For a month and a half, I spent my weekends out of town on different travel adventures with various people. The surprising thing was that these weren’t really planned at all.

I thought all my travels for the year were over and I was going to stay put in order to finish writing articles and other freelance tasks. I had unexpected trips but had a great time in the process. 

Weekend 1: Boljoon, Osmeña Peak, Kawasan Falls, Moalboal

November 12-13, 2011

• Boljoon Church
• Trek to Osmeña Peak
• Swimming in Kawasan Falls
• Chilling at Basdaku, Moalboal

Doi, Edwin and I went with travel blogger Dong Ho to Boljoon to visit the church and climbed Osmeña Peak, which is the highest peak in Cebu. Then we met up with another travel blogger, Jerome, in Kawasan Falls in Badian and chilled at Basdaku beach in Moalboal. We slept at a barangay hall, climbed down a mountain with hardly any light, took a dip in the waterfall, relaxed at a beach and visited our friends, George & Isa, at The Outpost.

Conquering South of Cebu

Weekend 2: Dumaguete, Siquijor

November 18-21, 2011

• Motorcycling in Siquijor
• Jumping in Cambugahay Falls and Salagdoong Beach
• Visiting Lazi Church & Lugnason Falls
• Food Trip in Dumaguete City

Headed to Siquijor with Ron & Monette, Chichi, and Doi and spent a couple of days on motorbikes while touring the island. We visited a couple of falls, jumped off a cliff, tried to swing like Tarzan (but failed), made crazy videos, and had a quick side trip to Dumaguete for food! We met up with travel bloggers, RV and Mervz, as well as chatted with a kind soul along the way.

Motorcycle diaries in Siquijor

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UPDATE: We just visited Dumaguete in November. They said the bakeshop has closed.

November of 2009, I spent a week in Dumaguete City in order to learn online jobs. It was a nice break since I never really had a long vacation from work. My leaves were usually spent as added days off from my normal rest days. While in the City of Gentle People, I was advised by a friend to check out oatiekin cookie bars from Tsoklat Bakeshop along Hibbard Avenue.

Tsokolat Bakeshop
Dumaguete City

Oatiekin Chocolate Fudgy Bars
photo credit: michellephilippines.blogspot.com

Oatiekin Chocolate Bars - fudgy chocolate cream bars wrapped between oatmeal blankets.

I couldn’t remember the actual note posted in a red cutout paper. But it sounded something like the description above. This was recommended to me on Facebook and a few people at the office requested me to buy these rich choco bars for them. Below is a conversation on my Facebook wall.

 
Great how technology works, no?

Prior to our online chat, I had to visit the place in order to see how their pastries tasted. The bakeshop wasn’t hard to find as it was located near a house where we lived when we were still staying in Dumaguete. Besides, the city is small so everything is easily accessible.

I arrived after lunch time and was welcomed with a quaint store between a water station and a laundry shop – really multifunctional. The bakeshop sold a number of desserts with peculiar names such as chizmosa, lanky chews, mango tango, kalamanji, hooters and so much . Pretty odd labels but still looked interesting.

Tsokolat Bakeshop Bread and Pastries
Where Sweet Dreams Come True

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“This is it?” I asked myself when I saw the “mall” a local was referring to when I had the opportunity to stroll around the downtown area. He (the local) was talking about Lee Super Plaza, which was the bigger department store then.

Dumaguete City. It was in 1999 when I first stepped foot on the City of Gentle People and I was already dismayed with the limited recreational activities that were available – back then, ‘recreation’ meant going to the malls. Little did I know that I’d spend the remaining years of my secondary education here; a moment that I wish was longer as I grew to love the place.

Dumaguete City

Coming from the city wherein the environment is always busy, Dumaguete stunned me with its laid-back atmosphere. I'd wake up thinking that I was already late for school, only to find out that no one was still around inside the campus.

Silliman amphitheater – my favorite spot in Silliman University

I lived for almost 4 years in the capital city of Negros Oriental; a time when I had to undergo adolescence which wasn’t a grueling stage in my case. It helped that the environment didn’t put me in a lot of pressure just to fit in. This is the best place to grow up. There's still a touch of modern life, but it's not as busy as other neighboring regions.

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November 28, 2010
University of the Philippines – Visayas - Miag-ao Campus

You want to take a break from your homework, school projects or even from your professor? Most students chill in hangout places for booze or rest under a shade of a tree. City ones go to malls and watch the latest movie flick or get some ice cold treat from the nearest vendors inside the campus.

Now what can the students in UP Miag-ao do? They have the capability to head to the beach that’s located beside their campus.

Oble on the side

It was a Sunday afternoon, a long weekend because of the Monday being a holiday. We just finished checking out the Miag-ao church (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) when Julie, Edwin’s friend and former classmate, took us on a short tour of their campus in this part of the Visayas.

feeling Oble on another

The thought of a body of water that was so accessible was enough for me to shed some clothes and hurriedly take a dip in the salty sea.

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