First day city tour adventure (Aug 9, 2013) : Lunch at local Italian restaurant, visit Philippine Eagle Center, visit People's Park with Pre -Celebration of the Kadayawan Feastival and "SUTUKIL" food trip.
It's my first time to set foot on the land of Mindanao- Davao City, the land of Durian, the biggest city in the Philippines, the cleanest and the most discipline city. Together with my dear friend and travel buddy Jinky, we arrive 3 days before for my scheduled climb in Mt. Apo.
Our flight from Manila - Davao( via Airasia airline) is delayed for 1 hour , we arrive at Davao City around 11:00 pm it's already late night. We immediately get to sleep after we arrive at Camillus Dormitel, where i booked our accommodation. I feel so sleepy waiting for the delayed flight and plus the previous succeeding nights I have always slept late just to cope up some work loads before this long vacation.
We sleep and rest well, it's a new day at Davao City. We're excited where and what interesting place to go but before all this I am also excited to taste the food in Davao. We find a canteen on the ground floor of the Dormitory to eat our breakfast. Yes, it is indeed the foods are delicious and so affordable. As the dormitory where we staying is part of Davao Medical Center the canteen serves some healthy and home cooked foods.
After breakfast where to go from here? As me and Jinky are full stranger on this biggest city. We roam around first on the part of the city and i am excited to ride on the jeepneys where i can feel that i am Davaoweno. We just ask the receptionist on our dorm what jeepney signboard to ride in roaming around the city.
At noontime, we decided to go to the Philippine Eagle Center. The dormitory where we staying is a the compound of Davao Medical Center, good thing this just near at the city proper and so accessible on the jeepney ride when you want to roam around the city.
We ride a jeepney from our dorm going to Bangkerohan Market, where the van terminal going to Calinan is located. As we are walking and finding the terminal going to Philippine Eagle Center we pass by a unique Italian restaurant, just in time it is almost lunch time and we decide to eat here. This is one part i like when travelling to have food trip and to eat on some local restaurant.
La Toscan Italian Restaurant this is located at Quirino Ave., Davao City (Beside Banco de Oro). It must be one of the coziest restaurant in the City of Davao, Philippines. Its intricate iron and wood furniture lends a decidedly European ambiance. Wines are arranged neatly in a wine racks interspersed with photos of famous diners.(http://latoscanacuisine.com/)
Italian Restaurant at Davao City.
So cozy dinning with Italian motif.
So Romantic ambiance for a lunch date and dinner.
Italian wines display at wall.
Me and Jinky eating our Italian home cooked lunch.
We went inside; a friendly smiling waitress with a nice uniform greeted us. She guided us to our table, we prefer to seat by the window and she hand over us the menu. We order our lunch , for pasta we have Alla Marinara, for the soup we order Ribollita Bisenzio , orange juice and ice tea. While waiting for our ordered food, we look around the setting of the dining area of the restaurant. It is so Italian, we notice some photo's of the celebrities who had eaten here, some wines displays on the wall, uncooked hanged pasta, intricate design of table and chairs, and so cozy table seating. And i am so amaze of the interior decoration of this small cozy Italian restaurant.
Our complimentary starter food while waiting for our order a toasted bread
It takes some time to order the food, as it is freshly cook when you order it. They give us complimentary toasted bread with olive oil as a starter food while we wait for our order.
They serve the soup freshly cook and still hot, we were so curious to taste their specialty. Indeed, just on the soup our tummy's are satisfied already.
Ribollita Bisenzio soup dish. A mixture of vegetable soup with bread.
Just we are about to finish our soup, they serve the newly cooked pasta. Alla Marinara pasta this a fettuccine pasta with green shells with a sumptuous full taste of cheese.
Alla Marinara Pasta. Fettucini pasta with greenshells.
Jinky on our sumptuous lunch.
It added on my appetite. Bon a Appetite'
So full and satisfied of our Italian food lunch. Burp!
We're so fond of the interior of the restaurant. We get some pose at the counter area.
