I could still remember before, I used to just watch the mesmerizing mountain views of Negros Oriental from the Inadlay Peak of Santander. And now, I am finally setting foot on this island. Plus, I get to discover some of its beautiful tourist spots and mountains.
The island of Negros is just a 30-minute ferry ride from the Liloan port of Santander, Cebu to Sibulan port of Dumaguete City. The city is not as crowded and traffic as compared to Cebu City but it still gets everything one wants from the city life, to authentic restaurants, to beautiful universities like Silliman University, to the astonishing ocean views, to the picturesque mountains like Mt. Kanlaon and a lot more.
One of Negros' most visited spots is the Sulfur Vents of Valencia and its cold yet wonderfully structured bodies of water from the waterfalls and rivers. The town of Valencia is just a few miles away from Sibulan port. You can ride a motorcycle going to Valencia Sulfur Vents or book a van tour where you can explore different tourist spots of Negros.
For us, we just rode a motorcycle going there.
As someone who is new to these kinds of scenic views, I was amazed by how beautiful and awesome-looking these rocks are.
Despite the unwanted smell exhausted by the sulfur, the view doesn't fail to impress us. The sulfur vents is just located beside the road and all the locals and tourists will just be able to take pictures and enjoy the views for free.
Imagine how the locals might enjoy this view everyday.
[Disclaimer: Breathing in too much sulfur would cause health issues like coughing, burning sensation or suffocation.]
Although the neighborhood is far from where the exact location of the sulfur vents are, imagine going to work everyday, witnessing these views, how proud would you be.
Aside from the sulfur vents, this place is also rich in streams with different rock formations surrounding it that adds up to its magnificence. The locals can dip into the waters, do their laundry or even drink the water.
After filling our eyes with the beautiful views of the mountains, streams and sulfur vents, we drove approximately 20 kilometers from the sulfur vents' location to Chosen's Cafe.
It is not the typical coffee shop wherein it is enclosed in a four-cornered room, or is full of lush decorations and luxurious interior designs. It's just like a backyard cafe. Literally.
Chosen's cafe is located at the backyard of the owner's house. It's like when you dine in there, you are a part of the family visiting after a long and busy days in the city.
And, if you are looking for an iced caramel macchiato or a spanish latte or a flat white, Nitro Cold Brew, and Caffé Americano, you can't find it there because they only serve locally made coffee and "Kape Mais" or a coffee made of corn that is roasted until dark brown and served with hot water only.
If you are also looking for pastries like brownies, cookies or croissant, you cannot also find it here because they only serve noodles, kamote (sweet potato) fries, and other local foods.
The food may not be that delicious or appealing to some, but I can assure you that the view from the cafe are. If you are a fan of mountains, simple living and cold, relaxing environment, this place is a perfect match for you.
While we were eating our delicious kamote fries and drinking our hot corn coffee, we just enjoyed the rest of the time talking and grasping the beauty of what's in front of us.
It is a perfect countryside vibe -- away from the hustles and bustles of the city, away from the rush and crowd, away from stress and away from all the pressures of work and life.
Visiting this cafe is like living simply and being grateful to the simplicities of life and how, in one way or another, these simplicities help us realize that we do not need more yet enjoy less.
Instead, we only need less to enjoy more.
