Singing Taxi Driver of Cagayan de Oro City

During our Cagyan de Oro City-Bukidnon-Camiguin Tour, we got disappointed right away with the driver of the taxi, who drove us to the downtown of Cagayan de Oro city. First his meter reader, which was covered by the shift gear, ran too fast. Second he doesn’t know the hotel. He was not polite or customer friendly at all, that made us decide to just look for another taxi or local transportation. Paging the attention of the local tourism, what really make the tourists come back to a place is the locals themselves. Make the tourists feel safe and be fair to them.

Eventually we found ways to go to the St. Nicolas Inn, where we were booked. The irony of all was the street where we lighted off is the same street where the hotel is. The staffs were friendly to let us leave our things so that we can go to Dahilayan Adventure Park in Bukidnon.

We went to the Market City to look for a van or car to transport us to Bukidnon. Manong Bernie was the driver of the taxi that we hired. We learned that he is the president of the taxi driver organization in the city. His contact number is +639421670028. He seemed know what tourism is all about. He knows the problem of their tourism, and he said they are improving it. We exchanged ideas. Hope the locals will know and appreciate the importance of promoting their tourism. Eventually they will be, by educating them rightly.

After a tiring but fun day in Bukidnon we went back to Cagayan de Oro City. While we were on our way, Manong Bernie played his music thru a portable dvd player with monitor. He was singing and was encouraging us to join him. That’s part of the culture of the Filipinos, wherever in the Philippines, mostly love to sing. We joined him in some songs lol although we are not really good singers just for fun we did. It added to make our day more enjoyable meeting people who are sensible to talk with.

Thank you Manong Bernie, hope more Kagayanons will be like you! Till then. 

St. Augustine Church of Cagayan de Oro City

Touring the Philippines is incomplete without visiting the Churches. Philippines was colonized by the Spaniards for more than 300 years. Yes more than three centuries. Catholicism is one of the things that they brought to the Philippines. That’s why Philippines is the predominantly Catholics. Cagayan de Oro is not an exemption of that.

St. Augistine Church is an archdiocese. It was originally built in 1845 by the Augustinian Friars but during the American bombardment in 1945, it was destroyed. The wooden cross in front of the church the only thing survived from that bombardment. American missionary Fr. James T.G. Hayes S.J., who later became the city's archbishop, rebuilt the church inspired by Gothic architecture. The stained glass windows are stunning. I learned that they are centuries old stained glass windows, which were donated by American Catholics from New York, USA.

We notice there were buried inside the cathedral and they were priests. At the back of the altar are still seats that can be used during the mass. The altar is in the center of the cross like arrangement of the seats.

Beside the cathedral is the Archbishop Mansion where the Archbishop lives. Some flower shops are on the alley going to the church.

Gaston Park,. Cagayan de Oro City

 

Since we couldn’t visit the City Museum of Cagayan de Oro, we decided to see what Gaston Park is all about. From this Park we could see the City Museum of Cagayan de Oro, St. Augustine Church and City Hall of Cagayan de Oro. This park is named after a former Mayor of Cagayan de Oro. It was an execution ground for criminals during the Spanish regime. During the Philippine-American war, Gaston Park was the training ground for Local soldiers but after World War II the Japanese government planted cherry blossom trees around the park and they are still there even up to now. Wish these trees had flower so we could have experience the shower of cherry blossoms under the tree.

We noticed many students were hanging out, some merely chatting; some were practicing their school activities like dancing. The one that caught our attention was a group of teenagers talking to a guy who had a guitar and singing along with his instrument while dancing. They were enjoying it and even the musician the same thing. 

On the side of the Gaston Park there is a Memorial Wall in memory of all those who perished during the tropical storm Sendong on December  17,2011. And on the other side, the fountain was under construction.

City Museum of Cagayan de Oro

Our second day in Cagayan de Oro was the whitewater rafting. Whew we enjoyed it to the max, planning to go back and have the advance one. We returned to the city around 2:00pm, still have time to explore the city proper then we decided to visit the City Museum of Cagayan de Oro.

The building was built in the year 1922 as a water tank. Yes it’s a water tank. It is located near Gaston Park adjacent to the St. Augustine Church. The Antiquities, memorabilia of well-known families of Cagayan de Oro city and a gallery of Cagayan de Oro history can be found in this Museum. So we were excited to visit the City Museum of Cagayan de Oro City to know the roots of the Kagayanons, but when we arrived in there it was closed. We asked the people around if it is still open, they said we should ask the city government. LOL ok so we walked away and asked a policeman. He said we can go back on Monday. Museum usually closed on Mondays but we thought maybe in Cagayan de Oro it is open. 

The following Monday we went back there, it was still closed. We had no choice but to take pictures outside the Museum because in just few hours we would go back to Manila. We were wondering how the water tank turned into a museum? That’s for us to find out someday. 

Plaza Divisoria or The Golden Friendship Park in Cagayan de Oro City.

