October has just started, and soon enough, it’s — Hello November! So I am looking forward to, yet again, visit my mom’s hometown — the quiet and humble Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental. I’ve gotten used to having my mom as a travel companion, I think I’m heading there with my sister and possibly stay a bit longer than the usual overnight thing we use to do there. When would that be, is yet to be known.

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Some of my best gloomy sunsets happens to be at the family’s beach front where the sand is dark grey, and the ripples of small waves dances on it’s surface in hypnotizing manner. I’ve always been anything-but-water kinda person. This was the place where I first fell in love with sunsets, and sunrises, understood how high tides engulfs the beach, and then low tides shows off the colorful marine life, and knew that it is the kind of place I would not tire of.
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History of Oroquieta City’s Name:

Layawan was the old name of Oroquieta City. The first settlers found many stray animals along the river that they called the place Layawan, which means a place for stray animals. The province to where the barrio belonged to used to be just Misamis before it was divided into the now, Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental. And later, in 1880, Layawan was changed to what we now know as Oroquieta City.
Oroquieta was named after a famous barrio in Spain, where the first parish priest Father Toas Tomas Casado and, the Hero of the Battle of Oroquieta, General Domingo Mariones y Murillo was born. Another version was that it’s name was derived from ORO, which means gold — the rich mineral the early inhabitants found in the river, and QUITA or KITA, which means to find.
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The attractions, and must-see in Oroquieta City that I am most looking forward to seeing again are:

Misamis Occidental Provincial Capitol Building
Oroquieta Public Plaza and City Kiosk
Oroquieta City Museum
Layawan River
Libadatama Dam
Ciriaco H. Pastrano Hanging Foot Bridge
Sebucal Hot Spring
Marine Sanctuary

How to Get to Oroquieta City:

Check out CDO – Iligan – Ozamis – Dipolog | How to Get There blog post for a detailed travel directions to Oroquieta City where ever your Mindanao entry may be. Click HERE.

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I am hoping to also learn how to ride a bike and possibly drive a motorcycle while I am there. Which I seriously doubt that ever happening. But I’m keeping my hopes up. And, hopefully, my aunt, and cousins will allow me to hammock or tent alone at the beachfront. The old beach resort my grandparents used to run has closed down and just lie there as it is. I have a 50:50 possibility of being called in for sleeping out alone so unguarded. Well, I am betting on comfort of a territorial space will still allow freedom for me to feel how it is to do it alone, and, yet, feel “secured” to say the least.

 

Some places feels like home. So familiar that you do not bother to see the details, and appreciate them. Vacationing, and unwinding at this quiet Tabuc Sur street in this city has always been a comfort for me. Our mom has raised, and introduced us to appreciate where she came from. I’ve been to, and stayed at many places, some of which I never even bother to write about because of it’s familiarity. But the laid back green Oroquieta will always feel like a home for me too. I think it is about time I’ll share with you a little bit of how it was growing up.

PINAY TRAVELISTA MUST:
+ Just pack your bags and go there.
+ Mentally list the places you want to visit
+ Try to get someone to become an agreeable company

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You might like to read more of OROQUIETA CITY posts:
Getting to Know the City of Good Life