I’ve been traveling most of the time and with this post, I will be extending the history tag to cover monthly summaries that are worth posting about. Thanx to Foursquare, I was able to plot my travels in the month of September but have to do it manually. Anyway, below are the places I’ve been to.
Baguio and Benguet
The past weeks since August that I’ve been to Baguio were more for work but, of course, being atop the clouds was always welcome, even if its for a job. But I wasn’t complaining. I was most of the time traveling between Baguio and Itogon, Benguet to shoot for a mining company.
One time, I was in Bokod, Benguet in Ambuklao and, stopping over to marvel at the rugged terrain, I was just amazed. Steep ridges, pine clad inclines and snaking rivers are such sights! Dragon fruit from Burgos, Ilocos Norte was also abundant in the market.
During this month, I was twice up in Baguio and Benguet, spending total of 9 days traveling there.
Zamboanga
I’ve been visiting Zamboanga City for sometime since last year and everytime I’m here, there’s always something to see and do. I love the ‘latin’ feeling, as what the people here would want to call it. But more importantly, I love the place, the food, the culture and history.
This trip was more of eating. I was tasting balbacua, eating Jolo durian, satti and an unusual shawarma with egg.
Basilan
It was my second time to visit this island province just an hour off Zamboanga City and I was glad that Maam Fem toured me around Isabela City and had lunch at her house. Great provincial atmosphere and really cheap products!
I was able to take more images of the beautiful 1970’s architectural gem that is Basilan Cathedral and its impressive central mosaic. Cabunbata Falls was just so near the city and along the road that we visited it also.
I was just in Basilan in the morning and afternoon.
Ozamiz
One of the main reason that I traveled to the southern Philippines was to take images of the farm in Tangub City. But I just took the long winded route starting from Zamboanga. Ozamiz was just a rest stop, staying for two nights. Not so much was done after my shoot in Tangub City but I did visited Clarin for its pasalubong center, Misamis Occidental’s acknowledged suman capital.
Cebu
Cebu was just more of a transit place. I went home from Ozamiz and just slept overnight before my flight back to Manila for Baguio. Home has always been where the heart is and to go back from time to time, even if briefly is enough to recharge me.
Davao City
Davao was just supposed to be a 5 day vacation but a call from an editor in the last two days made me scamper for information. I was told to submit a travel article and, being in this city, I decided to make it the subject. I was shooting, interviewing and tasting food in the last two days. And it was fun. Davao City has always something new.
I also traveled all the way to the bat sanctuary in Samal Island where I encountered the world’s biggest colony of Geoffroy’s rousette fruit bats in the world. It was quite interesting and the travel isn’t too long or even far from Davao City via a very short boat trip and habalhabal ride.