I spend most weekends alone, pining for those days when the children were young and my wife was still alive. We always spent it together. That was many years ago. With her gone and both my children married, weekends torment me with melancholia.

So if an opportunity comes to break it, I never let it pass. It came on the last week of last month when my daughter asked if I was interested to go with her and her hubby to Bacolod. In a snap, I said, “Of course, I am.”

And it was a weekend of fun – for a change.

But first things first…

A few things about Bacolod you should know

Bacolod City, or Bacolod for short, is one of the leading business centers in Central Visayas, together with Cebu to the east, Iloilo to the west (see map).

A long drive of fun

Our road trip was not a single-car affair but a part of a 12-car convoy of Toyota FJ Cruisers – those big, expensive cars men-of-means love to drive on or off-road. Most came with family members except for one (or two) who were alone.

The group converged in a McDonald outlet in Talisay City at dawn, two Saturdays ago. After an hour or so of friendly greetings and filling stomachs (and emptying them, too), the convoy started rolling for Toledo City – for a ferry boat ride across the Tañon Strait to San Carlos City.

A member of the group greeted us on the other side, with a sumptuous lunch to boot. After we’re locked and loaded, we started rolling for Bacolod.

Around half-past two, we checked into our hotel, the MO2 Westown Mandalagan. It’s not 5-star, but the rooms are clean and big and the two twin beds were a welcome sight after being on the road for roughly 12 hours.

And I slept…

The total distance between Cebu and Bacolod is only 191.3 kms, but our travel time was stretched because of the numerous stops along the way, i.e. leg-stretching, bladder-emptying and, yes, the photo ops.

But there was never a dull moment. Each car has a kiddie hand-held radio to coordinate with each other and to exchange endless chatter.

The Ruins

My daughter woke me up around 4 pm and told me to get ready as we are rolling. “To where#8221; I asked. She answered “The Ruins.”

The Ruins is an awesome sight to behold. It is dubbed as the Taj Mahal of Negros – with a bit of hyperbole, of course. But it was built for love, too.

Here’s its story…

Maria Braganza was the wife of Don Mariano Lacson. Between them were 10 children. On the last term of her 11th pregnancy, Maria slipped and fell. This caused a miscarriage resulting in her untimely death. That was in 1911.

Her death left Don Mariano inconsolable with grief. To take his mind off his loss, and in remembrance of his beloved wife, in 1920, he built a mansion in his 440-hectare sugar plantation in Talisay, Bacolod (Talisay is now a separate city).

During the Japanese occupation, Don Mariano allowed the invading forces to billet in his mansion. In retaliation, Filipino resistance fighters burned it to the ground in 1942.

It remained in ruins until 1980 when Raymund Javellana, a great-grandson of Don Mariano,  resurrected it as a tourist attraction.

And he did a marvelous job.

In its heydays, this mansion of Italian architecture had 10 huge rooms decorated with furniture from Philippine hardwood and floored with Machuca tiles (handmade cement tiles).

What is left now is an empty shell, albeit, echoing its past beauty and grandeur.

There is a pavilion for functions and conferences and another serving as a diner. A huge,  well-manicured lawn is perfect for guests to stroll around and take photos with The Ruins as a backdrop.

The group was so engrossed with the enchanting aura of The Ruins not to notice that it was time for supper.

Chicken House – Capitol Shopping

Bacolod is probably enamored with chicken. There are so many chicken houses in the city it’s difficult to know which one is the best. In a dilemma like this (especially when one is famished), the best way is to let the locals do the choosing. And he made a perfect choice – the Chicken House Capitol Shopping.

Never mind the awkward business name, but its grilled chicken tastes great. Oh, they only serve chicken. But the size of our group depleted their stock of a certain chicken part those who ordered it had to settle for another part. LOL!

I was so hungry I dispatched mine with haste – keel with garlic rice downed with a cold bottle of Coke – and didn’t take any pictures of the riotous and hungry crowd.

For a nightcap, a few members drove to a new arcade (it’s so new it still smells paint) where the well-heeled crowd of Bacolod goes for a nightcap and conversation. As usual, I had brewed coffee.

Knowing Bob’s

Bob’s is, of course, Bob’s Restaurant and Pastry Shop – the group’s place of choice for breakfast. A Trip Advisor reviewer dubs it as the place that serves the “best burger in town.”

Being an early riser, I was not very optimistic about it. I knew that the group can’t be up and ready before 7 a.m. So I had mine at the hotel – after a few laps of jogging around the parking lot.

True enough, it was past 8 a.m. when the group started trickling out of their rooms.

But Bob’s did not disappoint. Even at mid-morning, the parking lot was already full. The place is well-appointed, the service is good and the patrons belong to the B and A categories.

I cannot say about the food as I only had coffee. My daughter and her hubby had a full serving and later raided the pastry shop to gift some people back home.

We almost missed it

While at Bob’s, word came that our 3 p.m. ferry back to Cebu was canceled for mechanical problems. Phone calls were immediately made to secure a space in Lite Ferries, an alternative carrier.

Once done, we made haste for San Carlos City (after the women made a quick shopping at Bong Bong’s Gift Center).

