Surviving Pagadian (Part Une)
Spur Of The Moment. Pagadian City or "Little Hong Kong of the South" is a 1st class city in the province
of Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines. It is the capital city of the province, and the regional center of the Zamboanga Peninsula...
I took an unexpected 2-hour bus ride down south from Ozamiz to Pagadian one sunday morning. It was one of those spur-of-the-moment
ideas. I did not know what to expect there but I experiened this great sense of adventure. With a few bucks, a jacket, the
camera phone that I carry around in my trips, and great guts, i took off.
Uphill Hike Thru Rotunda Road. It was a cloudy afternoon in Pagadian City, first impression was a busy, bustling and simple city. The downtown area all line up to this famous long main road, Rotunda Road. From the top end of this road, you can see a great panoramic view of a part of Illana Bay and a small Dao-Dao island at a distance. I walked all the way uphill to the top end of this road just to see this feature in the city. It was a long walk, with sweat and drops of mild rain adding up to this experience.
White Horse. Unexpectedly, at the top end of this road is a Horse Ranch/ Park. It was still under construction and is in the process of becoming a recreation area. Surprisingly, you can get a horse ride for about P20 for 3 rounds in the park, P50 for an hour. I tried my luck on this white female mountain horse named, "Puti". This was my second time riding a horse, my first was in Baguio back in 2004.
Parklife. I went around the city later to feel its drift. I leisurely walked thru their park where people were hanging out, I guess there is this event that is happening sometime from the looks of it. Locals say that this event called the "Araw Ng Zamboanga" is tomorrow and it is going to be huge. I heard the president will be arriving as well. I kind of wished some friend was here and experience this with me... What attracted me most was the school murals nearby which I think was very unique. School murals are very common in the Philippines and almost are the same, but this one was different. Apart from the message of Nationalism and Filipino pride, it also had a message of peace between Christians and Muslims, of the military and the extremists. The artwork stems from a deep and raw emotion that is actually a glance of the people's idealism and view of the situation in Mindanao.
Mercado. I was interested to see the fish industry here in Pagadian since it is located in the southern part of the Philippines fronting the Celebes Sea. Because I heard that seafood here is fresh and diverse. The wet market is the usual meeting place for the locals and it is where people get their food supply... It was this time I realized that I am really in a different locale because of the various seafood they sell... There's spiny puffer fish, eels, long-body swordfish, huge tiger prawns, octupus, mollusks, different shells, even my favorite parrot fish, or "molmol", was here and much cheaper, of about P50 and lower.
Passing For The Night. The night was fast approaching. I had to find a place. Luckily, i found vacancy in this cheap looking lodge. It was a dark and dirty looking place. The small room i stayed in smelled bad,and i think the bedsheets here were not washed for weeks. It was a hundred bucks for the night. All i had was this small ceiling fan that squeaked all throughout the night. I could even hear some guy and girl conversing in bed by the other side, giggling. Later they were arguing quietly... I remembered the movie, The Beach, where DiCaprio's character stayed at this shady-looking lodge for the night and where he was given a map of a secret island by a crazy stranger staying next door... I was waiting for that to happen.
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October 04, 2007
Surviving Pagadian (Part Deux)
It is Day two in my trek in Pagadian...
Fishermen's Wharf. Early morning, I took a short walk down Rotunda Road to check out the sunrise. It was a relief to finally come out from that very questionable, weird lodge I had stayed for the night... I came across this port that was somewhat abandoned. Locals say, it was once a docking port for sea transportation vehicles that took passengers as far as Manila and other nearby islands. Today, it is a fisherman's wharf where fishing boats standby. This morning, the sea was active with these fishing boats buzzing around and catching fish... From here, one can appreciate the vastness of the Illana Bay, Dao-dao island, the majestic landscape of Pagadian, the many houses that stand in some hill to the right and the elevation of Rotunda Road. It's a very peaceful place. The first one I have been so far here in Pagadian.
Produce. Because of the abundant fishing industry here, There is a great produce of dried fish and other fresh seafood that you can greatly appreciate in the wet market that is nearby. They claim to supply dried fish all around Mindanao. Apart from this, there is the limitless buying and selling of Rambutans and Sweet lanzonez here in the city.
Halal. Since my stay here, I observe the great concentration of the Muslim community here than any other place I have been so far. The great and mighty mosque stand gloriously in the middle of the market area, symbolizing the deep spirituality of our Muslim brothers. I am in awe of this wonderful structures because it is very rare in the north, or at least in my place... With this great concentration, it is quite obvious in most restaurants here that they respect Muslim customs in terms of food. Most of the restaurants had a signage of Halal which is an Arabic term meaning "permissible". It usually refers to food that is permissible according to Islamic law. One restaurant in particular, called "Andy's Fastfood", has beef cooked in different preparations and chicken as well. The one I liked so far is their La Paz Batchoy here which is just cheaper for about P12 and is very delicious and the rare chicken Siopao.
