Well, we decided to order their special for that day – the spaghetti with meatballs and grilled burgers (forgot the  name). Unfortunately when we went their, they run out of lettuce and other green leafy vegetables but it was still yummy and delicious.

The place is really small. It can only accommodate 15-25 people but the ambience is really relaxing. The interior is filled with paintings showcasing the famous landmark of Silay. The food is superb! Their specials are different everyday so you’re for a treat everytime you are at Café 1925. Their brewed coffee is also good.

Aside from pastas, sandwiches and desserts Café 1925 also offer fresh salads for the health conscious and for those on the Diet-to-Go.

Well, I would recommend the place to everyone. So, if you’re in Silay or Bacolod never miss going to Café 1925 Silay.

How to Get There:

Café 1925 is located at J. Pitong Ledesma Street in Silay City. It’s located at the back of BPI and just around the corner of El Ideal.

From Bacolod: Just ride a jeepney or bus going South, just tell the driver that you’re going down at BPI Silay Branch. After that just walk a few steps at the corner and you will see the signage of Café 1925.

From Bacolod-Silay Airport: Ride a tricycle or a shuttle and tell the driver that you’ll be going down at BPI Silay Branch corner.

The Agtalin Shrine is the home of the highest Marian statue in Asia. The Mirculous Medal statue is 50 feet high and was built on top of the Agtalin Hill Chapel. It is also overlooking the coast of Pilar Bay.

Climbing up to the Shrine is not that easy. Imagine taking 185 steps but it was worth the climb, not just for the view but also for our faith. It was really a great experience esp. that I’m a member(devotee) of the Legion of Mary since my elementary years. And learning about the story behind the place was really inspiring.

Thousands of devotees visit the Agtalin Shrine every first saturday of the month to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary and for the healing Mass/prayer for the sick. Well, here’s the list of the schedule of Activities in Agtalin Shrine during First Saturday of the Month. Hope this can help you in planning your trip.

Agtaline Shrine First Saturday Schedule
7:00 AM Recitation of the Holy Rosary
7:30 AM Confession, Catechism, Sharing
9:00 AM Holy Mass
10:30 AM Prayer for the Sick, Blessing of the Religious Articles

*****

Agtalin Shrine
Agtalin Hills, Brgy. Dulangan
Pilar, Capiz, Philippines 5800

Danao’s Karansa Festival

One Visayas is a brainchild of Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and was launch last October 2009. The 2010 One Visayas brought together 20 provinces from 3 regions in a 4-day summit full of activities that will focus mostly on tourism issues and the role of the whole Visayas as a super region when it comes to tourism concern.

It was really a fun-filled Opening day for One Visayas. We were treated to a dazzling street dance parade of some of the best festivals in Central Philippine regions. The parade started from the City Plaza going to the Villareal Stadium, where they performed and showcased their respective festivals for 5 to 10 minutes choreographed dances.

Then at the finale all of the Festivals were united as one in singing and dancing the One Visayas song. And then everyone celebrated and was singing or whistling to the tune of the song. I had an LSS for days. Well, it’s really nice to be able to be a part of this celebration where everyone is united with one common goal – for Visayas to soar high.

Toledo’s Hinulawan Festival

One Visayas, One People, One Destiny!

We got to South Bus Terminal at 7am. The newly-renovated terminal is now airconditioned and has a relaxed environment. There were no airconditioned bus available that day though so we opted to ride a non-airconditioned bus. The one-way fare from Cebu City to Badian, Cebu was 126 pesos. I enjoyed the view and the breeze in our 3-hour trip pretty well. From Cebu City, you will pass by 3 cities 7 municipalities before reaching Badian. We got off the bus when we saw the church with tinted, colorful windows along the national road. That is the landmark for the road going to Kawasan. One of our companions said that we have to hike for about 10-20 minutes to get to the
waterfalls.

