バコロドは、ネグロス島の西ネグロス州の州都です。古くからサトウキビ栽培で栄えた歴史があり、City of Smilesとの別名があるようです。私の中では、イロイロ、ドゥマゲッティと並び「住みやすい街」という印象があります。セブは今や英語留学で有名ですが、バコロドでも英語留学をしている人が居るようです。

Bacolod is the capital of the Negros Occidental in Negros Island. It has a long history of flourishing in sugarcane cultivation and is also known as the City of Smiles. In my opinion, it is one of the “Best cities to live” along with Iloilo and Dumaguete. Cebu is now famous for English study abroad programs, and it seems that there are people studying English in Bacolod as well.

これまでイロイロとドゥマゲッティにはそれぞれ２度ずつ行きましたが、バコロドには行ったことが無かったので、行きたいな、と漠然と思っていました。

I have been to Iloilo and Dumaguete twice each, but have never been to Bacolod, so I had a vague idea that I want to go there.

特別な観光資源がある、というよりも、適度に栄えた都市という印象でした。また、バコロドは「鶏が美味い」ことで有名なので鶏をとことん食べてやろう！！という計画もありました。

I had the impression that it was a moderately prosperous city rather than a city with special tourist resources. Bacolod is also famous for its “delicious chicken,” so I planned to eat as much chicken as we could!

８：４０の飛行機は時間通り。バコロド国際空港はサトウキビ畑に囲まれた場所にあり、バコロドらしさ満載です。空港の雰囲気は素晴らしく期待が持てますね。

The 8:40 a.m. flight was right on time. Bacolod International Airport is surrounded by sugar cane fields and is full of Bacolod-ness. The atmosphere of the airport is wonderful and promising.

中心地まではタクシーで。ここもサトウキビ畑の中をひたすら走ります。本当にサトウキビ畑ばかりですね。フィリピンではどこでもサトウキビ畑が作れる筈なんですが、どうしてバコロドはここまでサトウキビ畑ばかりなんでしょうか。スケールメリットがあるのかな？　米など他の農産物よりも収益性が高いのかな？と考えます。

Take a taxi to the center of the city. We will be driving through sugarcane fields. There really are only sugarcane fields. Sugarcane can be grown anywhere in the Philippines, but why are there so many sugarcane fields in Bacolod? Is there an economy of scale?　Is it more profitable than other agricultural products such as rice?

Airbnbでコンドに１泊する計画ですが、まだチェックイン出来ないので中心地で時間を潰しました。少し早めのLunchは勿論鶏です。当然ビールも欠かせません。その後は街の雰囲気を知るべく、ひたすら歩きました。ビールを飲み、天気も良く、大変に汗をかきましたが、気持ちが良いものです。

I planned to stay at an Airbnb condo for one night, but since I couldn’t check in yet, I spent some time in the center of the city. I had an early lunch of chicken, of course, beer is a must. After that, I just walked around to get a feel for the city. I drank beer, the weather was sunny, and I were very sweaty, but it felt good.

歩いていると教会や市庁舎など観光名所に行き当たります。兎に角歩いて歩いて宿泊地であるコンドに到着です。少し身体を休めたら、有難いことにディナーの時間になりました。バコロドは海も近いので海産物も美味しそうです。

As you walk, you will come across churches, city halls, and other tourist attractions. I walked and walked anyway and arrived at the condo where I stayed. After resting a little, it was time for dinner. Bacolod is close to the sea, so the seafood looks delicious.

ラプラプと鶏とビール、大変満足な夕食。夕食の後は若者が集うような場所で少々飲んで一日目が終了。それにしてもビールを沢山飲みました。

Grouper, chicken and beer, a very satisfying dinner. After dinner, we ended the first day with a few drinks at a place where young people gather. I drank a lot of beer, by the way.

二日目も特にこれと言った計画はありませんでした。コンドの近くにあるレストランで早めのランチ。当然のように鶏です。私は普段鶏はモモ肉ばかり食べるのですが、ムネ肉も美味しかったです。二日目も兎に角歩いてばかり。

I had no particular plans for the second day. Early lunch at a restaurant near the condo. Of course, it was chicken. I usually eat only chicken thighs, but the chicken breast was also delicious. On the second day, I kept walking around.

The Ruinsは私が思うに、バコロド最大の観光名所。車を使わなくては行けないのでThe Ruinsには車で。今回の旅行で唯一、入場料を支払いました。P120 は大変お値打ちだと思います。本当はもっと大きな大邸宅だったそうですが、戦争でかなり焼けてしまったようです。

The Ruins is, in my opinion, the biggest tourist attraction in Bacolod. I have to use a car to get there, so I used a Grab taxi to The Ruins. It was the only place on my trip where I paid an admission fee of P120, which I think is a very good value. I heard that it was actually a bigger mansion, but it was burnt down during the World War Ⅱ

会社の同僚からCansiという牛肉スープは試すべき、という連絡が入ったため、ディナーはCansiを試しました。大きな骨がどうやら特徴のようです。大変美味しいスープでした。

A colleague informed me that I should try a beef soup called Cansi, so I tried Cansi for dinner. It seems to be characterized by large bones. It was a very tasty soup.

一泊二日のバコロドの旅は無事に終了。短い滞在でCity of Smilesを実感できなかったのは残念でしたが、来てみたかったバコロドを満喫することが出来ました。もう一回訪問したいですね。コンドミニアムが多数建設中でしたから次回行った際には景色が変わってしまっているかもしれませんね。

Two-day and one-night trip to Bacolod ended successfully. It was a pity that I could not feel the City of Smiles during my short stay, but I was able to enjoy Bacolod to the fullest. I would like to visit again. There were many condominiums under construction, so the scenery may have changed the next time I visit.