A(mazing) BCD Trip: Part II

Monday, 12 February 2024

 

An overcast day and it drizzled for the whole day today. We left at 11:00 and R dropped AT and I at University of St. La Salle and after registering at the guard, we walked into the campus and headed for Museo de la Salle Bacolod. The museum features various collections of local artwork and religious artifacts on the ground floor and textiles from more than 71 countries on the upper floor. We spent about 40 minutes there. R then picked us up and we drove to Negros Museum. This museum provides a history of the province of Negros Occidental to the colonial oppression and rise of the sugar industry. We spent half an hour there before driving to the Public Plaza and then spent some time in Plaza Mart searching for Maranao Food Stall. This stall sells halal food of the Maranao people. We had rice and chicken pastil, curried jackfruit and fried fish and it was a cheap, delicious and fulfilling meal.

 

After lunch, we drove to Balay ni Tana Dicang, one of Negros’ most preserved ancestral homes which now functions as a lifestyle museum. The matriarch was so important than even President Quezon and his Vice President visited her at her house. It was a beautifully preserved house and I enjoyed visiting it and learning about the history behind the house and its matriarch owner. We spent 45 minutes there then we drove back because I wanted to perform prayers. We did pass by The Ruins but it was closed today. We stopped at the food court at Ayala Malls where there were some stalls selling local food stuff. I bought some mango puffs there. Then we headed back to the apartment as I wanted to perform prayers.

 

We left at 17:45 for Gina’s for seafood dinner. AT’s younger sister and her family joined us for dinner. We ate a lot and still had room for churros for dessert.

 

I was so full and sleepy when we got back that I dozed off after performing prayers.

 

Tuesday, 13 February 2024

 

Another overcast day with drizzles and some rain throughout the day. We drove to Campuestohan Highland Resort this morning. The resort was devoid of crowds seeing it was a work and school day. There was a group doing outdoor challenges which consisted of ten obstacles one way (twenty in total). There were pools for swimming and a few other outdoor challenges. AT and I finally decided to have a body massage and R patiently waited for us. I decided to perform prayers there after the massage. Alhamdulillah.

 

After the massage we went to have lunch. All menus had pork in it except for the bangus fish so we had it with rice and AT ordered a vegetarian pizza and some dessert too. We left after lunch and dropped by a sugar mill factory before driving to Bernardino Jalandoni House Museum, an ancestral house in Silay City. There were a number of fine ancestral houses in Silay City, all built on sugar money. I enjoyed my time at the ancestral house.

 

We then had tea at El Ideal, on the ground floor of Cesar Lacson Locsin Ancestral House turned into a bakery.

 

After tea, we drove back and stopped en route at a supermarket for me to buy some food stuff to bring back. We then had dinner at Green Label Café, a vegetarian restaurant near the apartment.

 

When we got back, I started packing, showered and performed prayers before dozing off.

 

Wednesday, 14 February 2024

 

I woke at 03:40 and showered. Finished packing and we left at 04:33 for the airport. We arrived at the airport just before 05:00 and I had to say farewell to AT outside the airport and only passenger with their air tickets could enter the terminal. We had to get our bags screened before proceeding to the counter. After dropping off my bag, I went to perform ablutions and found a corner for me to perform prayers. No one bothered, chased or disturbed me, Alhamdulillah. After prayers, I went up to departure and it was full as Philippine Airlines also had a morning flight to Manila.

 

We finally boarded at 06:20 (ETA was 06:05, harrumph!). I dozed off during the flight. We landed at 07:20 thereabouts and I fought my way among the oblivious passengers in the rows behind me to exit the plane from the rear door. We had to board a bus to the terminal building and my, the terminal is sooo huge that it took us 15 minutes to reach the terminal. And of course, our bags were very late in appearing too but the bags had to also travel from the cargo hold to the terminal building…

 

AT had thoughtfully packed some fried rice and noodles for me and I gratefully had them for breakfast. Bless your kind thoughts, AT!

