SPOTTED Abroad​

Eloise Luxury Hotel in Cebu - 9.5 out of 10 Our final night in the Philippines was spent in the bustling city of Cebu. We decided on getting hotel close to the airport since we had a fairly early flight the next morning to Manila then on to Taipei, Taiwan. Since it was our last night we decided to splurge a little and stay in slightly upgraded accommodations. We decided on the Eloise Luxury Hotel. The hotel is relatively new and was unknown to several of the taxi dr

Soooooooo, this was a first... on our flight to Cebu our seats were facing the opposite direction of everyone else on the plane! Yep, two people directly facing us. Luckily it was only a 45 minute flight because it kind of felt like we were on display. Made for an interesting take off - ha! All part of the adventure :) #Philippines

Puerto Cita’s Beach Resort in Dauin - 7 out of 10 Our last lengthly stay in the Philippines found us in the small town of Dauin just south of Dumaguette at Puerto Cita’s Beach Resort. While at Driftwood Village we ran in to a couple we had met while in San Vincente on Palawan Island. We told them we were looking for a place to stay for our final nights on Negros before heading back to Cebu. They sang the praises of a small, very affordable, beach side resort in Dauin by th

We spotted the old Spanish architectural style of this church above the tree line. while walking through Dauin. We were instantly drawn in. As soon as we walked in we were reminded of all the weddings we've shot in cathedrals with similar layouts. The Church of San Nicolas is over 300 years old and was built during the Spanish colonial days. It is also regarded as on of the oldest churches in Negros. A quick search online states the two dome shaped bell towers were also

Walking from our hotel, Puerto Cita's, to the center of Dauin for our groceries was a daily event we looked forward to. Not only did we get some great exercise, but also got to take in the sights, sounds, and smells of several Dauin neighborhoods. Street vendors selling their snacks to the school kids, livestock that looked on as a pick-up game of basketball took place several feet from them, and the myriad of flora and fauna were just a few of things that kept us enamored

After two months of growing out the winter beard it was time for a change. Well, I would've let it keep going but the combination of heat, constant food and drink leftovers hiding in the tangled mess, and Sarah refusing to kiss me I knew my furry facial friend had to go. Since I didn't bring scissors to cut back the dense jungle growing on my face I decided I should hit up Ye Olde Barber Shoppe for a old fashioned straight razor shave. Yes, you read that right that right, I

Our last stop on the island of Negros was the sleepy town of Dauin. We found the prefect beach front budget hotel complete with a full kitchen to stay at thanks to some advice from fellow travelers. Beacause the town is so small we were able to walk it several times a day to go to the market, grab more drinking water, and even getting Steve a shave at the local barber shop (more on that later). Since we had a kitchen we made great use of it. After almost a month on the ro

La Fiesta Restobar in Bacong - 10 out of 10 While we were staying in Dumaguette/Bacong we decided to leave the resort, venture out, and find a better dining option. The staff at the resort informed us there was a restaurant just across the street. By just across the street, I mean from the road entrance of the resort. There was a good 400 meter walk from the resort to the the road. When we heard the name of the restaurant “La Fiesta” we immediately thought it must be a Mexica

While waiting for our bus to return us to Dumaguette we had the opportunity to meander through the open air market in Sipalay. The myriad of sites and smells were amazing. The tastes of several street food items and fresh fruits we bought satisfied our hunger and kept us satiated during the next five hours we would have to spend on the bus. #Philippines

The day we arrived on Sugar Beach was the last day of the Santa Lourdes festival - a weekend long festival commemorating the local village's patron saint, Saint Lourdes. Part of the festivities that night included a 'Miss Guy' drag competition. Not only was the show itself entertaining, we also had a great time before hand visiting with the villagers, playing games with the kids, and eating some of the local barbecue. The children of the village were a blast to hang out wi