NEGROS '09: Sunny, Sandy, Splendid Halloween (1)

NEGROS '09: Sunny, Sandy, Splendid Halloween 1 (October 31, 2009)

When I was in Negros a year ago, I declared that while the Philippines is a beautiful place, the Visayas islands are the best. I also declared that if you're a nature lover, you should do yourself a favor and go to NEGROS. Opportunity (a.k.a long Halloween weekend) came knocking, and instead of going to Halloween parties and thinking about work-related stress, I decided to island-hop to Negros and embrace the sun, sand, and sea. As expected, we had a SPLENDID time. :)

Thanks to Ayen and Mags who allowed themselves to be dragged by me (when Gia drags you to an adventure somewhere, the last thing you should say is NO :P), and a million thanks to the Bulaybulay family for being our gracious hosts and for loving adventure as much as we do.

T H E   R O A D   T O   N E G R O S

Our bus tickets

We wanted to be in Dumaguete by October 31, so to do that we had to be at the South bus terminal by dawn. We were anticipating that a lot of people would be going home because of the long weekend, so we were at the South bus terminal as early as 10PM. I was surprised to see the newly-renovated terminal, which is a far cry from the terminal I remember from a few years back. It's very clean and it's a lot more organized. It's even tiled and air-conditioned, so it actually looks like an airport, complete with a PA system.

We managed to get tickets to the first trip to Lilo-an, Santander. Santander is the southernmost tip of Cebu and this is where we needed to go in order to cross the narrow channel to Negros. We rode in a Ceres bus and the ticket cost us Php162 each.

Catching the ferry to Sibulan

The bus ride lasted from 12:30AM to around 3AM. We weren't really able to sleep because the seats weren't the most comfortable seats in the world, but that's all part of the adventure. When we finally reached Santander, we had to wait for about 30 minutes for the fast ferry ticketing office to open. 

Finally, at 4:30AM, we were on our way to Sibulan, Negros Oriental via a fast ferry. The ticket cost us Php62 each, and by 5AM our feet finally touched Negros soil. From the Sibulan terminal we had to hail a peddicab to go to Dumaguete. We paid Php80 for the roughly 30-minute ride.

Perfect Dumaguete sunrise

P E R F E C T   S U N R I S E

We reached Dumaguete in time for the sunrise. I've seen the sun rise a couple of times, but nothing compares to the way the sun rises in Rizal Boulevard. The perfect combination of pink, orange, and purple hues scattered in the sky was just too breathtaking to forget.

After watching the sunrise, we headed to Bulay's house, where we were served an authentic Dumaguete breakfast of puto and sikwate. We spent the rest of the morning settling in, catching on some sleep, and changing into our beach outfits. 

T H E  M A N J U Y O D  W H I T E  S A N D  B A R

Capiñahan Wharf

At 9:30AM we drove all the way to Capiñahan Wharf in the South Bais Bay. Normally this wouldn't have taken that long a drive, but it took us twice as long because of all the road constructions and the traffic. Once we were at the wharf, we then boarded a 15-minute boat ride to paradise.  A gazillion thanks to Bulay and her awesome connections because we got this for free. :)

Our boat has arrived

White sand beaches, with their pristine powdery white sand and their crystal-clear blue waters that glisten in the sun, are most sought after because of the tranquility they give you. In these beaches, the view is so picturesque that the world stops and you leave everything behind. So just imagine what it's like to be not on a shoreline but on a 7-km stretch of pure white sand in the middle of the sea. 

Our "floating" cottage

We arrived at around lunch time. Normally, people spend more time on the sea to watch the dolphins and the whales in the Bais area. But to do that you have to be really early, so we just skipped it and left them in peace. Our pump boat left us on one of the four cottages on stilts. They're on stilts because when the tide is high, the water reaches the floor, giving the cottages the illusion of floating on water.

After settling down and eating lunch, we made the most of the waist-deep water and dipped ourselves in. The sun was smiling down on us, the water was glistening and clear, and the sand felt like velvet. It was wonderful. For a time it got too hot, so we transferred to the shaded area below the cottage.

Waiting for the water to disappear

We had to wait for some time for the water to disappear, so we spent some of the afternoon napping in our little bamboo cottage with the sound of the waves crashing silently and steadily nearby. Occasionally a bird or two would break the blueness of the afternoon sky, but otherwise, the breeze was warm and the noise of the city was nowhere to be found. It was the perfect place to sunbathe, laze around, and just forget the world for a moment.

Pockets of sand started to appear

Hello there, sand!

And then it happened. Slowly, small pockets of sand appeared. By this time there were only a few inches of water left. And as the rest of the sand peeked hello, that’s when our jaws dropped in awe. A long stretch of white sand in the middle of the sea. Perfection.

The water's completely gone

By the time we left, there were still some submerged parts. For the entire 7-km stretch to appear we would’ve had to wait until evening, which we couldn’t do because we had other plans. Nonetheless, we still had a wonderful time. Pictures and words do no justice to the place. You really have to go experience it for yourself.

S I A T O N

We reluctantly left the Manjuyod sand bar before it got dark because Bulay had a gig to catch. This gig was in Siaton, which is another town south of Dumaguete City. We left Dumaguete at around quarter to 8, and I was behind the wheel for the 45-minute drive to Siaton. And boy was the drive scary.

Oktoberfest at Siaton

We didn't really aim to have a Halloween experience, but that 45-minute drive was an authentic Halloween experience right there. The roads were narrow, there were no streetlamps or reflectors to speak of, there were little to no houses in sight, and there were random people walking on the eerily dark streets. It was like ghost town on the way to Siaton. I could barely see the road due to the lack of light. Jeepers creepers indeed.

Scary drive aside, we made it to Oktoberfest at Siaton to cap off the day. Bulay and Freelance band did a set of around 30 party songs (including requests). It was a very good night. Of course, I had to drive all the way to Dumaguete again. The drive was creepier this time because there was a point when I was the only one awake. Nevertheless, it was such a fun-filled day and when we finally got home, we were more than happy to get some much-needed rest.

Best Halloween ever. :)