Biyaherong Beecabelle Goes to Bacolod (Day 5 of 5)

My visit to Bacolod supposedly should last for 3 days only but because I really wanted to see the Masskara Festival, I extended my stay till Sunday in time for the Masskara Festival Street Dancing event.

The Masskara Festival is a festival held in Bacolod every third weekend of October nearest October 19, which is the city's charter anniversary.

According to Wiki, the word "Masskara" means mass (a multitude of people), and the Spanish word cara (face), thus forming MassKara (a multitude of faces). The word is also a pun on maskara, Filipino for "mask" (itself from Spanish máscara), since a prominent feature of the festival are the masks worn by participants, which are always adorned with smiling faces.

I was not quite lucky to witness the street dancing as I need to fly back to Manila in the afternoon. But I was able to take a lot of pictures from the parade.

Here it goes:

Goodbye City of Smiles!

 

Biyaherong Beecabelle Goes to Bacolod (Day 3 of 5)

On my third day in Bacolod, I visited the Mambukal Mountain Resort in the town of Murcia, Negros Occidental. It lies 1,200 feet above sea level and serves as a gateway to Mt. Kanlaon.

The resort was originally developed by a Japanese architect named Kokichi Paul Ishiwata in 1927. The resort started as a bath house and picnic garden and has provided cool haven for Negrenses and their guests.

Here are some of the things that you will see in the resort.

the map

 

fruit flying bats

 

Japanese Ofuro

 

The boating lagoon. Unfortunately, on the day I visited the resort, that weather is not so good. So boating is currently being prohibited.

 

The Ishawata Bath House

I probably would have trekked the 7 falls of Mt. Kanlaon had the weather been so good.

 

Some of the cottages that you can rent if you stay in Mambukal.

 

The entrance

I went back to Bacolod just in time for dinner. I think I ate at Lord Byron's Ribs and had pecan pie in Calea.

At 8pm, Lacson St. was already full of stalls and several stages were set in time for Electric Masskara.


Here are some of the pics from the event.

That's it for my 3rd day in Bacolod! More pics and videos in my last two days as the Negrenses celebrate the Masskara Festival! Ciao!