Super-happy to attend the Guimaras 2012 Manggahan Festival with one of my dearest Friends ~ MAU! ♥ ♥ ♥

I have long heard about the unspoiled natural beauty of Guimaras which many say rivals that of Boracay...

its beautiful white sand beaches, clear and clean blue waters, rich marine life, int'resting historical sites, and the sweetest mangoes in the Philippines ~ if not the world.

And so it was with great pleasure that I accepted my dear friend MAU's invitation to go visit the exquisite island which was a mere 15 minutes' ferry ride from Iloilo City.

Our trip was truly memorable.

On our way to the exquisite island of Guimaras...
took these pictures during our ferry ride. ♥

Another ferry boat passing by...

Wow! Such clear and clean blue waters...so beautiful! ♥

Guimaras' 2012 Manggahan Festival

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Feeling blessed to enjoy the Guimaras 2012 Manggahan Festival...
Thank You, Lord! ♥

(Holding a cup of Fresh Mango Shake in my hand
worth just P10 bucks! Really cheap, 'no?! heheh) ☺

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MANGO-EAT-ALL-YOU-CAN

By golly, I could only finish 2 pcs.and a half!

Likewise with my dear friend MAU!

Hahaha! ☺

yummy, sweet Guimaras mangoes! ♥

the clear waters of Guimaras ♥

"smallest plaza" ☺

Provincial Capitol

Trappist Monastery in San Miguel, Jordan, Guimaras

Trappist Gift Shop

We went to the Trappist Monastery's Gift Shop 

~ a small, air-conditioned store selling gift items like native bags, decors and delicacies processed from full harvests of the monks' orchard.
Revenue of the Gift Shop help sustain the Trappist Monastery's activities.
Fruits harvested from their orchard are processed into dried chips, juices, jellies, cookies, bars, breads, and piayas.
The Mango Bars and Dried Mango Chips are my favorite.
Their Dried Mango Chips have bigger slices than those made in Cebu, and their Mango Bars are really yummy. ☺

Aaahh...exquisite Guimaras.

First of all, I must clarify that Guimaras is actually not a part of Iloilo province, as what many (like me) would think.

Guimaras is one of the smallest provinces of the Philippines, an island-province in the Western Visayas Region, located between the islands of Negros and Panay.

Southeast of Guimaras is my beloved province of Negros Occidental.

A narrow channel separates Guimaras from Iloilo province which is found northwest.

The 15 minutes or so pumpboat ride from Ortiz Wharf of Iloilo City to Jordan Wharf of Jordan (the capital of Guimaras)

 makes it easy for tourists to go there. ☺

Iloilo as seen from Guimaras...

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbour. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

~~ Mark Twain

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