Finally!
We're at the end of my Cagayan de Oro travel series. I think this is Part 8 of the series. There were just so many things that I did that I had to write multiple parts of my travel.
In this last part, I'll share my last day in Cagayan de Oro City. I spent my last day at a lovely and colorful restaurant while waiting for my flight back home to Cebu. I splurged a bit with my brunch, which I think I deserved after a long week of going around the city.
BRUNCH AT MISSY BON BON
After checking out of my hotel, I headed to Cagayan de Oro's famous shopping mall, Limketkai Center. I had a few hours to myself until my flight back home. I had already breakfast, but when I passed by this lovely restaurant just outside the mall, I knew I still wanted to have brunch.
The name of the restaurant was Missy Bon Bon. I've heard of it before from my colleague from Cagayan de Oro. I thought it was a bakery or a small coffee shop that sold baked goods. Outside the restaurant, I could see baked goods and sweets displayed inside. I had no interest in cookies or sweets. I was more interested in their meals.
Beside their entrance was a sign that said, "Spend your every day at Missy Bon Bon." It also said breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I was right in thinking that they served more than baked goods and dessert.
I went inside, and I was greeted with a myriad of their baked goods. They looked really delicious, and some were healthy-looking. There were chips from bananas and sweet potatoes. There were Filipino delicacies such as Otap, Rosquillos, and the famous Pastel. There were bread and cakes of different varieties displayed on their shelves. But I had no appetite for them, although I wished I'd bought some to bring home.
I moved on from their baked goods to appreciate the restaurant's interior. It was so bright inside, with the large windows letting in natural light. They had soft and pastel colors splashed around the decors and their furniture. The warm yellow lights gave the place a cozy vibe.
I settled on a table on the far side of the restaurant. Since I was alone, I thought people-watching would be an excellent way to spend my time. It was still more than an hour before lunchtime, and there weren't many people in the restaurant. I could hear the conversation of the people at the table next to me. They were talking about studying abroad. I tried not to eavesdrop too intentionally.
The waitress came with the menu, and I was presented with many options. The first few pages were breakfast meals. There were entrees for lunch and dinner, but I craved some pancakes. I thought I needed more food aside from the pancakes, so I added a carbonara.
Of course, I also had coffee. I have a cup of hot Americano, and they served it in this cute yellow mug with their restaurant logo. There was foam on the surface of the coffee, which was quite unusual to me. They must have a high-end espresso machine to achieve it.
My lasagna arrived first and it was paired with garlic bread. I would've wanted the bread to be toasted a bit more because itt looked pale. But the lasagna looked good. It was drenched with a lot of white sauce, and the pasta looked really soft.
I couldn't wait for my pancakes, so I dug in right away. I took a small piece of the lasagna, and saw that it was so cheesy and had a lot of filling. It was still warm when I took a bite. While I couldn't say it's the best lasagna I've had, it was quite enjoyable, a proper lasagna. I tore a piece off of the bread and dipped it in the lasagna. It was too soft for me, but the combination was still good.
My pancakes arrived, and it had banana and peanut butter. The sight of the peanut brought instant regret. I forgot that I sort of hated peanut butter. It's been a few months since I've developed this aversion towards peanut butter. There was a span of time when all I had for breakfast was peanut butter sandwich. It was what I ate every morning. Eventually, I got tired of it. It made the sandwich really chewy and it left me with a dry mouth.
Anyway, I couldn't let the scoop of peanut butter go to waste. I spread it on one side of the pancake, and the butter on the other side. I poured all the syrup hoping it would counter the taste of the peanut butter. Aside from banans, there were other fruits on the side. The pancakes were big and I worried I wouldn't be able to finish them.
The pancakes were quite fluffy. Unfortunately, the syrup could not alleviate my dislike for the peanut butter. I took my time eating the whole thing. I just proceeded to people-watching again. It was nearing lunchtime and more people came inside. There were families, friends, and couples having their lunch. I think I was the only one eating by myself. By this time, I've grown used to it already from all the times I've traveled solo.
GOODBYE CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY
I was really full when I left Missy Bon Bon. I still had a lot of time left before my flight home, so I spent the rest of the day working at a coffee shop, shopping for clothes, and attending mass.
By the time that I made my way to the airport, it was already sunset. There's always something romantic about driving towards the sunset. It reminds me of going home but not being on a hurry. It's like the universe syncing with your journey. The sky was a soft pink and blue when I arrived at the airport. I was still hours ahead of my flight, and I decided to make use of my time by reading.
And then it was time to go home. The flight took a very short time, maybe just half an hour. The pilot announced that we were to start our descent just as we reached our cruising altitude.
I really enjoyed my time in Cagayan de Oro City. I could've made more out of it if I didn't spend a lot of time on my phone or sleeping in, but I still made many fun and wonderful memories. I really enjoyed the food, the restaurants, the overlooking views, the ride to and from Bukidnon, and the attractions around the city.
That's it for this travel series! I'm so glad I got to chronicle it here in Hive and share it with you. Traveling solo can be lonely sometimes but it can also be really fun and exciting. See you in the next adventure! Cheers!