We visited Davao for reunion with old friends and for food trip.Diving was just a side trip.
We left Banga, South Cotabato at around 5:30 in the morning, rode a van going to Koronadal City (also known as Marbel). The travel was about 30-35 minutes. The van dropped us in Yellow Bus Terminal where we rode a bus to General Santos. It was another 1 hour ride which I spent recounting stories about my highschool life in Marbel. Nostalgia ito.
In due time, we were in General Santos bus terminal. We rode another non stop bus going to Davao which lasted for about 4 hours. The bus dropped us in SM Davao where we took our brunch. Hello Jollibee! ; )
We checked in Sampaguita Inn which was a very cheap choice. The room was not really outstanding but we were very lazy to look for another one. Any way, it was okay for bargain trippers like us.
After 2 hours of rest, Joy and I decided to have a haircut and hair spa. At that time, I was starting to love the Davaoenos for the way they treat their customers. They had the most genuine smiles in their faces and always made sure we were very comfortable.
At around 7 in the evening, we met Dheng, one of Joy's best friends who was currently based in Davao. She drove us to Jack's Ridge Resort and Restaurant. The restaurant is situated on Shrine Hills which offered us a spectacular view of Davao. Before heading to eat, we decided to take pictures.
We tried Taklobo Restaurant. There was nothing extraordinary with the food and my green mango shake sucks. However, I tried to consume what was on my plate.
We just had a tour around the place before planning our next move.
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a view of Davao City at night at our backs |
The next stop was Caffe Firenzo.
The cold coffee tasted great. Wifi hotspot pa ang cafe. We got the chance to talk a lot inside before deciding to call it a day.
The next day was another day of food hunt. Dheng took us to Antonio's Bar and Grill Restaurant in F. Torres St. This restaurant was my personal favorite in Davao. The ambiance was great. On its wall were plates signed by prominent people who visited and ate in the restaurant. Among the remarkable personalities I could remember were Manny Pacquiao and wife Jinky Pacquaio, Korina Sanchez, Angel Locsin and us, of course. Hehe. The truth was, I asked for a plate so I could sign and we pretended to the waiter that I am famous. "Hindi mo ba ako nakikilala kuya, model ako." He stared for quite a moment, prolly, thinking. "Haha. In my dreams lang, kuya. Peace."
Our orders were:
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| sizzling bangus |
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| bistek tagalog |
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| gulay |
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| buko pandan |
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| our shakes |
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After the sumptuous lunch, Dheng left us for some chores while Joy and I met my best friend Tracy who was also based in Davao. Because she was from work, we decided to meet in Gaisano Mall. Gaisano Mall was more spacious than SM Davao. We spent our time window shopping while waiting for her.
At 4 pm, Tracy arrived with her hubby Dexter and while waiting for Dheng to finish her chores, we decided to drink iced coffee. Hindi lang pala food trip ito, coffee trip din! Our leisure time gave me a chance to bond with my bestfriend who I haven't seen for years.
The rest of the night was spent with a dinner in Matina's Flyover Ihaw Ihaw that offered delectable barbecues, meet up with Bong, another good friend of Joy and a short side trip to the Statue of David and People's Park.
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| showcasing beautiful girls and beautiful sculptures of Kublai Khan in People's Park |
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| Statue of David |
We passed by Kasagingan Kapehan where most products were made from banana. We did not eat, I just had another dose of coffee. We went to our inn past 12 midnight after caffeine overdose. But it was a fun night with life long friends.
The day after, Joy and I met my mom, Tracy and her sister Danja. This time, I allowed my mom to experience my personal favorite- Antonio's Bar and Grill, but this time, we tried the SM Davao branch.
Before leaving Davao, we have also tried Delongtes, a restaurant just across SM (sad to say I wasn't able to take pictures that time) and Coco's where Tracy recommended us to try pizza and pasta.
It was a great experience dining in Davao. Erase that, it's actually a great experience staying in Davao. I commend the nicest people from taxi drivers who were very honest, returning even the 50 cents change, the food servers who made sure we enjoyed our food, salesladies and parloristas who attended our personal needs.
Maraming Salamat Davao!
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sign my wonderwall.