Bacolod, a.k.a. the City of Smiles, is the capital city of Negros Occidental, the western part of the Negros Island in central Philippines. I think it’s timely to write this entry as the city will hold its famous Masskara Festival soon, a celebration where people wear colorful and happy face masks, and do some street dancing.

Negros Occidental is called the Sugar Bowl of the Philippines due to the vast sugar cane plantations. It was once a global exporter of sugar, according to my college professor in U.P., until some European countries introduced sugar beet. Well, the sweetness doesn’t stop with the sugar canes! The Negrenses are also known to be sweet and caring. No wonder I have the best dad in the world! ♥

So before I left for Denmark in 2013, my sister and I booked a flight to the province. It was Valentine’s week, thus, the title. We were so excited we couldn’t wait to get on the plane!

It was a direct and short flight from Manila to Silay International Airport, which is about a couple of hours from Bacolod City. The airport is small, but my, I love the strong WiFi and the friendly people who readily took a picture of us upon arrival!

We stayed with some relatives, who were also eager to show us the beauty of the place. It was already dinner time when we got to the city proper, so our aunt and uncle took us to Manokan Country, a big complex of small restaurants serving chicken inasal, or roasted chicken, a local favorite.

Afterwards, we took a stroll towards the Baywalk, where bands and singers and dancers performed every night. Each show ended with a firework display.

Along the way, we spotted Pope John Paul II’s tower. It was built to commemorate the Pope’s visit in 1981.

The Baywalk was teeming with people when we got there. The ambiance was fun and entertaining.

On my next entry, I’ll share our itinerary during our 4-day vacation! See you and have a nice long weekend! ♥ 🙂 ALL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS ON THIS BLOG ARE MINE.  🙂 #spreadloveandpositivevibes