10 reasons why we HEART Negros Oriental

1. Dumaguete City
While it is very evident how the city openly welcomes change and development, we just love the fact that it has continuously nurtured the things, food, places and practices that have always attracted visitors to its shores and have made most of them claim the city as their new home.

2. Rizal Boulevard
It is amazing to see how Dumaguetenos openly profess their love for their boulevard by never failing to show up there for an afternoon walk, a picnic with their family, or a tempurahan gimik with their friends despite the continuous mushrooming of new hang-out places in the area. We think that nothing could ever replace the spot it holds in the hearts of Dumaguete locals, no matter how developed their city becomes.

3. Cheap Food
We love that even the fanciest restaurants at the heart of the city offer great food at very reasonable prices. Boston Market definitely tops our list of recommended restaurants when it comes to sumptuous yet very affordable meals. Also, let’s not forget the silvannas. This melt-in-your-mouth-not-in-your hands sweet treat that has been a favorite among the locals for three decades now, truly melts the heart at every bite. It could even make non-sweet lovers a saccharine convert in no time.

4. Kookoo’s Nest
This is definitely the perfect place for anyone who loves to have some time away from the busy crowd and the pressures of work. The intense calmness of the place just forces one to relax. And as we found out, giving your nerves some off time could actually be a pleasant experience.

5. Tempurahan
This line of tempura kiosks along Rizal Boulevard is a perfect post-gimik hang-out, especially when depression starts to kick in after a round of alcoholic drinks. We think that street food is definitely the ultimate comfort food for Filipinos, no matter which part of the country we’re from. This would surely stop one from jumping over the seawall to drown his sorrows in the vast expanse of Dumaguete Bay.

6. The people
Many Dumaguetenos, though known to be gentle people, are a bit snobbish as we observed. But there were some remarkable ones who definitely gave us some great TLC. The waitresses at Le Chalet were always on stand by beside our table to promptly hand us a new bottle of beer and a good chat. The staff at Hoy Lugaw/Classroom simply did their best to meet our needs—they even allowed us to leave our bags there for two nights while we visited Antulang. The tricycle driver, who drove me from the airport to our lodging house, did his best to point out some of the popular places in the city upon learning that it was my first time in Dumaguete. Reynante, our habal-habal driver in Antulang, was also very generous in giving us trivia about the place and even took us to a look-out point to get a bird’s eyeview of Tambobo Bay.

7. Payag Jam
It has Malibu, vodka, pineapple juice and lots of crushed ice. It is served in a big mayonnaise bottle. And it only costs 100 pesos. You drink it in a lovely payag, with reggae music in the background. How could we not heart it? We just wish it would come with a bigger straw.

8. Water Refilling Stations
Why get those expensive water bottles from the grocery when you can easily get one from a water vendo machine anytime? Why don’t we have this in Manila?

9. Apo Island
One does not need to be a diver to appreciate the beauty of this island. Just from the surface one can enjoy the picture perfect view of the ocean while basking in the sun. The rich marine life is definitely something to be experienced as well.

10. Ukay-ukay
Ukay-ukay is also very popular in Dumaguete. A tricycle driver took us to the grand ukay-ukay tiangge in the city. It’s located right in front of the Evangelical Church along North Road in Barangay Piapi. We went there on a Saturday, which seems to be the designated delivery day for new arrivals. The clothes come in giant sacks, categorized by the type of garments (tops, pants, etc…). It was really surprising to see how the ukay-ukay phenomenon has taken over most parts of the country, and quite shocking to find some 40 to 50ish local females, looking quite conservative and a bit ordinary, checking out red lace thongs.

Dumaguete City

Dumaguete came from the word 'Dagit' which means being captured. And true to its name, I was captured by this magical place. I was never attracted to provinces, but Dumaguete City did something magical to me. It made me appreciate the simple life in rural cities. In my stay in Dumaguete, there was no single time that I got bored. I'm confident to say that if I were to choose a province, Dumaguete would be the first in mind. There are so many things to love about this City. But words alone would not suffice to describe it. So, let me tell you why I love this place so much through my photographs.


View of the City centre from the inside of a tricycle, which has been my mode of transportation for about 2 weeks now.


One of the hundreds and hundreds of tricycles in Dumaguete City.

Dumaguete’s city centre is small as compared to other cities I've been to. You can go from one place to another within the city in minutes time. The same as other cities, it could also get chaotic. I’ve watched people walk from all directions and tricycles revved up their engine like they were in a race. It’s ironic that despite the business, I found order. It was as if the city was designed to be this way. And I couldn’t imagine the city to be any less. I felt as if everyone and everything around me constantly moved. And I’m the only one left static. I observed everything around me and slowly absorbing it.


A picturesque view of Rizal Boulevard.


