Let me write on the spot clairealgarme.multiply.com

It’s difficult to start off a travel blog. Every place has its own unique points and every place has something to offer. But to get this ball rolling, let’s get to the point of my origin. Don’t you worry guys, I won’t be doing a chronology or I’ll end up doing an autobiography. We’ll be jumping from one place to another and hopping from one decade to another (uh-oh!). So, let’s throw aside some form of system here and just grab a free and easy tour package in my travel blog.

Okay, so I’d be bragging about Negros Occidental and its capital city, Bacolod. You gotta grant me that because I owe this place a lot. I wouldn’t understand what “Tinubuang Lupa” means without the travels I’ve done around my own province and the life I’ve spent there.

If Italy is shaped like a boot, Negros, on the other hand, is shaped like a sock. I want to believe that Negros got the perfect spot geographically because whenever I look at the Philippine map, it is right smack at the center and it looks aesthetically beautiful.

Since my parents’ relatives are from various parts of the province, I always had the opportunity to travel to both north and south of Negros, although I’d say that I frequented the southern part more. Negros was known to be the sugar capital of the country and many haciendas are found in every town and municipality. In fact, it has the most number of cities, apart from NCR. Yet no skyscrapers could be found in this island. Although it has many cities, these cities are still vastly sugarcane plantations along with a plaza, a municipal hall, a market and other establishments and insitutions.

Bacolod is fast developing with the entry of the malls but it has kept a culture of fun that I have grown fond of. Oh, well, Bacolod wouldn’t be called the “City of Smiles” for nothing. Everything seemed sweet there — the food, the scenery, the people. The aroma of chicken barbeque always fills the air and, at night, the stars bring luster to the city scene.

But the rustic life in Negros is what lures tourists to this province. By just looking back, I can almost taste the delicious breeze of the seaside and the mountains. The foods are always fresh and delicious and you can eat a feast at a cheap price. To top all of these, Negros’ selling point are the “malambing Ilonggos” who talk in a sing-song and friendly manner.

Come to Negros and you will still enjoy the simplicity of life. It has a charm that no real estate or commercial development can top. Just the sound of the river at Moises Padilla, or the exciting trek at Mambukal or the heritage of Silay or the morning mist in Kabankalan brings so much memories and joy to me.