Thursday, December 14, 2006 Let's do Dumaguete! By Dorothy Bangayan The Unlonely Planet
(First of two parts)
IT'S midnight and all is still. Then I had to get a sudden craving attack for that halang-halang soup we had in Dumaguete City from our press junket trip.
The soup is packed with red pepper and native chicken simmered slowly in coconut milk with the kind of spicy punch that sneaks up on you.
We had a food trip along the famous Rizal Boulevard where one can feel -- so old world euro -- with the cast iron lamps and acacia trees lining the boardwalk. Streetfood vendors and random musicians also dot the perimeter alongside makeshift monobloc chairs.
Street food galore was our mission with peanuts, balut, sweet corn and the "piece de resistance" -- the shrimp tempura, crispy, crunchy outside but mealy inside to be dipped communally in sweet sauce and downed with cold bottles of coke and beer.
We burned the calories afterwards by visiting the sprawling grounds of Silliman University. Founded in 1901, the university is the first Protestant university in the Philippines.
In fact, Dumaguete is also known as a university town due to the numerous colleges including their famous Silliman.
Also a good activity to try in Dumaguete is their ATV tours. The jump off point of the ATV tours is in Forest Camp, a fresh forest reserve cum resort for backpackers. The place looked clean and quiet. Sort of a Mt. Banahaw let us make "muni muni" type of thing.
From the camp, one can ride an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) to Casororo Falls or to the Japanese Shrine up on the dormant Mt. Talinis. We were welcomed by Forest Camp owners, the warm and lovely Vicuna couple who trailed right after our ATVS in their trusty vintage WWII Weapons Carrier.
Our ATV tour leader Perlie, a small morena girl in wedge heels and tight jeans, made it look fun and easy and I decided to go on my own instead of with a partner.
Vrrooom Vrooom.. 15 minutes later, I almost ran off a ravine. 40 minutes later, my arms were starting to get tired and the cliffs were starting to get steeper and I was starting to get scared. ARGHH!
Why didn't I go in pairs like the rest of the sane people in this group? Soon enough, I was left behind and was attracting a swarm of kids who just stared at me.
"Saan ang Japanese shrine? Malapit na ba?" I asked. "Malapit na po, yun o!" they said, pointing upwards.
"Where?" I asked? "Ayun po o! Lapit lang, sampung minuto lakad yun."
Now, if you squint hard enough, you could see the tip of the shrine nestled way far up above the hills. MY GOSH! I wanted to cry! Really! It was a good thing that Yvette of Asian Diver came by and I was able to hitch a ride with her instead.
My advice: Ride in pairs, that way you get to ride, rest, enjoy the fresh air, the lovely cliffs, the nipa hut houses and the towering trees.
We came back to the camp, a little weary and a little dusty but with smiles plastered on our faces, the thought of an adrenalin fix rewarded with a refreshing lunch of barbecued chicken, steaming bowls of halang halang soup and fresh fruits.
Too subtle for me to notice until I have gulped half the bowl but strong spicy enough to give me sniffles the next day banning me from taking the intro dive at Apo Island.
Aahhh! Apo Island, is one of the lovely, lovely islands found in Dauin, a forty-minute boat ride from our host resort, the very chi chi Antulang Beach Resort.
How To Get There
Good news! Cebu Pacific now released its thoroughfares. Take the Davao to Dumaguete flight (via Manila). Or you can go via Cebu and take a ferry to Dumaguete City.
For a lovely trip, contact the following:
At Forest Camp, you may call Florante & Melba Vicuna (63-35) 423-4017. For ATV tours, contact Wayne Littlefield (63) 921-469-6219.
Antulang Beach Resort, call Annabelle Lee Adriano at the following numbers -- Dumaguete office: Mobile 0917-700-2766 or (63) (35) 225-8899, 422-2600; Manila Sales Office: 7473078/75/76 website : www.antulang.com
Adventure Tours -- Antonio "Babbu" Wenceslao at 0920-908-4414; Email: wbabboo@yahoo.com.
