Fancynation: The Visayas Adventure: Part I

My parents are not exactly the most adventurous kind of people, so we tend not to travel too far from the city. But this time, we did.

The family was finally able to visit my father's hometown (he was originally from Bantayan). I could not remember how long my father had been wanting to do this, so he was really excited. All of us were, anyway (it was my first time to ride a plane, for god's sake). We had one week and two days to visit my father's relatives and to explore the Visayas.

We first headed to Bacolod. My aunt (father's youngest sister), whom I met for the first time, gave us a tour in the city. We weren't able to do much though on the first night, we only paid their Municipal Hall a visit. Then, we had what felt like a seafood party dinner that night in 18th St, Palapala.

The next day, we went to visit the most famous mansion in the province, The Ruins, also known as the 'Taj Mahal' of Negros. It was such a beautiful place, despite the ruins (pun intended).

The mansion was built by Don Mariano Ledesma Lacson in honor of his wife Maria Braga who passed away in an accident with their 11th child. It was said to be considered as the largest residential structure ever built then; with the finest furniture, chinaware, and decorative items. The mansion, however, was burnt down by then guerilla fighters during the early part of WWII to prevent the Japanese forces from utilizing it as their head quarters.

After its unfortunate fate, the beauty of the place remains. The intricate details in the structure are still visible. Its architecture as a whole is simply a magnificent sight.

Our last stop was the Pana-Ad Park and Stadium. We did not get the chance to visit the park though, because it was starting to get dark. And the stadium was huge. It would have been nice to watch a live game here.

The family then flew to Cebu. We only saw a few sites in the province because we did not have enough time. We did get to visit the Basilica del Santo Niño and the famous Magellan's Cross. Despite the short time we spent there, we made sure to eat good food in local restaurants. Among them was Casa Verde which served the best ribs.

Finally, we headed for the beach to Bantayan Island. The journey to get to Bantayan was really excruciating. The lack of sleep and the scorching heat even made it worse. We first met with my father's older sister and her family (whom, again, I met for the first time, except for one cousin who used to live with us) before we went to the beach. We enjoyed a day in Ogtong Cave Resort. The beach was really beautiful that the exhausting travel was worth the while.