Continuing our Sojourn in Davao, we'd be going to a compelling place we've stumbled upon while preparing for the trip. There were last minute changes to the itinerary to squeeze in the time we'd spend at Malagos Garden Resort including the estimated travel of an hour or so from/to the city center.
With our luggage in tow, we opted for the taxi ride we could get right in-front of Hotel Emilia then it would be a door-to-door convenience. However, calling one was a bit of a problem, but just a tiny bit. It’s unusual for Davao taxi drivers to negotiate for a fixed price, but the first taxi we hailed did; so we waited for the next one who's fine to use the meter. It registered nearly 800 pesos, 200 pesos less than the amount the 1st driver asked for. I wasn't trying to save that money, in fact I gave it as gratuity.
So why did I go for the 2nd when I could spare the same amount? It was a test of character – a search for the just and fair driver; and shun the unashamedly mercenary.
Dabawenyo Welcome
Upon check-in, we were offered chilled towels and cold chocolate drink – what we conveniently needed to douse the summer heat. The vibrant malong, hand-wooven garments whose okir designs are distinctive to ethnic groups in Mindanao, hanging from the ceiling was a warm Dabawenyo (the colloquial description for anything of Davao) welcome especially to those who travelled from miles away.
Why did we travel this far anyway? Well, there were few apparent reasons: we're rather curious about two of the signature "attractions" the resort exclusively offers; we're probably self-proclaimed chocoholics; and we're certain, we came for the ultimate chocolate experience.
We rested for few minutes at Madayaw Cafe near the lobby while the shuttle was being arranged. The attendant or concierge, whatever her role was, rode with us to walk us through the various areas of the resort (Wouldn't that make it a ride through then? Wink wink).
We were ushered to our villa, and what awaited us was a plate of moist chocolate cupcakes, in bite sizes and I meant it literally because after listening to all the explanation on the things around the place, we sat down and devoured the mini devil's food. It was like... we swallowed them in a snap.
It was already 13:25 but we hadn’t taken lunch yet. In the Philippines, especially the countryside, people eat lunch at 11:30 the earliest to 12:30 the latest; the working class at 12:00 on the dot.
Without further ado, we stepped out and started the amble to the restaurant when the shuttle arrived and called us out to ride.
Chocolate for Lunch
We were dropped off at the entrance of Viewdeck Cafe where we’re instantaniously greeted by the staff, and I really meant staff of about 4 or 5. Browsing through the menu, I spotted Humba with Tablea and I reckoned it'd be a good way to begin our Malagos Chocolate experience; as if the welcome drink and mini cupcakes hadn't kick-started it yet.
Humbà is a Filipino braised pork dish originated from the Visayas. It traditionally uses pork belly slow-cooked in a mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, black peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves and tausi (fermented black bean) sauce sweetened with muscovado.
This Viewdeck Cafe specialty substituted sugar with tablea – the Philippines’ nibs of fermented, dried, roasted and ground pure cacao beans molded into shapes of tablets, thus the name with reference to its Spanish origin.
We also had Humba at Hotel Emilia in Davao City but none of us had really tried the dish before, so there was no benchmark for us to discern the authenticity of the flavor whatsoever. But I must admit we did enjoy it, not that it was the only dish we ordered along with 2 cups of rice. My daughter also fancied chocolate frappe but I hesitated saying I’d leave it for dinner as it would only be a few hours away, which didn’t happen by the way to my utmost dismay.
The scenery captured by the arched picture window was so inviting that right after our succulent meal, we stepped outside and explored the flora and fauna of Malagos.
Gardens and Parks
Being an agri-ecotourism destination, Malagos Garden Resort provides holiday experiences refined by nature. Whether recreational or educational activities, there's something interesting for everyone.
As we walked in its vast greeneries, we found the Butterfly Sanctuary. We had a great time following the lifecycle of these beautiful creatures – caterpillar turning into cocoon, hatching into a winged beauty, training its wings. We strolled among them butterflies and dragonflies along the footpath of the netted garden. It was captivating to see them in flight, although capturing them in action was indeed a challenge for novice photographers like us. It was a hide-and-seek in a sizeable butterfly dome, which was a relief.
