National Museum of the Philippines – Davao

I read about the term microadventure last January. It is defined as an adventure that is short, simple, local, cheap – yet still fun, exciting, challenging, refreshing and rewarding. Come to think of it, as kids we had this all the time. We didn't need to travel to distant places; every new experience, however small, was an adventure.

So I made a short list of places in my area that I haven't gone to yet. Just a short one, otherwise a homebody like me would be overwhelmed. I started listing our neighboring villages, which I realized I haven't ever explored. Then I moved on to important landmarks in Davao City.

On February 28, I initially only planned to go out to use my voucher in NCCC Mall grocery, Ma-a. But then my sister wanted to come with me and that meant we'd be wandering around somewhere. After buying the groceries, she suggested we check out sewing machines in the Brother store downtown (our mother wanted to sew curtains).

So we went there and were shown the different machines available. We called our mother, and she was fine with the most basic one. We thought we'd show her the brochure first, so we decided not to buy it yet.

It was still early in the afternoon, and we were near People's Park, so off to the National Museum we went.

When the plan for the museum was first released, I thought the durian-inspired design was a bit overused and awkward. In spite of that, the final building looked neat. It is hidden by trees when you enter the park and will only be visible once you get closer. It was interesting to look at, a modern structure framed by a green canopy, with an eye-catching interplay of light and shadow.

There are four floors that are open to the public. When we visited, however, the 4th floor was closed for renovation or something.

On the first floor, we found paintings by my former high school art teacher, Sir Bong Perez. My sister was impressed! I thought his were the best paintings displayed there.

Fisherman's Village by Bong Perez

We lost track of time on the second floor, particularly the display of rocks found in the different blocks of Davao Region. They reminded me of some small rocks I collected during my high school and college field trips to the geothermal plant at the base of Mt. Apo.

The second floor was dedicated to natural history, while the third floor was about Davao's cultural heritage. Overall, there was excellent representation of Davao City.

We then had dirty ice cream outside the park. I wondered why my sister looked at me funny when I ate it all, including the bottom of the cone. Turns out the vendor, who wears a plastic glove on his left hand where he holds the cone, receives money with the same gloved hand. She thought I saw it, too. Anyway, she finished the cone as well.

Before going home, we were back at the Brother store for some last-minute shopping.

43 Years

We didn't have anything prepared for my birthday last week. We had no time to plan because things had been busy the previous few days. So it was a normal lunch at home after attending noontime Mass.

My sister, however, really wanted to go out because she filed for leave. She insisted on having a snack at Azuela Cove in Lanang, but it was too far, so I suggested places in Juna instead. She was not interested.

While looking at Google Maps again, I rediscovered the French farm-to-table restaurant in Tacunan called Tomate Cerise. This was formerly called La Fermette, and I have always wanted to go there. I showed it to her, and voilà! Instead of going far north through the city traffic, we'd go far south to the more rural part of Davao.

Inside Tomate Cerise, Tacunan, Davao City

My father was a little sick, so he stayed home; it was only us sisters with Mama.

The distance was totally worth it. The place was cozy, the air fresh, the staff helpful, and the food nice and a bit different from the usual offerings of restaurants popping up around the city. If it didn't rain, we could have enjoyed the surrounding area a bit more.

A generous serving of salad. I didn't know I could just pick and eat bougainvillea flowers.

The highlight of the trip, however, was chatting with the drivers during our rides. The taxi driver going to Tacunan questioned our choice to travel that far just to have a snack. When the taxi entered the compound of the restaurant, he exclaimed, "Mura ma'g manukan!" (It looks like a chicken coop/farm!)

Our Grab driver going home detoured inside a subdivision in Catalunan Grande. It was where he grew up, and he pointed to the house of his father.

When we got home, my father told us Kuya Jay from Bohol visited. We invited him again to visit the following day.

* * *

From the Mass that day:

"Fasting is the prayer of the body," the priest said in his homily. He also added that this Lent, we should strive to fast from the 3Ps: pleasure, possession, and power.

I am grateful for another year. <3

Mergrande's Eco Park and thoughts on green spaces

My cousin had his early birthday celebration on Chinese New Year because it was a holiday. We were informed just the day before that it was going to be held at Mergrande Ocean Resort (formerly Villa Victoria). I got excited because I've always wanted to go back after they reopened in 2022. I filmed a walking tour the last time I visited.

