful gian christmas tree.
The structure is patterned after the Mantalip fish reserve. I made a post about it a few months ago. It’s now officially being promoted as a tourist and diver’s destination.
Camel
Gifts!
Star
A giant videoke screen
One of the three kings
The next morning, it was time to leave for Cebu. Here are Jacob’s parting shots. Bwahahaha.
Only Jacob. LOL
Do you remember this view?
Some ‘taga-babaw’, with their ‘kininhas’.
Goodbye coconuts!
It was raining hard.
Jacob poses for the camera.
Bye Jacob. Our bus is here.
A store in Tanjay. I think that supposed to read “RECREATION”. LOL
We dropped by the Cathedral in Dumaguete.
Virgin Mary
And then we headed straight to the wharf in Sibulan for our boat to Cebu.
Beauitiful wharf.
It was a busy day at the beach.
A boat leaving for Cebu.
There’s our ride.
See you next time Negros!
Thanks for the Negros Christmas Travelogue Leylander.
Your Moms hometown looks so beautiful and rustic. I’m a “countryboy” from the US, I like rural better than the big city anytime.
The children look like they had a great time with thier presents. God bless you for thinking of them.
wah! gimingaw ko sa amoa!
gitubuan na si jacob ug ngipon! nindota sa imo pasko didto ley..lahi ra gyud ang pasko sa probinsya sah? compare sa city.nindot view sa imo balay sa imo lolo puros green man gud makarelax dayon instead sa city daghan mga tao samot ko ka stress..Sige lang one of these days i will spend my christmas sa probinsya namo.. nice photo as always ley!
Beautiful island, beautiful family, beautiful people. Perfect!=) HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!! Have a fruitful one.
What a fulfilling trip!
Isn’t it strange that we don’t always see the beauty of our countryside until it is captured in focused shots?
love ur captions & beautiful shots… i’m missing philippines again & i just got back from there early this mth =)
looks like u had a great christmas. may ur new yr b full of joy!
Wow! I had a good time reading and looking at the pictures, Good Job, Ley! You have a golden heart!
Oh its a great christmas holiday, Ley.
I love the kids smiling faces in the queue waiting for their loot bag,
and the people around watching the lechon. I love all ur photo’s.
Kanindot jud sa pasko diha. Salamat Ley.
hi! 🙂 i really enjoyed visiting your blog.nice photos..heheh lingaw ko sa mga nuns.actually they are the founder of St.paul university-dumaguete.the seven sisters.. :)they came all the way from vietnam then they docked in rizal boulevard 🙂
Hi Ley, it looked like you had a great trip . made me wish I was there . lol . nindot kaayo ang mga picture Ley. you really captured a lot of details and made me feel i was there with ya.. next time, apil ko sa gamay hatag sa mga bata para pasko !! i love watching their faces kay wala man koy anak. nindot tan- awon sila excited .. . you are a great person Ley! .. Your Parents should be proud !!..
I enjoyed the pics so much . made me hungry sa lechon ..he he he . thanks for sharing .. .. Happy New Year na lang !!!!!! Wish you all the best of 2008!! Amping 🙂
You did a great job with your pictures. Also I commend you for what you did with the kids, a thing like that means so much to them and multiplied a hundredfold, probably most of them have not even experienced opening a christmas present. You made a lot of people happy, young and not so young, be it there where you are and from those who are so far away from HOME.
sa kanindot sa place, ang improvised disco ball ako pinaka favorite. hehehe coooollll…..
I think this is my favorite among all your posts. Beautiful photos, beautiful places, beautiful people – and it tells a beautiful story. Happy new year, Leyland.
Wow – this is one of your best to be sure. Loved the rural “inato” feel of Christmas. I like the gentle feel of the holiday – a family celebration, mass at midnight, lots of children. It is so darn commercial in the urban areas anywhere, anymore!
I knew some folks from Tanjay quiet well for some time at USC – Jigger Villegas and Danny Cornelius??? come to mind. Gosh, it was eons ago – have lost track! Promised to visit but never did. Also knew Joe and Gilly Nabua ??? – both studying to be teachers.
Thank you from the very bottom of my heart – you give hope and inspiration.
Enjoyed your pics, as always. Hope to spend next christmas in Negros.
Dolores
i really dont like to cross the sea .. i dont know why but this place is so interesting that makes me wanna go fishing in the ocean just to be there ..
cool pics
interesting pics indeed !
salamat ley,gimingaw lang noon ko sa ato da.nindot jud sa probinsya,very relaxing jud tinood.someday kung naa na koy kuarta ill buy my own place in negros.
Beautiful pictures. I’m originally from Dumaguete and I enjoyed this post. Thanks! =)
nice kaayo ang place. labi na daghan kaau ug tanom. nindot kay green ang palibot. nice sad ang house sa imo grand parents kay native. how i wish maka suroy pud ko sa negros. unsaon la man sad gud ko relative sa negros gud.
wow nice jud ang amo place dah…kita man jud ANg view near sa amo padung hacienda…nice post ley..hope u will continue post more pics sa tinaogan karon pasko na sad sa 2008 karon december..see yah..
wow nice jud ang amo place dah…kita man jud ANg view near sa amo padung hacienda…nice post ley..hope u will continue post more pics sa tinaogan karon pasko na sad sa 2008 karon december..see yah..
Ley, i really enjoy this blog.Dumaguete looks nice… must visit this places.
Hello;
Thank’s for your beautiful album.
Freek