(Part 1 of 3)
Spent a lot of quality time with planes this trip. I went on a total of 7 flights, 3 of which were just to get to General Santos (Gen San) in Mindanao, the southern part of the Philippines.
This first part of the trip left me with my heart feeling so full because I got to hang out with my aunt, her family, and my mom’s high school classmates. We spent 5 nights in Mindanao, mostly at my aunt’s house in Gen San but also stayed a couple nights in Tupi at these agri-tourism resorts.
It was so, so nice hearing my mom speak Ilongo (even though I don’t understand it) and laugh with old friends that she doesn’t see very often. They were so cute and nice and asked me to be in their pictures haha. They’re even already planning their next trip to possibly Vietnam or Singapore.
But the other awesome part of Mindanao was the fruit!(!!) Jackfruit, mangosteen, mangoes, rambutan, marang, papaya, durian, lanzones! Also the fish was so fresh and delicious there. One of the aunties made this kinilaw (Filipino ceviche) that was killer, like I could have eaten that forever.
On the plane leaving Gen San, my mom asked what I’ll remember most about this trip and I told her that I’d remember the mountains the most. I spent a lot of time staring out the window at them because they were so grand and blue. My mom told me that the mountains help protect the island from typhoons, and I thought that was so poetic, that something so beautiful could be so strong.
Next stop, Cebu!
