Foot and Fire

 After the Tinagong Dagat trek, 2009 This is how I looked after traversing the Bacolod to Talisay route using the trail via Tinagong Dagat.  No hiking experience, fresh from 8-5 desk job, no gears (not even a raincoat), I ended up like a Vietnamese finding refuge anywhere in the Mekong River paddies. If you can picture that, you know what I meant. Meanwhile, the expert hikers have raincoats, as pictured below. In short, my first travel tip is: Be prepared to look ridiculous!

I will not anymore bore you with words. I will not interrupt your salivating over these dishes, all made from the main ingrediet: Tilapia. This fish is the prime produce of the community in the municipality of Lake Sebu. To appreciate the experience we had in there, please visit my foot and fire blog here , and  here . Above is the chicharon tilapia, pinaputukang tilapia, breaded tilapia and veges, sinugba and paksiw na tilapia. *** *** *** ***

I call our trip as an introduction to Mindanao Tour because we took the easiest places to navigate: Samal Island, Koronadal City, Lake Sebu and Davao City during our one-week vacation. Here is our itinerary as it actually happened and I inserted some more suggestions to make your trip better than ours! Enjoy... Nov 22 -- From Bacolod City, arrival to Davao Airport and headed to Samal Island (nightswimming at resort, bat cave and holiday view deck) Nov 23 -- joined a brgy fiesta, White house, Haguimit Falls, Maxima Aquafun and tried Langka delight at a pasalubong center Nov 24 -- traveled to Davao City Overland Terminal and rode yellow bus going to Koronadal/Marbel, South Cotabato. Checked in, checked out Koronadal. Commercial Center (KCC) Mall and dinner at basilio's and visited Lantaw Marbel Nov 25 -- traveled to Lake Sebu where we did the dressing up, zipline, and sight seeing. Don't forget to enjoy tilapia. (Back in Marbel, one should see The...

After eating the voluptuous Tilapia at the Punta Isla Lake Resort, we went on boating (P600/boat) for about 40 minutes. We had an overview of the wide lake that is home to the famous Lake Sebu Tilapia. We were guided by an educated T'boli lady who does not smile but very well memorized her English entertaining lines. She can also name all the datus or the rich people who own some part of the land that can be found near the lake. Nothing is spectacular about the tour but it sure made me bring some nature shots and the activity is a sure good way to buy time while digesting our lunch and also to put a period to our day in lake Sebu! *** The tummy-full tourists! *** Our non-smiling guide! *** The signature Punta Isla Lake Resort floating resto. *** Here are the captured stars of our 40-minute boat trip: *** *** *** *** *** ***

We enjoyed all Tilapia cookery in Punta Isla Resort at Lake Sebu. My favorite is the Pinaputokang Tilapia , a steamed tilapia wrapped in banana leaves but their bestseller is the appetizer Chicharon Tilapia. Punta Isla Resort features a restaurant overlooking the serene lake. This lake is the home of the community-grown Tilapia. When one is in South Cotabato, everyone claims that their Tilapia came from Lake Sebu because the Lake Sebu Tilapia tastes better than anywhere else in the province. Chicharon Tilapia as appetizer! This was a hit. *** We ordered their Sinugba na Tilapia but the fish were dry and surprisingly,  we all loved this Pinaputokan na Tilapia because of the savory taste of the steamed fish preserved inside the banana leaves. *** This is their breaded fried tilapia with breaded mixed vegetables to. *** Kinilaw na Tilapia. Awesome. *** Pinaksiw tastes like home. *** While we were waiting for the...

Tita Nida and I paired up! *** Julie-Ann went on a solo flight! *** Father and Mother did it together! *** We dit it! *** She did it! *** The heavyweights did it! YOU CAN DO IT TOO! For a fee of P250 for weeekdays and P300 for weekends, one can enjoy the zipline twice.  One in the 600 ft above the ground at 700 meters and 400 meters ride.  Please see related video posted earlier.

We enjoyed the zipline in Lake Sebu. With 600 feet above the ground, it is the highest zipline in Asia. And for a fee of P250 for weekdays and P300 for weekends, the tourist can enjoy two rides, the 700 meters and 400 meters ride. The video above is taken during my 700 meter ride. It was the more exhilirating ride of the two because the length of the ride allowed me to enjoy nature's lush beauty from above, albeit, how fast and furious. You should enjoy this too...

I can't name what falls is this (I think this is the second falls because this was taken after we did the zipline. According to the tourism blog of Lake Sebu ,  this is called Hikong Bente and described as "standing majestically at 70 ft high, Falls 2 or Hikong Bente (others call it Dongon Falls) is located 40 meters from Falls 1 and can be reached by either hiking the 700+ steps, driving down the road or simply fly up in the air by means of a zipline ride!" *** This is the first falls. Since the early morning sun is against our camera, we did not have a decent shot of this falls. Moreover, the droplets from the falls partially blind our cameras! At any rate, we enjoyed the cool spray of waters. The tourism blog says of this falls, "n amed as "Hikong Alo" in T'boli, the first of the series of seven falls stands at 35 ft. It is also here at Falls 1 where thrill seekers can try flying up in the air and enjoy the breathtaking zipline ride -...

One of the first activity we had when we arrived at the first falls aside from admiring the gigantic falls which sprinkled us with early morning cold waters was to have a family portrait wearing the famous weaving of the T'bolis called Tinalak. Strictly, the tinalak weaving is the one worn by father (center). The black with specks of white are worn by the elderly women while the colorful ones are worn by the young ladies. There are no difference in the skirt's design for the young and old women. At a minimal fee of P50, one can rent the costume from head to never-mind-the-toes and take unlimited selfies and groupies. It is also in this area where one can request a photo of mock-zipline which they cleverly offer to those who are afraid of the heights. ***   I stood in the center so that the falls which is supposed to be the backdrop was covered! *** MOMSY AND SISSY DUO: That's the falls between them! *** POPSY'S SOLO ACT: He wore ...