Abbie with friends at Kawasan Falls

Before the hike, there’s a group of people who will give you a flyer about what-to-do and what-not-do in the vicinity of Kawasan Falls. If the old news hasn’t reached you, a Korean died when he jumped off the biggest and highest falls in Kawasan. No wonder my mom was so worried when she knew that I went there. Anyway mom, I won’t, in my right mind, jump off a waterfall because I don’t know how to swim above 6feet. So scratch the jumping-off-the-waterfall activity. You can go rafting under the waterfalls for an hour for 300 pesos, not including the rafters’ talent fee which is more or less 100 pesos per rafter. Nonetheless, it was very exciting to go rafting. The water is so cold and refreshing plus when the raft go through the waterfalls, you can get the ultimate back massage. The first waterfall that you’ll see is the main and biggest waterfall in Kawasan. There are a few more waterfalls above the big one. There are cabanas and little huts for rent all around the waterfalls and they also have lunch food that can be bought from the one and only food provider there who is also in charge of the cabanas, rafts, lodging, and lifesavers. But they don’t prohibit you from bringing your own food though and you can sit down among the rocks if you don’t want to rent a cabana.

All in all, the experience was very exciting. For city-dwellers like me, going out of town is a really big event. You can’t see any waterfall in the city. Kawasan falls is just so big and the waters look so mystical you’ll just stand in awe.

By Lagawan’s Guest Blogger – Abbie
discoveringpinas.com

Patapat Viaduct is a 1.2 km long winding road connecting Ilocos Norte and the province of Cagayan. It is located at the foot  of the North Cordillera Mountain Ranges and was built in 1960’s to reduce the problem of landslides in the area that has caused many mishaps in the past.

Well, it was really a breathtaking view with lush green mountains and blue sea. What could one ask for? Right? And some also say that one could actually see Taiwan from here in good weather. Well, if you’re into Taiwanese songs you could actually tune in to Taiwan’s local frequency here. Woot! Woot!

Group photo at Patapat Viaduct – by Bert

Anyways, after Patapat Viaduct we went directly to Blue Lagoon for dinner but because of the bad weather we decided to go back to the resort instead. Well, maybe I could visit the Blue Lagoon next time. *crossfingers*

Our first stop was the Bangui Wind Farm – the first and the largest wind farm in South East Asia. It is located in the coastline of Barangay Baruyen in the sleepy town of Bangui in Ilocos, Norte. The 20 giant windmills are really amazing! I could say, it is one of the most beautiful man-made mechanical structures I ever saw.

View of Bangui Windmills from Kangkang Windmill Cafe

The Bangui Windmills are located in Bangui, Ilocos Norte, Philippines. The windmills, officially referred to as the NorthWind Bangui Bay Project, were a project by the NorthWind Development Corporation as a practice renewable energy sources and to help reduce the greenhouse gases that cause global warming. The project is the first “Wind Farm” in the Philippines consisting of wind turbines on-shore facing the South China Sea and considered to be the biggest in Southeast Asia. The project sells electricity to the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) and provides 40% of the power requirements of Ilocos Norte via Transco Laoag. (Wikipedia)

When we were in the coastal of Bangui, only 17 turbines were working but after an hour or so, while we were having our lunch in Kangkang the remaining 3 turbines started to work. The people in Kangkang said that the 3 turbines were under maintenance for a couple of days already.

Each windmills is 70 meters tall with 41 meters blades that is capable of producing electricity up to a maximum capacity of 1.65 mega-watt, totaling to 24.75 mega-watts all in all. The windmills started supplying electricity to 40% of Ilocos Norte in May 2005. And this is the first source of clean energy introduced in the country.

Well, after lunch and videoke time, off we went to our next stop – the town of Burgos to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site, Cape Bojeador.

Getting There

From Laoag, take the Laoag – Cagayan route towards Burgos. After reaching Burgos, watch out for the directional marker on the left side of the road that leads to the Bangui Bay. Follow the dirt road leading to the bay. Some wind mills will already be visible from this point then make a right turn to the bay. Travel time from Laoag will approximately be an hour and a half.