 

I sat and read my book and at around 10:30, walked to the shuttle bus counter. Was told the shuttle would be in 40 minutes and that I probably should take a cab instead as I wouldn’t have enough time to check in. I told the bloke at the counter that I had already checked in online and that I would take the shuttle. And true enough, it took less than ten minutes for me to drop off my bag later at Terminal 1.

 

The queues to clear passport control and security were long so I was glad I decided to join them early instead. I had a quick browse at the duty-free shops then headed for my gate. The airport staff checked my boarding pass and I told her I wanted to perform prayers and she pointed to a corner. Again I managed to perform prayers peacefully, Alhamdulillah. I could perform prayers after I’d landed at KLIA but I wanted to rush to catch the train immediately upon retrieving my bag at the baggage carousel.

 

We landed into a wet KLIA at 17:30. It slipped my mind that it was a weekday and that the trains ran every 15 minutes during peak hours. I missed the 17:52 train and took the 18:05 train. Alhamdulillah.

 

~~~~~

 

It would be thoughtless of me not to give a big shout out to AT and R for welcoming me so warmly into their home and for their amazing superb hospitality (I doubt I’d be able to extend anyone the same level and standard of hospitality myself). They brought me places, paid for my meals, AT cooked breakfast for me and they forbade me from even washing up (!), paid for my souvenirs (unbelievable!!!) and bent over backwards in welcoming me. Words cannot express how thankful and grateful I am to them for making my visit a very memorable and amazing experience. And I am thankful and grateful to God for this friendship that started and continued all these years, for the emails exchanged, for the knowledge gained from our emails and from visits to the museum and ancestral houses and chats, for the opportunity and rezeki to visit them and Negros Occidental. Alhamdulillah.

A(mazing) BCD Trip: Part I

My Pinoy mate, AT, moved to Bacolod, Negros Occidental, after she got married and I hadn’t met her since my last visit to Manila in 2012. I was mulling where to go during Chinese New Year and asked if I could visit to which she enthusiastically said yes. So I redeemed my MAS flypass and purchased return ticket from Manila from Philippine Air Asia (and of course they cancelled the flight and replaced with another that only departed at 21:20, trust AirAsia to always spoil people’s travel plans!). I didn’t want to sit around at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) for hours and decided to see if I could change the flight from KL. Alhamdulillah, I was able to and at no extra charge too.

 

Saturday, 10 February 2024

 

I left home after 09:00 and made my way to the airport. I wanted to ride the LRT to Sungai Besi and changed there for the MRT but for some reason, trains bound for Putra Heights ran on another platform that morning and would only go as far as Salak Selatan so I took the MRT from Chan Sow Lin instead (I was trying to avoid taking the MRT from Chan Sow Lin as the platform is a few levels underground). Despite this change in plans, I managed to meet the connecting 10:52 KLIA Transit train, Alhamdulillah. There was an extended family of about six adults and three kids who boarded the train at one of the Serdang stations and they were making such a racket. Thankfully they moved to another coach of the train to terrorise.

 

I bagged a complimentary Golden Lounge access when I purchased my flypass so after dropping off my bag, I stopped by the Golden Lounge before making my way to the gate.

 

We took off slightly later than scheduled and landed at NAIA T1 around 16:30. There was an announcement on the plane about visitors having to fill up Philippine Travel Information System (eTravel) and I quickly connected to WiFi and scanned the QR code I saw on the wall just before joining the queue to clear immigration. The process was quick but our bags took a while to appear. After getting my bag, I went to ask at the Information Counter for directions to the prayer room. He said the chapel is at the fourth floor. Chapel? I know the Philippines is a Catholic country but I specifically mentioned prayer room. I made my way up and some helpful bloke pointed out the direction to me so I walked over and turned into a corner and another and walked down a quiet deserted corridor. I wouldn’t say it was eerie but I did wonder if I was going the right way and even turned back once before continuing. And then I found the prayer room. Threadbare carpet and no AC but there was a standing fan. I performed prayers and waited until it was dusk to perform evening prayers.

 