On our first night in Cagayan de Oro, my sister told us that we can try the night market in Divisoria. We were like Divisoria? We were thinking it would be like of the Divisoria in Manila. She replied its different, on weekends this area became a night market, where food stalls are being set up just like Banchetto in Ortigas. Too tired from the trip to Dahilayan Adventure Park in Bukidnon, but the mere thought of food trip made us excited.

  

The driver of the rela unloaded us in a long huge center island with statues of heroes. He said that is the Divisoria, it’s a park called Golden Friendship Park. I was looking for the stalls set up but we couldn’t find one. We asked for locals where the night market was, they said no night market anymore. Lol to our dismayed. No choice we had to look for another option but since we were already there, we opted to explore the place

The Plaza Divisoria is also called as Golden Friendship Park; actually it is a series of parkes dedicated to national and local heroes. It is located in the downtown area. This plaza serves as venue for different activities. It is surrounded by establishments like shopping centers and offices. Souvenir shops and fruit stands can be found in here too.

This park served as a fire break or divider that’s why it is called Divisoria, a Spanish term. It was built in 1901, because Cagayan de Oro City’s downtown at that time was constantly affected by fire.

Motorela another kind of tricycle in Cagayan de Oro

We took a taxi from the airport of Cagayan de Oro to transport us to St. Nicolas Inn but the taxi driver didn’t know where the hotel was. So we decided to drop off the taxi and look for the location of the hotel in the Google map. A lady told us that we could take a rela in going to the hotel because it was just near where we were. We were clueless what rela was so she was the one look for rela for us. It’s a tricycle too but with a huge and long body. Rela short for motorela, sounds like a phone company, right?

Would you believe that its capacity is 12 passengers? The capacity is 10 passengers at the back and two passengers besides the driver, all in all 13. At first first we thought 6 at the back and 1 beside the driver but when the driver started to fill the vehicle with passengers’ ohh it was like we were compressed inside the vehicle. But well that’s the challenge of the trip how to blend with the locals, sort of community immersion.

I saw a lot of different public utility vehicles but motorela is somehow unique in this part of the country. It was fun trying to live like a local even though I didn’t understand well the language but still it’s great to experience new things. That’s one of the essences of the traveling to understand and appreciate different ways of living

St. Nicolas Inn-Cagayan de Oro

When we were planning for the CDO-Bukidnon-Camiguin tour we scrutinized which one would be safer and accessible for us. We wanted to stay one night in Camiguin but we thought it would be better to stay in the city. But looking back we could have stayed in Camiguin instead but nevertheless it was a wonderful trip.

I was the one looked for a hotel where we could stay. As I was browsing from different deals and websites, my attention was caught by St. Nicolas Inn. It is in the heart of the city, accessible to public transportations. When I checked the review it was not good it was not bad either. My sister said that we could try it because we wouldn’t stay the whole day in the hotel we would be always out. I inquired thru their facebook page and the reply was the room rate was 1,700.00 pesos per night. But in agoda it was just 900++ pesos so I was like maybe if I would call the hotel the price would be different. When I called, the front desk officer said they have a 700.00 pesos good for two persons, air conditioned room, with tv and hot and cold shower. It’s really important for us to have that hot and cold shower because after the tour we would be deadly tired we would need to take a nice shower. We decided to book for two rooms for 3N and 4 days.

We were early for check in that’s why no room available yet, what we did were left all our things and went to Bukidnon for the Dahilayan adventure. The front desk and her coworkers were accommodating they let us left our things. After the adventure it was already dusk, time to relax. Time to check our rooms too.

The room is small.  The bed was clean, it has air conditioner, flat tv with cable, they have a free wifi connection, two towels and bath soap. The bathroom is small, the shower and the bowl are in the same location that’s why when taking a shower the bathroom gets wet all over. But well it was just 700.00 pesos.

We could hear the footsteps of the people walking upstairs. But since we were always tired we could still sleep.

The following day we had a white water rafting, my friend and I woke up earlier and ordered coffee and breakfast. After 15 minutes my sisters arrived and ordered their food too. Their order served ahead of us, when my coffee was served the coffee mug has a stained of lipstick. I called the waiter to check it because I didn’t even sip it yet. He politely changed it. Time passed my sisters done with their breakfast but our orders didn’t serve yet. The tour guides arrived and we asked them to wait for us to finish our breakfast, 45 minutes our breakfast didn’t serve yet. So we decided to cancel it but the front desk said it’s almost done. He was sorry because there were too many orders. I told him its not about too many its about the system in taking the orders, it should be first come first serve. Just imagine my sisters were done with their breakfast and ours were not yet served. In short we brought it instead and ate it while we were on our way to Mambuaya where we would have the rafting adventure.

At night we asked the front desk if we could ask for two cups of hot water, she was nice just told us to get hot water for free.

On our third day before we go to Camiguin, we asked the front desk to let our room be cleaned because they didn’t clean it everyday. We had a day tour in Camiguin. We were thinking that our room would be so cleaned. They changed the beddings but didn’t sweep nor vacuum the floor nor collected the trash, didn’t change the towels neither clean the bathroom. The left bathroom tissue roll by the guests are still served to the next guest. Our bathroom tissue roll was already small. It's good we brought our own bathroom tissue and towels. Usually I don't use the towels of the hotels for my body those are just for my feet, i always bring my own. 

