Saturday, April 09 2005
3:55pm
At least we aren�t screwing too much McDonalds. If that�s good news.
When we landed at around 4:30pm yesterday I did wish for a minute that we wouldn�t
be having coverages set on slanted muddy mountain tops while dodging trees. We wouldn�t be, if that�s any consolation, but we�d also be spending approximately 10 days roaming around the bastard son of Binondo and Cavite that is Zamboanga City.
It was Jay who pointed out the distinct aesthetic resemblance. The area, a little bigger than Cavite, still had the �probinsyano� feeling that you�d notice from 10,000 feet high�untouched mountain areas, virgin forests and patches of archaic farming. All visible from the plane�s wing. However, the surprise came after our landing: the streets all look suspiciously like�
�It�s the bastard son of Binondo!� claimed Jay as I took a shot of the streets and its archaic buildings. It�s Manila in 1975.
From where we stood, I could see Paul and JP gingerly looking around at our first hotel prospect: something named like G hotel, my brain refused to remember. With our overly eager self-appointed tour guide–the tricycle driver–we were taken into the next potential hotel which initially got our consent�note that it got especially Paul�s–because of the beautiful perk: Jacuzzi. Next stop, Hotel Astoria.
�Bakit ayaw ninyo sa G Hotel?� I asked Paul after he settled himself next to me in the conveniently huge tricycle. Jay sat in the space in front of us and looked around. G hotel, as Manong Driver claims, is �walking distance� from the area of Prisaa, and offers nice prices anyway. In fact, MD (yes, Manong Driver. It�s hard consistently spelling his name out) seemed suspiciously too favorable of the place.
�Hindi ninyo kasi nakita yung lugar. Eh parang pag natulog tayo doon, gagawin tayong Zamboanga Scandal, eh. Ang pangit kaya!� tells Paul with disgust. As graphic ideas came into my head, a shudder came to me. No frigging way.
Jay and I were made to wait again with MD outside as Paul and JP did the checking when we got to Hotel Astoria. After a couple of unfortunate un-bookings, we decided to unload ourselves at that place and see the other hotels by foot. We gingerly paid MD P100 as he asked to be paid according to how much we think we should pay him. He gave us this look.
�Pwede bang pa dagdag? Inikot ko kayo, eh.�
Paul irately shoved an orange bill. We trooped over to another possible hotel. Alas, it couldn�t book us for the first night because of an unstable initial reservation, but offers to place us on substandard rooms while waiting for the suite of our choice to go vacant. The two tried checking out another possible hotel, then left Jay and I again inside the hotel with all our bags. I didn�t mind. There was a phone which would give me an NDD call for only P5 a minute. I�m starting to like Zamboanga already.
�Katatawag lang ni Papa mo kay Paul!� my mom greeted me on the line. Hmm. That was eager.
�Bakit si Paul ang tinawagan? Bakit hindi na lang ako?�
�Hindi ka daw makontact, eh. Kumusta na? Nasaan ka na?�
�Nasa Manila pa kami!�
�Di nga?�
I laughed. �Hindi. Dito na kami. Di ko maintindihan mga tao dito. Chabacano kasi.�
JP�s head was seen from the front door a few minutes after I placed down the phone. �Dun na tayo sa kabila,� he announced.
Jay and I brought all the bags to Hotel Perlita, our next prospect which will turn out to be our home for the next 10 days or so. We went to our respective rooms and laid on the bed.
I sighed while Paul stretched beside me. �Zamboanga. Sa wakas.�
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The afternoon after, we found out that the price of our dinner last night was actually the common price of the food in Zamboanga: roughly P60 for the price of carenderia-tasting food that doesn�t even include the rice and drinks. It didn�t take us much intellect to realize that we�re fast on our way to getting broke and hungry.
Since the games will be on Monday, we had two more days to go around Zamboanga. So that Saturday, we decided to spend the afternoon playing billiards and drinking beer.
Nyeta, wala kasing bilyar at beer sa Manila.
�
That night we tried looking for other places to eat, and decided to settle for Chowking instead. At least for P50 we already have complete dinner with drinks. The night was spent on lounging around, and flicking on random channels on cable.
And that�s how we spent our first two nights in Zamboanga. Cute no?


us as slightly peculiar, it has also dawned on us that most of our Zamboanga experiences would rely on the peace and quiet the city so treasures, and not the noise, excitement and adventure we were looking for. At 9pm everything shuts down. Our system doesn’t do so until 1am at the very least.
building.