Table of Contents
- The Place
- Taxi Trans-Town Tour
- The Food
- Nearby Nightmarket
- The Flair
- Cathedral Checkup
- The Road Ahead
After a short trip to Lampangang, we are now back in...
And since we've already been here before, let me go straight to...
The Place
Elgen and I are still staying in our apartment in the Avida Towers Davao. In fact, we didn't even check out during out visit to Lampangang. With prices being as cheap as here, we could just afford to let our little stay place stand empty until our return.
As such, there's not all that much to tell in this section, except for a few little things that I did not notice before. For one, there's the washing machine, which also has "something like" a drying mode.
In reality, though, we end up having to hang up our laundry literally all over the place to dry, because the place doesn't come with a clothes rack or a balcony. In fact, without any dedicated solution, we have to go creative about where to hang it. It goes without saying that in this humid climate they take forever to get dry like this.
However, instead of a proper drying function, the washing machine (which is called "Wobble", by the way) has a neat little jingle it plays whenever it is done. That certainly beats boring beeping.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
Next, the shelf that is in the bathroom has a sign saying "Please NO Heavy Objects on Glass Shelf", and as I find out, there's a good reason for it. You see, the shelf is not exactly firmly affixed to the wall, and such it ends up coming off one day during normal use. Fortunately, I manage to re-attach it, yet something still seems odd...
One day, the weather is relatively dry, and as such we get a nice view of Samal right from out room's window.
And on another, we go to Gaisano Mall once again, only to get caught in the middle of back-to-school shopping, with the ground floor of one of the great halls being completely filled with backpacks, binders and other school supplies.
Since this time around I am not feeling quite as miserable, we also take some time to look around, and in doing so discover the desolate roof terrace, which looks exactly like something that might have been a nice place, but at some point it was apparently just abandoned. The big, blocky building in the background with the spiky spire is a hotel called "The Pinnacle", by the way.
Walking through the mall, we come by a shop selling exotic wares, known as the Euro Baker...
...and then we unanimously decide to go for lunch in the mall's Jollibee, which is a franchise I've been meaning to check out during my stay here anyway.
Tuns out it's something of an European-style fast food restaurant, with all the implications that brings. Standing at the counter, you get to decide between various combinations of pasta, steak, chicken and rice.
Since by now I'm familiar with the typical portion sizes here in the Philippines, I do not feel afraid at all to just order the super meal, which comes with a bit of everything except fries, which Elgen ends up ordering. Meanwhile, my meal has chicken, steak with mushrooms, rice and spaghetti with tomato sauce, all on one plate. There's not a lot of each, but combined it's still quite filling (especially considering I have to finish Elgen's fries as well, since she barely eats anything).
Afterwards, we hit the drug store to pick up some medicine for both Elgen and myself. Note how the counter is separated from the customer section by acrylic glass. Also, we have to draw numbers, since apparently the apothecaries need to go through quite a complicated process in order to sell medicine. In fact, we can see half a dozen or so shuffle around behind the counter, doing this and that, grabbing boxes of medicine, putting them on scales, entering numbers in various machines, and so on and so forth. Back in Germany all that goes a lot faster.
Finally, we still get some groceries from the supermarket before returning back to the Avida Towers. So much for this part. Now, let us go straight to the major main event of this chapter, which is the epic...
Taxi Trans-Town Tour
1-Aug-2022Now that I'm feeling reasonably healthy again, I am up to finally properly explore the city. For that purpose, Elgen made a suggestion, namely chartering a taxi and taking a tour to certain scenic points along with her sister Rachel. Chartering a taxi for a whole day sound expensive, but since I've learned that the options for getting around here are really limited, I go along with that. The result should be a day trip that takes us literally all over the place. In order, we should hit the hospital where we pick up Rachael, the Museo Dabawenyo, Jack's Ridge, the Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague, the Hilltop View Deck, the Japanese Tunnel, Crocodile Park, Ramon Magsaysay Park, and a Penong's. In retrospective, I could have attempted to pick up two more caches along the way at the Hilltop View Deck and Crocodile Park, but by this time I have resigned myself to there not being (m)any Geocaches in the Philippines, so I failed to check in advance. And even if I had, I doubt Elgen would have let me wear my Geocaching tails anyways...
