Negros, not to be confused with negro's.
Apprehension ruled my mind and my body the night before I was on a ferry to the Island just across the Tanon strait, staring at it for he past two months, the start of the vaunted adventure I have been spruiking about daily to myself as an affirmation of the little engine that could. Packing was not and never will be a problem after all I have always had that experience first when I was playing Army in Australia to my hiking camping around Sydney. Anywhere and everywhere did not stop me from goin to stay there over night. I mean how can the when I can pretty much trying to just stealth my way into an area with noone knowing any better.
This time around though I am on a scooter, it is not a motorbike I'd like to think it is but I think of it as the soft start to getting into something new I am adding into my life. From this day forward and this crossing into an Island I have not had the pleasure of ever goin there even with my parents when I was just a wee kid tagging along next to my mum as my dad would take charge. Tomorrow was the start, I think to myself over and over. Of course I had already done Cebu Island, but this is my island, my birthplace, Magellan cannot wrestle this place from my forefather, Lapu-Lapu, no I am not his direct descendant but I belong in this island being born here and living here in the early formative stages of my life.
Packing
BEFORE
AFTER
I pack lighter than my earlier venture in Cebu, I am determined I will only pack for just a three day trip and see how that kind of packing will affect my overall mental state. Especially if I end up being stinky and disheveled, of course I also know that will probably not going to happen since I take grooming to a level you have not seen someone do. Ok I embellish but let's just say I like to look good where ever and whenever I can. My toiletries bag is enough to last me for a two month expedition into the Amazon with all the bugs and crawlies wanting to get a piece of me. I am a price, I say to myself as I pack, it always makes self fulfilling mantra designed to boost my ego and my self esteem, so I can walk into a room and not be afraid my fly is undone. I digress of course since this is about the things I am putting into a 30 litre pack, I should've gotten a bigger one but heck I am on a challenge and what is the best way to start a challenge? I say make it as hard AF.
The ferry.
I get up early, five AM, yes I am doing a commentary on how I wake up, I blast my wake up music to get my positive energies ready for a trip I am looking forward to like a looking at a wart wanting to take it off since it is bothering me but at the same time I feel naked if I take it fully away. I mean why not have that kind of anxious energy rolled with some postive vibe to get the juices flowing. I arrive at the ticket office and it wakes about 20 minutes to sort it all out, the ticket. I forget my tongs so I quickly go back home and get it and just eat something light. Thinking everything is fully paid and ready to take me across into that adventure start, the modern day Magellan circumnavigating Philippines, on land.... As six thirty arrive I start go to the ferry, stop, I am told I have to pay another fee, so quickly head to the port office and pay the fee. Yes, everything is set. Or at least that is what I think. But no I have another fee, not sure what it is for but I pay it with no thought. The deck into and on the vessel is slippery I am nervous so I am left with shaky hands as I control my scooter so I don't look like a fool, stacking on deck, of course I manage it with flying colors but you can never underestimate anything so you come out wit flying colors.
Surprisingly the whole thing is pretty straight forward, I park, lock the bike and the crew just tie it all down so they do not fly around as we sail or cruise through the water. The ticket is for an indoor aircon lounge, I am a fool, I go upper deck so I can feel that sea air, the salt, the everything that all sailors feel when they venture into some unknown known destination. People are sleeping around me, I am so excited and anxious I am awake the whole time. Took an hour but we finally arrive, I decide to wait till the end since there are trucks on board and what not thinking I can just waltz down the deck and the bikes are all still there, I get there and half the bikes have already taken off, I did not know you can just zip past the trucks and cars first if you are on a scooter/motorbike. Lesson learned.
San Carlos to Dumaguete.
The roads are wide and they are smooth unlike the island of Cebu, well about 20% of Cebu road are smooth and kind of wide but not really. Here in Negros, not to be confused with negro's, they are smooth and wide I mean I averaged seventy kmhr all the way through to Dumaguete and only stopping a few times to make sure I am going the right way, kind of silly since it is one long road... Someone, my cousin, told me there are rebels and robbers along that stretch of road. I did not experience or see any of them, people look like they were just busy doing their thing plus the speed I was going no one was going to stop me even if they tried. That is running in my head in the hopes of keeping me from getting freaked out rom what I have been told.
I arrive at Dumaguete after lunch which I had already eaten at a road stop while I flew my drone to take a shot at the road I had just come from. light lunch designed so I do not get a belly full of food and the desire to get to a toilet... If you catch my drift. Chest day. So I am lucky in that the hostel I am staying is just next to a gym, I walk in there and I feel like a stick man. They were looking at the weights I am lifting. I mean they were all pumped and here I am still just getting mhy groove on, but you know what a workout is a workout for the person working out not for the people looking t you. I ignore them and just workout.
POST WORKOUT MEAL
DON'T JUMP
LOOKING AROUND DUMAGUETE
From Dumaguete to Sipalay.
