Feeling of Liberation on a Motorcycle

Last weekend, I finally was able to set foot in mainland Mindanao after twenty seven years of existence. I have been to quite a lot of places in Luzon and Visayas and the only province I've been to in Mindanao is Camiguin but its actually an island off the northern coast of the second largest island in the Philippines. I was very happy to be able to finally do it after numerous postponements.

I went with my friend Rona and we spent our weekend in Cagayan de Oro, Misamis Oriental with a side trip to Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. We stayed in her cousin's house which was very accessible from the city center. Overall the trip was exhilarating! Though for this instance we did mostly touristy things. It was also an overdue trip between Rona and I since last year we were initially planning to go to Ilocos but due to scheduling conflicts as I was already starting my internship in VSMMC we had to postpone it. This time due to convenience and a little bit of financial matters we decided to change the venue to Northern Mindanao since we will have a place to stay and the expenses will not surmount to huge deficits between us. I'm glad we did. Every thing about the trip was delightful.

The highlight of this trip for me was traveling to Bukidnon from CDO in a motorcycle. My parents would've not permitted me to proceed once they find out I will be jumping on such form of transportation. I told them we will be taking the bus. My parents have an absolute no riding in a motorcycle rule at home. My mom had a cousin who died in a motorcycle crash and my paternal grandfather had an accident while riding on a motorcycle years ago. So a motor bike for them means at least harm or a death sentence. The only time I had ever ridden on a motorcycle was six years ago on a mountain climbing trip to Mannungal. It was the driver, two of my friends and I on a road full of curves and it was slippery.

This time I loved the feeling of the cold fresh air hitting your face, surrounded by long landscapes of greenery - from pineapples to pines, and just simply enjoying the breathtaking beauty of nature. Plus the temperature was 20 degrees Celsius! It was a nice change from the usual humidity here in Cebu City. It was a liberating feeling being able to visualize how gorgeous are the unspoilt virginity of nature's finest while being surrounded by lush views and a blue clear sky above with interesting cloud formations. Mother Nature was also good to us as there was no rain showers that day! I think we were really blessed as it had been raining hard three days earlier.

The four hour motorcycle ride cleared my head with all these apprehension and uncertainties about basically every thing but mostly about the future and employment issues. And about fear of the unknown. This trip brought back a lot of sensibilities that I have lost and I am slowly gaining back my confidence and faith in my clinical skills. Thanks to a motorcycle. And thank God we came home safe with no injuries just unforgettable memories.

Aside from the reflection inducing ride we did all the zip lines in Dahilayan and my favorite was the 840 km Superman zip line. The views were fantastic! I know now how its feels to fly without wings just sturdy cables and safety harnesses! We also did the Zorb which at first was adrenalin pumping but in the middle it gets really painful and you can literally feel like your abdominal contents are about to regurgitate. But it was a worthy experience.

In CDO, we did white water rafting (yes, finally I can cross that out of my bucket list!) and I broke a paddle. It is a must try for any one looking for a safe yet exciting trip that is also affordable. In the city we ate at this sumptuous bread shop Missy BonBon. Their cheese sponge was to die for and they have delicious affordable gelatos. My favorite was the beer gelato. Imagine my glee of two of my favorite things combined in one cold treat! All the other gelatos were also as good. Then we explored the Night Market at Divisoria. What amazed me was the presence of a massage station right in the middle of a crowded street at low prices amidst all the clothes and street food! To spice it up a rock band was even playing too!

I had a great weekend. Hoping that I can get to travel again any time soon. And yes, the best way to see Mindanao is by motorcycle. It is risky but once you make it, it is worth it!