During their pandemic closure, Mergrande added the Eco Park, which has among its features a koi pond, a gazebo with swings, an aviary dome, and my favorite, the maze-like Bougainvillea garden. (I recorded my short walk around the garden.)

Mergrande's bougainvillea garden and aviary dome

I expected a lot of people that day. Most of the visitors, however, gathered by the beach and the pool. So my sister and I had the Eco Park all to ourselves after the ladies ahead of us left. It was windy and peaceful, aside from the squawks of the parrots at the aviary. Otherwise, it was the perfect spot to escape the bustle of a party. I was glad my father and uncle followed us inside the park. They chatted while swinging in the gazebo.

How I wish Davao City had more green spaces within its urban area. I grew up here when the city still had a small-town feel, so whenever a tree-covered area was being replaced by a building/mall/subdivision, I always felt a kind of grief for the loss of trees.

In the 80s and early 90s, it was easy to be with nature. It was in our backyards or just a short walk away. Now, to get to the nearest ones would require public or private transportation (Shrine Hills, Mergrande, People's Park, Malagos, Eden in Toril) and they are few and far between. You'd have to go out of the city to visit, guess what, even more resorts! It's a shame public parks are not a thing here.

Family Trip at Eden Nature Park

Photo by my sister Jamie

When I was young, we always had family outings with cousins to the beaches. Because we lived just a few kilometers away from two of the most popular beach resorts** in Davao City in the 80s, we just walked. We would start early in the morning and pass by rows of tall coconut trees. Our humble breakfast by the sea consisted of canned sardines in tomato sauce paired with loaves of bread.

By the time I reached high school, these trips eventually stopped happening. The beaches near home became more polluted and were replaced by the white sands of Samal Island. Our family of five only had opportunities to visit beaches and resorts on reunions or other important events. We've never had a family vacation with just the five of us, ever --- until this August.

It was the Sunday after all of us got fully vaccinated. I booked a day trip to Eden Nature Park & Resort, an 80-hectare mountain resort in Toril, where I wanted to film my walk. I was expecting a sunny day because the first half of the week was clear and hot until it rained hard three days before our scheduled visit. It stayed cloudy with some showers till the end of the week. Thankfully, it didn't rain while we were at the resort. Instead, we were greeted by a lot of fog.

My father always expressed interest in fishing so, I chose Eden's consumable Fishing Village Package. He caught four tilapias and had them deep-fried. Meanwhile, my siblings and I had our walk through the park. We took the long and ascending road to one of the sights, which, I found out later, can be reached by a shortcut. My mom only rested thru the day and walked about just a little because of her knee pain. But when she thanked me, it made my day! Next time, I will look for a place with flatter terrain.

**Both Times and Bonguyan Beaches are now blocked by the new coastal road.

Quiet Tours Youtube Channel

Some of my favorite TV shows to watch are related to travel. There is always something relaxing about travelling videos. Back then, when it was still shown locally, I closely followed the Amazing Race and discussed passionately with my classmates. But what really gives me great satisfaction is a handheld walking or guided tour, with or without talking. These kind of videos give me goosebumps on the head --- if you know ASMR, then you know what I mean.

With the rise of YouTube, I have found several kindred channels and have benefited from them especially on chaotic times. I've decided that if ever I make a YT channel, this will be the first one on the list. So this year, three days after purchasing a GoPro, I filmed my walk to Shrine Hills where I attended a recollection, then uploaded it to Quiet Tours.



In a way, this might be a hobby that will make me go out more since I work from home; and walking would be my exercise. Aside from that, it will also be one way to document the places in and around Davao City. And lastly, I would be forced to learn video editing.

Currently I am working on my second walk --- around Victoria Plaza, the first mall in Davao City, and was recently acquired/managed by NCCC.

Please visit my YouTube channel Quiet Tours, and subscribe for future videos.

Did Not Survive

When my sister told me there was a place downtown where you can solve puzzles and other mysteries for a time limit, I could not get it off my mind. I googled it and found MysterEscape, located in Lanang. It is called an "escape room," a live adventure game where players are locked in a room and have to find clues and solve puzzles before the time runs out to escape, usually within 60 minutes. Apparently businesses like these have been popping up since 2006 and it's only in 2015 that it's reached Davao.

