DAVAO HERE WE ARE

We left the house a t 5:00 a.m. with the car driven by Peter-Jonathan to Philippine Village Hotel where Grand Air‘s office was located. We were told that there were only 80 passengers, one on the business section. So, we were accommodated at the business section and were even allowed to choose the best seats, the very first of the first class accommodation.
We waited at the business lounge where we were entertained by smiling ladies, complete with our choice snacks. At 6:30 a.m. we went to the bus that brought us to the airport. Terry and I and one foreigner were the only occupant of the business section.
The airplane piloted by Captain McCrthy started at quarter to seven and reached Davao Airport at 8:15 a.m., successfully in spite of the minor air “turbulence” encountered.
At the airport we were met by the efficiently talkative Ariel Resturo, the Pearl Farm tour guide, I supposed. From there we were brought to Insular Hotel ground together with a Balikbayan couple, Don and Victoria Santos. Everyone was greeting us good morning: the driver, the security guards, the janitors, as well as ordinary passers-by. I commented that Mayor Rodrigo Duterte must be doing very well.
From the Insular Hotel we walked a little to the seaside to wait for the boat to carry us to Pearl Farm. While waiting, Ariel showed us three islands: Bakbak to the left, Peñaplata to the center and Caputian to our right where the Pearl Farm was located. We also passed-by the samples of the TIBOK weavers.
After almost an hour waiting, the boat, M/S Victoria arrived to fetch the four of us. Terry, Don,Victoria and Me. Through Ariel we also learned that Pearl Farm was originally owned by the Aguinaldos but was bought by the Florendos, the in-laws of the popular beauty, Margie Moran.
The place was exotic. Even from the air I was already attracted by the biggest city in the world . It was clean and green.
At Pearl Farm Beach Resort we were greeted by the “Rondalla” and were immediately brought to our room at Balay I, Room B. We could have rode a jeepney but we decided to walk through 120 steps up, excluding the walking steps through long landings and pathways (160 steps).
At the PAROLA we met Rafael S.Chico, Chairman of the Quezon City Tourism Council and Secretary of the National Capital Region Tourism Council. He was also, Executive Vice-president of Hotel Danarra and Resort. There we also met Juvy Longakit who volunteered to guide us in touring the area after lunch.
We were brought by boat to Villa Malipanon the other island where the Rest Houses of the Florendos were located. They were all built on top of rocks. It was Paradise.
At 12:00 noon the following day we rode the boat to Davao City for our scheduled City tour. We were met by our tour guide, Ritchie Roxas and the driver Loloy Mondreza. We were the only city tourists.
We passed-by Lumad Arts & Crafts where we were shown Davao’s interesting crafts though we didn’t buy anything. It was at Jose P.Laurel Avenue. On the way we passed Barangay Baheda and Barangay Buhangin before we entered Matina Hill where