"I'm in the mood for dancing writing, romancing blogging..."🎜🎶💃📓✎
Yup, dear readers. I am as H-O-T as my blog name. That is hot as in siling labuyo from Bicol, rarin' hot to be active again in the blogosphere, and/or "striking while the iron is hot." Hahaha...
Got to thank my writing mojo for the reconnection. As a result of my homecoming to blogspot.com, where everything is gratis unlike at my former blog site for more than a decade, I felt the kick to narrate stories again. Succinctly describing myself, I am a mixed breed of a Bicolana gypsy and a prodigal runner. Period.
So, Bacolod City Marathon 2024 is my opening salvo as Spicy Rabasera. Rabasera is an informal Bikol word which pertains to a female who loves going out or traveling. The masculine gender counterpart is rabasero. Searching for its etymology in the net, I found none. I could only deduce that rabasera is a word derivation from rabas (English: walk) by adding the suffix -era to the root word. Whew! Did I just deliver a crash lesson on introduction to linguistics here, huh? LOL. You see, being a rabasera was one of the reasons why my maternal grandfather, my Papa and eldest sister had often castigated me when I was in grade school. Methinks this is one cogent justification now why I picked this nom de plume. *giggles*
At this point, my succeeding articles will be about discovering the idyllic tri-city of Negros Occidental:
BACOLOD!
SILAY!
I'll divide my narrative into three entries so as not to bore YOU readers and even myself (!) with tons of photos and loooooong text.
Here, allow me to first give a short backstory.
I guess this one-day exploration of Negros Occidental was written in the stars. Upon my arrival at Silay International Airport on June 14, Friday late evening I booked a Grab car whose driver/owner happens to be a tour guide too. We sealed the guided tour deal while we're on our way to my two-day accommodation. Once settled in the hotel, I did a final background check on this person after handing me a calling card. Arthur R. Sinoy is legit and trustworthy. I did not change my mind.
Eight o' clock in the morning was my call time. Arthur was early. I liked his punctuality a lot. He handed me our day's itinerary, and I asked him if we could insert a couple of tourist spots which were excluded from his list. I told him that I really wanted to maximize my brief stay in Bacolod City. He concurred.
Our first stop would be the popular tourist destinations in Bacolod City. As per my practice, it would always be a church which I'd initially visit in a new place. Good thing San Sebastian Cathedral was a short drive from the hotel.
You know what? I always marveled at centuries-old religious edifices because of their magnificent architectural designs. To add, the history behind it is a validation how pious Filipinos are. When I entered the cathedral, I was engulfed with this amazing feeling which was a good omen. Communing with the Lord became more sincere and profound.
Across the cathedral is the Public Plaza, considered as one of the remarkable landmarks in Bacolod. I was immediately drawn to the small memorial and learned that it was erected for unknown soldiers who died fighting for peace and democracy in the city. They were nameless but not unsung heroes. They deserve a snappy salute!
From the plaza, Arthur led me to Pope John Paul II Tower. It was in my list, but not in his.
Non-operational and closed from the public, this tower is a beautiful reminder to the Bacolodnons how blessed they are for the visit of the pope who is now a saint.
Ten minutes from the Pope John Paul II Tower, our car stopped near a padlocked gate. We arrived at Jojo Vito Design Gallery. I reiterated to my guide that I MUST visit this place. Arthur alighted from the vehicle to inquire and he returned smiling. It's open and we're the first customers at around 8:30am! My heart was pounding with excitement. Why shouldn't it if I were entering Jojo Vito's wonderland?
For more than 1.5 hours, we tarried in that magical space. I took my time admiring the ingenuity and creativity of the artists behind the masskaras on display and for sale.
I even patiently and enjoyingly painted a mask made of plaster of paris which challenged my ability to mix the primary colors! Hahaha. I'm blushing just thinking how embarrassing it was not knowing the right color combination, but hey, I finished my creation!
But what made this a phenomenal wandering was meeting and talking with THE Jojo Vito, who's also an educator at the University of St. La Salle in Bacolod! I was starstruck.
Do I need more evidence why Bacolod City is the City of Smiles? Truly, smiling in this place is infectious! I was smiling by the time I arrived at Toby's inside SM City Bacolod to pick-up my race kit, and it became wider when Arthur informed me that we could already eat our lunch at ... tan-ta-ran-tan-tan ...
To be continued...
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