Afternoon Delight in Bacolod City

After our 3-day hike of Mt. Kanlaon, I asked the climb organizer to drop me at Robinsons Mall in Bacolod City, along with my trekmates who also have a flight to catch at 8:20 pm. Since we have almost 4 hours to kill before we go to the airport, I decided to buy pasalubong first at the mall.

To relax a bit while thinking of what I should do next, I decided to have coffee at Cafe Bob's just outside the grocery. I asked the lady at the counter what light snack will go well with their brewed coffee, and she suggested their chicken empanada. It was indeed a good match, as the reheated empanada is a winner. Total food bill is about Php 80.

The Maskara Festival is just 4 days away, and there is an ongoing exhibit of maskara designs on the second floor. I took some photos of the masks. I also bought Maskara-themed shirts for my wife and myself, even though they are a bit pricey at the department store.

With more than 2 hours to spend, I decided to have a massage to relax my body after the strenuous hike. The taxi brought me near the church and SM Mall, where I had the shiatsu massage at Blade Spa and Barber Shop for Php 300. Massage is just so-so, as I had to tell the old masseuse to increase the finger pressure.

After the massage, I received a text invite from our climb guide Darren, to join them at Manokan Country that exact hour. Since the place is just a block away, I joined them at Nena's stall to have an early dinner as well.

While waiting for my order of grilled chicken leg, I sampled Darren's steamed oysters which goes for Php 40 per plate of around 16 pcs. Though a bit overcooked, they still tasted good and worth the price.

My chicken order arrived after about half an hour. Since I have a plane to catch, I finished it within 10-15 minutes. I was only able to take a photo of my plate when I'm done with the chicken which tasted good as well. Total bill with rice and softdrink is Php 82. See my clean plate below. :)

On my way back to Robinsons Mall to retrieve my luggages, I took a shot of the city's nice San Sebastian Cathedral below. Built between 1876-1885, its unfortunate that I was in a hurry, so I was not able to appreciate its interior. Besides, there are so many people hearing Sunday mass that time.

Bacolod City has a lot of food options waiting to be discovered by tourists. If given another chance, I would like to see their Maskara Festival and try their other food too!