Oroquieta, Misamis Oriental; Iligan, Lanao del Norte
September 25-28, 2015
A trip in the works since March, my first visit to Mindanao was made possible by the invitation of one of my office mates to visit her hometown. Together with some of her friends and Gabriel, I had my first adventure down South to the land of beautiful falls, fresh fruits at every turn, seafood on every table, colorful sarongs, and beautiful and kind people.
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| Adventures in a red multi-cab (also: bad case of zits huhu) |
The trip was mostly a homecoming, so we were hosted at my friend's house where I got to sleep on a hammock, watch a lechon being cooked in the backyard, eat nothing but seafood for days (it was amazing), haggle for dried fish, eat halang-halang paired with pûso (also amazing), eat langka in such large quantities, eat durian (in smaller quantities - quite an experience), eat sea shells (basically, eat a lot haha), learn to pick up context clues in conversations in Bisaya, be taught patiently of the language by an 11 year-old, try all the flavors of Tanduay Ice, and wake up to the sound of roosters.
Achievement unlocked! :p
On the first day, we went to Oro Extreme Adventure to try Mindanao's longest zipline at 2.3 kilometers across the beautiful Layawan River. Gabriel's a little (just a little :p) scared of heights, but we pushed through–arduous trek and all–and it was our first extreme adventure together.
It was also my first time riding a barge, going to Iligan. Our ports could use a little more modernization. (Our whole transportation system needs a reevaluation and advancement, but that's another matter.)
In Iligan, a lunch was also hosted by another one of our office mates. We had our fill of squid, humba, shrimp, fish, mango–and even durian–float. Happy tummy all the way, indeed.
We went to a couple of falls, traversed a hanging bridge probably 200 feet above ground at Mimbalot, trekked about 400 steps, rode a raft to get underneath the raging, cold waters of Tinago. We also crossed the border of Misamis and Lanao and stayed for a night at Midway Resort, where some of our companions took a glass boat ride.
Mimbalot Falls
Tinago Falls
Wavy seas at Midway
Maria Cristina was a little shy that day
St. Michael's Cathedral
The ripples in the water were so mesmerizing to me.
Back in Oroquieta, I got to "swim" in the middle of the sea and marvel at the richness of the marine biodiversity of Mindanao. The sea, by the way, was practically just across the street.
Our four-day stay was brief, and I miss the simplicity of a rural daily life. My office mate's homecoming was also nothing short of a reason for her families to celebrate as if it's a fiesta. The warmth of their hospitality and the familiarity of being surrounded by such a closely-knit extended family made our stay feel like just being at home.