But one thing after the other. First, Elgen and I walk to the D'Counter hotel across from people's park, where we meet up with another one of Elgen's cousins. This one has a Polish mate, and they already have a kid together.
They help us organize a taxi, which goes a lot less "call an agency and make a booking" and a lot more "hail down a cab from the road and haggle with the driver" than I had anticipated. In the end, the whole thing costs me 4000₱, or about 68€, which is over three times than what we paid for out trip to Lampangang and back.
And then we're off. I leave it to Elgen to direct the taxi driver as we drive through the streets en route to pick up Elgen's sister from the hospital.
Afterwards, our first proper stop is the Museo Dabawenyo, the city museum of Davao. It reminds me a lot of the Wellington Museum in New Zealand (see Book I ~ Chapter 8 ~ Straying in Wellington), except not.
The whole museum is pretty much just one big room, and while they do have some interesting cultural treasures, there's not exactly a lot of them. Now, I'm not the kind of person who reads every text in a museum, but even if I was, it wouldn't take me much more than half an hour to read through all this place has to offer. Also, Elgen, Rachel and I are the only visitors, and are actually outnumbered by the museum's staff and security at a ratio of 1:2. On the plus side, admission is free, and we do get to play on the Bangkakaw log drum exhibit. Now that's one thing that Wikipedia can't offer!
Our next stop after that is Jack's Ridge. As the name suggest, that one is atop a considerable rise. As in, I'm really glad I don't have to ride a bike to get up here.
Originally a Japanese fortification during WW2, chosen for its strategic vantage point overlooking the city and harbor, today, Jack's Ridge is a hotel and dining resort with fantastic vistas and lovingly designed gardens and walkways.
True enough, from up here we can see all the way to the Davao towers, the harbor, and even Samal in the distance (although it is a bit hazy today).
And on the other side, the view of the gardens with the restaurants in the background is not half bad either. For once, it looks like someone cares. Also note how all the walkways connecting buildings are roofed, owing to the fact that days on which it does not rain at all are a rare exception in these tropical parts.
Knowing we had a lot to get done today, we did start the day early. As such, we did not have breakfast yet, which is just about to be remedied. Since I did check in advance that Jack's Ridge featured restaurants, I was reasonably certain that we'd find someplace to get a bite to eat up here, and I was right. The one venture that is open yet is Karlo's Gourmet & Coffee, which proudly features breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Danny, our taxi driver, joins us as we sit down and have a rich breakfast. I for my part go for something called Dain Bangus, which turns out to be fish with rice and egg, plus some tomatoes and cucumbers. The fish ends up being a bit tricky to eat, but is still tasty.
It is also only here that I realize that "Ciar" is not actually the Filipino word for "Toilet", but rather the acronym for "Comfort Room", which means it is actually spelled "CR".
After that, our next stop is the Shrine of the Holy Infant Jesus of Prague, which is conveniently located just across the road from Jack's Ridge.
This place has some strict rules, and actually, we may be violating one of them, depending on whether you count this trip as a date or not. Well, at least I'm only photographing and not filming, and we certainly are not rehearsing a school play either. Shame on those who do!
Less of a solitary building, this is actually more of a shrine complex on par with some of those I've seen in Japan. It consists of several interconnected church and shrine buildings, all of which are open-air. The Divine Mercy symbol also can be found in one of them. And between them, there's lots of green. Altogether, the ground of this shrine measure roughly 8 acres.
As we leave, we come across one final reminder that we're potentially not welcome here...
...and also a strange gate that forbids entry for priests and priests only.
Moving on, we pass by a car that has since been reclaimed by nature...
...before arriving at our next destination:The Hilltop View Deck.
The structure itself - which is basically just a sidewalk and guardrail on either side of the road - is hardly impressive, but that's not the point. The point is that this is a place where the road runs atop a relatively narrow ridge with steep drops on either side, giving wonderful panoramic views in two directions. On one side, it overlooks Davao city and the island of Samal in the far distance...
...and on the other side you can see all the way to Mt. Sibulan and Mt. Apo (the peaks of which are regrettably both covered in clouds at the moment).
After that, we're going downhill, and from the looks of it so does the neighborhood.
Our next destination is the Japanese Tunnel, which these days is a tourist attraction with a nearby hotel and a grim past.
I buy us tickets for a guided tour, and before long we descend down into the tunnel, following our tour guide into the blissfully cool rock. The tunnel itself is designed like a little historical museum, with occasional statues of Japanese soldiers to give an impression of what it might have looked like during its use.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, the Japanese build many such tunnels to serve as bunkers... or rather, they forced Filipino slaves to build them for them, digging through the rock for kilometres at times. Since the Philippines are earthquake territory, many of the tunnels have since collapsed, but this one is still in remarkably good shape. The interior contains a side tunnel for barracks, an armory, the paymaster's office, and even a little Buddhist altar, probably to Bishamonten, the aspect of the warrior.
And naturally, there are the cells in which the Filipino slaves were held under inhumane conditions. Actually, even calling them "cells" already implies too much comfort, since these are little more than tiny alcoves at the side of the tunnel with iron bars in front of them.
Moving on from there, we drive by what seems to be a car graveyard...
...before arriving at our next major destination: The Davao Crocodile Park.
This should actually be our main event for today. Much more than the name implies, Crocodile Park is actually a complete little zoo, so we should end up spending quite some time here looking at all the different animals this place has to offer.
Right at the entrance, there's a little "petting zoo" for baby crocodiles and not-so-baby snakes. You can even get a picture of yourself taken holding either one, for a moderate fee. I briefly consider it, but then decide I like furry critters better.
But now: Crocs. Right there near the entrance, there is Pangil, the biggest croc of them all. Tail and all, he must be just about 10m long.
Being so big has its perks, like a private enclosure. Apart from him, there's also many more crocs in all sizes. They are graded by size and share enclosures with many of their kin. All in all, there must be a thousand crocs in the entire park!
I could take dozens of pictures of crocs and post them here, but that would eventually get boring. Fortunately, as I mentioned before, there's also a bunch of other animals to be found here such as birds! There are white-bellied sea eagles, toucans, sulphur-crested cockatoos, vultures, Brahmny kites, northern cassowaries, and many others.
More closely related to the crocs, there's a multitude of snakes, including, but not limited to, the white-lipped python, the red-tailed boa, the ball python, the carpet python and the Burmese python.
Mammals are not quite as common here, but we do have monkeys, palm civets, Philippine deer, Palawan bearcats, wallabies and even tigers.
Apart from crocs and snakes, there's also a few other reptiles, such as turtles, tegus and iguanas.
We spend quite some time here, but in the end we've seen all there is to see, and move on. Our subsequent ride takes us across the northernmost point at which I should cross the Davao river during my stay here...
...and then we ride through the city for quite a while, coming across another familiar sight from Japan along the way: A Family Mart! Now I only need to find a Lawson.
By now, I am facing an exciting new problem, however. I've run out of hard cash, and so I ask Danny to stop by a bank so I can withdraw some cash. Easier said than done. At the first bank we stop, a woman in front of me keeps withdrawing money from the ATM, several bills at a time (presumably the maximum for a transaction), and when it's finally my turn, I find out that apparently this bank does not accept any of my cards.
I subsequently also try out the Philippine National Bank, but without any success either. It is only an ATM of the Metrobank (a branch office of which is also conveniently located next to the Avida Towers) that finally allows me to withdraw cash, averting this particular crisis.
Afterwards, our ride takes us through China town, where I not only notice a very nicely named lamp shop...
...but also take note of the artful street signs standing at every corner here.
Anyway, our last big stop today is Magsaysay Park, one of the oldest parks in the city, and named after Ramon Magsaysay, the 7th president of the Philippines, serving from 1953 to 1957.
Regrettably, the park fails to impress, however. There's dried up fountains, barren earth, and slums at the outskirts, all of which deduct from the aesthetic value of this place.
There is, however, some sort of tribal village resort here, and at least that section of the park looks like someone actually cares.
Also, there's a number of the typically tiny cats straying around the park, routinely checking near the food stalls for some scraps to eat.
Before long, we are on the road again, and this time we come across the headquarters of the Filipino-Chinese Firefighters of Davao with their stylish logo.
By now, we're already a few hours into the afternoon, and Elgen is starting to grow weary. So we decide to finish our exploration for today with some lunch. With me hoping to taste some authentic Filipino Food, Elgen, Rachel and Danny consult for a bit, and then decide to head for a Penong's, which is pretty much the Filipino equivalent to the German Wienerwald: A chain of fast food restaurants specializing in Filipino Food.
There, I end up ordering some Sinigang, which is a type of sour soup or stew with some meat and vegetables. Also, there's rice, because apparently there's always rice with everything around here.
With this being our last stop before being dropped off back at the Avida Towers, we take our time to say goodbye to Danny here and thank him for driving us around. Apparently, the V-finger sign is as popular over here as it is in Japan when getting one's picture taken.
By now, we're actually already quite close to the Avida Towers, so it doesn't take us long to get from the Penong's back home... even though Danny decides to take a rather scenic route that ends up taking us past the Horrendous Cable and Traffic Light Nightmare.
And after that, this eventful ride comes to an end. I feel like I saw more of Davao today alone than on the entire first stay combined. And the day isn't even over yet. But before we continue with the night program, let me quickly talk a little bit about...
↑ to top
The Food
Back at the Avida Towers, the food that Elgen prepares is somewhat more simplistic, featuring dishes such as sausages and rice...
...rice and chicken...
...or eggs on toast.
For a few meals she spices it up with Dragonfruit, resulting in such dishes like sausages, egg and dragonfruit...
...or for maximum diversity, rice, egg, dragonfruit and Spam.
And one day, we go out to get an ingredient from a nearby food cart, resulting in the somewhat exotic cucumber pork salad with rice.
Meanwhile, I should also cook occasionally, usually resulting in at least two meals for the two of us, what with how little Elgen eats. One one occasion, I take advantage of the fact that being so close to Japan means we can get a tasty Japanese mushroom mix...
...and I use it to make Kwir Ligeral with tomato sauce aaaand... self-made Spätzle! Having regretted not being able to show off this German specialty during my previous travels, I have since learned how to prepare them from basic ingredients, and by abusing a metal strainer as a Spätzle ricer, I'm able to whip up this tasty German family recipe for Elgen.
On another occasion, I simply put together some minced meat, pasta and tomato sauce to whip up some tasty and filling Naleiayafero.
Meanwhile, drink-wise I have also found a favorite, namely the Four Seasons Juice Drink, a delightful blend of pineapple, mango, orange and guava. It has a taste to it that is sufficiently different to pass of as exotic, yet also close enough to multi vitamin juice to give me a familiar vibe.
So much for food and drink. Now let us check out the...
Nearby Nightmarket
1-Aug-2022On the evening of our grand tour, we go out again to visit the Roxas Night Market. Conveniently that one is pretty much right on our doorstep. We just need to walk to the next intersection, and it spans from there all the way down the Roxas Ave.
The entire left half of the great thoroughfare is blocked off for the night market, and apparently this is a nightly event, so that means they must somehow assemble and disassemble all this in the space of only a few hours each day, which is kinda impressive. At the entrance, there's the usual security checkpoint, so we have to get in line to get in.
Once inside, we find ourselves in a bustle of activity, with lots of people and stalls selling all sorts of things. There's a big selection of food, but also many other wares...
...such as for example a stall selling mobile phone accessories and peripheries.
I have trouble deciding on what to eat in this throng, and eventually decide on a simple corn dog, which admittedly is not something I have had before. Elgen meanwhile doesn't eat anything, saying she isn't hungry. I'm getting worried about her.
For a while, we walk along the illuminated central walkway of the thoroughfare, which is not quite as busy...
...but then it's back into the throng again, just as it starts to rain. Good business for the stalls selling umbrellas. Meanwhile, we simply weather the weather. It's not exactly raining a lot, fortunately.
After making our way to the rear end of the market we walk back outside and along the sides. Nothing notable happens on the way back, so let me proceed right to...
The Flair
There's not really much new to talk about here, but I figure I should at least mention that apparently it's Crunch Time at the local 7-Eleven right now.
Also, there's this pizza place that seems to have gotten something horribly, horribly wrong.
On a less pleasant note, my diarrhea has come back, possibly on account of Elgen's father replacing the fresh spring water at Lampangang with store-bought water, but I can't really be sure, so it's back to Diatabs® for me.
Unfortunately, that's not the biggest medical issue we should be faced with. Shortly after returning from Tulunan, Elgen starts complaining about toothache. At first she attempts to tough it out, but eventually I get her to agree to go see a dentist, on my tab of course. We ask at the Avida Towers' reception, and conveniently there is a dentist on the same block.
It bears a pretty lofty name for what is effectively just a tiny waiting room with a reception desk and a treatment room behind it, but any port in a storm. Fortunately, we come at a good time, and Elgen can get her urgently needed treatment right away.
Sitting in the reception room next to the glass door to the treatment room - which incidentally is much better equipped than I had hoped - I worriedly wait while the dentist does her thing. In the end, it turns out Elgen had a cavity, and from the symptoms she described to the doctor, the doctor tells me that she might be suffering from diabetes too. Incidentally, both of these things can be triggered by over-consumption of white rice, which is precisely what I've observed in Elgen's diet.
Afterwards, we get a prescription for some medicine which we then promptly pick up at the nearest drug store. Naturally, I need to pay for that as well, what with Elgen not having medical insurance, like most people here. While I'm still with her, I also try to get her to diversify her diet a bit, but with only limited success.
And that's it for the flair already. Now, one last thing we should end up doing during my stay here is go on a...
Cathedral Checkup
2-Aug-2022Distance: 1.8km
Ascents: 5m
Duration: 2.5h
Shortly after our visit to the dentist, Elgen meets up with her best friend Christine and invites me to come along as they go for a walk around the neighborhood.
This should be our last stray, and it is little more than a stray around several neighborhood blocks. Nonetheless, it should end up being more notable than our visit to the Roxas Night Market.
It's already well into the afternoon, but since neither of us has had lunch yet, we decide to stop by a Filipino-Chinese restaurant going by the name of Mandarin Tea Garden.
It's not exactly a high-class restaurant, but it's also not trashy, which I guess makes it average for local conditions.
True to Asian convention, the menu here comes with pictures of the food, which makes it so much easier to decide on what to pick.
I go for the Siomai Platter, simply because it looks tasty. Turns out those are Chinese dumplings with the typical soy-lemon sauce, and they sure turn out to be delicious. To go with it, I have some home-made ice tea, which is also not bad.
After lunch, a destination becomes apparent: We are headed for the San Pedro Metropolitan Cathedral, and as we draw closer, we see shops selling scores of selected saint statues.
We also walk by the entrance of Rizal "Park", featuring an interesting eagle-styled roof. I say "Park" because it's pretty much just a paved square with a number of trees.
Diagonally across from that, there's the seashell-shaped San Pedro Metropolitan Cathedral, featuring the "We ♥️ Concrete" architectural style.
And naturally, there's a big selection of religious merchandise being sold right there and there on cathedral square.
Since it's just starting to rain outside, we head inside... an incidentally the timing of our arrival coincides with the beginning of service. And since we don't have anything better to do and I'm kinda curious, we decide to stick around, taking a seat on one of the backmost benches just in front of the back windows, where we have a good view of the mess hall, which is being ventilated by great ceiling-mounted fans.
Unsurprisingly, it turns out the service is in Filipino, so I can't really follow what is being said, but overall it seems like the format is much the same as we have back in Germany, only with more modern screens in front and honking cars in the back.
(Click here to view the video if the website fails to load it)
Stepping outside afterwards, I notice that the cathedral is right across from the Sangguniang Panlungsod Ng Dabaw, the city government office of Davao.
It is here that Christine leaves us, and Elgen and I walk back home on the adventurous sidewalks of Davao...
...taking advantage of arcade walk to shelter from the still falling rain whenever possible.
And with that, our final stay comes to an end. The next day should be our last day together, and we spend it at home with one another, unsure of when we will next see one another. That day passes too quickly, and then, it's already time for...
The Road Ahead
After two week ins the Philippines, it is now time for me to return home to Germany again. However, that is a whole journey in its own right, and as such deserves its own chapter. So look forward to the next chapter of the Travelling Fox Blog, and until then, be of great cheer!
