“This inn is old and very creepy. We probably should find another place to stay,” I thought to myself.
I was chagrined when the wife declared how charmed she was with Halaran Plaza Inn. It was obviously a turn-of-the-century house, converted into a lodging for travelers looking for a place to bed down in the middle of the city.
Roxas City was our exit for our Western Visayas adventure. With a kid in tow, our traveling husband-and-wife tandem flew to Iloilo, crossed the waters of Guimaras, and went back to the city before taking a long-ass bus ride to Roxas City, where we would fly back to Manila.
We thought of staying along Roxas City’s Baybay Beach, but the resort prices were a bit on the prohibitive side. We’re spending a week in this city, so we took the half-half approach: stay at the city center for half the week, then the other half at Baybay Beach.
For the first leg, we got a cheap room at the city center, right beside the town plaza. In front is an old Spanish-era cathedral, which was flanked by the handsome city hall.
Off the inn’s side, a veranda opens to a view of the Panay River.
With its premium location, it was bang for the buck… which brings us back to how ancient-looking the place was, and how the probability of the whole house being haunted was pretty high.
But the wife’s confidence and excitement reassured me. “It reminds me so much of my lola’s house in Zambales!” she exclaimed. Ghosts peering out of the closet in the middle of the night—or even during the day—were the farthest things from her mind.
After a cup of coffee at the veranda, I actually began to like the vibe of this place—wooden floors, wooden walls, wooden ceiling, wooden stairs, wooden everything.
In its central living room, an Ambassador sala set sits—very similar to what our lolas have—and a console table, with an Amorsolo-ish painting hovering above it. The only thing missing, really, was a set of giant wooden spoon and fork hanging on the wall, and the illusion would’ve been complete.
We decided to stay. And it proved to be a good thing—else, we would never have experienced Roxas City the way we did if we immediately packed our bags and left for Baybay Beach.
Early mornings found us at the nearby city market, checking out the produce being hawked along the aisles before proceeding to our favored carinderia, Mang Inaso.
How it got its name, I was unable to ask. I was too busy devouring their sumptuous dishes—crunchy shrimplets, grilled liempos, massive tunas, fish sinigang, smoky pork sisig—on the cheap.
We’d then walk along the river esplanade, watching the many bangka plying its narrow channel as fishermen threw their nets into the water—something I haven’t witnessed in a city river before.
Some days, we’d witness a procession of the faithful, spilling out of the 300-year-old cathedral after a morning mass and toward the market. Our feet would then lead us to the side of the church, where a slew of makeshift stalls sell souvenirs and what-nots. We’d have a cup or two of fifteen-peso instant coffee—the kind that lugaw vendors pour hot water into straight from an old plastic thermos—as we eavesdropped on lolos and lolas’ early morning banter.
Without much to do in the city center itself, we’d usually take a jeep-tricycle-bus combo to interesting places nearby, like the Panay Cathedral, whose claim to fame is its bell, the biggest in Asia. Or the abandoned resort along one end of Baybay Beach, which has earned the moniker of being the “Alcatraz of Capiz.” Or we’d hike to some lighthouse, never mind being eaten alive by mosquitoes en route.
Other times, we’d just sit on one of the benches in the plaza next to our lodging, shoot bugtong riddles with Kid A, as people and tricycles pass us by.
We’d be back by late lunch, often at Mang Inaso—again. I mean, why waste a perfectly good carinderia? We’re only here for a couple of days, so might as well make the most out of it.
Afternoons, we’d be found checking out street food stalls at the plaza. While most of them hawk the usual Pinoy balls, we found one standout vendor who sells homemade veggie fish balls. Dipped in manong sauce, it was amazingly crispy outside, and all that sweet spicy sauce soaked up inside. It was heavenly.
Our day would end in a resto bar, with a few beer bottles accompanying our dinner. While the one we tried was quite dark, it sat along the river and made for a pleasant experience.
Finally, we’d be back at the old house—or more aptly, a home. We’ve come to love it for what it was and for what it made us experience in Roxas City. And yes, absolutely no ghosts too.
Halaran Plaza Inn is located in P. Gomez corner Washington Street, Roxas City, Capiz.
