Anagon's Travel Blog: I'll go back to Davao for the Coffee Breaks.

Destination Davao, February 20-23 ,2009.

As the title goes, I miss Davao for my numerous coffee breaks there. I had a taste of their coffee the moment we stepped in this city in Mindanao. My friend Geo had to leave us for work right when we just got there (my dear busy friend!), which left me and her friend Mel with nothing to do. I just met Mel there, but I really like her coz she's nice, and like me, she doesn't want to waste time--especially when you're in a new place!

BLUGRE.

Love at First Sip. Coffee with perfect strangers=Fine Time. =)

What we did was we had a late coffee break in no less than Davao's local coffee shop Blugre. The place is located in Matina Town Square, a small open space area with several shops that doesn't open till late-late afternoon. We stayed there browsing through their menu first, and I was attracted that they serve DURIAN coffee! Durian is Davao's popular sweet fruit with spiky-green outer covering, made known for it's pungent scent that you can sniff even at a distance (haha). It's a must-try since Durian Coffee isn't just served anywhere, and the coffee doesn't taste weird at all! :)

Turns out that Mel has been in Davao several times already, and was there for her own agenda (Geo and Mel are both involved in socio-civic activities. I am exposed to really nice people, haha!). That's why she knows Blugre (the only coffee shop I've been to that accepts GCash* payment--woot!). We were also accompanied over coffee and a slice of delicious cake by her friend who is a local there, I forgot her name but she was nice to drove us back to our residence in Mindanao Resource Training Center, which is a small room inside a medical school campus (coz it's cheaper). =D

Trick of the Trip. We spent less on our accommodations since we rarely stayed there anyway!

That night, Geo still at work, Mel let me tag along her meeting in Ateneo de Davao, which also led into me dragging along with her to a convention of datus and other group leaders. It was a big exposure to my country's indigenous tribes, I have no idea what I was doing there (I can't even understand the different dialects!), but the experience resulted to appreciation of culture and people.

Culture Vulture. Snapshots from Ateneo de Davao and a visit of tribe leaders' meeting.

*GCash - a mode of payment via text, powered by a phone network (Globe). This mode is more popular for online shopping!

Yellow Hauz.

Friendship, Yellow, and Coffee. All my favorite things in the world.

My Davao trip, in all honesty, was all about meeting my long time buyer-turned-friend Shine. She even ordered accessories and racks from me, which I brought there in the trip. She was supposed to meet me in the airport (I was expecting waves, welcome signs, and hugs--haha!), but I think she forgot or fell asleep. I wasn't mad at her for a long time coz she texted me on my first night, and finally we met on my second day in Davao.

Geo and Mel left early for their meetings, so I prepared for my--wow--The Big Davao Meet-up, and rode a cab to a place Shine texted me. We stayed in a coffee shop named Yellow Hauz. Going there, we took another non-aircon taxi ride! This is not available in Manila (good thing because of air pollution =p), Shine opted this ride too since she wants the fresh air plus the flag down rate is cheaper!

Look ma, we rolled open the car windows! We rode cheap cabs with no air-conditioning, or what they call "Non-Air".

We chit-chatted over hot coffee in the posh cafe, and I found out that Shine just got off from her call center work. She welcomed me to her apartment and showed her gazillion collection of ANAGON accessories (oh how I love her, haha!), had lunch in an open eatery overlooking the sea (wow), then went to SM Davao to stroll, and I decided to watch a movie--which is such a sweet-cheap surprise for movie-buff-me coz tickets are for P80 only! :D ($1.70)

Buyer-turned-Friend. Yes you can find real people online. :-)

We ended the night in Jack's Ridge, a high point in the city: where we had sight-seeing, took more photos, dinner, and of course, coffee! :-)

Coffee at Night. With a beautiful view of the city, who would want to sleep?

Coffee by the shore.

Would you lie with me and just forget the world? Chasing Cars while lying in the sand: perfect emo-moment!

This is most probably one of my dream-come-true (haha)--the Coffee-Drinker that I am, experiencing da-life of hanging around the sand, over looking the sea, and sipping your iced coffee with passe chill songs playing in the background (care off my un-updated music phone--haha!).

Third day was spent in Samal--a beach just a few jeep-and-tricycle-small boat ride away from Davao City. Isn't this place the coolest?

Shine, Sand, Sun, Sip (of coffee). Samal's 4S are enough reasons to go back there.

There were lots of beach resorts in Samal, and turns out Geo and Mel were in a nearby resort from ours (we stayed in Blue Jaz). We had lunch, watched kids play with the sand as if it was snow, checked out the pool, and drunk our coffees and even beer at the shore (still, with the passe chill background music, haha). That night, this time with Geo, Mel, and my cousin Ayet, we went to Kublai's art house, had dinner there, and went through his wonderful artworks. It's actually one of my favorite days. =)

Art Attack. Walls and walls of Kublai's masterpieces.

Coffee in the mountains.

Everything fresh. The air, the organic coffee--it's nice to be one with nature once in awhile.

We maximized our last day in Davao by waking up early. I tagged along Geo and Mel to their interaction with people from Mt. Apo (or the foot of the mountain, I think). But before reaching the actual destination, we had to ride a habalhabal or a longer motorcycle! :D It was scary since we're always on the edge of death, I mean, mountain! :D We also had a little trekking (which for me wasn't little, AT ALL. haha!)...then we finally reached a resting place where Geo and Mel had their thing. I didn't really caught what their meeting was all about, but it has something to do with social enterprising local produce. They are really cool people. :)

It's also my first taste of their organic coffee. The girls were discussing things, while I let my mind roam around other things as I resigned to my healthy coffee break, a beautiful view of God's nature, and soft breeze of clean air. :-)

It's official. I am palpitating and wide-awake in love with Davao and its Diversity.