12 Memorable Things I (We) Did During Our Hometown Vacation

The last time I went home to my hometown Zamboanga City was on July 2013. It was not a vacation, but a work related travel. I was pregnant then and had to stay most of the time at the checked-in hotel before and after our meeting.

This year, I have planned (which hubby agreed) and made use of the long weekend on August 28 – 31, 2015 to visit my brothers and their families in ZC, my parents grave and also attended for the first time the ZCHS Main 70^th Alumni Homecoming.

Sunset at the Highway of Zamboanga City

August 28, 2015  (A proclaimed holiday here in Cagayan de Oro City to celebrate the Feast of St. Augustine), together with hubby, the two kids and the two Yayas, we left as early as 5:30AM (the earliest we can), trying our best to arrive in Zamboanga City before 5PM so that I can catch up with the ZCHS Main Torch Parade. In spite of having only a few minute stopover in Iligan City and Pagadian City to buy our takeout meals from Jolibee, we still arrived at past 5PM. An approximately 12 hours travel defensively, running at 60-80kph, plus the road repairs and traffics along the way. 

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Satti de Zamboanga

After I received my "travel order" to Zamboanga City, my birthplace, my hometown (thanks for the free trip), I immediately called up my older brother and told him that I am coming over and asked him to take me to a “Satti House”. The last time I had this spicy spirit kicking dish was years ago. I can’t really remember the exact figure, and I almost forgot that this delicious dish has ever existed. 

Spicy Satti @ P50.00 per serve

 

Satti is a local dish that is served with puśo (wrapped rice), sticks of roasted beef or chicken meat + overflowing with thick hot and spicy curry chilli sauce that is usually served early in the morning. You can rarely find satti available by lunch time. 

Anyway, we (my boss + 1 colleague) arrived on Tuesday July 30, 2013, 8AM on board Cebu Pacific from Cagayan de Oro City. My brother was supposed to picked me up at the hotel around 9AM and go directly to “Satti House”, unfortunately our schedule had changed, my boss asked me to stay for a while because were meeting one of our applicants and later had our lunch at Alavar Seafood Restaurant were we had the famous curacha.

The satti feast was slashed off that day. I thought I won’t be able to eat what I’m craving for during the trip because the only opportunity we had was on the first day, the 2^nd day will be devoted to main purpose why we went to Zamboanga, a whole-day business meeting and then fly back to CDO on the 3^rd. 

But guessed what? Good luck was on our side, because our business meeting host fetched us at the hotel early morning before the meeting and brought us to Andy’s Satti in Tetuan, Zamboanga City. All smile for me! Lol I thought I had a no-satti trip but I was wrong! Woot hooo!

Satti is really a famous dish to locals and tourists. From Christians to Muslims, students, workers to those who had hangover, satti is the most satisfying and energizing breakfast.  So if  you are in Zamboanga City don’t forget to try the spicy satti and I’m sure it will really perk up your day!

Food Trip Friday

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Zamboanga's Best: Curacha

Two weeks ago, I, together with my boss + 1 colleague went to Zamboanga City (which is also my hometown) for a business trip. Even before the scheduled trip the two of them had always talked about trying out the well-known Curacha in Zamboanga. Of course, as one of the locale in the only Latin City of Asia suggested for a lunch at Alavar Restaurant. 

   

from my instagram

Curacha (not the babaeng walang pahinga) is actually a local Chavacano name of a crustacean with cross breed of large sea crab and lobster characteristics.  Also known as the spanner crabs or red frog crabs, and are only found in the deep waters of Jolo. The Tausugs of Jolo call these sea creatures as “Kagang Pamah”, it has red-orange color which stays the same even when cooked. 

There are different ways to cook Curacha but the best one I tried is the "curacha with alavar sauce". Just like what we devoured at Alavar Seafood Restuarant in Tetuan, Zambonga City, at P700-P1000 per serving (defending of size) and is already goof for 2-3 persons.

I also remember my big brothers made the same dish when we visited them years back in Zamboanga City, we just bought the crab at the flea market and cooked it with the alavar sauce. Yep! Frozen “alavar sauce” are also sold per kilogram, so you can enjoy the same dish at your very home.

Food Trip  Friday

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Rocky Sea Shore

Why do we love the sea? It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think.
~Robert Henri~

This is a rocky sea shore scene at Zamboanga City Golf and Beach Club.

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Light Blue Skies and Ricefields

 This photo was taken along Zamboanga City Peninsula. 

Isn't it refreshing to stopped for a while on a long road trip and enjoy beautiful scenes along the way?

 

 

 

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Remembering Home

While digging my archive, I found this photo that I took at the back of your house in Zamboanga City my hometown. I was a new DSLR user that time and had to do experiments with the setting. I thought the scene will look dramatic if I'll convert it to sepia. I hope I did it right.

I miss this seen, it's been a year since I left my hometown again.

