On Day Three, my boyfriend took me the “Old City”, this is the historical center of Iloilo where structures with Spanish architecture abound.
Usually, we went around Iloilo in a taxi cab but at this time we were fully committing to the whole “real street” experience so we took jeepney rides.
You probably can’t tell from the photo but the jeepneys in Iloilo look different from the ones in Iligan. There, the jeepneys are generally stubby at the front and are very elongated at the back; And what’s great is that they are also wider. Therefore, it’s more spacious and it keeps you from feeling really cramped inside when more people get in.
Old structures are pretty evident.
We were about to grab some lunch at Crave Burger, a burger joint that my boyfriend was incessantly talking about ever since this happened.
That beautiful water fountain (just right in the center of the city) distracted me.
Here is a peek of what’s inside Crave Burger. I like how the look and feel of this place seem to be very cozy and inviting. And I especially love how we didn’t have to wait so long for our food to be done. I think we only waited like 10 minutes tops. Now here’s what we had…
Twister Fries. Seriously, who doesn’t love twister fries? They’re not only fun to look at but their also fun to eat. I love how the fries were done.
Crave Ultimate Burger. This burger…
Wait! Somehow, a funny random thought just came across my mind.
The burger in the photo reminds me of this…
A wild Pokémon appears!
Notice the resemblance? Now, who’s that Pokémon?
Anyway, back to where I was…
The burger contains 100% beef patty seasoned to perfection, topped with maple bacon, American cheese, lettuce, caramelized onions and a slice of relish pickle. I love how everything in this burger is in perfect harmony with each other (and now I’m shaking my head and wishfully thinking to have a good twelve-month supply of Crave Ultimate Burger shipped to me right now).
And finally the dessert…
A pint of green tea ice cream. I’d like to just put it out there that green tea ice cream may not be everybody’s cup of tea (no pun intended!). Some might dismiss this after their first try. But I personally love it. I enjoy how its flavor develops after every spoonful.
Once we were done, we took a bus to Miagao to see this marvelous centuries-old church that I’ve been wishing to see with my very own eyes.
But before I go show-and-tell, I feel the need to say that bus rides in the entire Panay Island are uncomfortable (and dangerous–will talk about this in a different post) in general.
Not because all their buses in this island are dilapidated, like in the photo above (certainly this is not the case), but rather because they forcibly accommodate more people than the actual sitting capacity.
For jeepneys, it’s a norm anywhere in the Philippines. But for buses? We are talking about long-distance trips here. I was literally sitting for two hours with one of my butt cheeks hanging out from the edge of the seat because I was sharing a two-sitter seat with two other strangers. But left without any choice, there was really no room for me to complain…
Boy, I was glad when I finally saw Miagao Church because it sort of justified my butt-balancing act.
Isn’t it beautiful?
The front doors look like some kind entrance to a royal castle. I actually wished to get married here but now I am starting to have second thoughts all thanks to the gruesome butt-numbing two-hour ride.
After marveling at its beauty for a while, we took two jeepney rides so we can go back to Harbor Town Hotel (yes, we moved again) immediately because we were already getting tired.
Trivia: Harbor Town Hotel is owned by my boyfriend’s relatives. Remember his cousins who treated us dinner? Yup, them. Apparently, they also offered us to stay in their hotel for free. They’re a lifesaver.
But on our way back to the hotel, we stopped for a while and grabbed the opportunity to take a photo of Molo Church.
Actually, there are lots and lots of beautiful old churches scattered in Iloilo. However, it is impossible for me to take photos of them all considering our very limited time and our physical condition then (we both got sick after Day Two and that still continued even a week after the end of our trip).
Since this post is already miles long, I’ll end it now with what we had for dinner at Ponsyon by Breakthrough.
From top to bottom: Sizzling Sisig Bangus, Crab Fat Rice (just by mere looking at it gives me hypertension!), Crab in Coconut Milk Soup and Fried Shrimps.
I’ve never had a freakin’ delicious seafood feast like this for dinner!
P.S.
I thought this post is going to be shorter than the last one. My mistake.
P.P.S.
Pokémon photo courtesy of gtsplus.net
P.P.P.S.
The featured Pokémon is Shellder in case you still haven’t figured that out.
