DAVAO ESCAPADE: SAMAL LEG

It was September last year when J & I decided to bring our folks to Davao.

It was a timely trip for the family as we were all just adjusting to our new life without my Dad who recently passed on.

Sakto din that my in-laws decided to join us.

So, what was supposed to be just a trip for Jon and I, turned out to be a big group that ballooned to a total of eight (8).  Mas masaya pag mas madami (magastos nga lang, hehe)!

So, bring out the stroller and the wheelchairs - this family is hitting the road once again!

We flew Air Asia in Clark this time as I have already purchased the tickets a long time ago when they had a big inaugural sale.  I just bought additional tickets for the late joiners.

The trouble with flying from Clark is that you have to leave at least four hours before your flight considering the distance. Pero with tickets costing around 200 pesos only, I really could not complain.

Maga pa ang mga mata ng mga Oldies sa puyat  pero all smiles pa din sila.

Di man kami nainip, we already heard our boarding announcement.
At, dahil budget airline itey, we prepared ourselves for the long walk to the airplane.
Thanks to our old yet  trusty wheelchairs and strollers who have been with us  everywhere.

At kung kasing pogi naman ni Kuya Spi ang magpapayong sa amin, keribels

na keribels na di ba?

Fast forward to approximately an hour and a half later, we were already fastening our seatbelts in preparation for landing. Yahoo!

It's big, it's new, it's international.  

Isa lang ang ibig sabihin noon: Mahal ang terminal fee! Waaaaa.

"MALIGAYANG PAG-ABOT" so says my boy.

   Even if he does not look it, hehe.

 Upon arrival, we looked for our hired Van with Driver for the day. This is a must when travelling with babies and oldies.  Hindi puwedeng makipagsapalaran sa pag co-commute.

At para masaya ang paglilibot, we decided to have lunch first.

Our Driver recommended PENONG'S.  Sabi niya it is their version of Mang Inasal.
Di na kami nagpatumpik-tumpik pa.... ATTACK NA!

As in TWICE lang ha.  

Pag THRICE, bubuhusan ka ng mainit na sabaw!

Here's the picture of the whole gang minus J and I who were the photographers/taga-order/tagapag-pakain ng Driver forever.

Kuya Spiro:  YES ! Mukhang unlimited rice ito ah.  Ready na si Kuya Waiter sa likod oh.

So, did we like the food?
WE. LOVED. IT. IMMENSELY.
As in, we are still dreaming about it now.

Here were our orders:

Seafood Bilao - yes those are scallops!

Fried Hito - My Mom and my Father in Law fell in love with this!

Chicken Inasal - Super mouthwatering, I kid you not.

As in, it tastes good as it looks. No bola yan.

We actually ordered more than those I posted pero we failed to take pictures na dahil kinakain na ng large intestines namin ang mga small intestines.  Nuff said.

The best part of it all, very affordable ang Penong's.  Sayang lang that they have not brought it to Manila yet. Pero I understand, it is all around Mindanao na.

After lunch, we went directly to Samal Islands where we would spend the night.
This is the mala-Boracay beach ng Davao and it is around thirty (30) minutes away via pumpboat.

Let's do Samal, shall we?

While there is the famous Pearl Island for a luxurious stay, we opted not to go that route as we were watching our expenses of course.

So, I searched and searched on the internet for alternatives and found Bluewaters.

Promise, blue talaga ha.

Well, it is not comparable to Pearl Island really (I have stayed there a few years ago) pero pasado na sa amin because it is clean and best of all, affordable and value for money.

Bluewaters in Samal Island: Check!

Say Cheese!

After settling in our respective rooms, we all relaxed by the poolside to watch the sun go down.
It was a relaxing experience especially when both of our Parents were with us...

Another day is over.  Thank you Lord for all the blessings. :)

Sunset by the infinity pool.  Precious bonding moment ng aking Mag-Ama.

 At diyan na muna nagtatapos ang blog entry na ito.

Soon to come:  Davao City tour.  Thanks for reading. :)