Half day Trip to Lake Balinsasayao

I've always wanted to visit and see what the famous twin lake of Balinsasayao looks like. I wondered why I did not know about it during the 4 years of my college in Silliman University, Dumaguete City. Nevertheless, eversince I knew about it, I placed it on my bucket list of travel.

From Dumaguete City, me and Joel (my boyfriend) rode a jeep to Amlan. The jeep waits for people before it eventually starts the journey. It is important to tell the driver that you'd like to be dropped off at the junction of La-laan because you'd like to go to the Twin Lakes. The fare per person is 15 PHP (0.29 USD)  and the trip took about 20 minutes 

At the junction, we were immediately swarmed by (habal-habal) motorcycle drivers. As the road was steep and uphill, the driver said it is best to only have one passenger per vehicle. We had to pay a total of 800 PHP (15.36 USD) for the 2 motorcycle drivers. 

The road was mostly cemented but still it was uphill and winding and steep. I observed that there were a lot of dogs sleeping in the middle of the street. They would immediately scamper off when they hear that the vehicles are near. During the trip, I can't help but be amazed with the view of the town below and the many trees surrounding me. The entire ride took about 15-20 minutes until we reached the Visitor Center wherein we had to pay for the parking fee and entrance fees.

Tip: If you have a Government Identification card that details your address, you can get a discount from the Local Resident fee.

Joel is a foreigner so we had to pay 100 PHP (1.92 USD) for his entrance. But looking at the receipt now, I (as a local/ Filipino resident) am paying 90 PHP (1.73 USD) which is not far from his fee. LOL!

The staff of the Visitor Center also controls how many vehicles can go up or down at the same time.  This is good for the safety of the visitors. Joel had to go up first. 

While I was waiting for him, I had the time to look around the visitor center. 

It was then my turn to go up. When I arrived, Joel and I were then guided by the driver to the short down hill trek towards the lake. It was a bit dangerous because of the slippery road but at least there was a hand rail. 

The lake looked so serene and there were a few people ahead of us in there. It looked deep and huge at the same time. However there is not much to do other than stare at the vastness of the lake. There is, however, a row boat that one can hire for 350 pesos an hour to take people to see the other lake named Danao. There is also a trail hike which we did not go to because of the slippery path.

As part of the deal with the motorcycle drivers, they dropped us off at Dumaguete City. Now I can say that I have seen the lake with my own eyes and is now ticked off my bucket list.

Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!

Malacca Weekend

Malacca has always been on my list of travels for a long time. I really wanted to visit one of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Malaysia. The place is about 2-3 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur and it was just my luck to have found cheap flights to Malaysia's capital on my rest day. I contemplated about buying it or not but eventually I did.

I arrived at Malacca at around 3pm and just dropped my bag at the hotel. Time was running fast so I immediately went out to explore the place. On the way to the center, rows and rows of Sino-Portuguese inspired houses were lining the one way street.

At long last, I am able to personally see Chirst Church Melaka. This is an 18th century Anglican Church in the city of Malacca. It is said to be the oldest functioning Protestant Church in Malaysia. 

There were lots of colourful trishaws parking near the Church. Surely it would be fun to ride in one of those but I opted to walk. 

The view on the bridge heading to Jonker's Street. This is the Malacca River which flows through the Malacca City. This was a vital trade route during the heyday of Malacca Sultanate during the 15th Century. I saw the Malacca River Cruise gliding along the river and through most of the old town area. 

It was around 5 in the afternoon when I stepped on Jonker's Street. It was a weekend and the stalls for the night markets were being prepared little by little. This is where I got to eat a lot of stuff that I haven't had time to take pictures of. I was either too excited to eat or too hungry from all the walking. All I can remember was the dishes I tasted were delicious and I was full after every meal. :)

We climbed up to the summit of St. Paul's summit and found St. Paul's Church. This is a historic church building that was originally built in 1521 making it the oldest Church building in Malaysia.

The building at my back is the surviving gate of the A Famosa, a Portuguese fortress located in Malacca. It is among the oldest surviving European architectural remains in South East Aisa. 

I decided to wear red on the day I went there. Most of the buildings in the City Center were also red, I could have easily camouflaged :-P

This was my first out of the country trip for 2016. So glad to have achieved one on my bucket list. Thank you for reading and 'til next blog!.