Thanks for reading Day 1. If you are lost, you can read the 14-Day Solo Backpacking Challenge I’m trying to recount. If you are too busy or lazy to read that, its a personal challenge to spend only P250/day all-in, yes you read it right, ALL-IN (accommodation, food, transportation, other fees, etc.)
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| The male pulling the carabao sculpture was made by Felix Gaston, a Negrense artist & the woman reclining on the carabao was made by a unnamed French sculptor. |
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| ANG PANGHIMUD-OS by Eduardo Castrillo Hiligaynon word for “endeavor” literally “The Struggle” |
I started the day by going back to the Provincial Capitol to ask help from the Tourism Office (I always do this to, sayang naman yung taxes that I pay). They are helpful again. The officer told me that backpackers go to Mambukal for some adventure- that excited me! So after some snapshots at the city, lunch at Manokan Country, off I went to Murcia where Mambukal Mountain Resort is. I paid the entrance fee and then placed my bag on my hotel- The Woods Hotel.
I explored the resort- they have a lagoon for boating, swimming pools, relax on their hot dipping pool or get a massage at The Blade Spa, extreme sports are also available like wall-climbing, zipline and kayaking. I also met Mike an American based in Guam (read more about him at the latter portion).
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| My room at the Woods Hotel |
Before the night fell, I managed to fix my shelter. The management told me that its dangerous to use my hammock because its raining every night and mosquitoes are unforgiving. But I don’t have a choice, its either I go back to Bacolod or sleep on The Woods Hotel, the former is far from my mind. I will stay in Mambukal for a night, this place is a haven for a nature-lover like me. Most of the time, I choose risk, after all you don’t get to experience unforgettable moments when you stay at your comfort zone. Thank God, that night it didn’t rain, the mosquitoes were no match with my mosquito proof hammock. Yehey, I got some nice and comfy sleep.
PLACES I VISITED
1. Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol. Again, need to get some infos from the Provincial Tourism Office.
2. Manokan Country. This is a stretch of eateries selling Chicken Inasal, that’s what Bacolod is famous of right (Bacolod Chicken Inasal)? It is just walking distance from SM Bacolod, near Bacolod Cathedral. They also have grilled oysters (talaba), perfect as ‘pulutan.’
3. Fish Drying Market. Just a small place near Manokan Country. It would be nice to visit that too to know how your ‘daing’ is made.
4. Bacolod Cathedral. Walking distance from SM Bacolod and Manokan Country, you find the church near the plaza. Beside the Cathedral is La Consolacion College Bacolod.
5. Mambukal Resort, Murcia. Just 17 kilometer away you find a mountain resort which is a sure tourist attraction because of the 7 waterfalls. This is also one of the gateways to Mt. Kanlaon. Mt.Kanlaon is actually an active volcano, the latest eruption happened without warning on August 10, 1996. If not for time constraints and tight budget, I would have climbed it well, maybe next time. Fees and charges can be found on the Day 3.
FOODS I ATE
1. Chicken Inasal from Manokan Country. You haven’t been to Bacolod if you don’t tast their Inasal. Very different from the Inasal restaurants here in Manila. Eating Inasal is best enjoyed using your bare-hands “kamayan-style’ or ‘kumot-style.’ I also charged my DSLR here.
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| Chicken Inasal from Manokan Country & Pork BBQ outside Mambukal Resort |
2. Pork Inasal outside the Mambukal Resort. Here, I learned the Ilonggo word “kaging-kaging” or crispy. Make my barbeque “kaging-kaging.”I ordered 2 barbeques, bought 2 cups of rice and matched it with a ice-cold SML! What a perfect way to end the day.
PEOPLE I MET
Tourism Officer in the Capitol. I forget to get her name but she was the one who told me that backpackers pitch their tent at Mambukal. This led me to pursue Mambukal (I was planning not to go there, good thing she said it).
Carla Johanna. She is the one in-charge in the Mambukal Office at the Capitol. She helped me on what to expect at Mambukal Resort.
BCC Cheer Dancers. They are practicing their cheer dance in front of the Capitol so I took some photos of them (Oh, they had some jogging before the practice as warm-up).
Michael. An American tourist who loves waterfalls, he is from Guam. We had some chats on nice places in the Philippines. He has high regards in the beauty of our islands.
Day 2 Expenses (in Philippine peso):
P14 Jeepney fare (Fortune Towne to Capitol)
P7 Capitol to Manokan Country
P84 Chicken Inasal with 2 cups of rice
P11 Internet usage (35minutes), upload some pics and update FB status.
P7 Jeepney, Manokan Country to Libertad Terminal (this is the terminal for buses/jeepneys going to Murcia, Don Salvador Benedicto, La Carlota City)
P5 Peanuts
P35 Bus fare (Libertad-Mambukal Resort)
P40 Pork Inasal
P20 Rice
P27 SML
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Php250.00 ($6.00) Exactly P250, whew, a challenge indeed!
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| using the 10-sec timer of my camera |
I actually swam ‘naked’ on the 3rd day, so I guess I will lose 90% of my readers when I talk about that, I will share it anyway and many more… See you on Day 3!
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thanks for reading journeyingjames- my running stories and travel discoveries–
let’s walk, run, climb, ride, swim and fly.
astig! pasok sa budget. i like mambukal lalo na yung hot pool.the church is nice too.nagsawa nga lang ako sa manok kasi halos 5days kami diyan at sa manukan kami lagi dinadala.
Wow. It's amazing how you were able to stick to the 250 pesos a day challenge! You know, you could be a life saver for other backpackers out there who are on a shoestring budget! I hope more people get to read your travel blog and learn lessons and cheap thrills! More pictures please!
parang unbelievable yung 250 challenge but you did it.galing!will wait for your next posts.. Ü
@dong, nag-kaallergy ata ako sa manok, iba na ang tingin sakin ng mga pusa sa boracay after a week@MR, thanks a lot TR! how are you? i haven't read from you.@chyng, oo nga, its a challenge so i have to do my best. i read your 5K Boracay expenses, parang nahiya nman ako sa 250/day budget ko. nice blog btw. adding you to my roll.
Ayos! Will be in Bacolod next weekend eh. This is helpful =)
glad that it was helpful. please share the blog to others who want to experience backpacking.thank irene!
day 2 done!..sarap mamasyal, pati ako napapagod, hehehe…i read the post from the beginning so na eexcite ako and nag iisip if magkasya ung P250, so sa huli when you show in details..super galing, P250 nga at nakuha mo pang mag P5 – Peanuts..maning mani sayo ang backpacking! hehehe..;)
haha, protein yung mani… i need those in the coming days. medyo challenging talaga but its worth it!
chicken inasal in bacolod tastes real good. i can’t explain it but it’s exceptional to my tastebuds. or guni guni ko lang yun.
iba talaga ang lasa ng chicken sa bacolod, lalo na sa manokan country, the best! bakit kaya noh?
I plan to visit Bacolod, sana next year matuloy na. 😀
go marco! you will love the place and the food. ganda rin ng mga ilonggo
LOL ngayun ko lang nabasa to . im from bacolod KNG SAWA NA KAYO SA MANOK ,BACOLOD CANSI HOUSE IS THE BESt place to go .