TRAVEL & ADVENTURE
A Different
Story & Photography by Jeck Simbulan
Dumaguete
Biking the Trails of Dumaguete
& Meeting Ordinary People Living Extraordinary Lives
Morning fog blankets the ground, slowly uncovering an undisturbed trail leading to a vegetated path before disappearing again behind the mountains. Like a child with the car windows open, I enjoy the wind smacking my face while holding the handle bar of my bike, which acts like a giant TV screen tuned in on an adventure channel, but this is so much better. Moments like these are some of the few reasons why I still ride my bike.
I’ ve been riding several trails in the Philippines. And when friends from Green Thumb Downhill Team invite me to visit the city they love the most and discover their trails- their training grounds for that matter – the next thing I know is that we are booking plane tickets to Dumaguete and checking in our bikes wearing big grins.
Palawan
Negros Oriental
Dumaguete
Manila
Cebu
Cebu
Silliman University: For the Love of …
As the plane lands in Negros, I notice with excitement the thick forest on the western side of the island and the beach on the eastern side. Soon enough I’ m on by bike speeding off towards the city like it’ s my first time on the wheels.
Not knowing where to go since this is my first time in Dumaguete, I ask for some assistance from the Tourism Office located within the city, only less than an hour away from
( Above) Jeck beside the skull of a whale shark or Butanding inside one of IEMS’ museums.( Right) Iday of IEMS showing us her clam seeding ponds
the airport by bike. It’ s hard to miss. They are conveniently located in Quezon Park, near the City Hall, in front of the oldest stone church in the island of Negros which is the Cathedral of St. Catherine of Alexandria and the 17 th century Campario de Dumaguete. The Tourism Office hands out maps to travelers who want self-exploration and discovery. Since I will be discovering the city by bike, I know this map will come in handy.
Dumaguete City is a university town. Major universities in the city are Silliman University, Saint Paul University, Foundation
46 7107 ISLAND TRAVEL