Welcome to the City of Smiles! Bacolod is the capital city of Negros Occidental, the western part of the Negros Island in the Visayas. 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 professor, 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, my sister and I booked a flight to the province. We were so excited we couldn’t wait to get on the plane!
So 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!
The best thing was.. we did not have to pay for a hotel, as we have kind relatives who welcomed us and made our stay remarkable. 🙂 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, a local favorite!
I super miss chicken inasal!!! They have turbo chicken in Norway, which is somehow similar to inasal, and I wish they would also sell that here in Denmark so I won’t be homesick that much.
Afterwards, we took a stroll towards the Baywalk. Yep, they also have a bay walk here in Bacolod which features bands and singers and dancers every night. There’s also a bit of fireworks at the end of each show.
Along the way is 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 so if you happen to drop by the bay, get ready to get de-stressed.:)
So where to go in Negros Occidental? Do you want some ideas for your itinerary? On my next entry, I will let you know the places we’ve explored during our 4-day vacation! So see you and have a nice long weekend! ♥
PinayOdyssey 