Navigating Negros

Acid trips and all, the Beatles sang of strawberry fields forever. Taking a road trip across the Visayan island of Negros, on the other hand, spells sugarcane fields forever.

Which is exactly what we saw first-hand when the amiable folks of Isuzu Philippines Corporation’s Department of Tourism, este, marketing group invited a select group of automotive journalists to drive across Negros. Casually dubbed as the Fuego Drives, this was the third leg in the series of events that Isuzu has organized for its Fuego customers, the extended trips meant to highlight the obvious: that Fuego pickups are excellent vehicles that can take you — and everybody else willing to come — to wherever you want to go.

And this Negros trip, officially called the Fuego Circular Tour of Isla de Negros (with Caltex Delo Sports), did take most everbody to where they want to go. Starting at the Isuzu Bacolod dealership in, of course, Bacolod City one early Saturday morning, the idea was to drive across to the other side of the island, stopping overnight at the lovely, lovely time-warped city of Dumaguete. The following morning, everybody would again drive back to Bacolod, but this time taking the San Carlos route, thereby looping around the island and living up to the event’s billing.

So off went 15 Fuegos and one Crosswind sweep car, loaded with hardy and foolhardy, foolish and fun souls to a 500-plus kilometer, God-knows-how-long trip. But nobody seemed to complain, the "are-we-there-yet?" yakking presumably kept to a minimum. Especially since there was some form of edibles stuffed to everybody’s mouth throughout the trip.

Led by Isuzu Philippines execs and Isuzu Bacolod’s executive vice president and general manger Bing Uy, the group’s first stop was at the Mambukal Mountain Resort, about an hour-and-a-half’s drive from the city. After one of many photo-taking sessions that rivals a supermodel’s sked, the convoy headed uplands, arriving in Buenos Aires after a short while. Either the Fuego was extremely underrated, as it allowed us to reach South America after only about a couple of hours’ drive, or the water in Mambukal must have been spiked with something. Turned out pure and simple personal stupidity was the culprit, as the place was only called the Buenos Aires Mountain Resort, situated in Bago City. Another relatively short drive later and it was chow time at the Rafael Sales Park in Guintubdan, still in the mountains, thus affording us a wonderful view of whatever place it was that was in the lowlands.

Then came the long, long drive on the road to Dumaguete. At that point, long stretches of highways — which, by the way are in excellent condition making us think the DPWH ain’t such a bad thing contrary to its rep — are characterized by nothing but sugarcane fields on either side. And it goes on as far as the eye would care to see. A small town would break the monotony once in a while, or the friendly chatter of the Fuego owners over the two-way radios we were packing. Mostly also, the dull stretches lulls one to sleep, or stimulates conversations among peers, both old and newfound. This is what life was before cable TV. People converse. And, well, if at some point the talk runs out, there was always some junk food at everybody’s reach.

Reaching Dumaguete at dusk lent our arrival a heightened sense of occasion. Like the beauty of the city’s sights and vaguely visible setting sun was more than enough reward for a long day’s "work". Which, come to think ot it, was exactly that. The fact the South Sea Resort had unassuming but cozy rooms fronted by a screened porch that looks out to the sea made it an even more special way of capping the day. The hot shower and soft beds were truly welcome treats as well. But first came dinner, and cold San Miguel pale pilsen. Ahhh, sarap.

The next morning, after a short tour of this idyllic seaside city filled with intricate architecture, the group was off. Destination: Another lovely coastal city that is San Carlos. The drive going to San Carlos traversed other coastal towns, so for the most parts the sea can be seen on one side, while vegetation was lush on the other. And yes, there were still lots of sugarcane field sceneries to take. Stopping once in a while for the requisite photo shoots (with one more, "to be sure"), the group reached San Carlos a little past lunchtime. A short tour of the city’s sights — and more photo-taking — and the convoy headed out into the mountains that lead to Bacolod.

More than a couple of hours drive and the group has crossed the mountain range. At the plains, we were greeted once again by sights of — you guesed it — sugarcane fields. No more than an hour later and the convoy reached Bacolod City, completing the loop of the island.

Bidding farewells, the Fuego owners — and perhaps everybody else for that matter —undoutedly had a good time. But the more important thing is the realization one gets that the Fuego is not merely a vehicle that takes you from Point A to Point B, but something that allows you the freedom of enjoying the sights and conversations in between. And take one’s sweet time doing so, too.