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Published: September 5th 2014
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El Canto del viajero
A poem by Dr. Jose Rizal is written on a pathway in Dapitan City's Rizal Shrine. The sky is gray, occasionally spitting rain. Palm trees by the shore are swaying to the strong winds. The waves, not really big but strong, are crashing to the shore. I climb the ledge overlooking the sea and try to gain a wide-angle perspective of where I am. Except for a couple of souls strolling, the oceanside boulevard feels desolate. Pop music blares from the restaurant row fronting the beach but they're practically drowned by the howling winds.
I'm in Dipolog City with my mom and a group of her former colleagues for a convention and the opening of a new local branch of the central bank. I'm not here for any of those, however. I'm here to see for myself a part of Mindanao I haven't been to before. And reignite a stalled love affair of traveling.
Dipolog isn't exactly a destination, with many of the visitors who find their way here either visiting the nearby Dapitan City or spending their days in hotels and conference halls. But as the capital of Zamboanga del Norte, I'm certain the city has plenty of trappings – restaurants and a couple of sights, in particular – that should preoccupy me for
Casa redonda
The octagonal house in Rizal Shrine was Dr. Jose Rizal's clinic during his four-year exile in Dapitan City. the next two and a half days. And I know that there's a sense of that Filipino warmth that's always magnified outside the large cities. Especially outside Metro Manila.
On a stroll about the city that evening, Dipolog shows more of herself. A grill house a couple of blocks from the hotel is filling with crowds as the night deepends, but it's small enough for me to get a table for myself, and nurse a can of soda, a burger and fries for an hour. Even with the loud soundtrack, I'm never stressed out and I don't have to shout to say my order to the staff.
You can say the same for much of the city. It's dense and noisy but it's never crowded and chaotic. Even during the day, the streets are walkable and retains much of a quaint vibe – compact buildings, tricycles, and the occasional cars. Tonight, it's just 8pm but many of the stores have closed and it feels later than it really is.
The next day I find myself in Dapitan City just an hour from Dipolog. It's popular in Philippine history as the place of exile for the national hero,
Dipolog City Boulevard
Dipolog City's breezy boulevard provides locals a relaxing view of the sea. Dr. Jose Rizal. In the four years Rizal spent his time here, he built schools and various technology, taught children, treated patients and wrote letters and romantic poems.
It's a sunny weekday afternoon at the city center, which radiates from a handsome park that fronts a large church. The streets, named after characters from Rizal's two novels, are quiet. A few women are chatting under the shade, a couple of students walk by, and a dog rummages through a trash can. Acacias encircle the sun-dappled grass where a statue of Rizal stands. I spend a few minutes embracing the tranquility and solitude.
Much of the historical significance of Dapitan lies in a seaside village outside the center. The Rizal Shrine in Talisay is a protected patch of trees and bush-lined paths. Inside are nipa huts, which are the vestiges of the structures Rizal created during his stay here. All of the huts – a dorm, a lodging for patients, a students' workshop, and a clinic – are actually modern recreations, though they have been rebuilt with the same materials and on the same spot as their predecessors. A museum near the park entrance contains a number of Rizal's
Sunset Boulevard
The sunset at the boulevard acts as a lovely background for picture-takers. artifacts.
Back in Dipolog's seaside boulevard, I'm entranced once more by the present. Just a few minutes before sunset, I see couples with arms linked, teenagers taking pictures with their tablets, children playing in the black sand. I can spend more days here walking the same streets, taking in the same views, and eating at the same restaurants. Like most cities brimming with context, Dipolog rewards familiarity. A cute book-themed cafe with kitschy yet enticing interiors make me reconsider my dinner plans.
Why not? A sugary milk tea seems a nice way to start the evening.
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Tara Cloud
A fine hero!
Sounds like the kind of sweet, relaxing holiday that I love. How wonderful that your national hero wasn't a general, but a humanist and poet who contributed so much during his exile. Very inspiring!