Zamboanga City: Asia's Latin City
We booked our tickets via Cebu Pacific thru their 26pesos seat sale in February of 2012. On top of my list is Surigao and Coron. The usual…ubos agad mga ganung destinations. Why not try Zamboanga City? We got it at Php1066/person roundtrip
At NAIA Terminal...checking in =)
I
still have plenty of time to research since our travel is 9 months away. I read some blogs about the city and learned
that there are a number of must-see places in Asia’s Latin City, Zamboanga.
Upon arriving at Zamboanga airport
It
feels so good to listen to Zamboangueños when they talk. A music to my ears. They were speaking Chavacano, a Spanish
creole, spoken by 80% of the population.
at Hermosa Hotel
We
arrived on a Friday night in Zamboanga City and booked our accommodation at
Hermosa Hotel for 3 nights at Php850/night good for the 6 members of my family
=). Hermosa Hotel is located at Mayor Jaldon Street contact numbers are (062) 991
2040-42. Standard rooms are at Php700, deluxe
rooms at Php850. The hotel has an AC, private toilet & bath and a cable tv. The hotel is just walking distance from Plaza Pershing, City Hall and some malls.
Southway Square Mall
On the next day we
proceeded to Canelar to meet our guide, Kuya Jungjung Corpuz in crossing
Isabela City, Basilan. After reaching
Isabela City, we just bought our food at Jollibee Basilan and proceeded to
Malamawi Island, Isabela. After our
roundtrip lakwatsa at Isabela, we scheduled the following day in going to the
Pink Island, Zamboanga City.
The main modes of transportation in the city are tricycles and jeepneys. A friendly tip, some tricycle drivers are taking advantage in asking for a high
fare even if the trip doesn’t even cover a kilometer. Never tell the driver that your destination
is a hotel, they will notice that you are a tourist and ask for a higher fare.
We paid Php100 on our first tryk ride, and on the following day we find
ourselves walking to tourist destinations which made my kids “simangot” all the
time, hehehe =). While walking "uy yung pang tricycle pambili na lang ng ice cream". When we ride a tryk
again the following day, we just said to the driver that he drop us to PLDT,
an establishment near our hotel… we paid Php50.
food stall near Hermosa Hotel
Zamboanga City Hall
After
our Pink Island adventure on a Sunday morning, we just took a nap at the hotel
and began walking. We passed through
Ateneo de Zamboanga and Metropolitan Cathedral of Immaculate Conception, the biggest cathedral I've ever been.
lighting our candles at Fort Pilar
After
mass, we proceeded to Paseo del Mar. So
lively at night! There’s also a free
musical fountain show every night. Paseo del Mar is a seafront park located near Fort Pilar. We ate at “Barcode”. Food so affordable and so yummy =)
Paseo del Mar at night
On
our last day in Zamboanga City, the kids woke up so early so we can proceed
immediately at Pasonanca Park. We walked
from Hermosa Hotel to Pueblo and look for a jeepney in going to Pasonanca, fare
Php10. There's no
entrance fee at the park.
boy scout Josh at Pasonanca Park
Pasonanca Park is approximately 5.3 kilometers north of City Hall and is dubbed as
"Barrio dela Paz"
the teepees at Pasonanca Park where the boyscouts/girlscouts can do some outdoor camping
the cool ambience of the park
One can spend a night at this tree house. It has all the amenities of a mini hotel
This park is built to commemorate the 24 Filipino boy scouts who died in a plane crash in India while they were on their way to attend a Jamboree in Greece in 1963.
The nearby place is the Butterfly Garden located at Jardin de Maria Clara, entrance fee is Php10. This garden park was named after the late mayor Maria Clara Lobregat. It houses floral and butterfly species. It also has an aviary park that rooms eagles, parrots and turkeys.
After
this we came back to Pueblo to eat at Jollibee of course because that’s what my
little boy always ask but deep inside I really wanted to try Satti, Zamboanga’s
pride. Afterwards we proceeded to Yakan Weaving Village. We looked for Upper Calarian jeepneys in
Pueblo, the jeepney terminal is in front of the public market and near police
station. We paid Php12 each for the fare. At Yakan Weaving Village, where the art of weaving is famous of, have used plants like pineapple and abaca converted into fibers as basic material for weaving. Using herbal extracts from leaves, roots and barks, the Yakans dyed the fibers and produced colorful combinations and intricate designs (wikipedia).
We
bought 3 shawls at Php100 each and a native wallet at Php50.
We’re
running out of time, we haven’t visited yet the famous “Barter Trade”. We just learned that it is just a walk away
from Hermosa Hotel. I have bought plenty of
chocolates at a very affordable price. A box of chocolate costs around Php90-120/box. I
bought 4 boxes of chocolates at Php415.
Tryk
fare to airport is only Php8 each, we paid Php32. Terminal fee at the airport is Php40.
Gracias! Zamboanga City =)
We will be back here if time permits. Tawi tawi is also on our lists, and we have to drop by Zamboanga City in going to Tawi Tawi. Wish! Wish! Sana may mag sponsor ng plane tickets, hehe =)
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