Few steps away is the Museo de Mariposa showcasing a decades' worth of butterfly collection and art installation. What caught our attention though was the Butterfly Retrospect wall which cited, among other quotes, Haruki Murakami's prose: "Hundreds of butterflies flitted in and out of sight like short-lived punctuation marks in a stream of consciousness without beginning or end."And like the book's title, 1Q84 where it's taken from, I was dazed by these perplexed words, with more questions and no hindsight; albeit in time, I'd be able to articulate in full retrospect. Meanwhile I'd say that in similar or whatever circumstance, which would definitely come to pass, be stunned, pause if you must, then move on; and move forward, always forward.
And so we did; we moved on to one of the most instagrammable spots in the resort. The Chocolate Park serves huge cake slices, topping-loaded cupcakes and doughnuts, mouth-watering ice cream cones and giant bread sticks – a visual feast of delectable chocolate creations without the risk of ingesting the carbs, the calories, the sugar and everything not nice; not that any of us would have minded in any way.
Tree-to-Bar Experience
The anticipated part of the trip was just around the corner. We turned and.. viola!
Chocolate Tree
We reached the small part of the resort where few cacao trees thrive. I haven't seen one before, I think my mom did, so I'd been wanting to see the pods up close.
Theobroma Cacao is also known by many other names like cocoa tree or chocolate tree, but the best one was derived from the Greek words theos, meaning god and broma, meaning food; thus translate to "food of the gods".
In Maya mythology, cacao was discovered by the gods in a mountain that contained other delectable food to be used by them (gods); was then bestowed upon them (Mayan), which they in turn offered as a suitable sacrifice to the gods in exchange for favors.
Dispelling the myths and legends, I believe in its purported healing properties though. Chocolate calms down a kid's or a girl's tantrum, placates a colleague's hostility, cheers up someone who's feeling sad or frustrated, turns a frown into a smile... If these are not corroborations, then I'd rest my case.
Chocolate Museum
Every chocolate in the world has a story to tell and its packaging plays a vital role in conveying that story behind its label. In this brand's case, the Malagos Chocolate Museum recounts its tale in a series of art installations of its origin and the people behind its intricate processes of turning a home-grown cacao into an award-winning chocolate bar.
It's the first of its kind in the Philippines, so when we ran across the only chocolate museum in the country, we planned out our visit sooner than later.
It was also the first of its kind we got the chance to set foot in and honestly, we didn't know what to expect. One thing we learned, were surprised about even, was that the Philippines is in the cacao belt. We also gathered the crucial role Malagos performs to keep the country in the chocolate map of the world, not as a consumer but as a producer.
It was fun to discover the art and science of chocolate making. There were engrossing instalments to augment the experience but what fascinated me was this wicked lavatory piece – imagine a world where faucets drip of chocolate; every turn is a decadent soak in intoxicating bliss – defying logic!
Malagos Chocolate Laboratory
My daughter was very much invested in getting her hands on chocolate making. What's a tree-to-bar tour without the "bar", indeed. It's 450 pesos for a pair; be that as it may be, there were only few guests left at 5pm on a weekday, my mom was allowed entry to watch, but ended up taking turns with us on the mold.
There was assortment of dried fruits, nuts and whatnot which could be added. I initially thought of making our confections completely locally-sourced like mixing in durian, mango and pineapple bits which are Davao's produce. But I ended up choosing pistachio, cranberry with sea salt, and chilli flakes; because why not.
We unleashed our inner chocolatier and proficiently handmade our bonbons. Or did we?
Malagos Chocolate Bar
While waiting for our boxes of chocolate confections to freeze, we didn’t want to
miss the highly recommended snack tandem at the bar – Hot Chocolate with Suman. We slowly savored the decadent drink of rich and thick Cacao Davao goodness. It was the best tasting cup of chocolate I’d ever tasted; complementing well the creaminess of the Sumang Malagkit, a traditional snack made of sticky rice cooked in coconut milk and wrapped in banana leaves, in this case.
Of course, we didn’t forget to buy goodies to bring back home – chocolate chips for the family waiting for us in Manila and chocolate-coated candies for my colleagues back in Hong Kong.
Executive Villa
We're supposed to go see the Herbs Garden but it started to rain. In the Philippines, when in rains, it pours; and that day was no exception.
We hurriedly took the pathway back to our villa, a rustic sanctuary nestled in a grove of pine tress near Malagos Creek. Luckily, the rain only poured when we got in. What's unfortunate was that it went on for hours upon hours, that we cancelled our planned spa and dinner.
We could have called for a shuttle to go to the restaurant, but we opted for room service. We went for beef burger and pizza with its farmhouse cheeses, chèvre and kesong puti (if I noted the names correctly); the latter, a Filipino soft white cheese made from unskimmed carabao milk. Hmm, I was irresolute of their home-made cheese, but it's something I'd like to explore more given the chance.
