April 6 to 12, 2009 - This might be the longest red marked dates of the year and our family decided to go to Cagayan de Oro and Davao City by land to visit my mother's native place,my cousins,my uncles and aunts.From Naga City our first stop is Matnog,Sorsogon the southernmost tip of the island of Luzon and jump off point to the Visayas.It is where you will wait for long to avail of the RORO ferry.There are a lot of fixers here that will promise you being prioritized to board the RORO since it only allow five private vehicles and the rest are public buses.My advice is, just stay in line and never negotiate with them.We boarded MV Peñafrancia at 2 a.m. bound to Allen,Northern Samar .
From Allen Port,we travel far south and cross the longest bridge in the Philippines The San Jaunico Bridge by noon.It connects the town of Sta. Rita,Samar and the City of Tacloban, Leyte.
Our next stop is the Gen.Mac Arthur Landing Memorial in Palo,Leyte.I almost got a nose bleed explaining to my kids the history behind the landing of Americans in Leyte.Its been a decade since I study Philippines History in College.
We hit the road again, and pass by Agas-Agas Bridge (the tallest bridge in the country).It was still under construction,the scenery was breathtaking as you traverse two mountains.At 4 p.m. we are at Liloan,Southern Leyte Port waiting to board the ship bound to Lipata,Surigao - the gateway to Mindanao.Unlike in Matnog Port,there are less fixers here and even we avail one,it was so honest and deserved to be paid for.On board the ship,we enjoy the majestic sunset and the cold breeze as we sails across Mindanao Sea.We arrive at Lipata, Surigao at 12 mid-night.
We are advice to stay for a night in a nearby hotel in Lipata Port.They said that it was too risky to travel in Surigao during wee hours because of the series of hijack incidences in the area.We stay and had comfortable sleep in Surigao City.After breakfast, we take the road towards Cagayan De Oro City and enjoy the scenery along the way.
In the City of Golden Friendship,we met my cousins, uncles and aunts.I can't memorized their names,it was my first acquaintance with them.Then,we proceed at El Salvador City where we stay for the night.The next day, we went to the Divine Mercy Shrine located at the Divine Mercy Hills overlooking Macajalar Bay. The shrine has a 50 foot statue of the Divine Mercy Christ. It serves as a pilgrimage site for the Divine Mercy devotees. As a pilgrimage and sacred site, visitors are not allowed to wear shorts and other revealing clothing. Those who do so will be forced to cover themselves with a blue cloth provided by the shrine administrators.
After lunch we visited our relatives at Malaybalay City,Bukidnon dubbed as the South Summer Capital of the Philippines.We dropped by at the famed monastery of the Benedictine Monks.It was so relaxing there,feel like I was under a giant pyramid promoted then by the late Ka Ernie Baron who claims a lot of miracle healing.Then,we spent our dinner at one of our cousins' house and call it a day.It was so cold there at night because of its elevation and dense forested mountains.
The next day,on our way to Davao City we took pictures at Ver Overview and Nature Park - a landscaped area which renders a vista of beautiful rolling hills and plains of Bukidnon.The trip was so refreshing because of the cooler climate at BuDa road (Bukidnon-Davao Road ) and the majestic scenery along the way.In the afternoon,we visited the Philippines Eagle Center of Davao and stay at Seagull Beach Resort for the night.
As all vacation ends up going to beach,the next day is a plunge to the island of Samal at Costa Marina Beach Resort.We stay at the beach until noon and after lunch visited the Davao Crocodile Park.At 3pm,we took a rest and after dinner take a hike at Davao Jack's Ridge.
Spending red marked dates with your family is a gift to offer and a gift to received.No matter how cheap or expensive it was,how short or long,how far or near,what remains in our hearts are the memories of happy thoughts that no treasures in this world can compare.
