hello davao

My first trip to Mindanao started in Davao City, which is my pit stop before visiting my friend in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

Davao City, in general, is quiet, organized and its airport is way, way prettier than Cebu's. It looks like a younger Cebu in terms of development and my, was it HUGE! The city still covered even the outskirts (note: lots of trees) which can reach more than 17km from the main area.

Airfare:
Php0 (ceb-dvo) - availed of a zero promo fare from Cebu Pacific

Cebu International Airport Old and Fug Waiting Lounge


Php1,500 (dvo-ceb) - booked six days prior to the flight back

Davao International Airport Waiting Lounge

Accommodation:
Php400 - Larous Inn in Ilustre St. near JS Mall

• non-aircon room with a really dirty lavatory. blech.

• I chose not to take a bath the next day. I felt like my body will be far cleaner unbathed than if I actually take a bath in their pathetic bathrooms.

• a bed too wide for a single person.

• made me feel really uncomfortable. blech.

• i saw a cockroach, and that can't be cool

• I needed to buy a small bottle of alcohol.

• verdict: BOOHOOO dude.

• pro: No Check-out time! heh. whatevs. i still saw a cockroach and I'm so not taking the BOOHOO back.

Places visited:

Damosa IT Park
The place is fairly small for an IT park and looks new and empty which is quite understandable considering the place is not even a year old. There are a few bars across the place where people can hang out and have some drunken (or not) fun on party nights. In the IT park itself, there's a 24-hour McDonalds (which is always cool in my book, being the McDo whore that i am) and behind that there's a huge space (parking lot?) where people partied over loud music, live bands, beerrrr and whatnots the night I dropped by.

I'm not really quite sure what the place offers on normal days, but it looked kind of quiet the time I was there and that was an Octoberfest weekend, so I think it would be safe to say that the place isn't really the Davao party central or something. But I'm in no authority here, having visited Davao for less than 24 hrs, it would do you good NOT to believe me.

Matina Town Square
Considered to be a good place to hang out on party nights, MTS looks like a little outdoor mall with bars and restos and young people hunting (haha. kidding). It is located in Brgy. Matina and is just across the Ateneo de Davao gradeschool/high school. You'd recognize it from afar through the humongous McDonalds sign - which was how I accidentally came across it.

My friend Karl, who hails from Davao, plotted my pseudo-itinerary and included this place in the list. Apparently, this is supposed to be A- or B+ chill-out area and I should check it out. Arriving on Friday night in Davao (from bukidnon) at already 10pm, I was thinking that my chances of getting to the place were grim. I am hungry and I have yet to find a place to stay.

From the terminal, I was walking along the streets of Sandawa (which is a weird name for a street) and was frantically searching for anything that has a decent lavatory I can pee on. heh. Like a pilgrim, I saw the divine McDonalds sign (cue song - *hallelujah*) and rushed to its direction only to discover that I was now stepping on MTS grounds. cool neh?

I was destined to be there - fated to eat at Taps and try the Durian Gatpuchino in Blugre Cafe.

I know, I suck at this whole traveler writing thing. ugh.

People's Park

People's Park in Davao was thought of by my friend (who's from Davao) to be rather jologs and stuff. But wth, I no longer have enough time to climb Mt. Apo and be cool so I just settled for the park and basked on divine jologsness.

The park is worth Php72 million and houses the art of ... someone. I forgot his name, sorry. Anyway, I found the various sculptures and installation art pieces in the park interesting. They looked so different to me (or maybe I am just artistically moronic). I guess I am just used to seeing European art that I found the sculptures depicting native Filipinos doing ancient stuff to be rather odd. I'm not saying they're the ugly odd though - they are of the pretty odd kind.

Oh well, anyway.. it was a good stroll - the weather was overcast and the place wasn't so crowded. I hope to visit the park again at night. I heard the place is so much more beautiful with all the lights and stuff.

There's this funny quote I saw over the internet regarding People's Park.

"I'm asking you to use the park properly. Do not make it into a motel," Duterte appealed.

with Duterte being the strict (and known for it) Davao City mayor.

heh. No hot sex allowed in PP y'all!