This trip to Ilocos was very different from the previous trip I had with my friends last December for this time I was here to cover the Friendship Kayak Expedition 2009 – Thanks to GMCI and Primer. And fortunately, we had a lot of sidetrips before the final leg of the first kayaking trail. One of the places we went to was the coastal town of Burgos to visit the famous heritage site in Ilocos Norte – the Faro Cabo Cape Bojeador or Cape Bojeador Lighthouse.

Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

It was a dark and dreary Wednesday afternoon but when we arrived at the lighthouse the weather improve a little – with sunshine, even just for a couple of minutes. Well, there is something about the place that is eerie – I have this feeling of someone watching us while exploring the place. Well, maybe because it’s old, rusty and so isolated since it is located up the hill of Vigia in Burgos with no nearby house or structures. But even though it’s eerie Cape Bojeador lighthouse is definitely an amazing historical structure and a must place to see when one is visiting Ilocos.

The lighthouse is also called by locals as Burgos lighthouse and it is located on top of Vigia de Nagparitan Hill in Burgos, Ilocos Norte. It is the highest-elevated lighthouse in the Philippines at 160 meters above sea level and the northwestern most in location. It was built in 1892 and is still functioning to date, serving ships passing by the northern part of South China Sea.

Lagawan in Cape Bojeador

Built on March 31, 1892, Faro de Capo Bojeador was designed by Engineer Margin Pers y Pers in 1887. It was reconfigured and constructed by Engineer Gulliermo Brockman.  The lighthouse has been guiding sea vessels passing the northern part of South China Sea and the rugged coast of Cape Bojeador. Despite of its age, it is still being used today. The lighthouse has been declared as a National Historical Landmark and a National Cultural Treasure. ( Read More: Heritage Conservation Society – Cape Bojeador Lighthouse )

Mamang caretaker was kind enough to let us go up the lighthouse tower. And to get to the top, we climb a series of steps and guess what? It wasn’t that easy especially if you have a fear of height and is claustrophobic for you must really have a will power to conquer the rusty, slippery metal spiral staircase and the steep-steel ladder plus the heavy blowing of winds to reach the lens room. But once you’re on the top it’s really worth it for the view is really fantastic. You can see the South China Sea, the town of Pasuquin, the windmills and coastline of Bangui and other neighboring towns.

View from the top…

Getting there:

Cape Bojeador lighthouse is approximately 35 kilometers north of Laoag by car.

Just follow the northwestern coastal national highway from Laoag, Vigan or La union going to Ilocos province until you’ve reach the town of Burgos. There is a large sign board along the highway which serves as the landmark for Cape Bojeador. You won’t get lost if you follow this sign since the road leads you to the base of the of the Cape Bojeador lighthouse complex.

There is no Public Transportation like jeepneys or tricycles found here, so it’s either you walk along the winding road to the lighthouse or bring a car.

More Photos:

looking at the town of Burgos from the lighthouse window

Another coastal view from Cape Bojeador

Friendship Kayak Expedition 2009: DoT, Media, GMCI, Primer, Blogger

Cafe Uma is owned and managed by a Filipino Chef, Jomi Gaston. And it’s first location was then setup at the corner of Association of Negros Producers (ANP) Showroom, but it expanded and it’s now located at 15th Lacson Streets, just beside L’Fisher Hotel. Actually, the cafe is not really hard to miss for it is just along one of the main road in the city, Lacson Street.

Cafe Uma is an upscale Cafe/restaurant in Bacolod, with prices a bit expensive for Bacolod standard but don’t fret for the servings are huge and it’s good for 2 persons. Ella and me really love the place for it’s beautiful and the ambiance is really cozy and relaxing. It’s a great place to hangout and chat with friends. What’s great and interesting with this cafe is the mural wall recalling Bacolod’s past. 2 Thumbs up for this.

