Life is a Joni

Built out of love, brought down by war. Behind its grandiose facade and impressive walls is a story of loss, dedication and tragedy. I won't be going into details, but what happened to Don Mariano and Maria Braga is something you should know to appreciate more the beauty of The Ruins . Located amid a sugarcane plantation in Talisay City , the site is a favorite stop among tourists when visiting Bacolod  simply because of its proximity and accessibility. With a taxi, we reached the area in just about 15-20 minutes. It's not difficult to get directions because most of the drivers know about the place. The road is not completely concrete though. Good thing it didn't rain that day. Sugarcane is still cultivated in the area. Getting lost could possibly happen if you don't know where to turn. Upon arrival, we paid an entrance fee which I no longer remember. But rest assured, it's only minimal. There's no tour guide so we just roam around o...

Smile and the world will smile back at you. And I guess the best place to do that is where people known to be happy and friendly. Come with us as we visit the City of Smiles , Bacolod! Just an hour away from Iloilo via fast ferry, Bacolod is the provincial capital of Negros Occidental . Recently, it topped the list of "Best Places to Live in the Philippines" , followed by Makati and Davao respectively. Me, as a Davaoeño, I always admire my city and so far, I wouldn't exchange it to any. I'm not suggesting regionalism but if I have to rate Davao, it's superlative. In fact, in an another survey, it ranked #1. That is why, I'm curious how the City of Smiles made an edge and bagged the record. Ally and Glochi were my travel buddies. The trip was actually planned but we rather called it spontaneous because we never thought it would really push through. We were attending a Leader Summit and there was an event early morning and another one late aft...