Our VSU Nightlife

Visayas State University (VSU) formerly the Visayas State College of Agriculture (ViSCA) is in Baybay, Leyte. Not in the middle of the city, a bit far from it actually, towards the city’s boundary with Albuera. But where it is, has become a university town that seems to be another LGU of its own. Much like a UPLB by the beach! Hmm, but I am jumping the gun. We arrived in the darkness of night, remember? So let me get to that part of my story first…

Fingers still crossed hoping there’d be good accommodation inside this university (because I was the one who suggested hehe), we entered without much of the asking around. Every way is wide and clear even at night and under big trees. Plus, the DTI Rep with us remembered a bit where the accommodations are as he had seen it some years ago during a conference. And there are clear signages. So we found the “Apartelle” in no time. Nice homey lobby, even at night, with a scattering of students, teachers and others enjoying the free wifi. We immediately asked to see at least one of the vacant rooms (that’s called “show-room” in the hotel industry of this country) and found them big, cozy and bright. So we got just 2 rooms, 5 in one room and 4 in the other. Schwak!

No, we did not sleep just yet. You probably just guessed what we did? Tambay at the porch, back of our rooms, telling stories, reviewing what/where we have gone during the day, AND of course, drinking TUBAHALINA – the opened bottle given by Edmil and a half-gallon that we bought from his mother. Plus, a bottle of white and a bottle of dry red Vino De Coco wines, each from 2 boxes we bought at their winery in the morning. Ah, tuba goes well with Coke, right? We had ample supply as there is a freezer-full of various types and sizes over at the lobby! The prevailing topic was coconut of course, interspersed by the challenge it must be driving that winding road across the mountains that we passed by. And almost all of us were sporadically punching or swiping our gadgets. Free wi-fi, y’know?!

But we also had titillating fun watching the shadows and silhouettes of lovers (students) sitting silently, exchanging sweet nothings, strolling, tinkering with their phones or tablets, amidst big trees, by the water’s edge, at the beach, all just a few meters in front of us. The concrete paths are well-lighted yes, but down at the beach, it gets a little breezily conducive. Hahahahay! And we were all saying “ilan na kaya ang nabuntis sa eskwelahang ito”! It was not too long a spectacle though. A few minutes before 9PM the place teemed with so many of them students either walking briskly or riding their motorcycles back towards the buildings in our neighborhood. Many of the motorbikes came from far to our right. Hah, I learned from front desk that those folks were going back to their respective dorms since curfew is 9PM and those bikes came from a restaurant, bar, hang-out, party place.

Coolness! And yeah, I dreamed and wished I was back in college still. There was no curfew at my dear Narra Residence Hall in UP, but there was only the sunken garden or the lagoon and the ‘beta-walk’, while here at VSU, there is a beach! Saan ka pa?! ‘No?!

Hey, let’s do the mesmerizing tomorrow in my next story!

For a chronology of stories on this trip, please click the following: