My Holy Week Vacation

Office work plus job-hunting and all its drama drained all energy and creative juice in me in the past months. I became the employee who’s waiting for play slips to arrive so he can pay his bills. I lost all motivation and consciously failed to meet my deadlines. But that’s another story. It is good then that summer has arrived to save me from all the negative vibes surrounding me in the office.

Travelling on a shoestring budget is nothing alien to me and that’s mostly the theme of my vacation this summer: making the most of the peso you have. It starts with looking for airline promos early on, buying summer clothes that can be “recycled”, having friends with you so costs can be divided, and buying only what’s necessary.

The itinerary this Holy Week Vacation is CDO-Camiguin-Davao, but we skipped staying in CDO since actual swimming and excessive adrenaline rush due to rafting is not my forte #excuses. Two days in Camiguin and the remainder of the holiday in Davao City is the new gameplan.

Camiguin Island

More than the usual tourist destination, the smallest province in Northern Mindanao boasts of multiple swimming locations and historical spots. People who are used to the hustle and bustle of Puerto Galera and Boracay must know that Camiguin is not a party place. The island has a soul. There will be moments when one feels the island is alive and it draws everyone to its beauty. Mystical spots like the Katibawasan Falls, Sunken Cemetery, and Guiob Church Ruins are must-see places for people who want to have a first-hand experience of the mystery in Camiguin.

Tourist Spots:

1.     Katibawasan Falls

2.     Ardent Hibok-Hibok Spring Resort

3.     White Island

4.     Sunken Cemetery

5.     Guiob Church Ruins

6.     Sto. Nino Cold Springs

I wasn’t able to try much of the delicacies in the island except of course the ever-famous Pastel. Most department stores in Metro Manila sell this crème-filled bun but it’s a different feeling to eat it oven-fresh. Kiping, similar to a taco shell but made from ground cassava then drizzled with a sweet sauce, is a staple in most tourist spots. Everyone should try this. Another sweet treat for tourists is the ginanggang. It is similar to the banana fritter but the ripe banana is put over charcoal flames until slightly toasted. And while on the White Island, one should try the tuyom or the sea urchin. Too bad for me, I’m allergic to seafood.

Delicacies:

1.     Kiping

2.     Ginanggang

3.     Tuyom (Sea Urchin)

*Davao chronicle in the coming post