After prayers, I went down to find the shuttle bus counter. I registered and was told it’d be a forty-minute wait. The bus came and looked a little worse for wear. Still, it did its job to ferry us from T1 to T2. There’s a separate building for Philippine AirAsia. I went into the boarding area after dropping off my bag. I browsed some food kiosks and restaurant and all had menus with pork in them. Well, Alhamdulillah I packed some sandwich.

 

We finally boarded and landed about 70 minutes later at Bacolod-Silay International Airport (airport code: BCD). This time, my bag was out early and I rushed out to meet AT who was waving excitedly to me. I said hi to R, her husband, and after loading my bag, we set off. We stopped en route to watch the CNY celebration – there was some street party with performance on two different stages and street food being sold. I looked around and saw most of the Bacoleños looked like Malays.

 

We stayed for about thirty minutes before making our way to their place which is in downtown Bacolod itself. I slept at almost 01:00.

 

Sunday, 11 February 2024

 

I woke up at 05:20 to perform morning prayers, yes, sunrise is early in this part of the world. After prayers, I stayed in bed and got up again at 08:30 to bathe. R’s niece and nephew joined us for breakfast. There were piaya (a muscovado-filled flatbread), rice cakes, vegetarian fried rice, oranges and bananas, hash browns. AT really outdid herself!

 

We left after 11:30 and drove to Bacolod Public Plaza. We headed first for San Sebastian Cathedral first, one of the two cathedrals in the whole of the Philippines which Pope St John Paul II visited besides the one in Manila, before crossing to the public plaza. There is the Unknown Soldiers Monument, some statutes and a gazebo which has stood there since 1920s and maybe even before then. Then we drove over to the old City Hall, and the Fountain of Justice which marks the very spot where the Spanish surrendered the city to local forces. There was no water in the fountain though.

 

Next, we drove to the Provincial Capitol of Negros Occidental and walked around the lagoon in front of the building. It had started to drizzle then but it was alright as it’d be too hot otherwise.

 

We then drove to Philistan Restaurant and had halal briyani for lunch. We then returned to the apartment and I went to perform prayers.

 

We drove to R’s sugarcane and poultry farm after that and stopped en route at an Iron Dinosaur, a vintage steam locomotive. Locomotives were used in Bacolod as a mode of transportation for sugar canes and played their part in making Bacolod the sugar bowl of the Philippines. The sun had reappeared then and we drove down to a small creek. We spent some time there before driving back, stopping at another Iron Dinosaur (a sanitised modern version this time) at The Upper East. After that, we drove to the New Government Centre. We walked around a bit before going to Aghaz Briyani for dinner then returned to the New Government Centre for more photos. We debated if we should get some massage by blind masseuses but decided not to in the end. R stopped by the University of St. La Salle to find out about the museum opening hours before returning to the apartment. AT and I stayed in the kitchen, chatting.

 

To be continued

Dili Dally: Part II

 Monday, 29 January 2024

 

I woke up for prayers then tried to sleep in but couldn’t. Showered and went for breakfast after dhuha prayers. Breakfast here was a more modest affair, I guess I can’t complain much if I’m paying $10 per night eh. After breakfast, I went up to read. The view was incredible again. It’s difficult to tell where the sea ended and the sky started as it was just blue in the distance. There was no ship to be sighted at all and I thought it strange but it probably wasn’t a shipping route.

After a while, I saw the gate to the Mercado Municipal open and decided to check it out. So I went out in mid-morning and had a look around. I also walked up and found a Muslim lady selling bakso. She said it was one of the two halal eateries in Baucau and the other one is on the New Town. I also walked down the steps to Piscina but the swimming pool was drained of water. It probably only opens on weekends. There were school students everywhere and I thought it strange that they’d finished classes for the day when it was barely 11:30 a.m.

Empty pools today

Blue Ribbon Guesthouse is that white building on the hill

Local students hanging out at the grocery shop of the guesthouse

I went back to the guesthouse, finished my book and started another book. Realised that I had actually read it before but decided to stick to it as I only had only one other half-finished book with me. Rested.

 