Me at Hoy Lugaw, a lugawan junction along Rizal Boulevard. At the back of this lugawan junction was the motel we stayed in for a week for only 200 pesos a night.


All smiles at the Rizal Boulevard!

The long stretch of Rizal Boulevard is another place I loved in Dumaguete.Walking along the boulevard was something I enjoyed the most. It was so relaxing. No pollution, no foul odor, no litter-perfect! With its arresting view, I found myself staring blankly at the horizon. The clear blue sky and calm water of the ocean captivated me in peace.


Taking a bite at the Tempurahan along Rizal Boulevard.

What I loved about the food in Dumaguete is that everything is so affordable. The fancy looking restaurants have unbelievably cheap prices. Aside from Sans Rival and their famous silvanas, I also liked the ‘Tempurahan’ strip along Rizal Boulevard, Dumaguete’s version of street food kiosks. It’s a popular hangout place for afternoon and midnight snacks, and best for snacks after drinking sessions. They serve fish tempura, squidballs, balut, penoy and softdrinks-no beer. The fish tempura was my favourite, as it’s crispy and tasty. You can compare it to Australia’s fish and chips. Yum-o! Plus, the fact that they have seats right behind their kiosks that faced the ocean gave a different feel to it. It was nice to just sit and relax and enjoy simple food.


The Balut vendors and I. These were the people whom I got to have a great conversation with while eating balut.


Tina and I with the super friendly waitress from Le Chalet. She even offered me for a balut treat.

Dumaguete is popularly known as the city of gentle people. And now I know why. The people I met were so friendly and warm. They opened up to me as if we’ve known each other for a while. They gave smiles that were genuine. Now I know what truly makes Dumaguete City special-the people.


Love is all we need.

A picture that said it all about the city. Indeed, love is all we need. And there’s a whole lot of loving in Dumaguete City.

I’ll surely go back to this city and definitely looking forward to that day.


Til then,

The Lost Sputnik.

The best way to a man’s heart…

--Or mine--is through the stomach. Logic and reason rarely win over this eternally capricious part of my body. It’s that part of my physicality that truly represents the real me: whimsical, stubborn, ever searching, never satisfied.

It’s 10 in the morning, the sun’s shining brightly—too bright I must say—that’s why I am here, hiding in the corner of Sans Rival, a restaurant along San Jose St. in Dumaguete City, having my fill of beefy cheesy lasagna, french toast and instant coffee. Fifty-five pesos for a full breakfast meal. Not bad at all! I’m just waiting for Ron to come in before I order their oh-so-yummy silvanas. I am not really into the saccharine stuff, but I really like this one. The filling tastes like finger-lickin’ good icing. It’s best to eat them cold so the filling doesn’t melt and blend in with the sweetness of the crust. The legacy of the recipe goes all the way back to the seventies. 77 to be exact, same year I was born.




Ron and I have been touring some of the food and bev spots around the area since I got here yesterday morning. First, we had lunch at Boston Market, a quaint country-style kind of resto that serves good pasta and entrees. I had a really savoury Tuscan Porkchop, with a salad side dish with a really peppery dressing (I finished my salad, and I don’t even love vegies! Yey!). The meal reminded me of a good lunch at the Manor House in Baguio City, only the price for this dish (at 95.00) is a mere quarter of how much I would be paying in that big log house in the City of Pines.



We then went back to our rented room, adjoining a lugawan stop called Hoy! Lugaw. It’s a really small place with overturned pots for seats. Located right in front of the Dumaguete Bay, along Rizal Boulevard, it gets a lot of the sun and heat during daytime. This is the reason why I haven’t stopped by for a taste of their lugaw just yet. But I passed by the place late last night and it was almost full of local patrons.

Ron took me here at Sans Rival for dinner last night, where I had two slices of Bistek Tagalog. Not very satisfying. But people are really here for the sweets anyway. After dinner, we went to the Spanish Heritage building where Cafe Antonio is. The building is one of the oldest in the country, and it is now being occupied by certain food and bev establishments.

Cafe Antonio is a lovely fine-dining restaurant that could easily win a five-star ranking just for its rustic ambience and simple elegance. It has tables with swing seats, ferns, an old small silent bell, clay pot falls, and a balcony that has probably seen countless “bayles” during its heydays. We stayed there for an hour and tried to write while Ron drunk iced tea and I finished my Twinings hot tea. The place was really conducive for writing and I think that I might have actually written a poem. I think, because I don’t really know if it could pass as poetry. Oh and the waiter is really friendly and continuously speaks in English even if you start talking to him in Tagalog.

After that, we took a stroll along Rizal Boulevard, where a number of families have rolled out mats sharing a dinner picnic overlooking the bay. The sight had my heart melting in a snap! To recover from the emotional assault, Ron and I went looking for a good bar. A tricycle driver gave us some suggestions and took us to a couple. The first one, called Gimmick, did not really fit our fancy. Just looking at it from the outside suddenly gave me a rush of remembrance of Iloilo’s Fort San Pedro or Kalibo’s Magsaysay Park during the Ati-Atihan. It’s not that I didn’t like those places. It’s just that I would only go there to be with my aunts and uncles.