Well, since we went to an event earlier and had eaten already, we decided to just hangout, drink a cup of coffee and have a sandwich. We ordered Cafe Uma Club Sandwich which consist of wheat bread, bacon, ham, cheese, grilled chicken salad and fried egg for Php 280, very delicious and it’s good for 2 persons – not bad right? We also ordered Cafe Uma Limoncello Shrimp Pasta – one of the best pasta I ever tasted. It’s linguine in lemon cream sauce with shrimps, arugula and pinenuts. It’s really scrumptious and worth the price for Php 380 but believe me you won’t regret it! And I also ordered a cup of cappuccino or should I say a bowl of cappuccino? As I said they have a really really big servings.

Cafe Uma scrumptious Limoncello Shrimp pasta – yummy!

The only downside of Cafe Uma is the store hour for they close at 9:30PM. But all in all it’s really a great place to relax and unwind with friends over a cup of coffee and delicious food.

** Uma is an Ilonggo term for farm **

*****

CAFE UMA
15th – Lacson Streets, Bacolod City
Website: http://www.cafeuma.com
Email: info@cafeuma.com
Tel. No.: (63) 34-7099966 ; Telefax No. (63) 34-4323853

Half serving of Cafe Uma Club Sandwich

A cup of cappuccino for only Php 70 with Piaya

The Logo

The Cafe Uma interior…

Nice light decor – Capiz shells

Just recently, a spur of the moment decision led my nieces and me to Caribbean Waterpark & Resotel. It’s a new resort with complete hotel facilities, gigantic pool and the biggest water slide in Negros Occidental. Aside from that, the place looks very inviting for the Resort stonewalls are decorated with colorful flaglets.

My nieces had a lot of fun playing at the pool for it has a wrecked pirate ship in the middle were they can explore and be pirate for a moment and treasures & chest also that can be found underwater. Well, unlike them I didn’t have my swimming gear so I just enjoyed the view and the cool breeze even though I really want to dive in with them.

I told me niece not the try the slide for I heard some (not that good) stories regarding it so I’m just making sure that she won’t get in any trouble but being young, adventurous and daring she still did. And to top that she tried the blue one which is 30 feet high. But fortunately, the manager told me that the management already made adjustment to the resorts slide to make it safe for children. 2 thumbs up for them!!!

All in all, it was a fun experience and kids will surely love the place. Not just kids but also adult for Caribbean Waterpark & Resortel can bring out the kid in us. So what are you waiting for? Enjoying being a pirate for a day or just spend time with your family. Anyways, the resort is not that expensive. For only Php100/pax you can have an enjoyable bonding time with your kids or friends. For more information please visit the Resort’s website.

CARIBBEAN WATERPARK & RESOTEL
Goldenfield Commercial Complex, Bacolod City
Website: http://www.caribbean-waterpark.com
Email: info@caribbean-waterpark.com
Tel. No.: 709-6059, 433-6683, 435-2643
Entrance Fee: (4 yrs. OLD-UP) P100 or (1 yr. to 3 yrs. OLD-UP) P50
Accomodation: Free Umbrella / Nipa Huts….. Php300 (Small) or Php400 (Big)
Cabin A-D….. Php1,000 / Family Suite….. Php1,800 / Caribbean Suite….. Php3,500 / Businessman Suite….. Php1,500 / Bahama Suite….. Php2,500 / Los Amigos Suite….. Php4,200

Recently, I went on a 4hr drive from Bacolod City to Sipalay, the southern Part of Negros, to unwind from the hustle and bustle of the City life. This is my 2nd time in the said City but this sleepy town of Sipalay or the “Jewel of the South” still amazed me to no end. The place really has a lot of things and places to boost of.

One of the places they can really be proud of is the Takatuka Lodge and Diving Resort. The resort is a “colorful & wacky piece of paradise”. And it is owned by the Kalitta Brothers, Marc & Kalle and their wives, Cathy and Evarose.