Being a fan of this genre from movies, to series (Sherlock, Survivor), books and games, I really wanted to go. The problem was my sister thought it was too expensive. The other people I could do something like this with would be my college friends, and our reunion plan last January was cancelled so this would be a great quick bonding activity. I posted about it on our fb group and one of my classmates already heard about the place and wanted to go for months. So she set our meeting immediately on the coming Saturday (Feb 18).

There were 3 rooms at the site: Girl in the Mirror (for horror fans), The Survival Game, and Redrum: a (murder) Mystery. I would have chosen to play Redrum, but when we arrived at about 5 in the afternoon, the Survival Game was the one immediately available. So we had no choice.

The Survival Game's story goes like this: we were kidnapped by an unknown group and sent to a locked room where we have to find our way out before the hour is finished. We kind of started great. Ten minutes in we were already finished with the first two steps. But the third clue consumed a lot of our time and by the fourth clue I felt like we were going nowhere and needed new ideas. Too bad because the last few puzzles would have been easier. In the end we didn't make it alive with two locks still unopened, so we just took our picture before our kidnappers finally get rid of us. :)

Clockwise from top left: moi, Eds, Annie, Eds' husband Francis and their son Red.

P.S. 34 yesterday yeehaw!

Pine for Trees

If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees.
   ~Hal Borland

The trees are God’s great alphabet:
With them He writes in shining green
Across the world His thoughts serene.
   ~Leonora Speyer

I think that I shall never see
A poem lovely as a tree.
A tree whose hungry mouth is prest
Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;
A tree that looks at God all day
And lifts her leafy arms to pray;
A tree that may in Summer wear
A nest of robins in her hair;
Upon whose bosom snow has lain;
Who intimately lives with rain.
Poems are made by fools like me,
But only God can make a tree.
   ~Joyce Kilmer, "Trees," 1914

Locations: Dole and Trappistine Monastery, Polomolok

Pineapple Fields at Dole Phils Polomolok

Last Saturday, little sister, my mother, and I were brought along by my aunt and her family for a day trip to General Santos City and Polomolok. We started early in the morning and had a quick stop in GenSan at 8AM to meet my cousin Wilson and his girlfriend. Then we continued on to Dole Philippines where my aunt's youngest works.

The expansive fields have pineapples in different planting and growth stages. And according to Wikipedia, as of 2004, at least 15 hectares is allocated for the production of pineapples.

Camella House Interiors

The following photos were taken last June when my brother and I visited Camella Homes' model houses. It's one of the perks of having someone in the real estate business, visiting pretty houses. Here in the Philippines, most of the houses have small floor areas. But what amazes me is how much they are transformed by interior designers by using the right layout, color, and furnishings. You could really get home ideas for small spaces. These are some of my favorites:

White and neutrals are my favorite, that's why I like Scandinavian design. I wanted to know who their suppliers were, too bad the caretaker did not know.

Inside that door behind the fridge lived a boy named Harry.

More Camella Homes tour photos here.

Ilocos Trip Part 5: Day 2 - Vigan

This is my last post for this trip so I'll be cramming in all the photos. We had five stops in Bantay/Vigan area. The first one, in Bantay, is the old Bell Tower of St. Augustine Church.

Then we stopped at a jar factory in Vigan for some pasalubong shopping.

The next one, my favorite place here, is the Crisologo Museum, which you can visit for free, although there is a donation box at the entrance. I strongly encourage visitors to donate because this place needs to stay for a long, long time.

The collections here are amazing! It took Tere and me a long time to completely tour the place and see everything.

Great leaders, yo!

I love the look of this old kitchen. Very creepy!

Next stop, Baluarte, the zoo developed by Singson. I just stayed near the gate.

Last one, the famous Calle Crisologo, a street lined with well-preserved Spanish-era structures. Honestly, I had high expectations for this one, so was a bit disappointed.

They say this street was saved from bombings during WWII because of one Japanese General who married a Filipina.

The only mode of transportation allowed to pass are kalesas, or horse-drawn carriages (and we've seen bikes, too, in one of the photos above).

Empanadas of Ilocos

One thing's for sure though, Calle Crisologo looks wonderful at night!

Here in Vigan, even new buildings follow old Spanish architecture, like this McDo branch.

Before we had our dinner, we watched and got splashed by a 30-minute dancing fountain presentation, which happens every day, we're told. It's more fun in Ilocos! But it's still funnier in Davao. :)