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.
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