Good Karma does exist - this I found out during my last Visayas fieldwork with my colleagues, Scheh & Yael. You see, we have been through so many twists and turns with a number of jumps as well (literally and figuratively), throughout our 3-day journey. We took the ferry to take us from Iloilo to Bacolod and for some reason, none of us had beginners luck. Our 1 hour ferry ride was nothing close to smooth sailing. On the outside, we kept our cool, but we were sweating cold in reality -- silently hoping that the gods of the sea would hear our plea for our ferry agony to end. When we arrived in our destination after an hour and a half of mastering the will to keep ourselves from vomiting, we knew we've survived the worst. But then our bus ride to Dumaguete came next.
Yet again, we endured more than 6 hours of zigzag roads that got our stomachs turning and our heads aching. Again, we clinged on to our mastery of keeping ourselves from vomiting. We arrived a little before 9PM in Dumaguete, just praying for a good enough place where we could rest our more than worn out selves. But the heavens gave us more than we asked for.
Thus began our experience of good karma. The moment we arrived in Florentina Homes where we were billeted, we felt better. The whole place was very inviting - with all the happy colors and cozy interiors. Getting to our room was an even better story. I smile even up to now when I try to recall how relieved we felt and how it showed in our giddy way of surveying our apartment style unit.
We were given the Interlaken unit, which was a Swiss style aprtment unit. It had 2 rooms, a kitchen, a living area and even a spacious veranda. It was in all ways quaint and cheerful with happy colors of sky blue, apple green, yellow, white and hints of red and brown. We knew we hit the good karma pot and that we would get our well-deserved rest in our cozy rooms.
Florentina Homes to me is such a novelty. The diner, Gabby's Bistro, Rana Verde, the coffee shop and Oasis, the pool area all contributed to create the cohesive charm and appeal of this subtle treasure in Dumaguete. It had so much liveliness and quirkiness and personality that would guarantee any traveler a nice time or a peaceful retreat. The great menu was a great bonus too plus it's just 5 mins. from the airport as well as the city proper. You might think I was paid to write this, but I don't have that much readers anyhow, but I really wasn't. I was just so amazed that a wonderful experience could come after some significant difficulty. You may think I'm exaggerating, but for me, Florentina Homes was indeed our good karma in Dumaguete. Find out more at http://www.florentinahomes.com/
