Mindanao Adventures

The adventurous entrance to Mindanao, Single Adventure Tours 2000 - part five

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I was in hurry to get my flight to Cebu, because I missed my girlfriend for months. After my arrival in Cebu City I asked my taxi driver for a moderate hotel and found the Golden Valley Inn. A new hotel in down town which I liked very much. This hotel offers european standard for less then P600,-. I hadn't any other thought than how it feels to hug my girlfriend from the Philippines again. It seemed that my friends like the same,because I lost them at the airport in Manila with the direction to Angeles. I wanted to pick up my girlfriend in Cebu to bring she back to Mindanao where her family were waiting us. At this time I needed a rest from the Christmas hurly-burly in Manila and the tourist crowds in Puerto Galera and Boracay. My girlfriend comes from Butuan City in Mindanao where I wanted to go now. I have never been in Mindanao before. At this time I hadn't any planes where I would spent the next time, but I was curiouse to see the living conditions of my girlfriend. She would arrive on the next day so that I could have some refreshments at Club Circus. This was a San Miguel event only, because I was lonely and impatient by awaiting my next coming adventure in Mindanao. Several girls were looking for customers, that was good for talking but not for more. I took a look at Firehouse and must say, that the quality of this bar is much better now than I had remembered from my visit in June. The lineup looked fresh and is completely new. Well done! This bar is worth to visit more times. On the next morning I hold my girlfriend in my arms and told her that I want a boat to Mindanao right now. I guess you know already that it isn't a very good idea to travel around the islands during the christmas season, where everybody moves. Beside the front desk of this hotel was a ticket office where we heard that we aren't able to get a boat completely equal in which direction we ever want to go. I couldn't believe that and started my round trip to the airport and all piers I could find, but she was right with all her bad prophecy. After all I could find a rusted barge was going to Bohol. Believe me, I was happy to had found this boat, because I thought it would be easy to find another boat in Tagbilaran going to Mindanao. I was sure that we would get a boat to somewhere in Mindanao, because I already know that there are some irregular connections. The Filipinos are the greatest nation of seamen in the world and you can be quite sure that your trip continuation works on every remote island even you have to pay a special ride sometimes. Some carrier were helping me with my equipment to enter this boat as suddenly my girlfriend began to strike. She told me that she wanted to take a boat after Christmas, because our trip is tiring enough for today. In such a case I normally would discharged every friend of mine, but I came to visit the parents of my girlfriend, because I was in love with her on my trip before. Look at the page: Single Adventure Tours 2000-part two "From Cebu to Boracay". When I had leaved her in Boracay she was crying and that touched my heart. I had always remembered this goodbye scene at my home. Now I would prove if she really love me or not. This wouldn't become a big problem in case she was going to accompany me to Moalboal for diving, but she wanted to wait in Cebu City only. I never found out what was the matter with her. I don't remember how much angry I was, but at this time she took some of my crude freedom away and something of my extreme personality died at this pier on that day. Please don't understand me false in that point. I don't like a slave. I like girls with a strong self-confidence, but at this moment I wished a girl that trust and follow me. I asked her again and again, why she didn't like this boat. But she gave me no answer until today. It was a little bit humiliated to go back in the same hotel lobby, where they told me I don't would be able to get a ship or plane to Mindanao, but this was my tribute to our friendship and it seems to be ok. Later I should find out that she didn't share my love to the beautiful nature of the remote islands. She liked no places without a disco every day. This may be an expression of the differences between our ages. I missed the sound of the ocean and the sharks inside. This was my first time in Cebu City with mixed feelings even my girlfriend was beside me.


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Cagayan

Princess
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first view

Mindanao
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Cebu

Top hills
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Nasipit

Lumbacan
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Lumbacan

What we could do was to visit her friends on the 24 of December. There was a street disco in a very poor district of the town, but I had a lot of fun with her friends and some people there. I placed some photos on the left side of this page that you can imagine what I mean. Some of the pictures are examples for her extremely craziness. She isn't a very shy, reserved or shaming person and very different from the typical behavior of "Mang Pinoy" or "Hiya", but she know already how sexy she is. The entrance fee for the disco was P30,- and probably to much for those people which were standing on the fence. I'm always impressed how Filipinos understand to celebrate this funny parties, where everybody is happy and like to dance. At midnight I became a witness of the loudest fireworks I had seen in my life. I thought they wanted to blow up their shaky cottages. The following days we were going around and visited some tourist attractions I didn't see before. On the Top Hills we had a very nice view over Cebu City and Mactan island. Another excursion took us to the Taoist Temple, a splendid decorated Chinese temple with a typical dragon after the entrance. In the afternoon we were walking through the City and stood in front of a ticket office, where they had tickets to Nasipit/Lumbacan for sale. We decided to buy two P350,- tickets for the ship with the name Cagayan Princess at 7.00 PM. This was at the 25. of December, already late to celebrate the Christmas day together with her family, but we were happy to have got this tickets. In Cebu City most places were closed during this time. I was a little bit disappointed that the nice restaurant "Ours Place" was closed too. Several days before I ate there and found out what for a popular tourist hangout it really is. It's always packed with foreigners from all over the world. The beer is P15,- only and the food is always good. The Cagayan Princess is a typical average looking ferry ship, but in a better condition than the other "salesmen of souls" I had remembered from my past trips. The only open 24 hours shop I could find was beside the SOGO hotel. Just in case I bought some refreshments for the round 12 hours trip to Butuan City. My girlfriend told me that I don't need to purchase drinks, because they have a bar on board, but I wanted to save some money. Maybe the main reason was my disbelieve that they offer everything I need. We were going on board around 6.00 PM. This boat was a little bit more comfortable than the shipments of troops during the Second World War. All decks were filled with double-deck-beds. I drunk some San Miguels and feel asleep very early. On the next morning I went curious to the bow where I took my first picture of Mindanao. As I came back my girlfriend May told me that two of her brothers would await us on the pier. After the ship berthed I shouldn't wait long for her brothers which helped me with my luggage. Easily a jeepney to Butuan City was found. He drove the four of us for P400,- a little bit too fast through a typical scenery of palm trees and rice fields. The mountains in the background were always covered by thick padded clouds. The street from Nasipit pier to Butuan wasn't so bad I had expected in this area. In full speed I was sorry that I couldn't take more pictures. We visited the house of one of her brothers, a small house on pales beside a rice field. I was warmly greeted by the family of May and curious observed by the neighbors.

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Butuan City

on the way
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her family
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her family
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Nasipit
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AGUSAN

DEL SUR
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DEL SUR
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DEL SUR
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Cebu City
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Butuan City
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AGUSAN

DEL SUR
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Cebu City

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Cebu City

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Cebu City

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Mindanao Adventures part two is out now:
Mindanao Adventures 2


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