James, my husband, and I left Malagos Garden Resort after wasting their delicious green salad at the Viewdeck Cafe and realizing that we were already behind schedule. We then proceeded to the resort's exit and began our two-hour motorcycle road trip to this mountainous section of Davao City, a road famously known as BuDa, which is essentially the Bukidnon - Davao Road. To ensure that we wouldn't encounter any problems on the road, we had to fill the tank to the maximum with gasoline.
Do those who frequently ride motorbikes, especially leased ones, ever fear or worry about what would happen in the event of an accident in a foreign country? And by foreign, I do not mean we were in a foreign country, but rather somewhere we are not native. Davao City is an hour's flight from Cebu. Although we were just in the Philippines, Davao City is not the same as Cebu.
Surprisingly, I did not possess this phobia. Maybe I just truly enjoy being on the road. The same holds true for my spouse. So, as we traveled this wide Davao highway trail around five in the afternoon, we saw that there were not many automobiles passing by. In contrast to the Cebu Province, the local government in this area enforces speed limits, so we had to quickly reduce our pace, or rather, James had to reduce our speed.
The air was already chilly when we set out, but it grew steadily chillier as we traveled. According to Google Maps, we were 30 minutes away from our destination, the resort where we will be spending the night, when it began to rain and we were almost out of gas. That was one long ride!
I did not anticipate it to be that lengthy, or perhaps it was since this was our first time in this region. However, we were pleased to be welcomed with a breathtaking sunset as we refueled. Gassing up here reminded me of my childhood, when my family and I would travel to the mountainous region of our town while carrying 1-liter soft drink bottles.
Arriving on Route 81 Soaked
When residing in a high-land region like as Bukidnon-Davao, Marilog District in Davao City, it is not uncommon to expect rain on occasion. A few months before, James and I were also in Bukidnon, where it poured on our first night despite the daytime sun, so we anticipated the same for that Davao trip.
When we eventually got to the Highway 81 Resort, we were already a bit drenched in the rain since it had rained a bit harder than anticipated. It didn't help that the road was dark and there was only a small street light on the side, but happily, we were able to locate their parking lot next to the highway lane.
We had no choice but to leave our rental motorcycle on that stretch of road; there were other vehicles around, so we assumed no one would target it; this is Davao, so hopefully nothing untoward would occur.
Highway 81 Resort is a resort located on a hill; it is 81 kilometers distant from the center of Davao City, hence its name.
Therefore, in order to reach the main front desk, which was also located at the house cafe cashier desk, we had to hike up a cement staircase for approximately five minutes. Our breathing was somewhat labored because we were carrying heavy backpacks; I could literally feel my backbone bending and doing its best to hold on to the dear body.
It is also important to highlight that I did not make a reservation. Well, the truth is that I contacted them a few days before arriving in Davao City, but failed to send the required partial down payment to confirm our reservation. As a result, we ended up with a different room at a higher price of Php 1,600 instead of Php 1,400, but this fee includes breakfast, so it is still a good option for us.
However, I really want a room with a terrace, but we have little choice because I failed to finalize the reservation on Friday, assuming there would be no guests.
Highway 81 Room Evaluation
We were fortunate to snag a room! I made a mistake by failing to confirm my reservation, so I had to learn my lesson the hard way. Since it rained the entire night and I needed to stay warm, I am really grateful that we had a roof to sleep under, one with a twin-sized bed and two heavy blankets.
After payment, our room was available in less than thirty minutes. It was the first of two teepee-shaped structures, with a green roof and red walls, as well as a white door and a glass window. It felt as though we were entering yet another hobbit home! It appeared little from the exterior, but it can accommodate two to three people thanks to an additional wooden couch.
This is usually a problem when we travel, so I always bring a power outlet adaptor that allows us to plug in three devices at once, as we had numerous electronics that needed to be charged during the night.
It also has a bathroom with a washbasin sink and a tiny window inside the comfort room, which, by the way, has a small problem with its fitting, allowing cold air to enter the room. However, the biggest problem I had was that there was no water heater! Obviously, the temperature was between 12 and 15 degrees, so I cannot and will never dare to take a bath or even a half bath. I'd rather crawl up in bed, wrap myself in these big covers, and sleep.
However, before I forget, we had to feed ourselves. We had dinner before retiring to bed. We were likewise anxious about the journey and desired a bowl of hot soup to warm our chilly bodies. It didn't help that I didn't bring warm pants or even socks; I arrived extremely unprepared for this vacation, having done so little study!
