Sunday, July 07, 2013

Bacolod: The City of Smiles

A few months back, friends from Bacolod invited FLOW to do a retreat in their sugar land. Of course we agreed, since we made a vow last year to visit as much of the Philippines as we can . It is in fact, our very own country! It would truly be a shame if we are not to travel the countless islands we were born to discover.

Sambista Denise couldn't make it this time since she just gave birth to her second son, Pax. So, while she was nursing her newborn day in and out, Noelle and I flew in Bacolod in Negros Occidental a day early to check out as much as we can of their famous city of smiles.

First stop- The Taj Mahal of Bacolod, The Ruins! 


Magnificent, right? I could only imagine how grandiose life was for the family that occupied this luxurious space. I'm drawn to this era, perhaps my last lifetime was in the early 1900's. Read a little history about this mansion here.

Our hosts for the day, Antoinette and Jet then took us to a quaint little cafe, Felicia's in the newly opened Ayala Mall which served desserts, coffee and tea. Who can resist sweets in the land of sugar? Not me! I ordered a chocolate praline mousse paired with peppermint tea which truly didn't disappoint.



The yogini-bones in me needed a good stretch so we decided to visit Arthika Kalma Yoga- a shop, cafe and yoga studio all under one creative hub!






Group shot after Lovely's Vinyasa class. Trina (a past FLOW-er), Nykha (my yoga classmate in teacher training!) and teacher Lovely with Noelle and I.

I really loved the vibe here. It's so nice to see all the student hang around after class and have a cafe to order fresh juices and healthy snacks. I didn't get to try anything listed on the menu but I know that I'll be back to try their lentil burger and calamansi muffins :) 


After class, we grabbed some grub with locals at Txacho, a tapas bar and restaurant also in the ar district next door to Arthika :)



Look at their menu for affordable but yummy eats! I enjoyed their vegetarian friendly tapas and the Pastel De Manzana dessert!

The most memorable apple cinamon crepe with vanilla ice cream! TDF!


Read the next post on what went on during our FLOW Luxe Yoga Getaway weekend retreat in Punta Bulata resort and spa :)

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