I spent the first Saturday of December in Salagdoong, Siquijor. I love how blue the water is over there. The huge rock located to one side of the resort is a popular jumping point for adventurous souls, and there's a pool and a restaurant those who want to lay back and just have a good time. I stayed in one of the rooms on the third floor, where I had a double-occupancy room all to myself. I initially liked the idea of a solitary weekend all by my lonesome, but the lack of Wifi and TV in my room put a stopper on my happiness somewhat. I can hole up in a room as long as it is cool and it has TV and an internet connection. Other than that, I am likely to curl up in a ball and start reminiscing about the most depressing moments of my life. I started to read Anne Frank's diary on my phone, but knowing that she was going to die depressed me even more. So I opted for the lighter romance novels in my phone, which made me cry happy tears in the middle of one sappy story.
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.
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| road to the resort |
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| Good food, fresh vegetables! |
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| garlic chicken |
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| walking up to the hotel, you see interesting lines created by the shadows |
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| Second floor looby of Hotel Agripino |
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| new portion of the resort |
If there is anything to be learned during this trip, is that Salagdoong is best enjoyed if you are with a rowdy group of friends. Perhaps doing a solitary trip is good if you just had a really toxic week and you want to recharge. However, Siquijor is all about beach and sun and fun, all three, in my opinion, better spent with company.
More information on Salagdoong Beach Resort and the hotel
here.
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.
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I went there to meet up with a friend and her cousin who was getting married. We arrived just before noon, and they were there to meet us. To fill in my day we planned a small shoot which took us all over the island (whoopee!). Getting around was quite fun.The air in the island is so fresh, so I did not mind leaning out of the car window so I can inhale as much of the fresh, crisp air as I can. It reminded me of my hometown, where trees abound and where there is less cement than fresh soil. Somehow, the air just feels different in places were nature is left mostly untouched, lacking the dreary embellishments of cement roads and buildings.
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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. :)
The trip wasn't one I regret making, however. I had fun, and I got to see parts of the island I have never seen before. Since my hosts had a car, I got to see most parts of Siquijor I would not have otherwise seen. And because we had to make frequent stops, I was able to walk the streets, feel the crunch of Siquijor gravel under my slippers, and meet new people. The people in the island are friendly, and they sported that distinct provincial smile and the same glint in the eyes that tell you they mean exactly what they say. I loved how the town of Lazi reminded me of Dipolog, and for a long time I felt that pleasant feeling that one often gets when you are walking around not really knowing where you are going, but not feeling lost, either.
I missed the sunny streets of Siquijor as soon as I got home. It is good that the island is only minutes away. I would gladly return in a heartbeat. But with a gang of noisy friends this time around.
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