Roads, What Roads?

So why is it that all the roads leading to and from Dumaguete are utterly destroyed and ripped up for simultaneous construction? In some cases, perfectly good road ripped up and replaced.

What logic is there in isolating Dumaguete from the outside world? Maybe it is to defend us from Terrorists, or maybe criminals, but wait, the criminals are already here, stuck in the city with us. That's not it.

Maybe there is a plan to this insanity, but i don't see it. The road to Sibulan and Tanjay has been ripped up in part for nearly 10 months. and they just rip up more before completing any of it. So now in stead of a 4 hour trip to Bacolod on a Ceres Liner it takes 7 or 8.

The other day I went to Sibulan and found two trucks head to head on a long one way stretch of unrepaired road. Lined up behind each was a several kilometer line of busses and cars. I had a motorcycle and was able to sqweeze through, but how did they fix that? and what happened to the flag men?

It seems that they find it easy to tear up miles of road without a thought as to logistics or sensibility. And the rate of repair lags months behind the initial destruction. As if to say: " see we are fixing the roads, but don't hold your breath until they are finished".

Dumaguete has become hell with 3500 tricycles and no traffic pattern. God help us. We may all perish in the fog of hydrocarbon emmissions and dust. Where is my Dumaguete? Maybe when Robinsons is open it will be all better...

Dumaguete Street Scenes

I was downtown a few days ago with my camera and shot some photos of ordinary street scenes. These are the kind of photos you do not see so much. Not the resort sandy beaches, nor the colorful under water shots seen from dive vacations. This is what you will see when you walk down Legaspi street on any afternoon. I thought they might be interesting to the future expat looking to get a sense of Dumaguete the city; ordinary snapshots of everyday Dumaguete.
These photos were taken walking down Legaspi Street adjacent to building 3 of the Public market, and in the market. I was very close to the National Highway looking for the most part east toward Quezon Park. This is central downtown, the old city center. In Recent years the main shopping district has spread North along Perdices street.