PHILIPPINES where few go: CAGAYAN DE ORO

Cagayan de Oro is a city on Northern Mindanao - the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. Mindanao is the only area of the Philippines with a significant Muslim presence. A guerilla war is ongoing on the islands, so not many tourists make it here as many countries warn against it, but the truth is that only certain parts of Mindanao better be avoided, while in the rest your should be as safe as anywhere else. We were :)

Landing in Cagayan de Oro felt like landing into the jungle.
As our plane was a couple oh hours behind the schedule and we arrived quite late we decided to stay in Cagayan de Oro for the night and to continue to the ISLAND in the morning!

DIVISORIA: centre of town closed for the night market every Friday & Saturday night! Food, shopping, just hanging out - the place to be!!!


Massage, Miss? Massage, Sir?


Little Mulan selling cigarettes and candies ...seems like a common little girls` job here..


Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn cruising Philippines :)


In the morning it was time to continue our journey towards the Volcanic Island Camiguin...a chance to pray before the ride :)


Little boys asking for money from boat passengers.
And as the captain was greeting everyone and asking for God`s protection and blessing during the trip...we were heading towards the ISLAND...


...all I asked for before the ride was to see the DOLPHINS...and WE DID :) It was a breathtaking sight! Small gangs of them slowly cruising the waters! They`re quite huge!!! It was my first time to see wild and free dolphins :) Yeaaaaaaah!!! :)


NEXT: THE ISLAND and HIBOK HIBOK :)