Takatuka Lodge: The Cave Room

Takatuka is located at Langub Beach, Barangay Nauhang, Sipalay City approximately 164km south of Bacolod City. From Barangay Nauhang, one should board a motorized banca to take you to the Beach front of Takatuka. The place is really isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city life that one could really relax and unwind in it. You have an option to relax and enjoy the beautiful of the beach or be one with nature at the back of the resort where one could also go boating around the mangrove.

Takatuka came from the popular European children’s storybook written by Astrid Lindgren, “Pipi in the Land of Takatuka”. The owners really want their paradise to have a wacky, crazy and artistic feel in it, which you can’t find anywhere else. And yes, this is the only place where you can find junk or ordinary things turned into a recycled Art. A flower pot made of radio sets and old rubber shoes. A telephone, remote control & camera turned into a light switch. Toy cars and guns turned into a chandelier. Bicycle turned into post and a cellphone cases covered post in the dining area. And one of my favorite things in this resort is there bathrooms.

Pull down the chain to turn on the faucet. Cool right?

Well, Takatuka bathrooms are really wacky, funky and artistically designed. Each one is so colorful and so wackily decorated that it gives the place a playful atmosphere. One of the attraction in the resort is the crazy bathroom of the Negrito Hut for everything in this place were designed to look crooked – the windows, mirror, tiles, doors, floors are really crazy but so creatively put. One of my favorite in this bathroom is the old water pump that was turned into a toilet paper holder. Aside from that, one of the craziest toilet seats in Takatuka was made of thumbtacks. Who in their right mind would think of this? I guess only the Kalitta Brothers and I’ll give them 2 thumbs up for this.

The owner and the staffs are really friendly and hardworking. They even gave us a house tour – Thanks to Rose!!! So, we had a chance to see all the crazy, wacky and funky designs of the 8 rooms. One of my favorite is the newly opened MadMix Room for it opens into another world – the world of madness. The room was designed with Red Horse beer bottle as a post, toilet bowl as a shower, and a lot of crazy light switch and interior arts. This room represents me best or should I say the crazy side of me?

Madmix room toilet seat  shower

Aside from the place, the food in Takatuka are really good, creatively presented and artistically named. The meals are a combination of Swiss, French, German, American and Asian Cuisine at affordable prices. My favorite is the Kikeritzel – A meat-eater’s favorite made of a crispy breaded chicken “Schnitzel” bursting with juicy ham, melting cheese, pickles and fragrant herbs, topped with “Jager Style” rich and creamy mushroom gravy. It’s really delicious!

Sorry! I can’t tell you anything about the dive school in Takatuka for I haven’t tried it when I was there, maybe next time. The diving rates in Takatuka are not that expensive and they also have an accredited diving instructor.

All in all, Takatuka Lodge is an amazing experience. And I’ll definitely recommend it to everyone. The Resort is colorful, wacky and a fun place to be. The owners and the staffs are really friendly and hardworking. And the food is great and yet very affordable. So in short: 2 thumbs up for Takatuka!

TAKATUKA LODGE & DIVE Resort
Langub Beach, Brgy. Nauhang
Sipalay City, Negros Occ.
Website: http://www.takatuka-lodge.com
E-mail: relax@takatuka-lodge.com
Tel. #: +63 920-2309174 or  +63 920-6792349
Bus Fare (From Bacolod to Sipalay) : Php 145
Tricycle Fare (From Crossing Montilla to Brgy. Nauhang): Php 30/head
Banca Fare (Nauhang to Langub Beach): Php 200/banca (Takatuka Service)
Php 150/banca (Nauhang banca)
Php 400/banca ( Takatuka Service from Sipalay-Langub Beach)

Push the button for me boy Opps!! Another unique light switch

Takatuka: Superstar Room

Dining & Reception Area

The Cave bathroom

Click here for more photos