"Patag" at Silay's Majestic Mountains

First we went the Business District of Silay where I had the chance to see the old colonial buildings. They are very nice and in good condition. Unlike the buildings in Iloilo, the ones in Silay hold true to its Spanish Influences ... We also got to go to Bahay Negrense, the oldest house in Negros, and see all the nice antillian houses lining the streets.... Truly, Silay really is the Paris of Negros!



Then we had a long trip up the mountains of Silay into this place called "Patag". After parking the car beside a chapel, we had to walk a distance to reach a small resort. It was so breathtaking when we got there, the view was great, the wind was cool, there was a small swimming pool, and best of all ... we've got the place all to ourselves!



Spent most of the day swimming in the chilly water, exploring, and eating. During the night, we had a bonfire and we slept in a small bahay kubo.... It was amazing how all 9 of us could fit in such a small space ... hehe

My friend warned us about the temperature during dawn but I didn't really pay attention. Little did I know that she was right, it was so cold .... unbearable! i wish I had brought a jacket or a coat or something.

April 30

It's already our last day in Negros, too bad :( I really enjoyed my time ... we arrived at the port at around 2:30pm and left at 3:00 .... In the RORO ferry, I began to contemplate about my trip but mostly about Negros:

Bacolod is a bustling city with clean and wide roads, nice parks and recreation areas, lots of spaces of development but it's still the second city of Western Visayas ... I don't think I'm biased in saying that Iloilo City is bigger than Bacolod in terms of economy. This aside, Iloilo also has it's weaknesses that Bacolod excels upon like cleanliness and infrastructure. I'm not trying to say that one city is better than the other, I just want to say this because a lot of people from both sides really like bashing and comparing each other and I think this should stop. Both cities are twin cities seperated only by sea, true-blooded Ilonggos by nature thus we should help each other out just like what happened a century ago when Iloilo and Negros were the most dynamic provinces in the Phils, sometimes even comparable to Manila.

Also, Negrenses are reputed to be gracious hosts. I've proven it to be true! We were very much well taken cared of during our trip ... I'm really thankful for our hosts, who shared with us their time so we can enjoy Negros, the Sugarlandia of the Philippines.