Cagayan de Oro Ultimate Adventure

cagayan de oro, city of golden friendship, adventure capital of the philippines, friendly people, progressive city, rich in natural resources...
until now, i can not believe that i was given a chance to visit mindanao, particularly cagayan de oro, misamis oriental…situated in the northern part of mindanao, 1 hour and 20 mins from manila by plane…

me and my friends billeted at mountain suite apartelle in cugman, cdo for 2 days…about 15 mins drive from the town proper…luxurious place with complete amenities…pricey but worth it…
we have our 3.5 hours intermediate course white water rafting which i arranged with 1st rafting adventure phils ...it was an exhilarating experience...very nice panoramic view of the river rocky walls, untouched vegetation and sight of the resting haven of living creatures… absolutely i will return and kick off the the extreme course…another never-to-miss in cdo…two thumbs up to our river guides, madman and mau…cagayan river rapids are unbeatable…love it every time we douse and hit the rapids… one thing i regret is trying the canopy walk and zip lining at macahambus eco-park and spelunking…inexcusable lack of time...

we spent our remaining time at divisoria…known for its night market…i was startled about the ukay-ukay kiosk sprouting the area…incomparable even to baguio’s ukay-ukay… all items are assorted, by types, by brands…also, we visited the famous lim ket kai mall where i bought my souvenir shirt…it’s a vast place, even bigger than megamall…had also experienced riding a motorella, a tryke that can accommodate upto 8 passengers..whew…our stay in cdo is worthwhile but missed to experience 100% of its adventure…definitely , i will return...

ps

i want to thank ms hazel of oro asian for touring us around the city…

Exploring the Island Born of Fire, Camiguin

 can not believe that i could conquer camiguin island during the 1st quarter of this year. as what I remember, after I wrote my blog about my bohol expedition 6 months ago, I promised that my next destination would be camiguin…I don’t know why but maybe I am just enthralled with the photos and stories behind this place…but definitely no concrete plan at all, that this gonna happen as early as this year… now, I believe how powerful lexus cars aphorism is “if you can't you won't, if you can you will, you can, you will”…

my fascination in travelling begun after i travelled solo in bohol where I enjoyed god’s gift, the beauty of nature… i could say that i am lucky enough to experience the real affluence of the philippine island and not the scarcity were most of the filipinos are experiencing… anyways, selfishness is not a crime right?… sometimes, but the truth is i am just enjoying my life...

by this time, i travelled with my friends, not a bagpacker, not a loner… it was a different experienced… because of different moods, personalities and ideas, there were more arguments and silly moments but it was fun thou...

camiguin…a real habitat, a place to be…me and my friends stayed here for 2 days and a night…we billited at enigmata tree house http://www.enigmatatreehouse.com/ located at mambajao… arts were everywhere, thru the walls, in the ceilings, windows, etc… the place is cozy, really cool. it is built inside a semi forest-like environment…unfortunately i failed to meet rosalie zerrudo, the owner of the treehouse…if i was given a chance, then probably ill ask her to help me discover arts in me…by the way, thanks to baba for accommodating us…great food...i absolutely recommend their adobo, hot and spicy chicken teriyaki and chicken curry…delicioso!

we had our countryside tour the same day we arrived. thanks to mang dodong for being patient with us, the red multicab owner, our driver… first stop, katibawasan falls…doused for less than an hour and headed to mambajao market for groceries… had our lunch at coron-coron chix house…two thumbs up for their inihaw na manok…around 3 in the afternoon, we went to white island…never-to-missed place in camiguin…believe or not, when we arrive, i kissed the ground…if you think it is a paranoial act, i can’t explain either or maybe this is the way i appreciated the place i am craving to...had our ultimate beach bum for over an hour plus the photo opt..white island is a pristine white sand bar over viewing the famous mount hibok-hibok..it is about 5 mins boat ride from mambajao…best place for photoholics… incomparable to other island because, no trees and no grass growing…only rough sand, shells, corals, nothing else. we also visited the walkway to old volcano, sunken cemetery and old catarman church in gui-ob…behind it was the century old tree and a medium-sized lighthouse…very fastidious…lastly, we had our body immersed in a warm water of ardent hot spring....before we return to treehouse, we asked mang dodong to drop-by in vjandepp bakery for our pasalubong, the famous pastel in town…

we arrived at the treehouse around 8 in the evening wearing smiles in our face…everybody was loosen up and relaxed…whew!!!