We spend time at this cozy restaurant for almost 2 hours. And now we are heading to our planned destination, to go at the Philippine Eagle Conservatory Center. As instructed by Sir Rodel ( our guide for Mt. Apo climb), we will ride a van from Bangkerohan Market going to Calanin. It's only walking distance from the restaurant, the said terminal. Going to Calinan from Davao City is almost 1 hour travel time, the fare is Php45.00. And from Calinan Market you have to take Tricyle or habal -habal and we prefer on a tricycle with a fare of Php20.00.
For almost 20 minutes ride on a tricyle, we reach the Philippine Eagle Conservatory Center. This is located at Davao City Water District (DCWD) Watershed at Malagos. There is an entrance fee of Php10.00 at the gate, before you enter the conservator center there are some pasalubong stores near the main gate. We spotted the pride fruits of Davao - durian, pomelo and mangostein.
Pride of Davao - Durian.
Mangostein.
Pomelo! oh Pomelo! or Suha
We crave to eat Durian, it is only Php 60.00/ kilo here. It has been so long that i tasted this smelly fruit. So we try it again this time. But still i cannot take the smell, we give some part of the fruits on "Lumad" kids standingby at the entrance of the Philippine Eagle Center.
Freshly open Durian. Ok, let's eat!
The Center is home to 36 Philippine Eagles, 18 of which are captive-bred. It also houses 10 other species of birds, 4 species of mammals and 2 species of reptiles. Simulating a tropical rain forest environment, the Center offers the visitor a glimpse into the country’s forest ecosystem. Although the exhibits are used primarily to help educate the Filipino people on conservation, the facility is also considered a major tourist attraction in Davao City. For more information please kindly visit this link: (Philippine Eagle Center)
Philippine Eagle Conservatory Center.
Philippine Eagle Center
Durian at its tree trunk.
I'm so glad i see this beautiful creatures. So sad to know that there species are endangered already.
More animal species to see on this conservatory center.
Backdrop of Philippine Eagle Center.
Well, we're satisfied what we discovered inside this conservatory. We have to get back to Davao City. Going back is slightly hard to commute. We ride on habal -habal going to Calinan Market while it is raining. "ok lng kuyang driver go lng".. and take a van going to Bangkerohan Market, Davao City.
It was another whole day adventure at Davao City. For tonight we are thinking where to go again. And we opted to go to People's Park, it's only one ride on a jeepney from our dorm. Our trip in Davao is one week before for their Kadayawan Festival. They have some advance celebration, there are a lot of people on the park celebrating the festival.
Lumad's statues at the People's Park.
Another Lumad's statue.
Guards at the gate are keen on inspecting the bags and things of the people entering the Park. Locals and tourists like us are enjoying the festive mood of the park. They have dancing fountain shows at every 15 minutes.
Fantastic dancing fountain show.
Fantastic dancing fountain show.
Davawenyo's charm and welcoming smile. Celebrating their Kadayawan Festival.
Traditional costume for Kadaywan Festival.
A float with full of Davao's pride product.
We have so much on the festive mood at the People's Park, now our tummy's are complaining. Where can we have our dinner? We look again for a local restaurant around the People's Park, really it's our main goal to have some food trip whenever we explore new place.
I was curios of the "Sutukil" food before, i heard this food on some of my friends whenever they've been in Davao. So, we order this food. One order would be good for for 3 persons and the price is so reasonable. "Sutukil" is a way of cooking a fish of 3 different kinds - "Su" for Sugba or grilled, "Tu" for Tula or Stew and "Kil " for Kinilaw. Wow! so superb, we did able to finish all this.
"Sutukil" - grilled Tuna.
"Sutukil" - Inihaw na Tuna.
"Sutukil" - Sinigang na Tuna.
It was a full pack adventure and unforgettable moment on our first whole day in Davao. It seem's like that we are already a local here in Davao, upon experiencing on what they have.
Tomorrow our second day here in Davao, we're thinking to roam around on the old city downtown.
continue to : Sightseeing at Davao City (Day 2)
continue to : Sightseeing at Davao City (Day 2)
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