Friday Favorite Five: Dumaguete Spots

When we were about to move here in Dumaguete, it felt like my world was spinning fast out of its orbit and I was powerless to step out.
 
*Drama-rama*

Long story short, I fell in love with the place. How could I not to? It's beautiful -- to the east, Bohol Sea and Tañon Strait, and to the west, the view of the mountainous municipality of Valencia. It's a city, with the comforts and amenities of one, yet the atmosphere is that of an old town -- peaceful, quaint, quiet. It's not all good of course, but I've come to love the place. There are a number of beautiful and notable places here, some of which I haven't been to yet [busy-busy, alam naman ang buhay freelance, hehehe], but I'll limit it to five (kasi mawawala ang alliteration ng title). Hahahaha! Also, a couple of places aren't actually in Dumaguete but are just near the outskirts of the city and are easily accessible by multicab or tricycles.

1. Dauin. A few kilometers from the center, Dauin has a number of beaches, ranging from posh to pangit. Hehehe. But when I say "pangit," I only refer to the resort, not the marine life. It has a protected marine sanctuary, and snorkeling there is such an experience. There are deep diving sites a couple of kilometers from the beach, but you need not swim far -- just a few meters from the beach, fish and corals abound. I wish I have an underwater camera so I can show you the colorful marine fauna of Dauin. Next time.

2. Forest Camp, Valencia. A typhoon tore the place down in 2011 and it was restored one stone at a time  in 2012. The water there comes from the mountains of Valencia, and the resort itself appears to be carved from the forest. Last year, they installed a zip line and a climbing wall. It's very peaceful there. I like climbing over the huge rocks and boulders, which were carried by the torrential water from the aforementioned typhoon, and just sit there watching the water. I tell you, the cool water in Forest Camp is almost hypnotic.  [Related kwento: First time we went there, I brought fresh shrimps, as in live ones, for cooking. When I went to the river to wash them, a shrimp escaped and it easily blended with the water. Di ko na nahuli. Such a bittersweet and ironic escape for the shrimp -- the river is freshwater and the shrimp wouldn't have lasted long, well, unless it survived the 9-km swim from Valencia to the estuarine river in Colon, which drains to the sea. I hope you made it, Shrimpie!]

3. Silliman University. The oldest university (I think) in the city, it was patterned after the American style of education, and it has a zoo, a chapel with a huge ground, and a hospital. Aside from the obvious intellectual attraction of the place, it is also notable for its, uhm, aesthetic aspects. If you visit the grounds, Frisbee games are usually afoot and you'd be overwhelmed by the pulchritude. I swear, this place is just teeming with beauty, male or female. Related note: For a time, lagi daw naglalaro ng Ultimate Frisbee si Derek Ramsey dun, adding to the, uhm, "scenery" [naman, abs pa lang, sight to behold na. di pa ako fan ng lagay na yan.]

Credit to http://lefthandedsnake.wordpress.com

Credit to  http://myphilippinelife.com/

4.  Rizal Boulevard. This frames the view of the east, where the sea is. From there, you can see a part Bohol on the left and the Island of Fire, Siquijor, on the right. On one end lies the Press Club (gustong mag-apply ni Sharkteeth dun, kahit daw assistant lang) and Bethel Hotel. One the other end, near the port, food vendors set up tables and chairs around dusk. You can get the usual street food fare, with emphasis on balut. I haven't tried eating there yet though. Much as I love penoy, I don't partake anymore. One word: cholesterol. :)

Nung unang punta ko sa Dumaguete nalaman na dito pala itinatag ang unang St. Paul. Some Paulinian, eh?

5. Downtown. The center of business and commerce, religion, budget shopping, and food. You can see the old bell tower beside the cathedral, numerous banks, restaurants, shops, etc. If matyaga kang maglakad, you can cover the entire downtown in half a day, may kasama nang stops for picture taking and food tasting. Sans Rival's main store is near the bay. It is a local bakery famous for sylvannas and its eponymous sans rival. (Tip if you're buying sylvannas: Don't get tempted by the chocolate variant; it's not as tasty as it looks. Choose the classic.) They also have a restaurant and a bistro. Also along the bay, still downtown, is Why Not Disco. Its clientele is composed mostly of foreigners and their significant others, but there are locals as well. Their food is a bit on the expensive side (by local standards, of course), but they have a well-stocked deli with lots of Euro chocolates, cured meats and sausages, freshly baked breads, effervescent vitamins (favorite ko eto pag stressed sa work), and so much more. If you dine there, they serve you complimentary bread with olive oil+tomatoes+herbs -- it's so tasty. To think I don't even like bread. There are used-book shops in the most unobtrusive side streets and ukay-ukays stocked with useful (as well as white elephant) stuff and home items. Nakabili ako ng isang full pack ream ng A4 for ~50 pesos, pati printer ink, photopaper, and a ton of other office supplies. Hayun, andami kong office supplies na di naman kailangan. Hahahaha! Di bale, pasukan na naman next week; I'm sure magagamit ni S lahat yun. 

Saint Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral

Old bell tower

Credit to  http://www.happysteps.net

Note: In my bid to post regularly, I'm going, or at least try, to post every Friday five of my favorite things. They might be a current or past possession, though others might not be necessarily mine -- could be a wish for my fairy godmother (where are you, by the way?), could be something I saw and found interesting, but it will always be driven by beauty and functionality, hopefully both, but that's a tall order.