So we then moved on to a place called Payag sa Likod, a reggae-inspired local hang-out in front of the Provincial Hospital. The place has a number of nice “payag” or huts, with bamboo mats and floor pillows. Their Payag Jam, which is a mix of vodka, Malibu, pineapple juice and crushed ice was really good. And at 100Php, it’s big enough for Ron and I to share. We left just as soon as we finished our drink (which didn't take too long realy). We wouldn’t have left that soon if the lead singer of the local band that was playing didn’t start to get on our nerves. Someone has to tell him he’s not Rico Blanco!




We then went back to Rizal Boulevard, where we had some tempura--a local streetfood that is basically fish fillet shaped to look like a Japanese shrimp tempura. There was nothing spectacular about it but it was only 3-pesos per stick. You could just shove it in your mouth for what could turn out to be hours without really having to think much about it.

We then capped the night at Le Chalet, where we had three bottles of San Miguel Pale Pilsen. Back at home, I would probably have preferred a San Mig Light over Pale. But somehow, being in the province makes me really appreciate how special Pale is. Served cold, drunk right off the bottle, it couldn’t be more perfect!

In just two days, I must say that Dumaguete—with its delectable sweets, interesting resto names, promise of more beautiful discoveries, bayside tempuras, cheap meals and ice-cold Pale Pilsens satisfying my stomach and the me I really am: whimsical, stubborn, ever searching, never satisfied—has definitely found its way to my heart and captured it.

-The other sputnik

DUMAGUETE

So the journey begins, first pit stop is Dumaguete, populary known as 'The city of Gentle People'. Along with two of my friends, Camsi and Tim, we were scheduled to leave manila at 2:10pm, but as always, Cebu Pacific has yet again announced that our flight will be delayed for an hour or so. From my previous travels via Cebu Pacific, flights were always delayed so this time I didn't get disappointed much, it pays not to expect too much from 'go fares or the budget airfares'. I thought to myself, getting a good bargain for airfares were too good to be true. But can't complain now, can I? haha! But, it's all good better than paying heaps!



While at the domestic airport, I can't help but notice a great number of korean couples wearing matching clothes- as in complete attire from caps, tshirts, pants and yes, shoes! walang patawad! I didn't have the courage to ask any of them as to what's behind the concept but I swear next time I'll ask them upfront (of course not in a rude way). All I know is that when koreans get married, Philippines, specifically Boracay, would be on the top of their list as to places to go to for their honeymoon. And that it's been a tradition to wear matching clothes when you go on a honeymoon? (not sure, so feel free to correct me). Very interesting don't you think so? Now, I wonder what other nationalities think of us when they see us?

Here are some of the candid or should I say stolen shots I took of them (really apologetic for taking these but I just wanted to share..so peace guys).











Then the flight to Dumaguete via Cebu Pacific was finally announced for boarding. The flight was a bit bumpy, there were too much turbulence, Camsi was getting a bit nauseous.


Tim and Camsi on the Plane

Oh and there were no free food-waaaah! We were starving to death! Again, there goes our budget airfare! Travel time took longer than expected, it should've been just an hour and ten minutes flight but due to bad weather we had to travel 'safely' according to the pilot.

We finally arrived Dumaguete. And the weather was just right, not too hot and humid. It was drizzling, so it made the weather a bit cooler. We were welcomed by tricycle drivers, who have over-priced us by the way. We paid 150 pesos, but we should've just paid 30 pesos each. Lesson learnt! Should not say yes straightaway! haha! But, hey the driver gave us some bullshit about some crazy ass rules on getting a tricycle at the airport-we believed it for a while, but at the back of our mind we knew it was a scam! haha!

It's too early to tell something about the place as we only just arrived but one thing that I really noticed was the tricycles or multicabs, they were over-sized, taller and bigger than the usual that I've seen in other provinces and in manila. It was awkwardly comfortable!! Parang may shock absorber! haha!

Here's Dumaguete's version of the tricycle.




The awkward comfy look hahaha!

We then met up with our friend, Kat, who's been waiting for us at the Hotel Palwa. She got to Dumaguete first since she took the boat to Dumaguete from Bohol. Kat got us a very nice hotel and most importantly cheap. We're only paying 1,300 (divided by 4) with free breakfast for 4. Itinerary for tomorrow, we're going to APO Island for 3 days, so I might not be able to connect to the Internet as electricity there is so precious, the whole Island is being powered by a generator. So I'll probably be able to upload my first video on friday.

I'll keep you guys posted! Til then,

The Lost Sputnik.