Our trip to KL last weekend was everything I imagined it to be-- full of walking, eating, holding hands, and marvelling at how good it is to immerse ourselves in a place so totally new, where every corner is a new discovery. KL was our first overseas trip together, and my first abroad (talk about nervous when it was my turn at immigration!) so this was definitely one of the best firsts that we've had so far. Photos of our trip to come soon. For now, one photo before I hit the sack :)

Sunday afternoon found me on an impromptu drive to Siaton with the brother. We took off at about 2 PM and planned on taking photos along the way. The weather was perfect, not too hot but it didn't rain, either. It was the kind of cool that you would pair with a long, roadtrip. This one was fairly short, but it was fun, and there were so many things that I missed about the road to Siaton so I had fun looking over the window and just enjoying what was passing by. We decided to stop by the Shrine for the Lady of Fatima which was just a few kilometers away from the town itself. I'm not a Catholic, but that did not stop me from going up there and buying a few candles and lighting them up. The differences between my religion and Catholicism has always intrigued me, and this was one way to see how they worship and pray. Of course, we were respectful, although the people who were praying at the shrine did not mind us as we discretely took photos of the candles and the view (the view from the top is amazing!)

Since the Wifi does not reach the top floor, you have to go down to the lobby to check your messages. Power went out a couple of times during the night, which is apparently common on the island. Oh well. I had a good night's sleep, though, and the food in the resort is good, although bottled water and ice cream are pretty expensive. 

I went back to Siquijor after almost three years of being gone. I missed the island, its wide expanse of powdery white sand that greets you at the port, the long, winding roads flanked by various shades of green, and the old dilapidated box houses that you see along the road. Siquijor means both mystery and beach fun to me,  two widely opposite things that somehow manage to coexist only on this island.

I stayed in Salagdoong. This was my first time to stay in a hotel all by myself, and I must say I don't think I would want to try doing so ever again. The beach was inviting, and there's a pool which is open until 10 PM. However, I was alone, and I definitely felt that things would have been better if I stayed in the hotel with a group of friends. However, I wanted to cross "Check in hotel by yourself" off my bucket list, so I knew I had to endure the night. More on my Salagdoong experience later. :) 

On my visit to La Limar last August 26, I noticed a small addition to the resort, a small native bamboo and nipa hut with colorful woven bags hanging on the bamboo eaves and stacked on the floor. A round, wooden plaque told me that these were the work of the La Libertad Weaver's Association.

I half expected the bags to be expensive. Made from native pandan fibers, bags like these that reach Dumaguete cost anything from 250 to 300 pesos. Surprisingly, the bags went for cheaper, and they looked great to boot! The color combinations were tasteful, and I particularly was drawn to the  pandan trays that could also serve as great storage boxes that you can put on a bookshelf. In a corner were bigger square boxes that would look great stacked together and could serve as excellent storage for extra couch pillows or toys in the living room.