Bais... it is

I had mentioned staying for a while in Bais City in my last blog entry.  This was on October 19 - 24 of 2010. This was during my first trip across the province of Negros as I head back home to Cebu from Iloilo. 

Perhaps thinking that I was not capable of completing the trip back to Cebu and coming out of it in one piece, Ma, Pa and old sister decided to catch up with me in Bais City.

Since then, I had only been to Bais City twice. One is for a short school affair back in fourth year high school. The other one was when I was in grade 3, the first time me and my sister were introduced to our relatives here. Father hailed from this place. The family name is quite common here that I think when I run for a barangay position, I can get a pretty significant vote.. hehehe!

Bais City is a second class city belonging to the province of Oriental Negros.

Bais City Hall

Even as a city, it still maintains a laid back, town feel.

A house along the high way in Bais City.

Bais City Plaza. A huge Christmas Tree will be set up here during the holidays.

San Nicolas de Tolentino Church of Bais City, Oriental Negros

The Bais City Market Complex, which I think is at the moment the tallest structure in the city was and still is being constructed.

On going construction of the Bais City Market Complex.

People of Bais speak Bisaya/Cebuano with an accent and intonation that approximates the speakers in Southern Cebu. They also have Julie's Bakeshop in contrast to Sari-Sari Bakeshop in Hiligaynon territories. hehe!

Bais City is a prime producer of sugar, thus has very large area of sugar cane plantation. But we are staying in the coastal barangay of Okiot, Bais City. From the city center, Okiot can be reached by a tricycle.

Tricycle in Bais City can seat 8 passengers and a driver. Top that!

Since Okiot is a coastal barangay, means of livelihood obviously leans towards fishing.

At the back of Aunt's house near the water well they call "tuong".

Mind you, danggit is not exclusive to Cebu. People here dry them on their rooftops. Other than danggit, they also dry hito. A now growing livelihood here is the cultivation of sea weeds.

Danggit being dried in Okiot, Bais City.

Attractions here in Bais for visitors include the Sand Bar and Dolphin watching. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to try either. Huhu!. Pa, Ma and sister already went to the sand bar before I arrived but they were unable to arrange the dolphin watching. To add more injury, they dismissed the plan to pursue dolphin watching since sister is already going ahead back to Cebu. Huhu! Okay, I won't protest.

Uncle told us that we can go to the boardwalk instead and the mangrove area and perhaps climb the lighthouse and the viewing deck. These places are unpopular even to locals. But nonetheless, okay then we'll be there!

The boardwalk can't be reached by foot so we headed there on a banca packed with our lunch. The banca had to manage areas where the water is shallow.

On board the banca.

Cottages built over the shallow portions of the sea in Okiot, Bais City.

And over there, a structure juts out from the thick mangrove forest.

A cottage at the end of the board walk.

On a rough estimate, the boardwalk is around 300 meters long from the shore.

By the shore is another cottage a-la-gazebo. 

The place is not frequented by people. The structure looked a bit weathered, which gives it a little of a character. Haha! But it would do much if it could be maintained. Good thing, although there's no electricity, there's a toilet.

The boardwalk extends farther into the mangrove forest.

Local bantay-dagats grow and plant mangroves in this area.

Mangrove seedlings ready for transplanting.

Cheezy. Get that? Hehe.

In most cases as I see it, mangroves thrives in intertidal zones that are muddy. However here, the ground is of sand, small stones and broken shells. So it perfectly okay and easy to walk around. Just have to be careful not to land on some shallow holes. 

On a sunny day, the ground appears so white. When you capture it on camera, it would appear as if like your on a temperate forest with snow on the ground and the trees are preparing for spring. Hehe.

This mangrove forest covers quite a large area and there are parts of it that people can access and yet to explore. 

Now this time, from sea level, let us head up to the mountains. 

We headed late in the afternoon to avoid the sun that we had already endured earlier. Again, this is no popular activity tourists/visitors would likely engage in. Even locals don't. Some local children and teens who heard of the plan joined in.

Let's go!

You may find a concrete road at the beginning, but sooner you can only guess where the road was.

Occasionally, you'll meet people, and cows and dogs and houses and a nice house...

A house stands on the edge of the hill. Notice the mangroove
area down below. Btw, the house was for sale. Interested?

and very fantastic views. The locals who were with us didn't even think that it was their place.

Notice the mangrove area. Also, the land you can see farther out is already the southwestern part of the island of Cebu.

The grasses  gives a very nice touch to it..

And sooner, the watch tower was reached.

I really have no idea whether if this is a light house, an observational  or a communications tower. There where no care-takers to ask nor signs.

Before the dark catches up on us, its time to head back down.

So when the tide is high and the sea is rough, then you have somewhere else to go and something else to do while in Bais.

'till then!

:)