Food Trip in Zamboanga City

Our first food experience in Zamboanga City was at the eateries beside the Puericulture Center. It was a breakfast of balbacua, a soup dish with ox tail and skin. Sold at Php 40-50 per portion in the carinderia ambiance, it fits the appetite of diners on a budget.

Lunch on first day was along the beach of Sta. Cruz island. It was a different kind of crab, smaller and with less meat than any common crab. The lady vendor cooked about 8 pcs for us with steamed rice and vinegar dip, for a total bill of only Php 150.

Captivated by Merloquet Falls of Zamboanga

For me, the best natural attraction of Zamboanga City is their magnificent Merloquet Falls, found in Sitio Merloquet, Barangay Sibulao, northeast of the city proper. I don't think that our travel to Zamboanga City would be complete, if we failed to see this awesome waterfalls, carved by nature over thousands of years.

Since renting a car going to the falls would be too expensive, we utilized the public transportation to visit this natural wonder. From our hotel, a tricycle took the 4 of us to the Guiwan bus terminal, where we had a quick breakfast and bought Twins fried chicken for our lunch meal. The air conditioned Rural Bus left the terminal when it was full of passengers. Fare is Php 125 per adult person.

A Walking Tour of Zamboanga's Downtown

Zamboanga City is a nice quiet place with century-old structures and culture well-preserved, despite the advent of modernism. They have many parks which thankfully continue to maintain their presence, unlike in Manila where parks are being displaced by giant malls.

From our hotel along Mayor Climaco St., we just walked to the modern Metropolitan Cathedral to hear mass. It has three levels, where the second level is the venue for regular mass, and accessible by 3 flight of stairs on two sides. A large cross is visible on its facade, to show that the city is dominated by Christians.

Pasonanca Park & Jardin de Maria Lobregat

On the afternoon of our last day in Zamboanga City, we checked the Pasonanca Park and Jardin de Maria Lobregat, on the hilly northern portion of the main city. We flagged a tricycle from the hotel, which asked for Php 80 as fare to Pasonanca Park.

The area is covered by lots of acacia and other trees, which makes the temperature colder, aside from its high altitude. We went first to Camp Jose Atilano, a camping ground of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines, and a temporary shelter by DSWD for street children. 

Yakan Weaving Village in Zamboanga City

Another good place to visit in Zamboanga City is the Yakan Weaving Village in Calarian, northwest of downtown. From the city's public market, we rode an Upper Calarian-bound jeepney in Volderosa St., which fills up passengers before leaving. Jeepney fare is either P10 or P12, for about 15-minute ride. Ask the driver first if he's passing Gate 2, because the other Upper Calarian route that enters Gate 1 would not pass the weaving village.

The place is easy to miss, as it only has a small tarpaulin signage in an ordinary-looking neighborhood. In fact, the jeepney driver forgot to drop us to the place. I just told the driver to stop when I noticed the small signage of the weaving village, since we were seated beside the driver at the front seat.

Around Paseo Del Mar in Zamboanga City

After recharging our tired bodies from enjoying the beach of Sta. Cruz island in the morning, we spent the remaining part of our first day at Paseo del Mar. There were a lot of people when we arrived, as it was the launching day of Vinta Sailing, a new tourism initiative by the local DOT office and city government. We saw local press people covering the event, doing interviews to the guests, including Mayor Lobregat.

This is where we met Ms. Ludy of the Dept. of Tourism, who helped us visit the Merloquet Falls the following day. Like with all the people that day, she invited us to ride the vintas for free, but my kids do not want to get wet again from sea waves.

Sta. Cruz Pink Island of Zamboanga City

Mindanao island group in the Philippines has been portrayed in the news as a dangerous place, with kidnappings by Abu Sayyaf group, and some clashes between the government troops and muslim rebel groups. With rich natural resources and tourism potential, its unfortunate that the region has been branded as such, though there are cities in Mindanao which are peaceful and more orderly than Manila.

Zamboanga City in southwest Mindanao is one of the nice cities in the region. Dubbed as the Latin City of Asia, its one of the strongholds of the Spanish colonizers during the 19th century when they built a fort on it. Many of these Spaniards chose to remain in the area despite the revolutions and wars in the history, carving their own micro culture and Chavacano language in the city.

The Old Spaghetti House's Combo Meal

Last Sunday, Wife got a hankering for pasta at Old Spaghetti House. So after our aborted visit to patient confined at Asian Hospital, we proceeded to The Old Spaghetti House in Festival Mall, Alabang.

For an afternoon snack, four of us tried their Celebration Trio priced at Php 800. It consisted of appetizer platter (calamares, fish, and chips), a spaghetti dish (we chose w/ pesto sauce), a pizza (we chose the supreme flavor), and a dessert item. The items were served on a 3-layer metal stand, but I was not able to take a photo.