Bukidnon Weekend March 2, 2010

tribal necklace

I spent the weekend in one of my favorite places in the world, Malaybalay, a small city of pine trees and streams, seated deep into the heart of Bukidnon province.

A year after I graduated from college I was assigned for work in this small city, and this is where I’d spent my work weeks for more than three years until I decided to come home and take up another career. Well, the city holds very, very special memories to me too.  Every cafe, park, and street corner tells a story,  and even the stars, brighter than those in the smog-filled city, have their own tales to tell.

But I traveled over the weekend to  have fun and take some really good pictures, so that’s exactly what I did. And it surely did not hurt that I was traveling with one of my bubbliest friends in the whole wide world, Nashy.  So it was laughter most of the time, and lots of shopping trips on the side.

Kaamulan grounds

quiet streets in the morning

We stayed at the 1st Avenue Apartelle, a cozy inn tucked away in some lonely street off the main roads. Since the Kaamulan Festival had kicked off more than a week before our trip, booths were already set up all over the Capitol Grounds, where sellers and a lot of restos have set shop.  Streetdancing weekend was still a week away though, so the place was not yet too crowded.  Everywhere the pace was relatively relaxed, with just a few tourists and locals all over.

We checked in by lunchtime and after depositing our bags, we chose to have lunch at Amadeo Steak and Asian Cuisine. We ordered pasta and sea food and ate in a Bali-inspired cabana in the garden, over candlelight (there were a few annoying bugs, being in the garden and all, so I asked for candlelight). I ordered the Saffron Pasta, which was divine, and relaxed a bit before heading off to the Kaamulan Park/Grounds for some photographs.

with Nash at Amadeo

Saffron Pasta

The things that I love most about the Kaamulan Park are its towering trees, horses, and wooden guest homes that look like gingerbread houses and log cabins. A small stream runs along the park as well, and during quiet afternoons you can actually hear the bubbling water over the rocks. We planned to go horseback riding, zip lining, and even wall climbing, but the hot afternoon proved too much for us, so we simply walked for a while, sat on verdant grass to gaze at the skies, and snapped our cameras.

some provincial office that looked like a house from fairytales

the sun, playing games

lovely trees

We also spent the afternoon visiting booths, haggling prices, and shopping for a bit. I bought some anthurium plants and a rose cactus for Mom, while Nashy splurged (with emphasis on splurged, haha) on her purchases. Dinner was uneventful, as power interruptions spoiled our plans of visiting cafes and having coffee, so we simply stayed at the inn, watched some movie with Jim Sturgess in it on cable, and slept early for our eight o’clock Mass at the Monastery of Transfiguration the Sunday after.

The Monastery of Transfiguration

impressive architecture by the late Leandro Locsin

yep, still hope to get married here, someday

After the Mass, I could not leave the place without taking home the famous Monk’s Blend coffee, so I bought a small pack, to sample with my new coffeemaker. I was looking forward to breakfast at the Bukidnon Brew Cafe after leaving the church at the Monastery, but I forgot that they were closed on Sundays. Bummer.

So after a routine brunch (without coffee! :<) we headed to the shops again to haggle some more. I stopped along a few interesting items, took some snaps, but only bought a few. I almost congratulated myself for not really splurging. Well, mainly because I’ve already bought some shoes on bargain the night before. Ooops.

Abaca bags and beads

some interesting necklace from Dire Husi

pretty rosette necklace from Hinombo

sinamay summer bags!

bright colored wooden beads

So by 12:00 noon on Sunday we checked out the inn and stayed at some pastries shop downtown while waiting for Nashy’s sister to pick us up, who was driving through Bukidnon from Davao.

check out time

at the Angel's Log pastries shop. The ensaymada I had was melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Next time I’m in Malaybalay, I hope to go horseback riding at Quadra Eco Resort, spend an entire afternoon reading the books at Bukidnon Brew Coffee over fragrant coffee, and have my favorite Beef Teriyaki at Le Cafe.

In the meantime, I’m just happy to have visited the place again after two long years. There is nothing like the sight of mountains and trees and the small-town feel you don’t get in a crowded, humid city.

Many people have fallen in love with Bukidnon, myself included, and it’s easy to see why.

till next time!

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