Travels 148: Sumptuous lunch at Ocean Grill MOAP but…

Arriving at MOAP Sinacaban 25 minutes before lunch time, I am hungry and excited try their Ocean Grill. After having toured their zoo on a hightide, I am excited to revisit the MOAP Sinacaban and hopeful that I can go to the dolphin island to swim and refresh myself on my way home from Oroquieta City and to try feed the dolphins. Prior to coming into the Park, I have to pay Php 10.00 Park fee.

Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park (MOAP Sinacaban) is one destination where a visitor can also stay for the night and by day, do some snorkelling and swimming with the dolphins at the nearby island for a fee of Php 300. The trip to the dolphin island alone is Php300 exclusive of meals, vests and the swimming with dolphins. I wanted to try it so I took an early lunch and remain ebullient about my solo backpacking trip.

While waiting for my lunch of grilled porkchop, I took fancy at the view, taking pictures and noticed that there is a singular bicycle that can ferry guests from the entrance to the Ocean Grill Restobar. Also, they have rest houses that can be rented for guests.

The Ocean Grill in MOAP Sinacaban is one great avenue where you can commune with nature, the sea and the breeze. I had a great time taking photos of the Ocean Grill and the surroundings. Noticed that the MOAP Sinacaban is ongoing construction and improvements to cater to its growing clientele base.

The view altogether is great however, when I am ready to go to the Dolphin Island after my lunch at the Ocean Grill, I asked the attendant if they accept credit cards and debit cards. I intended to use it to check whether the MOAP is ready for tourism or not, to include services like card swiping machines for such transactions. I was told by the staff that the Ocean Grill and the Dolphin Island tour do not have card swiping machines ergo, credit cards and debit cards will not be honoured.

When told that both BDO and PS Bank cards are not honoured, I paid in cash for my lunch sans the dolphin island. I went directly to my next destination, the Clarin Suman House.

Travels 147: High Tide at MOAP Sinacaban

When I arrived at the Misamis Occidental Aquamarine Park or MOAP Sinacaban, it was high tide so the seawater was gushing onto streets leading to the park. I have to manoeuvre my way into the park without getting myself wet. I am with no vehicle and just coming in from my overnight stay in Oroquieta City by bus. Gladly, there was a father and son whose generosity knows no bounds. They told me to get to the embankment on the farm and the road so as not to get my shoes wet.

First to be visited was the MOAP Sinacaban zoo where an aviary is still being maintained and a host of other animals like monkeys etc. What I am contend with the zoo at MOAP Sinacaban is that its trail leading to the interior of the mangrove plantation area is entirely made of bamboo.

I was here when it was first made operational and it was impressive. This time, there were patches of repairs done on the trail but sloppily done so the hazard of you getting hurt is visible and also, some areas were off limits as the bamboo trail gave way to time and the salt water of the sea.

In spite that, I still enjoyed my brief tour of the zoo. Camera on hand, I took a video of the entire trail which I took when I was there. I just went to as far as the middle part of the zoo as I intend to go to the MOAP Restobar far out of sea for my lunch.

MOAP Sinacaban zoo is a project of the Province of Misamis Occidental and has been generating tourists, both foreign and domestic tourists since its opening. It also serves as hatchery for prawns, crabs and other crustaceans. Fishes of varieties were also cultured in the MOAP Sinacaban.

Travels 145: Walking at the Pastrano Hanging Bridge

As I was on my way to the City of Oroquieta, I was exchanging SMS with my dear friend Jeffrey Almonte, the son of then Oroquieta City Mayor George Almonte who now sits as Congressman in the Philippine House of Representatives. I was asking for directions where to sightsee while I am in their home city and he mentioned to me about the hanging bridge.

It was a lazy Sunday and while I was uploading some videos on my Youtube channel, I left the place where I stayed for the night and heads for the City Plaza and then eventually to the hanging footbridge. It was market day so I saw the usual convergence of cityfolks trying to buy after hearing Sunday Mass nearby. When I came across the footbridge, it was only then that I knew it is called the Ceriaco Pastrano Hanging bridge.

The Pastrano Hanging Bridge is one of the scenic tourist destination among visitors in Oroquieta and it crosses the Layawan River that opens up to the sea. It connects Barangay Taboc Norte and Poblacion II in the city.

People use the Pastrano Hanging Bridge for their daily lives. I saw a boy who bought around 5 kilos of rice to bring for his family and I asked him that I will take his photo and he just simply smiled and I saw the most hopeful face of a boy who might be the next leader in their city.

Pastrano Hanging Bridge is 75 m long and 20 m high over the Layawan River. I was asking when this hanging footbridge built and how old was it, I unfortunately was not able to get the right answer from those locals whom I asked.