Excerpts: Cebu, Cagayan De Oro, Oroquieta

 


I guess my personality is about discoveries. At this age, I am still soul-searching. Having to experience going abroad and taking my first ever vacation had me on my mind.

As part of my objective and personal goal to document my first ever vacation as an OFW, this serves as an introduction.

The 3 Addresses I’m Frequent to

CEBU

Basilica del Sto. Niño de Cebu, a popular tourist and religious site in Cebu City (c) boredsenses.com

I have been in Cebu for almost half of my existence for study and work. I fell in love in this festive city. The island life combines with contemporary artistry and lifestyle of Cebuanos—this is why I left half of my heart in it. The people of Cebu enjoys a wide array of leisure sources, from commercial retails, boozes to developed natural pristine waters on the beaches of the North to the South. Plenty of reasons to stay and be happy. After leaving the “Queen City of the South”, I sought for a better living in UAE. Although hard up to this moment, I have learned to get used to the hustle and bustle of being an OFW.

Cagayan De Oro

Skyline Aerial shot of Cagayan De Oro (c) Raphy Arcaina, cdodev.com

 “The city of Golden Friendship”. As a child, a city for me means malls and busy roads, and CDO was the only city I knew. I grew up being fascinated to be traveling to this developing city, because you would seem like a cool-kid buying school stuff at the city. Being brought-up in the province, you would’ve had proud moments to have shopped at Gaisano City. Cagayan De Oro, like Cebu offers retail therapies and natural wonders. But unlike Cebu, Cagayan De Oro has more land area. And because it is in the big island of Mindanao, land trips are a frequent and is appealing to those who are inclined to land travel.

By land, you’ll reach as far as Dipolog, Marawi*, Surigao, General Santos, Davao, Bukidnon, and so much more.

 Oroquieta City

Oroquieta City Plaza (c) Akrosdayunibers.com

 “The city of Good Life”. It is indeed a city of good life, laid back and prosperous. It is not the gallant Cebu City or Cagayan de Oro, nor do they have high-rising hotels or massive malls. It is a city of bountiful harvest both sea and land.

The sea-life is thriving and is providing the city a good turn-over of seafoods. Fresh fishes come seasonal, but the harvest is sometimes more than enough that there was even a rumor that the city people once, began to waste all the fishes. Allegedly, they started throwing all the excess , after some time, the harvest has suddenly dropped. But it was also a bad stormy time for Oroquieta City. Good thing, now it seems everything’s back to normal.

This picture was taken years back on my first blog entry about my landtrip from Oroquieta to Medina. (c) boredsenses.com

I was born in this City, my mother is from here. Their house is elevated from the ground about 5 feet high with coconut wood. The latrines are on ground. The smell of the atmosphere is cool and fresh. They have a different accent, they sound like that of Bohol with a little Ilonggo sweetness in the tone.

As a family, we make sure we visit the places my father and mother were from, annually. By the way, my father was from Dalaguete, Cebu. Places I’ve been in Mindanao: Misamis Oriental (Medina- CDO); Iligan-Mukas/Maigo; Ozamis; (Medina – Butuan); Oroquieta; Davao City; Bukidnon (Valencia, Malaybalay); Camiguin Island; some minor areas in Surigao.

This is a video showing a little road trip from Gingoog City to Medina.