dumaguete city 08.2017 photo diary

Geothermal rocks on the way to Pulangbato in Valencia, Dumaguete City

 Pulangbato (Red Rock) Falls

 At a private pool/resort in overlooking Dumaguete City and even the Cebu Island in Valencia

t, hanes. shorts, levis cutoffs. birkenstocks-like slippers/slides, zalora. bag, kohl's. sunglasses, dad's. 

....and this is the rest of the Dumaguete City trip. Last day of it was spent wandering around the green, mountain/hilly part of Dumaguete City: Valencia. I finally got to go to those sights I missed to go to while attending graduate school in Silliman University way, way, in the still pretty recent back. It's relieving still to have checked on a lot of those however. Pulangbato (english translation: red rock) waterfalls is one place in Valencia I've been meaning to go to since a lot of those I knew/know in Dumaguete City have likely been to it. The geothermal rocks is a new discovery. All the time I spent in the city, I never really knew its existence. Lastly, the private resort (owned by the in-laws of a traveling companion) is also pretty new to me---I only really know of Forest Camp and Tierra Alta (we only passed by this one but didn't bother going in there...). Valencia has quite a good number of hot springs, cold springs, waterfalls and private and public pool resorts that being there, more like being in Dumaguete City can't really become that boring. It's basically paradise on earth for those who love the lush tropical rain forests, natural bodies of water and the sea at the same time.

There are still a lot more things to do in Valencia. Other than the places I've been to, there are also a lot more to visit or check out when there. Valencia is only a few minutes' worth of drive from entry area, if you're coming from there, Dumaguete City. For one, Cata-al's World War 2 Museum is worth the visit for the history buffs. It's really close to the main plaza or park that's by the town center so it's hard to miss it. During the trip however, no one bothered to check this one out so I wasn't able to take the chance to either. Well, maybe next time. I'm pretty sure I'll be coming back there one day again and this time, probably for a lengthier stay than just the 2 or 3 days recently spent there. Then there is also the Japanese shrine I've always wanted to go to that's only accessible by motobikes/motorcycles. The ride used during the tour was a van and couldn't fit the road leading to the shrine so this one had been written off from the itinerary. On the next trip to Dumaguete City, I'm definitely going to look into going to this one. If one fines oneself around Valencia just for rest and relaxation, places like Forest Camp should be attractive. I've been there way back when the English college/department, students and faculty and some staff of Silliman University went for its acquaintance party. I was also new to the college and university back then. Part of the Valencia tour's itinerary was to eat lunch at Forest Camp but the entrance fee they asked visitors had us deciding not to push through with said plan. Paying the 100 Php per person entrance fee isn't really worth it if you're just there to eat lunch and not really to swim which was what we intended to do then. There are also other resorts of the same kind as Forest Camp worth checking out for r&r.

One day isn't enough to discover a lot of Dumaguete City, the town of Valencia especially, and the other places surrounding it. There's still so much to do there I haven't done and places to visit I haven't been in. Next on my list is a visit to the twin lakes, Danao and Balinsasayao. This isn't in Valencia but it is close to Dumaguete City as it is in nearby Sibulan (probably just a few minutes away from Bravo Hotel). As I'm not much of a diver or snorkeler (I don't mind trying snorkeling though!), I'm crossing off a trip to Apo Island on the list and would rather hang around the beaches in Dauin that I hear are really good. Dauin and the port to Apo Island also isn't in Valencia but they are pretty close to Dumaguete City as well. Originally, we were supposed to go to the Dauin beaches but we had fairly limited time left---the trip home was a fast craft/ferry leaving the port of Dumaguete City for Dapitan City at 10 in the evening that night---and Valencia was a pretty huge town to cover so this one was skipped. The traveling companions were also saying there wasn't much to see there in Dauin so I'll just add this one to the places, in addition to those mentioned previously, in and around Dumaguete City or rather, that part of Negros Oriental to go to next. 

....and next week, I'll go back to the more frequent outfit and etc. posts...   

pastels and earth colors

Visited Philpost to see if I had something from Emoda/FromJapan today which was bought online a month ago. People there said it was registered mail and that it is still in Manila and, as they said, hopefully it comes next week. 

This is my last night here in Cagayan de Oro before sailing off to Dumaguete for the Comprehensive exams, I feel excited and afraid at the same time. Cross my fingers I pass it or I'll probably flip if I don't. Then promptly retake the exam. But hopefully, hopefully, I do hence I will be buried in more reading tonight after a couple hours of work I was meant to hand in earlier.

hanes t, mags shorts, f21 shoes, vintage bag, headphones are urbanears (thanks to dad~)

Surigao Diary

(photos by me and my brother)

A weekend with scarce internet connection and long drives after, I ended up hibernating for about 10-12 hours upon reaching home. Surigao was exhausting and not so much the type wherein you're entitled to be a beach bum for days. Not really a big fan of cold water and natural water falls, I opted not to go swimming in both Enchanted River and the Tinuy-an Falls. I've already had enough of cold water swimming in my childhood days with friends, cousins, family and the grandparents.

In the midst of it all, I received impromptu lecture on wearing impractical footwear---but really, I'm basically queen of the impractical---and random shoot from mother. Then followed attempted moon photography via that which I have been abusing so much: a simplistic Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS Digital Elph. Not bad when we were staying overnight at the Fish Cage on the last night in Surigao. I was actually able to capture it with settings I forgot how I did it to. I know, confusing. I'll attempt it again or some other time.

Note to self: read this before attempting to tie the scarf in turban-like fashion.

simple minded

I'm one year older today and these are about the only things on my wishlist. It perhaps shows I have what people would call the mind of a neanderthal. That's about how simple and basic I can get. I wouldn't name them basics but I think they're essential to about anyone who's been exposed to normal dressing. I often forget people in real life have dubbed me as someone who would frequently refuse to wear jeans when everyone is doing so everywhere. Not my fault the Philippines is one hot place to wear jeans in on a regular, non-rainy day.

I'll mull over the thought of getting one of those ankle boots a couple of weeks from now. Really late birthday present for the self so I hope the size 7s would still be around until then. For now, I have school work to finish. A ton of them. I hate complications but these things I would have to deal with. For now, I'm saving up. 

Frankly, I haven't done a ton of shopping in the past few months. I really rarely do at the moment. I love doing so but these days, it's so easy to get frustrated by the lack of personal style choices going around everywhere here. I want to do away with frivolity personal style-wise but that notion of appearing frivolous (to mean well-dressed) apparently means to stay here. And in case you're wondering why I hardly dabble in all things colorful, yes, I'll admit I'm pretty bland like that. All thanks to the basic-est (that's a word now) neanderthal way of thinking I've adapted since I've started documenting my own style. In the same vein as this weird idea I have on colors and frivolity (word of the day rn), I tend to shake my head (even mentally) on the prevailing style trends going on where I am from. Hmmn...makes me wonder, where have the idea of wearing the most practical things gone to? Shamelessly went introspective in an outward thinking kind of way but oh, hey, that's about the point of having a personal style and lifestyle blog like this one? :)