ZAMBOANGA HERMOSA

Cesar Climaco, MNLF, curacha, a collapsing foot bridge

And a ditty that goes: "Don't you go, don't you go to far Zamboanga..."

These are my immediate images (and sound) of Zamboanga, the Philippines' southernmost city where we were enroute despite security jitters.

But we have to eat first before Flight PR2997, in a culinary red light district near La Loma where we lunched in our blazing red shirts on ochre pares (beef stew, fried rice, hot soup, cold water) served in orange plates and bowls while sitting in red plastic chairs and drinking from red pitchers, shaded from the sun by a heavy red canvass, and jumped into our Hawaiian clothes right after arrival for the Tropical Aloha Night, the Sir Knights scavenging dinner from leftover carcasses of roasted pigs and fresh slices of tuna sashimi which I gleefuly tossed with an unlimited supply of Chivas Regal and Johnny Walker Black.

The Aeropuerto Intenacional de Zamboanga is just 3.1 kilometers to the Grand Astoria Hotel which is just 650 meters from the Metropolitan Cathderal of the Immaculate Conception which is 450 meters to Plaza Pershing which is 140 meters to the City Hall which is 850 meters to Fort Pilar.

We strolled the next day in our dark green Zamboanga Hermosa shirts through old shops with antique wooden doors and locks, attended mass at the modern candle-inspired Cathedral (circa 1998), passed through minute Plaza Pershing (circa 1915), and took photos at the colonial City Hall (circa 1905).  

At Fort Pilar (circa 1635), ghosts and history faded in and out each ancient wall and umindful of the passing time, we gawked across the placid waters of Basilan Strait to the silhouette of Basilan Island, wondering why a sight so beautiful would draw such a violent history. 

We came for the 43rd Grand Session and for the curacha too, so called because it resembles a giant cucuracha (cockroach), in where else but at Alavar's Seafood Restaurant where the crabs are cooked in a special Alavar sauce which with the java rice, shells, shrimps, fish and more crabs took an hour that we whiled nibbling on sweet and crispy martillos from Fort Pilar.  

There were six dress changes in the next three days: one each for Monday and Mascota Night; thrice for Tuesday, the Draping Ceremony and Broadway Night; twice for Wednesday's Installation Ceremony and Masquarade Night, and we were the Blue Boys of District 5!  

The costumes alone during Broadway Night intimidated us but we persisted with our interpretation of "The Sound of Music" which earned us a 5,000 pesos consolation prize while I as Captain Von Trapp was adjudged as the Best Male Performer (with HL Eva Panopio as Best Female Performe).

All five Courts and District 5 got their "Outsanding" (and many more) plaques too! 

Zamboanga Hermosa might be our first and only visit to Asia's Latin City, and that raison d'etre and the consololation prize from Broadway Night decided that we go see for ourselves Sta. Cruz Grande's pink sand beach which according to the National Georgraphic is one of the 21 best beaches in the world, although I would argue that it is best described as "almost pink".

There was the lagoon too that, guarded by two police escorts in full battle gear, we explored in tiny yellow vintas while amusedly listening to the story of the male and female bakawan, chased jellyfishes through a forest of seagrass, and bravely munched on freshly harvested sea grapes before heading back to the [almost] pink sand beach where we cajoled an early lunch from our English-speaking guide so we can go back to the hotel before check-out time.    

We made it to check-out with enough time to explore the colorful stalls of the Canelar Barter Trade Center, rummaging through fake Levi's jeans, an assortment of southern apparel and accessories, a stash of food and beverages probably smuggled from nearby Malaysia, and pills that we are told is guaranteed to stir the libido of both men and women.

Zamboanga Hermosa is the best Grand Session I have attended so far and we surely enjoyed every day of our stay that is appropriately concluded with an early dinner at the dingy and almost dilapidated Savoury Restaurant who claims to serve the best pansit in the city, before we crammed into our airport shuttle for a chaotic check-in and eventual flight to Manila via PR2998.

Muchas gracias!