Walking the Streets of Pagadian City . . .

I enjoy walking a lot in new or foreign places I visit. Others would prefer to ride a cab or a tricycle but for me, there is freedom when you opt to walk instead. I knew I shouldn't be putting too much pressure on my right knee due to the sprain I had months ago that seems like would never heal however I couldn't afford NOT to explore Pagadian city on foot!

_{Snippet from Google maps}

Pagadian City is but just a very small town located in Zamboanga del Sur. It was my first time visiting this part of the Philippines all thanks to that amazing wedding I was invited to. I've booked my stay for 2 nights at Executive Traveller's Pension House and before I checked out at noon time, I decided to make the most of my remaining time to see what the place has to offer.

I just decided to follow the straight path going up to rotunda park then going down to the port then along Pagadian Boulevard. With my camera on hand, I started my leisure walk at 7:00 am.

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Up to the Rotunda Park

It was a cloudy morning. The air was crisp and clean. My excitement was high as I walked the wide road up to the Rotunda. Jeepneys and taxis are non-existent here so traffic is not a thing. Though private vehicles and tricycles were slowly making a buzz by the time it was 7:30 in the morning. I couldn't say that the place was totally clean as there was a lot of dog poop everywhere that I go and I also stepped onto one midway on the first leg of my walk. 😂 Instead of getting dismayed, I kept my cool. A convenience store was nearby and I bought water, alcohol, and a brush. Cleaned my shoe on the side of the road and went back to my walk.

I saw from a blog that one would get a picturesque view of the city and the bay when you head to Rotunda Park as it was located on an elevated place compared to the downtown area. I already had expectations on what shots I would like to get however I decided to cut my walk short as seeing the distance I still had to make, the short time I had, and my knees might not be able to endure an upward hike. Yep, too many excuses, and that's my overthinking mind sometimes winning the internal battles that I have.

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Heading to the Downtown Area

Well, I was much more at ease doing my walk in a descending manner and I enjoyed the many restaurants and cafes I passed by. I wanted to grab a hot coffee from one however most of the cafes here open at 10:00 am on weekdays! Restaurants or eateries were close as well but they look so much different from the previous night. From Japanese to Korean to local cuisines, there are a variety of restaurants to choose from. One particular I wanted to try when I first arrived at the place was the Soju House but it's hard to go there alone as I might end up drinking way that I can handle. 😂 And a friend also suggested eating at Mon Joe's. Perhaps on my next visit.

_{The convenience store I mentioned above. 😄}

_{La Pergola Cafe}

_{Soju House}

Decided to head up to the roof deck of the pension house I was staying to take photos of the place...

_{There are hotels and buildings here that have great viewing deck of the downtown area and the bay. One such place is Aline Hotel where we had our wedding preparations.}

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Downtown Area

There were more cars, motorcycles, and tricycles going around this area. It was getting crowded as well. More people can be seen walking the streets and going to stores or heading to work.

Plaza Luz was a big park where the locals hang out and right across was an ongoing construction project for their biggest shopping mall (Robinsons Department Store) yet to be built.

_{That fenced area is Plaza Luz.}

_{The parish church where the wedding was held.}

_{Soon to be Robinsons Mall}

_{Pagadian's famous inclined tricycle.}

There were more intersections to cross now. I've passed by one commercial building which seems to be the only big shopping mall in the place. Came here to have my nails done for the wedding but ended up getting a bit disappointed with the poor service.

After passing by "Jollibee" - one of our famous mainstream fast food restaurants, I then came across smaller boutiques or stores selling clothes and services, banks, and more restaurants and eateries. If you passed by the "dried food" warehouses was already an indication that you are near the port facing Ylana Bay.

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Pagadian Boulevard

Arriving at the port area, just turn left and one will be entering Pagadian's Boulevard. Now, I'll be honest, this boulevard is way too simple or underdeveloped or just plain boring compared to the one I visited in Oroquieta City.

It was spacious and clean but lacks other amenities. There was one building with a cafe shop and that one too was closed. Walking further there was the ongoing construction of a multi-purpose building for the local govt shaped like a boat. There were small eateries lined side by side which were still closed when I got there. The only consolation to the place was that it was facing the bay with mountains serving as a beautiful backdrop.

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I ended my walk at Pagadian Boulevard. I wouldn't say Pagadian City is a place you should stay long as it is a small town and still developing but it's still nice to visit for once. There are beautiful nature spots from neighboring towns but one would need to have a private vehicle as it's more convenient and travel time usually takes 2-3 hours from the city. A new friend I met during the wedding offered to take me to those nature spots so I guess there is something to look forward to on my next visit here.

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