Meandering Malaybalay

Happy to be back in Malaybalay, the capital of Bukidnon Province!

What a crowded and colorful day. This was the scene just outside the Bukidnon Business Hotel where I just checked-in. Too many happy people walking the streets! That corner at right is their Rizal Park.

But I already knew that this was Kaamulan Day, so I was not complaining. In fact, I was telling my self, if I only knew that today was the festival, I should've arrived yesterday. The "ka-meeting" didn't tell me!

I decided to visit the church. I knew from previous visits it's just on the other side of that plaza at right. Here! The San Isidro Cathedral of Malaybalay. But oh, too many people, and service was in progress..,

I couldn't possibly squeeze myself in there just to take photos, so I said 'maybe next time na lang'. But I asked myself what could I do or where should I go. I thought maybe I should check out the festival at the capitol grounds. But from my last experience, at about this time, the performances should be over.

3:51PM? My royal self told my royal highness "it is meryenda time"! Da! I waved at a trike and asked if he could bring me to a Jollibee with no people! He chuckled, but let me hop-in (behind him) telling me that the two girls already on board (who also giggled at my joke ha) were in fact going to Jollibee too!

Oh boy, how could there be no people at this branch.., look, Jollibee and friends were performing!

Call me immature whatever, but I too enjoyed watching their skillful dance moves. Charming mascots!

Of course I had my 2-piece chickenjoy, for which I think I was given the wrong receipt [who cares]!

Oh, did I tell you somewhere in my stories that I usually don't throw my food receipts until a day or two after a meal? It is sometimes helpful, but let us talk about that in another blog entry. Meantime, as for this Jollibee receipt, I doubted three things - 1] there is a line that says "take home"; 2] there is nothing that says my Coke was "upsized", and 3] the time stamp says 3:35PM, eh it was already 3:51PM when I hopped on the trike at the church! The price / item seemed correct though, so I didn't mind, this time.

Oh, I got a short clip of that "aliw" dance showdown hehe, I'll place that here soon!

After that 'hefty' 2-piece chickenjoy "afternoon meryenda", I decided to walk leisurely back to the hotel. Why such a heavy snack when it was only 3 hours before the dinner-meeting? Ah eh, I was famished.., I only had morsels of this-and/or-that on the way from Cagayan de Oro to this city. And.., the last "real" (rice)meal I had was the 2-piece chickenjoy (also?!) at Cebu Airport this morning. I ought to be hungry!

Besides.., you know Filipino-time.., a dinner scheduled at 7PM usually realistically 'materializes' about 8PM.., sometimes even 9PM, right? I'll probably drop dead of starvation by then! Besides too, drinks or cocktails usually precede such hosted dinners, right? Well, I am not good at any of those on an empty stomach! And besides too.., it's considered prim presenting your self at social gatherings na hindi ka mukhang patay gutom na hayok-na-hayuk lumamon. Di ba?! A globally popular hypocritic social norm!

Anyway..,

Just as I thought, the Kaamulan performances should have ended by about this time. See them?

They were all on the way home. And OMG those floats.., I said this in my 2010 experience.., they have the sturdiest of floats I have seen. And they dance, jump or thump as groups while those floats move!

This truck-load of after-performance giggly youngsters may seem students from some school..,

But if you ask them (I watched and asked in 2010), each of the 7 groups(tribes) are always composed of a whole demographic spread - kids, youth, tribesmen/women (all real), OSY, seniors, teachers, etc.!

I got carried away with seeing the festival performers going home, so I decided to walk past my hotel and head to the capitol grounds just to see whatever was still there. Dinner was still in 2hours anyway.

And oh boy did I see what was still there! Of course the good old beautiful capitol building hehe!

I realized it looks more alluring at dusk, but it would have been better if I came a bit earlier (I think).

I walked to the very front for a real dead-center view. Look, it almost looks like a flat 2d drawing!

Yeah, if I came earlier, those strong spotlights pointing towards the viewer wouldn't have been lighted yet. And if there were still little streaks of the setting sun, this shot could've been 'yellowish' that I like.

For a moment there, I wished my house was as big and looking like that - and all made of wood! That would have been the grandest residence, right? Ah, just daydreaming, okay?! Walang basagan ng trip!

Here's a blurred pic of the "Sangguniang Panlalawigan" Building, though I think it still looks dramatic!

It somehow looks like an 'architectural emulation' (if I may call it that) of the capitol building, right?

Alright, I headed back to my room at Bukidnon Business Hotel to prepare for my dinner meeting.

But I still caught interesting sights of like.., downstairs hehe, even before I left for the dinner venue!

And this "batman light" from the Kaamulan concert that just started at the capitol grounds..,

I even caught their fireworks display just before I went out of the hotel (I'll put that here once ready)!

I'm not done just yet! Early morning the following day (kanina), I went for a walk around nearby areas.

That is their "Plaza Rizal". If you look closely, in there is a rather new monument, a tableau called the "Ereccion De Pueblo". I put that as "the making of, or, the creation of a village" - 'wag kung anu-ano ang sumasagi sa isip mo nakabasa ka lang ng salita na yan! Ang pag-tayo, ayay "ang pagtatayo ng bayan"!

I heard about it being constructed back on my 2010 visit, but I never got to see it as it was still "in the making". But I heard too, that it was controversial even to some locals. Why? Because they said it was like making a monument (upholding) colonialism. On top of that, there was talk that Rizal's monument could be transferred, and consequently this plaza renamed, because of the making of that monument.

But I saw that Rizal was/is still in the middle of the plaza, still standing tall. Good!

Walking on.., I also unexpectedly happened by the kilometer zero marker of the city (and province?)..,

That is steps away from the gate of their provincial police office or Camp Capt. Ramon M. Onahon - about 400 meters south of the Plaza Rizal, still on Sayre Highway. Far from the capitol or the city hall.

Anyway, walking onwards more, I noticed most jeeps here are now of the multicab type..,

These vehicles are cheaper and probably low-maintenance than the Sarao type. But too tiny cramped.

Walk pa more! I noticed many vehicles go left after the cemetery, so I went that way. Oh, palengke!

Yep, the city's public market. That sign at left made me curious.., do they sell "Butakal" here? Because at many places in this country those are just usually rented/hired. Oh, for those who do not know yet.., what's a "butakal"? It's a Visayan word for a boar (male hog). A male pig used for breeding, well.., pigs!

Okay, tama na ang kababuyan na yan hehehe! I turned left at that next corner and... OMG!

What I saw OMG stirred my sanity. I decided to return to my hotel quickly - no I did not walk back on the "about a kilometer of road" I earlier strolled at. I hopped on a tricycle to be back at the hotel ASAP.

But let's talk about that on my next story.