Went out at 17:30 to find dinner. Confirmed with Madam Nina, I would travel back to Dili with her and her adult son tomorrow morning. Alhamdulillah. Walked to the restaurant selling halal bakso and Mie Ayam and had the latter for dinner. Got back $3 equivalent in local currency.

Dinner companion

 

It rained in the early evening as I was performing prayers.

 

Tuesday, 30 January 2024

 

I packed after prayers then went for breakfast. I found that some government officials had checked in during the night - saw their official car and later met them during breakfast. They left first.

 

I left with Madam Nina and her son at 08:00. It was a picturesque drive, something I’d miss if I was riding the bus. As we drove on, I realised that Baucau was sited on top of an elevation of some 1,000 feet above sea level. We do rove past small towns, villages, paddy fields, dry rivers, hills and caught glimpses of the sea. Just a few km outside Dili, Nina stopped to let two young men board the pickup.

 

I got down near the Japan International Cooperation Agency and walked to Casa Minha Backpackers Hostel. The road worsened with every step I took and after turning into a junction, hardly resembled a road. It was potholed and every passing vehicle brought up dust and I was so so glad that I was wearing my Converse instead of FitFlops. I mean, I was disappointed enough to find those roads in Baucau but not in downtown Dili.

 

I finally reached the backpackers’ hostel (no sign anywhere so I had to ask around) and checked in. After catching my breath, I went out. I wanted to catch a microlet to the main road but none came so I walked ten minutes to the main road. The road to the main road wasn’t any better. I came across a Muslim lady selling some lunch and stopped to chat with her before continuing on.

 

I crossed the main road and hailed down microlet #10 to Tasi Tolu, the terminal for microlets to Liquiçá. I was spared the pain of waiting for the bus to Baucau but this time, I had to endure sitting close to an hour in the stuffy and hot microlet while waiting for passengers to fill it up. The driver went around and around five blinking times and did a u-turn twice. I was close to losing my temper and getting down. We finally left and the trip took 55 minutes, which was the same amount of time we spent rotting in the microlet. Strewth! The trip cost USD2.

 

The microlet driver must’ve dropped us at the edge of the town because what I saw didn’t attract me to stay longer. I decided to walk down to the beach but wasn’t impressed. I guess we’re spoilt, as we are used to sandy beaches. There, the beach was pebbly. There was a narrow stretch of sand but that was it.

 

I turned back and boarded a microlet bound for Dili and had to endure the same going-around-in-circles-like-headless-chicken routine as before. But at least I got to see glimpses of the town.

 

We arrived back at Tasi Tolu and I took a microlet back to Timor Plaza. Dark clouds were overhead when we reached Timor Plaza and after a quick browse, I trudged back to the backpackers’. It rained about half an hour after I reached my room. I stayed in and started a new book. There were two men in the living room but they didn’t look friendly.

 

Wednesday, 31 January 2024

 

I woke up for morning prayers and at 07:15, went out for a morning walk to the sea. Surprisingly, the road improved before it got bad again. I didn’t stay long there before turning back.

 

After my shower, I had breakfast and then finished packing. I left just after 11:00 (also the check-out time) and took microlet #9 to the roundabout outside the airport. It was a hot mid-morning and the walk in from the roundabout took about ten minutes. I decided to check in my bag immediately and go and sit in the waiting area. There was passport control and security check but they didn’t ask me to leave my water bottle behind or empty my tumbler. The Citilink plane from Denpasar arrived on time and we boarded some half an hour later.

I decided to perform prayers on board and good thing I did because we had to take a bus from the airplane to the terminal building before joining the long queue to clear passport control at Denpasar. Even after the bus ride and passport queue, our bags were only starting to come out to the baggage carousel. Frankly, I expected better at Denpasar. And the wifi was also spotty for some reason. I was able to check my Teams at first, then couldn’t and couldn’t access my work inbox either although I could see how many emails I had to clear. So strange. I made my way to gate 6B for my flight home. We had to take another bus to the airplane too.  

We landed at KLIA at 19:30. My bag came out at 19:50 and as I obviously wouldn't be able to make the 19:52 KLIA Transit train, I performed prayers first before making my way home. And that was my trip to Timor Leste. And now I can finally say that I've been to all ASEAN countries. Alhamdulillah.