I had never heard of the place or even known what it is but all I knew was it was halfway point between Dumaguete and Bacolod so I decide to get a room at this beach resort thinking it is near the town center. I drive through Siaton, the assassinated governors home town, there is a heavy presence of police and military personnel. I was advised by the hostel owner not to go through there because they will search me and give me all hassled up and I might get a negative experience. I replied to her, that is the safest path for mew since only a fool would try to rob someone where there are enforcers of the law everywhere in that stretch of road. Again the roads are very good, wide and mostly smooth. I even found myself taking some shots with my drone and phone of places I thought were nice to look at. Cullipapa, what a name, that is a real place people, picturesque beach town. Virgin.
A RANDOM CHURCH ALONG THE WAY
Arriving at Sipalay I turn to the city proper only to realise the resort is nowhere near the center so I back track and after a few hiccups I get tot the place, secluded with new cement roads. I make a makeshift ramp for my bike because the road drop is quite high and my scooter is not an off roader., No accident and my ego still intact from not making a fool of myself. I am surprised at the place. A tropical paradise hidden in a place where not a lot of traffic comes. I think this place will blow up in the coming years. In the not too distant future too.
MAKESHIFT RAMP
MADE IT
NICE PATH- NO IDEA WHY I TOOK THE PHOTO
I meet the son of the owner, half German/Filipino, I know, from the nephews and son what they look like, he looks like my nephew and we start a good conversation, he laughs as he tells me I will be stuck there for an extra night since that ramp I made will be taken off and they will create the cement ramp which won't dry until the following day. In stride I just ask if they can accommodate me, he replies for sure since after all it is not my fault I get stuck there in the first place. Party time, wit the knowledge of not having to ride the following day I befriend the other patrons of the place and start drinking like there is no tomorrow, or close it at least, I also notice 80% of the guests are German, they are all talking gibberish to me but I don't mind since I am on a solo drinking experience anyway and will only get involve occasionally to their conversation.
THOMAS INSISTED I WEAR HIS SOCCER TEAM SHIRT
I am very surprised at the place and like all good things where you are enjoying yourself too much time sure flies and I find myself having to leave on the third day I am there. I can't or are not sure I would say I was there for three days since I left there art seven in the morning. The road calls!!
From Sipalay to Bacolod
The road was not as wide as the east to the south of Negros, not to be confused with negro's, but there already work in progress to widen and smooth out the roads I am riding on. Thrusday, fasting day so it was fairly easy to just ride and not bother with eating except the occasional water drink. Rehydrate and hydrate from the sweat, the road though is just so good, I am scared now I may have the road bug. Maybe, who kno only time will tell. Well I arrive at the hotel, I get here freshen up and do my rest because I am meeting with my cousin and her family when I hear this drip drip drip, I look and I see the light bulb in the bathroom is leaking water, thats not good. I tell thestaff and I am quickly ushered to a new room. I still have not eaten and I am starting to get hungry so I go to the bistro, I mange to fast for a good twenty hours so that is the longest duration I have managed. I like. Well as I am half way through eating chicken, she calls me to meet them at thi bar, Bar 21, I think it's a club, nope its a restaurant. Oh well , her husband and I drink ourselves while they eat, my nephew is a good boy and only drank tea, probably because my cousin is eyeing them. In fact I just realise who i had thought was my cousin is actually my auntie. palpak. LOL
ANOTHER RANDOM VIEW
After six beers each we bid each other fair well with the promise of seeing them again in the not too distant future. I walk back to the hotel, it is only thirty minutes away and plus it gives me the chance to see Lacson Street in Bacolod, I get another beer from a polace , Cista but the place was dead so I just head back and arrive at the room. Speaking with @demotry he reminds me why I did not try to meet up with @ayane-chan. It did not occur to me since I had thought she is from Iloilo, oh well better luck next time ayane I will hit you up if you are able to of course when I pass by Bacolod on my way to IloIlo.
Three AM mountain road to San Carlos.
There are good ideas and then there aer ideas where you question the reason why you even tough of thinking of going through a path were the only light is from your scooter and you are not even that skilled yet to traverse into and out of a mountain path. l mean there were places there where i thought it was the road only to realise atrt the last moment it was the edge into a ravine... I survived of course, not because I am the man but more luck that anything else and a growing experience in riding my scooter. I take it slow. I had thought I will leave this time so I can see the sunrise over the mountains, bad idea, the sunrise was covered by the tree canopy and on places where I could've seen it, houses where there blocking me from my intended view. I did manage to get a few shots here and there but in seriousness it would've been better to just have gone through the coastal road, but all good, I will take that on my way to IloIlo.
Now here I am at home recounting a weeks worth of adventure. Dang this write up is sure good and has been a refreshing experience. I mean I am still remembering little things I had thought I forgot but that would probably be just for me. Stored in the synapsis of my neural bursts.
WISHLIST - HELP ME?
Drop in say hello.
this kind of adventure is what I plan to have when I no longer have responsibilities.
hahaha looks like you are craving for a bigger bike. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Yes I am lol craving
It was a long travel from one place to another but I know it wasn't that tiring as you will be refresh time to time seeing wonderful views around, from beach waters to mountains, hills and long road.
Anyway, Ang galing mag pack ah, Ang Dami napaliit hehehe...
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