Blogging From Dumaguete–6th YES Camp (2008)

YEHEY, I’M here in Dumaguete! I thought I would not have any chance to blog while here at the 6th Youth for Environment Summer (YES) Camp in Dumaguete City. But since today is still Day 0, we went on a tour around the city and stopped by this internet cafe because my students are really itching to play computer games.

We arrived yesterday at about 8pm. It was a long day because we left Alabel at 4am. Our flight from Davao was supposedly 11:55 but we left a few minutes past twelve because Cebu Pacific was is on time only 99% of the time. Yesterday, the 1% chance of flying behind schedule was ours. I was afraid we had to look for Accommodations in Davao in case we had to reschedule our flight.

We reached Cebu at about 2pm. They have a nice system for taxis in Cebu, where drivers can’t push through with their evil intentions. The guard gives you a piece of paper with the taxi’s name and plate number with contact numbers of the authorities to whom you may report any incidents of abuse and the like.

We missed the three o’clock bus ride from Cebu. The next one was to leave at about 6pm. That would mean, we will be reaching Dumaguete at about midnight. We could just travel at night especially that we were not familiar with the place so we looked for an alternative and we found a bus that travels to Lilo-an, Santander, Cebu, where we can take a fast craft to Dumaguete. It was an adventure because none of us had been to Dumaguete.

The bus ride was very long, quite as long as the trip from GenSan to Davao. But the sights along the way were breath-taking. We took the coastal road to the south of Cebu. From the southern tip of Cebu, Dumaguete is only fifteen minutes away. The journey was fun and we met some nice people along the way who helpfully gave us directions.

The registration process at Foundation University, however, took us so much time. We were able to proceed to our billeting quarters at already half past eleven.

This morning, we had a tour around Dumaguete–on foot. Thanks, the sun wasn’t very. We went to the breakwater, the department stores here, and Silliman University, which is just a stone’s throw away from here.

The Youth for Environment Summer (YES) Camp will formally begin at 6:30pm tonight. And oh, Mark Xander, The Vegan Prince is one of the speakers. he’ll talk about Blogging as Literature.

Have a blessed day!