On our forth and last day, we were so tired already to go out and have our breakfast somewhere. We decided to have it in the hotel again. This time the service was fast. Thank you didn’t wait that long. My friend took two cups of hot water. After our breakfast I asked for our bill and paid for it. My friend and I were checking and we noticed we were charged for two more cups of coffee. So I told the front desk we were charged more than we consumed. He returned the money. But this time we were charged for the hot water 2.00 pesos per cup. We were laughing because it’s our first time to experience to be charged for a hot water but its okay it was just 2.00 pesos.

Over all it was a learning process again for us. It’s good we didn’t expect much from this hotel although of course the basic we expect, like cleaning the room everyday that includes the bathroom, changing the bedding and towels because that’s for hygienic purposes. The good thing with this hotel its in the heart of the city.

Address

Hayes St., Cagayan de Oro

Whitewater Rafting in Cagayan de Oro-Water rafting Capital of the Philippines

Water rafting in Cagayan de Oro is the adventure that one shouldn’t miss when in this area of Mindanao. This is the water rafting capital of the Philippines. The river is the boundary of Bukidnon and Osamis Oriental provinces.

My friend and I were hesitant to try it because when we were looking at some videos, they look like dangerous, so what I did was read the blogs about it. Finally I and my friend agreed to join the group. My sister booked us in The RED Rafts Whitewater Rafting, one of the agencies that operate for the whitewater rafting. We took the P700.00/head without lunch since we planned to have a heavy meal in the hotel before going to the Mambuaya, a point where the beginners’ course starts. Our group was picked up in St. Nicholas inn around 7:30 am and proceeded to pick up another group in front of Xavier University.

The river guides told us not to bring our own cameras because it might fall, offered a package for photos and videos for P 1,500.00 or photos only for P 1,000.00. We had a briefing on the safety before taking the rapids. We were briefed on how to do the paddling; there should be count to synchronize the movements, like forward 1, 2 soft, forward 1, 2 hard and backward 1, 2. There are 14 rapids for the beginners’ course. In the first rapid I got nervous had to hold the rope, I was the only one was holding the rope. Bam, our river guide was teasing me that I was just taking it easy, “char char lang”. But in the next rapids I was enjoying already.

The view is really stunning. It still wows me; the work of nature is really wonderful. Along the way we saw, wild butterflies, wild orchids, green snakes, monitor lizards, water strider and a whole lot more. The only regret I have was I didn’t bring the camera because we were not allowed to and let the photographer took pictures of us. For those who will take this tour, try to bring a underwater camera of your own because there are wonders of the nature that the photographer will not capture. The photographer will take pictures of the tourists while on rapids. Camera will not fall because flip over of the rubber boat is by request unless of course you want to flip over you shouldn’t bring your camera.

When you are in Cagayan de Oro city, water rafting is a must activity. Till then!

Cagayan de Oro City-Bukidnon-Camiguin Tour

It’s been awhile that we were looking for the Cagayan de Oro-Bukidnon-Camiguin-Iligan tour but we couldn’t find the best time for it. We had lots of things to consider, budget, time and work. Then one night an email coming from Airasia prompted on the screen, so I checked it then I found out there was a 99 base fare for CDO. My sisters and a friend decided to go for it. The airfare was 1,5++ each.

When we landed in Laguindian Airport we were so enthusiastic, everybody was looking forward what CDO would offer. We looked for a transportation to bring us to our hotel, St. Nicholas Inn, Hayes St., CDO. Some van offers for 199 per head, some say taxi would be better since we were four so we could save. One guy told us that he could take us to the city for 600.00 opppss that is not allowed by Land transportation office. Riding a taxi should always be by meter. We happened to hire a taxi driver, who agreed to a meter. Sad to say his meter ran so fast that we didn’t reach the hi-way the meter reader showed 103.00. And the worst of it he didn’t know the St. Nicholas Inn that we had to drop off then look for ourselves. I used google map thru my tablet and asked some locals where we could find the hotel. We took rela (motorela), it’s a local public transportation, a tricycle but with a different body. Finally we found the hotel then we left our bags in the hotel to go to Bukidnon and experience Dahilayan Park Adventure and Delmonte Plantations.

After our Bukidnon escapade, we booked for whitewater rafting adventure. My sister booked us in the Red rafts whitewater rafting. Early in the morning we prepared to conquer the rapids.

The river guides from Red whitewater rafting referred a guy, Jojo, who operates a tour in Camiguin Island. We had to leave our hotel at 2:30 in the morning to catch the first trip in Balingoan Port going to Benoni Port, the gate to Camiguin. Camiguin Island can be explored in a day. Around 3:30pm we were done with our tour and were in the port to go back to Cagayan de Oro. We reached our hotel around 11:00pm.

We wanted to visit Iligan but mostly that we talked with, they said we should skip Iligan. Hopefully someday we could go and visit Iligan.