Today is the day we officially move on from Siquijor. It’s a bittersweet feeling because this island holds so much history for Jessa and me. We actually spent our anniversary here right when the world shut down for three months back in 2020. Now, three years later, we’re back, and things are a little different—specifically, we have Liam with us! It was on the evening of March 15th, right here, that Jessa first told me she was pregnant with him. Seeing him running around now makes the nostalgia even stronger, but the "Nostalgia Road" part of our trip is over. It’s time for the real journey to begin.
Our destination is Zamboanga City on the island of Mindanao. I’ve checked the car—oil, water, coolant, everything is good. We’re packed to the roof again, which Jessa claims is mostly her "essentials," but I’ve got it under control. We started the day with a final meal in Siquijor—honey-cured chicken for me and some wings for Jessa. Typical Philippine style, the food didn't all arrive at once, but we're used to that by now.
The plan was to catch an early boat to Dumaguete and then head straight to Mindanao, but we hit a bit of "Philippine time" bad luck. One boat was canceled, and the next was fully booked. We ended up having to stay in Dumaguete overnight. It’s just like being in the army—things take time, and you just have to wait it out. We finally got on a boat the next afternoon, which meant we wouldn't reach Zamboanga until about 5:00 AM the following morning.
The drive from the port in Mindanao to Zamboanga City was about 325 kilometers. I estimated it would take seven or eight hours, but with roadwork, traffic, and stops for coffee and food, I knew it would be a long night. Jessa promised to stay awake to keep me company, but let's just say she managed "half-half"—she definitely abandoned me for sleep at some point!
We had a bit of a "near disaster" during the drive. I was cruising along when we suddenly heard Liam laughing hysterically in the back. Jessa turned around and nearly had a heart attack—the little man had managed to unbuckle his seatbelt and was standing up right behind our seats! Thankfully, we got him back in his seat immediately, and he didn't manage to repeat the trick.
The roads were actually much better than I expected, though some sections were still pretty bumpy and required slow driving. We’re aware that traveling in certain parts of Mindanao requires extra precaution. We’ve taken steps to stay safe, focusing on specific routes and avoiding areas we know to be risky. Things have changed a lot since the early 2000s, but you still see the history—like bullet holes in some of the older houses.
We finally rolled into Zamboanga City after about 11 hours of traveling. We were exhausted, but Jessa insisted on a Jollibee breakfast before we could finally sleep. Now that we’re here, I’m looking forward to sharing the real plan for this road trip. We’ve stayed flexible so far, but we’ve finally mapped out where we’re going next.
See you in the next one!
