Life is a Joni

One of Davao's pride when it comes to nature adventure is Eden Park and Resort . Located at Mt. Talomo, Toril , this place is not that hard to travel. In fact, if you don't own a car, you can reach it by riding a sidecar motorcycle. There are many of them waiting at the highway. It was Callbox Davao 2nd Anniversary celebration when I first went there. We stayed overnight at their Campsite . It's an ideal setting for group activities and recreation. There are several huts around. Trees are everywhere, birds are still in numbers---definitely a return to nature. We arrived past midday and right after we set up tents and unload our baggage, action immediately started. We had a lot of games and challenges. Group members were randomly selected. Everybody had a great time. By night, after dinner, activities still continued. We had a bonfire and few people were surprisingly put in a hot seat to answer random questions from anybody. I knew I had to save myself...

Hungry from sweating and losing some adrenaline in our Xcelerator experience, we headed to Jack's Ridge for some sumptuous source of energy. Situated on a hilltop, Jack's Ridge offers a perfect view of the city. The place is not only limited to dining purposes. It's big enough to hold events like wedding, family reunion, anniversary celebration, company parties or any other special occasions. Cottages are also available for overnight accommodation. Taklobo Restaurant , their main eating place, offers local cuisine like grilled native chicken, kinilaw, sinigang and many more. We surely had much munching and left our table with bellies like apple. As we digest, we took some time strolling around. Jack's Ridge is a great place to unwind especially at night when the air is cooler and the whole area is illuminated by lamp posts and hanging lanterns around. This was not my first time and certainly not the last. Everytime we have visitors, this is whe...

"If not now, when?" Short but motivating. That was what the staff said when I told my friends I'm not joining because I'm afraid of heights and not yet ready to face it. When he said those words, I realized he's right. Why not give it a try? He's quite convincing and powerful, huh! While he's helping me to put on my gears, I asked him if an accident had already happened maybe due to cable problem or faulty harness system. Good thing, not even one. That gave me an assurance especially when he mentioned that the materials they use are of high quality. OK then, whatever will happen will happen. The jump-off is on the other side of the river and uphill. So to get there, we have to ride a bamboo raft then hike for about 20 minutes. It's a good idea that they incorporated this to their package for it adds fun and adventure. Upon reaching the top, I was almost tired that I had no choice but to take the ride than to trace my steps back to t...

I usually don't like going back into places I've been to especially if there are new places around worthy to explore. But when our team decided to spend the weekend at Mergrande Ocean Resort , I instantly gave a nod. It's been a decade anyway since my last visit with my family. Its name then was  Villa Victoria . Now I'm excited to see it again and bring back the fun I had when I was still a child. I'm quite not sure but upon seeing it, I guess the place hasn't undergone a lot of changes. The pond, the swings at the park, the castles, the dwarfs and the giant shoe house---they're all fresh in my memory except maybe for the giant pool which I think is the new addition. As expected, Vem and I didn't miss the chance of taking a lot of pictures at the playground, at the fishing village, and at the mini golf course. Not too many people were there. Most of them were at the pool or at the beachside. Well, shortly after we ate our lunch, we j...

With no special favor, Davao is undoubtedly the country's Most Livable City . I live here since 2008 and so far, so good. The city is peaceful and organized. I feel safe all the time that I don't bother walking at night even in an empty street. Water is exceptionally clean. Just turn on the faucet and you can have a drink! Even the water you'll use in flushing the toilet is no difference from the one that'll quench your thirst. Though I haven't seen any certification to prove it but I read/heard that it's the world's second cleanest water next to Christchurch of New Zealand . In addition, tropical fruits are plenty at any season. Durian , mangosteen, rambutan, lanzones, marang, pomelo, banana---name it all. Not only they are plenty but also sold at relatively low prices. Would you still argue why the city is hailed as the Fruit Basket of the Philippines ? Here, people are always happy and disciplined. You seldom see trashes on the streets becau...