What else was best to do on a dampen cold evening but to curl up in bed. We're staying at a 2-bedroom villa and my daughter decided to spend the night with her grandmother on the king bed, so I was alone in the room with twin. For one thing, she wanted to watch TV, something we don't have back home. Don't get me wrong – TVs hang on the wall of almost every flat in HK; almost all but ours.
With the rain pattering on the roof, the wind gusting through the branches of the trees and the creek burbling through the woods, I'd been tossing in bed. But what really ticked me off was my mom calling as there's no water coming out of the shower. Half-asleep, I needed to call for housekeeping.
The problem was that there was no phone installed on the villa. In the wee hours, I had to use my mobile international roaming only to be automatically connected to an answering machine. It took me a while to get through, but when I did someone immediately came to fix it. All's well that ended well...
Chocolatey Breakfast
Who wouldn’t wake up to the shake up of a rich chocolate cup? I sipped with relish despite the little fuss in the early morning. Tryptophan could be working its wonders on triggering the happiness hormones
and elevating my mood.
My mom preferred coffee, asked for second serving, but I told her she was missing the point of the trip. The place is famous for its home-grown cacao goodness, something she should't miss. Dismiss the usual routine, if she needed; besides it'd be only for a day which might never come again, so she should at least have a taste.
And no, it wasn't a nag but a travel advice.
There wasn't a lot of sections on the buffet table, but relatively enough I should say. There isn't really much on a Filipino breakfast spread – staples are rice, a couple of viands, egg, fruit platter. Anything more than that is already considered a splurge.
To practice what I preached, I ditched the usual garlic fried rice and went for champorado. The rich and creamy bowl of sticky rice chocolate porridge did not come as a surprise at all! I didn’t doubt that it’s going to be good and satisfying because I've already distinguished the Malagos Chocolate quality in several occasions.
Champorado is normally paired with tuyo (salted dried fish) or tinapa (smoked fish), because of the perfect blend of sweet and savory taste on the palate.
Notwithstanding the fact that there was no tuyo nor tinapa served, the kid inside was happy, enjoying a good bowl of chocolatey goodness with the savory beef tapa, fried slices of meat cured with salt and spices. It was still a perfect breakfast combination!
Chocolate Spa - The Ultimate Indulgence
We booked spa treatments first hour in the morning. There was only one therapist during our stay and since there were 3 of us, we needed to start early to get everyone done by check-out.
The closer we got to the premises, the more prominent the luscious chocolate aroma was in the air. It was a feast to the senses as it wasn’t only the smell that was appealing, even the log house, called The Legacy, was captivating.
While we’re waiting for our turn, we toured the house to see and admire its grandeur. But we didn’t forget to sample each of the massage oil variety as it wasn’t that easy to pick which one because they're all equally good. The array included relaxing, therapeutic, refreshing and others I could no longer recall. But no matter what the tag read, the massage oil had a hint of chocolate, infused with essential oils like lemongrass, mint or lavender among others.
What's known to be an indulgent confection now plays a part in the spa experience. The smell of chocolate alone stimulates feel-good areas of the brain and engenders happiness, which we're probably aware of. But not only that, cocoa can also protect the nerves from injury and inflammation; that's news to me.
Cocoa butter moisturizes and nourishes the skin and has a dramatic anti-aging effect. Mixing cocoa butter in massage oil is one thing. Slathering warm, melted aromatic chocolate goodness all over the body is indulgence in the highest degree!
I must say chocolate spa induces self-discipline, as it takes self-restrain not to lick a drop for the sake of tasting what it's like. Would you dare?
My daughter was served first, so she got the time for whatever treatment she pleased. I wanted a leg spa with chocolate, but time wasn’t on my side. We had a schedule to catch... besides, the taxi we pre-booked to take us back to the city center had already arrived. That said, I still had a relaxing massage, giving the aroma of chocolate + lavender which accompanied us throughout the journey.
After our chocolate indulgence, we'd be going back to Davao City to catch our ferry to Pearl Farm Beach Resort and spend a night on the Island Garden City of Samal before heading back to Manila and continue our Balikbayan Adventures.
In a daydream, I see flashes of us wandering about Cologne Chocolate Museum in Germany or Lucerne Swiss Chocolate Adventure in Switzerland. A hankering for Lindt chocolate indulgence only time will tell...
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