We arrived way past noon with most restaurants already closed except La Grotta where we had lunch. It is a dainty little Italian Restaurant in the middle of a subdivision. Since we had no more plans to go anywhere, we stayed there until boarding time.

We left San Carlos before 6 p.m., and I got home past 9 p.m. Though tired and hungry,  deep within was a feeling of unimaginable joy for having a weekend of fun.

~oOo~

The post A Weekend of Fun and Wonderful Company first appeared on Age With Charm.

Kahuna is a Hawaiian word defined in Pukui & Elbert (1986) as “a priest, sorcerer, magician, wizard, minister, an expert in any profession.”

More subtly, it is “an important person, the person in charge,” or “a very large wave.”

The Kahuna Beach Resort has, figuratively, something of both. It is magical and its and its guest-friendliness and customer service are as awesome as a surfer’s wave.

Where is Kahuna Beach Resort

The Kahuna Beach Resort and Spa is in is in San Juan, La Union, Philippines.

But before digging right into it, here are a few bits and pieces about La Union, Philippines

La Union is one of the four provinces comprising the Ilocos Region (the others are Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte, and Pangasinan).

It is 269 kms northwest of Manila and can be reached in three ways, i.e. by air, sea, or land. The best option is by land – if you don’t mind the roughly four and a half hours ride. It is not a boring ride, though. There are numerous “convenience” stops along the way and, of course, the chance to see the Clark Airbase which is now an economic zone.

The main source of income of the province is farming and fishing. It grows plenty of rice, corn, garlic, cassava, and tobacco. Some areas are planted with grapes and if you care for a drink with a wallop, you can try the basi, a native wine fermented from sugar cane.

What makes Kahuna Beach Resort Unique

At first glance, there’s nothing unique or exceptional with the Kahuna, until you get past the reception area and come face to face with an unobstructed view of a wide expanse of sea.

Except for those beach resorts in SirIt is facing the West Philippines Sea and its long coastline of brownish to gray, fine sand has earned it the title of the Surfing Capital of the North because of the series of huge waves battering its shores – which brings us back to Kahuna where surfing is one of its fun activities.

How I got there is by default.

Maybe it was during our dinner at St. Joseph’s Resthouse in Sagada when someone suggested that, instead of heading straight back to Manila the following day, the group shall take a swing to La Union because some members of the Philippine FJ Cruisers Club, Inc. wanted to meet us there.

So I got swept away by the group.

But it was serendipitous, to say the least. In fact, it was love at first sight, not only because I have a sentimental attachment to the sea, but because it is difficult not to fall in love with Kahuna.

The lobby is well-appointed – neither too garish, nor bare. Its soft aura gives an immediate welcoming ambiance to travelers wearied after a long journey.

The girls behind the counter are very efficient, courteous, and smiling – evident among the entire operations staff of the resort.

Kahuna has about 40 rooms, cum cottages, ranging from Standard, a little over a thousand U.S. dollars, to Rest House which cost about half a grand.

My room was at the bottom but it a lot better than those of some resorts I’ve been to. It is just perfect for double occupancy. The toilet and bath are clean and stuffed with all the necessary toiletries. Bottled mineral water is in ample supply and the tiny porch provides space for contemplation or relaxation at the end of the day. But more than anything else, the wifi signal is strong even in my room.

We rolled in slightly after 12 with lunch in everyone’s mind. So we hit the dining area immediately. And it was something to behold. Not only was it huge to accommodate a hungry horde, but it also has a panoramic view of an entire ocean.

The menu is a mixture of Filipino, Western, and a little Japanese, expertly prepared by a Filipino chef who gives his creations a bit of the famous Ilocano taste. Then he presents these in a way to whip up your appetite even if you have just had a hearty brunch.

Space is a common problem among resorts of Kahuna’s type. The difference is that while others squeeze so many things into a small space, making them look like a fat woman in tight clothes, Kahuna maxed out its space.

The cottages are laid out like a small community of houses, enough parking space, sufficient amenities to cater to different guests, yet leaving enough room to wander about.

For example, there is a function room, a spa, a billiard table for those who want to shoot a few balls, a smoking area, and a modest swimming pool where I made four laps before breakfast.

But what sets it apart from most is it’s huge beachfront.

It is long and wide for an array of early morning activities like this surfer stretching out prior to hitting the waves.

For bonding (some members of the group),

posing for posterity,

Or anything you want to do while enjoying the gusty breeze and the thunder of the waves as they hit the shore.

And if you’ve got the nerves, try learning how to surf. There are plenty of instructors to choose from.

Later as I sat on the sand awed by the unceasing onrush of waves that broke just before my feet (and spilling student surfers time and time again) I felt some disbelief that I am experiencing all these in such a short time. It seemed an entire lifetime of pure happiness was given to me in a small bottle, not to be opened lest it diffuses into thin air never to be experienced again.

But there I was, and it was real. And in as much as I want it to last forever, it won’t. All I can do is hold on to their memories so that someday, when I am too frail to make it to my bathroom safely, it will be nice to think that long, long ago, a wonderful group of guys did not mind giving me a ride that took me to places I could never have made it on my own – even if I loved to.

To them, the Philippine FJ Cruisers Club Inc., I give my deepest gratitude.

~oOo~

The post My Wonderful Encounter with a Charming Kahuna first appeared on Age With Charm.