“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.” – Andre Gide
Hello everyone, how are you today? I hope you are doing fine! Today, I will share with you one of my memorable travels last weekend that until now leaves me in awe. Hopefully, you will enjoy reading this blog.
Honestly, I never had the chance to go out of my hometown because of so many reasons - financial problems and fear of the sea. I travel a lot more these days by land because overthinking hits me differently when traveling by sea. This going to be my first time traveling outside Cebu. I am not fortunate enough to have the finances to support my love for traveling. So, I need to save money before going out and planning for my travel takes sacrifices to realize the plan.
Last week, because it was a long weekend, I and my friend planned to go out to the "Mystical Island of Siquijor". It was not easy to travel for we need to drive 6 to 7 hours by motorcycle from the Northern part of Cebu where my hometown is located to the Southern part of Cebu in the Municipality of Santander, Cebu where we can ride a ferry going to the Island of Negros Oriental for about 45 mins to 1 hour. Upon reaching Sibolan Port in Negros Island, we need to ride another boat in Dumaguete City going to the Island of Siquijor for 1 hour and 30 mins to 1 hour and 45 mins. Truly, a long travel needed.
From my hometown, we travel as early as 3:00 am so that we can reach south Cebu at exactly 9:00 am for our planned time to ride the ferry. Luckily, it was a fine day and we did not experience heavy rain as we went along the way.
The Beautiful Sceneries along the road
As we travel along the way, I am so adore with how beautiful Cebu is. The beautiful scenery you can see on the streets, the tall trees on the side, and you can also witness the classic churches in the South, Cebu which fascinates me more. Plus the magical sunrise slowly rose while on our way. Its rays can be seen clearly which captivates my attention more. No dull moment though it was a long motorcycle ride.
While traveling in the Southern part of Cebu, the beautiful old churches can be seen along the way.
This old church from Sibonga, Cebu is beautiful. You can see how unique the designs of their church are. I got to capture the side and front side of the church because we had to hurry up. On the opposite side, you can see the little park of Sibonga where the signage of their place is located. The small park on the opposite side fits for family gatherings after the church.
While we were traveling in the southern part of Cebu, I observed that a lot of grown old trees were planted along the way which is very helpful in maintaining its beautifications. When we reach the City of Carcar, a lot of old trees you can see aligned on the side of the road.
Reaching the town of Boljoon, Cebu, we also made a short stop at their famous old church. It was one of the places I wanted to visit while we were having a staycation last April in Moalboal town but unfortunately, it was not successful to tour around this place for it was so far from where we stayed. And luckily, without any plans, I set foot at their famous church last week which makes me very happy and comforted.
The old church has a wide lawn area where kids and families can go around after going to church. You can also see its bell tower on the side which is known for being its "Bantayan sa Hari" during the Spanish Regime.
On the opposite side, you can see its very spacious boulevard. As a history lover, knowing this information and experiencing it myself, gives me satisfaction.
As we reached the municipality of Santander, it was already 8 in the morning. You can see on the other side that the Island of Negros is too close to the place. It was my first time in this place and it was so beautiful. Its shoreline has white sand as well.
Conquering my Fears
It was 9:00 in the morning and the ferry boat started to sail towards the Island of Negros. I can feel that my hands started to shake and my mind began to overthink critically. Seeing the views around me while sitting on the ferry boat makes me feel relaxed for a bit. After a while, I feel loosened up. Watching these beautiful sceneries around with the thrilling waves and there's nothing to see sometimes gives us peace of mind while traveling.
With a brave soul, reaching the island of negros is another achievement unlocked for me. It was my first time traveling outside the province of Cebu.
Creating Memories in Negros Island
Before traveling to the mystic Island of Siquijor, I need to recharge my batteries for another ferry travel that will surely await. After reaching Dumaguete port, we had a short walk at their plaza. You can see the signage "Negros Oriental" and at the back is the capitol building of Negros Oriental. Looking at their beautiful plaza, a lot of students are taking their breaks. Some were making their dance practices.
I also had the chance to visit my cousin in the municipality of Manjuyod, Negros Oriental. From Sibolan, we need to travel for another 1 hour and 30 minutes to go to her place. As we went along her place, a lot of stops we made. We had the signage of Bais City, Negros Oriental. One of the promising cities on the Island of Negros. It is also one of the cleanest and safest cities in the Philippines.
Going to the place, the green sugarcane plantations will be seen along the way. Much of the cultivated lands in Negros were allocated to the plantation.
Continuing our travel, we also see the largest solar panel in the town of Bais City. At first, I thought it was an agricultural plant being placed on the vacant lot with its cover on top. But my cousin corrected me that it's the solar panel in Bais City. I was mesmerized seeing these panels and the source of electricity in the place.
Reaching the place where my cousin leaves takes a lot of time. She was very much happy seeing us in her place. Though our travel is time-consuming, the memories we create and the beautiful places we visit are worth it. It was satisfying to see how great is the place.
Before the day ended, we needed to get back to Dumaguete port and ride the 6 pm ferry trip which is the last trip to our destination place - The Mystic Island of Siquijor, which took 1 hour and 45 minutes ride. Luckily, we easily got tickets at the Montenegro Shipping Lines ticketing booth in Dumaguete.
Realizations
Life may take us anywhere if we set our goals. And several ways are handed to us to make it realized. Some may take the shorter route, but some will take the longer route. Whatever we choose, it's up to us. Nothing compares to the happiness and satisfaction felt when we achieved it.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read and upvote my blog my dear Hive friends.
Have a nice day everyone😊