"He hath only forbidden you dead meat, and blood, and the flesh of swine, and that on which any other name hath been invoked besides that of Allah. But if one is forced by necessity, without wilful disobedience, nor transgressing due limits - then is he guiltless. For Allah is Oft-Forgiving Most Merciful" Qur'an 2:73
Sights & Sounds Of Pagadian. Before I go forward on my journey and leave Pagadian, I took my time absorbing the city life for the last time... There is so much activity in the city proper during daytime... I see these tricycles that are uniquely Pagadian -- these tricycles here face upward and has bigger and tougher wheels, which I think is made for uphill driving because most of the streets here are too steep for a transort vehicle... I passed by the various department stores which I just have visited for some time, still bustling at this time with vendors selling stuff on the side.
Survivor. As I left Pagadian, I felt a sense of relief that I made it for 24 hours here, without anyone, without any itinerary whatsoever, in limited resources, everything unplanned. I was just a drifter in a place I did'nt know. I was testing myself and it got me thinking that someday, I will come to remember that I once roamed and explored every corner of this city and I survived... As I got to the terminal, there were some motorcycles parked and ready. My feet still itched for adventure. I had a thought of taking a dive down into the heart of Zamboanga del Sur... Find out what is there for me to discover... and on the last minute, I took the chance...
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October 10, 2007
ZamboSur On A Motorcycle (Part 1)
After my 24 hours in Pagadian, I was in the terminal, heading for home, but a little temptation to go forth stopped me. And after a quick good deal with a guy who owns this motorcycle, We went off -- me, the young motorcycle owner and his compadre who tagged along.
Miles. We were westward to the heart Of Zamboanga Del Sur... The sun was high above the sky and was scorching hot.
The motorcycle made its way down the road passing beautiful landscapes after landscapes Of Zambosur. I felt a sense of freedom
and a great rush of adventure as miles went by, far from Pagadian.
An Exhibit Last Night. I was in the middle of a celebration -- the Araw Ng Zamboanga Del Sur. I remembered last night, when I visited this barangay in Pagadian, in Brgy. Dao. There was this great preparation for the event the next day, which was today. It rained hard that night but it did not mind me. I was fascinated with the various stuff that were showcased. Every municipality of the province had a small hut which showed pictures of their scenic spots, products and culture, all arranged beautifully and creatively..
Plants From The South. There was also a plant and flower exhibit nearby which amazed me. The flora here is unique and some I have never seen before.
A Hidden Lake. Still, on the road...I've heard of a great lake up the mountains in Lakewood... But going there was not easy. It was high above the highest mountain in the area. The question is -- could a Honda Wave Motorcycle survive this?... It was harsh terrain, mud, jagged rocks, inhospitable for a motorcycle such as this. I never knew it was this far just to look for this lake. We started around 10 and about an hour and a half, we reached the renowned place. It was nothing I expected. A lake that has kept hidden from the outside world. Basking in the sun. But I can see that a resort is slowly being constructed nearby... I realize how the lake is very important to the people living here. It is their central source of food, one of many things...
Far From Civilization. We slowly went further, back to our tracks. This time, we wanted a quick way to go back to civilization... It was a heartbreaking, and long way down. Hour after hour, there was no sign of the highway. I started to think that this was a bad idea. All this time just for a 5-minute glance of the lake...
Problem On The Road. One time, we encountered a flat tire... It was a bad situation to get into. The driver decided to go back to the nearest village and close the "wound" of the tires. I and his compadre were left alone, in this small house of an old lady... I took my time talking to the lady. Asking stuff like how life has been and how is it living in such a far-flung area. I can see that she was very contented here as her kids are now all grown up and having their families of their own in other provinces... Later, I dozed off just waiting for the motorcycle to come back and fully recovered... It was already late in the afternoon, the day is about to end. I was losing hope that I could not get back in time for the last bus home. To be honest, I felt a little scared that I could be stuck here for the night, that It would still be a long time until we see the highway...
Finding The Highway. Finally after some waiting, some long and painful descent, over mud and gravel and under the drizzle of rain, we finally reached the highway. I never thought I could thank for paved roads this much. But I do... Gasoline was running out on our way back to Pagadian City... We passed by at least 3 checkpoints so far, which just shows how the area is vulnerable to terrorist attacks coming from Sulu and nearby areas.
The Fog At Mt. Palpalan. The driver took me to some barangay in the highlands. I did not know what my compadre was up to, but I just went on. It was an uphill journey for the motor we are riding. And it was getting cold by the second. From afar, I can see fog hovering the tall trees. The weather was like that of Baguio... Moments after, we stopped over this area, which is just surrounded by fog. I was in clouds! I never thought I could be this close to the sky. I was literally in clouds! Everywhere was just smokey mist...Later as some clouds vanish and separate, I can see a sweeping vista of urban Pagadian City and the deep blue waters of the Bay. I was on top of the world! It was an amazing experience...
Closer View Of Dao-dao. We headed back down. Lastly, we headed to a nearby beach (Bomba Beach) where one can see Dao-dao island closely... A pumpboat ride is the quick access to the island, some say it is just about 15 Pesos for the fare. But I was losing time. I need to get back home.
Back Home. I took my quick goodbyes to my compadres and took my spot in the bus. Although exhausted but I was relieved to finally find peace. Now, the sun was setting in the Mindanao sky. My trip back to Oz was melancholic. I thought of the places, the people, the obstacles I encountered today, and all came out good. I watched as the bus passed by town after town as the day turned into night. THE END.