i regret to have a limited time but still memory is memory...its was really a perenial experience!

i trully recommend this place for bagpackers and nature lovers…

until my next exploration, will apo island welcome me? we’ll see…

ps

i want to thank my friends, erwin, rizza, alex, misyel and mae for sharing this experience with me…ang galing natin!…welcome certified travelers…hahaha…san tayo susunod? dumaguete?

Travelling Alone...A Self-fulfilling Experience

being adventurous doesn’t mean that you always have to do extreme things and explore extravagant places...it is more on discovering new things and learning from it...more on giving respect to God's gift, the wonder of nature...more on valuing oneself... enjoying self freedom but with certain limitations.

travelling alone is included in my bucket list, list of my plans in life. traveling is not my priority neither part of the things that i wanna do...last summer, I had a little conversation with my seminarian friend who loves to travel. I was inspired by his stories and experience which urged me to push-thru with my plans...my unplanned plans.

why travelling alone? for me, it is a liberating and self-fullfilling experience, a real adventure wherein you can freely decide what you want to do, without any hesitation, without considering others opinion...its a way of giving space and time to yourself...to contemplate...to rediscover and explore things.

i went to bohol last week, october 9, only with my plane ticket, duffel bag, clothes, camera, wallet, prayer book and bohol map which i bought a day before i leave. also, my phone which i turned-off during my entire stay in bohol.

why bohol? i don't know...maybe I am just fascinated with its beauty and history...the beaches, chocolate hills, tarsiers etc.

at the airport, while waiting to board, my excitement was overthrowed by worries...i haven’t arrange my accommodation and my transport in advance...no concrete plans at all...luckily, i met rodel and his family, a local from bohol...learned some tips from them...where to stay and what to do...

panglao is approx. 20km away from tagbilaran...i arrived at around 11am...mang rudy, the tryke driver who gave me a fair fare deal helped me to look for a resort which fits my budget...i ended up and billeted at bohol divers resort in alona beach...beachfront resort with a nice garden view and pool...foods are expensive thus i still tried each resort's specialty...i started to explore the place...dive shops were everywhere...since i don't want to spoil my time...i inquired in one of the dive shops, philippine island divers...i was assisted by a french owner, jaque...i was convinced to try scuba driving...without any hesitation, i agree...i was assigned to eric, another french dive master...had a 20mins theoretical briefing with him, 1 pool training dive and 2 open water dive (around 12m deep) at crystal coast...it was an enlivening underwater experience...i even saw nemo.

that night, i had a drink and small talk with my fellow travelers, solo, group and even couple...both locals and foreigners...we discussed our experience, almost everything under the sun...

the next day, i had my countryside tour...danny was my driver and at the same time my tour guide...he was referred to me by one of the bankeros i've met...i took the habal-habal for my countryside trip...that afternoon i had my massage along the beach with mango shake at my side...had a dinner with christian, jeck and kyla whom i met during my countryside tour...

i wasn’t able to join the three in their dolphin watching and island hopping the following morning...i just enjoyed my last 3 hours at the beach.

i commute instead of renting a van going to the airport. i took a jeep going to panglao town proper and another jeep to tagbilaran city...i find it more practical and adventurous, knowing that i am not familiar with the place.

i arrived at the airport too early from the time of my departure. i went around the city and buy more pasalubong...

on my way home, im still out of my mind reminiscing my memmories and experience.

now im here in manila...back to normal life...work, traffic, night life.