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At Blue Beach Park

After nine years working outside the city I finally got to be back home in my hometown Zamboanga City, stayed and worked in ZC for 10 months to be exact in 2008-2009 and had another work transfer again, this time for good in Iligan City.

On my ten months stay in Zambonga City I got to visit places again, I'd already forgot how it looked like before and I believed huge changes had undergone during my absence, like seeing another beautiful area inside the Zamboanga Golf & Beach Club that I never seen before. 

This is the Blue Beach Park inside the locally famous government managed beach resort in the city and this is My World on Tuesday.

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National Museum Fort Pilar Branch

When you're in Zamboanga City find time to visit the National Museum Fort Pilar Branch and get to know the culture and arts of the Chavacanos. There also more than 400 marine life specimen collected from the vicinity of Zamboanga, Basilan and Sulu. 

This is My World on Tuesday.

Need to grab my things now and attend the meeting first. I'll visit you soon after.

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Zamboanga City: Lunzuran Landscape

When I was still assigned in Zamboanga Area Control Center as Operation Shift Engineer, I have always passed by on this side of the City every time I'm on my way to work and vice versa.

Driving a motorbike and at the same time glancing sideways to view scenes around is quite dengerous right but whenever I passed here I'll make it a point to glance for a while and mesmerize the view. I love it most in the morning when the fresh sunshine lit the mountain range.

I stood at the side of the road and took this photo along barangay Lunzuran, Zamboanga City. You can see burned grasses near where I stood this is because the area in under development. Soon an exclusive subdivision will stood there and will eventually block this beautiful scenery.

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Zamboanga City: Station of the Cross

It's a Tuesday today and time for another showcase of My World on a sunny Tuesday here in Iligan City Philippines.

My entry for today is a photo taken at my home town Zamboanga City. Jessie and I went to the pilgrimage site of the Roman Catholics.

During the Lenten Season the area is full packed of faithfuls and devotees. The 14 stations of the cross are located at Abong-Abong pilgrimage site going halfway of the Mt. Columbota where you willl find this huge cross were final prayers and candles are lit.


You can also mesmerize the overlooking of view of Zamboanga City , the sixth largest city in the Philippines here.

Enjoy My World on Tuesday my hometown Ciudad de Zamboanga.

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Zamboanga City: The Four Century Old Fort Pilar

In Spanish, the Fort Pilar of Zamboanga City is called El Real Fuerza de Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza is a military defense fortress built on 17^th century Spanish colonial period. Built in 1635 and stands for almost 4 centuries is acclaimed to be the oldest structure and a major landmark in Zamboanga City, Philippines.

This former Spanish garrison also houses the National Museum were you can look back and appreciate the magnificent past of Zamboanga. You will also find in the museum natural marine life, antiques, and cultural records of the earlier days of Zamboanga as a Spanish City of the South.

On the upper portion of the fort’s east wall engraved the image of Nuestra Señora La Virgen del Pilar (Our Lady of the Pillar) and is now an open Catholic Shrine and the patroness of Zamboanga City. The feast of Our Lady of the Pillar is celebrated every 12^th of October.

Zamboangueños (people of Zamboanga) speak "Chavacano" which is 70% Spanish and 30% mixture of Tagalog Cebuano and other dialects, hence Zamboanga City is called the Latin City of Asia.

This is "My World on Tuesday" my hometown, Zamboanga City.

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Zamboanga City: Sunset @ Blue Beach

It's time for another SkyWatch Friday. And for this week my 7th entry will be a sunset view taken last June 16, 2009 at Blue Beach Resort, Zamboanga City.

I waited because I wanted a nicely taken sunset shot and this was the result of my patience.

More Skies across the globe HERE.

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Zamboanga City: A Long & Winding Road

After my shift as dispatcher at ZACC May 26, 2009, were I was previously assigned, got bored and nothing else to do for 3 days until my next shift, I decided to spend the day-offs at my husbands place. So, I packed my things, grabbed my camera and got a lift going to Iligan City.

While on mobile, Erwin & I took a stop somewhere along the way, got ourselves on top of the hill and have this stunning view taken. A long and winding road never appreciated while passing on it and dramatic clouds we usually see but never took notice of it's beauty.

Here I captured this sight while a passenger bus passed by.

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Zamboanga City: My Best Sunset Shot

I thought photography is just a simple click and of the camera's shutter but I'm wrong, it's all about composition, imagination, the ability to envision a final result in your mind's eye, and make it appear in your camera. This ability is what I long for to be able to create something unique something that is beyond imagination.

Note: No Photoshop adjustments were made on this photo, just a bit of cropping.

I've shot countless of sunset scene but I ended either overexposed or underexposed.
This shot is the best I ever had so far. Shot with a tripod at Lantaka Hotel Restaurant and a bit alteration of camera setting and VIOLA! I had a sunset scene, My BEST so far...

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