Lost in the Humidity: A Botanist's Ramblings in Davao City

okay, so. davao city. wow. just…wow. i’m still peeling the damp off me, honestly. i just checked and it's clinging to everything like a lovesick gecko - a solid eighty-six percent humidity right now. hope you like that kind of thing. i’m a botanist, so usually I love humidity, but this is…intense. like, the air itself is trying to photosynthesize.

I came here chasing rumors of a particularly elusive orchid, Bulbophyllum elizabethae. Apparently, it only blooms for like, three days every five years, and it smells faintly of cinnamon and regret. Dramatic, right? I’ve been trekking through *Mount Talomo and the surrounding areas for a week now, mostly getting eaten alive by mosquitos and sweating through my field clothes. It’s…an experience.

I’m staying in a tiny guesthouse near San Pedro Cathedral. It’s run by this lovely woman named Aling Nena who keeps offering me strong coffee and insisting I try her kinilaw. I’m hesitant - I’ve got a sensitive stomach, and I’m pretty sure the fish was caught this morning. But she looks at me with those eyes, you know? The ones that say, “You will eat my kinilaw, young lady.” So, yeah, I’ll probably eat the kinilaw.

Speaking of food, someone told me that Aldevinco Shopping Center is the place to go for dried fruits and local crafts. Apparently, you can haggle like crazy, but watch out for the vendors who try to sell you fake pearls. Drunk advice, mostly, but worth noting. I’m more interested in finding a decent plant nursery, though. I saw a listing on TripAdvisor for Green Thumb Davao - might check that out tomorrow. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1037773-d16823873-Reviews-Green_Thumb_Davao-Davao_City_Davao_del_Sur_Region_Luzon.html

I’ve been trying to document everything I see - the weird fungi growing on the fallen logs, the vibrant colors of the fruit bats at dusk, the sheer tenacity of the plants clinging to the steep hillsides. It’s a botanist’s paradise, really, if you can ignore the oppressive humidity and the constant threat of getting lost.

If you get bored, Tagum and Digos are just a short drive away. I heard that Tagum has a really cool night market, but I’m too exhausted to venture out tonight. I need to sort through my notes and try to identify some of these plants. I think I found a new species of fern, but I’m not entirely sure. It’s got these incredibly delicate fronds, almost translucent, and a faint, citrusy scent. I’m calling it Filix citrinus for now, but that’s probably pretentious.

I stumbled across a local forum online - https://www.davaocity.gov.ph/ - and someone was complaining about the traffic around Quimpo Boulevard. Apparently, it’s a nightmare during rush hour. Good to know for future reference, I guess. I’ve mostly been sticking to side streets and trails, anyway.

“Don’t trust the jeepney drivers,” a guy with a handlebar mustache told me at a roadside stall. “They’ll drop you off a mile from where you asked, just to get a tip.”

I also found this Yelp review for a restaurant called Matina Meat Products. https://www.yelp.com/biz/matina-meat-products-davao Apparently, their lechon is legendary. I’m not a huge meat eater, but I might have to give it a try. For science, of course.

I’m still searching for that elusive orchid. I’m starting to think it’s just a myth, a botanical unicorn. But I’m not giving up yet. There’s something magical about this place, something wild and untamed. Even if I don’t find Bulbophyllum elizabethae, I know I’ll leave Davao City with a head full of memories and a notebook full of plant names. And maybe a slight case of heatstroke. And definitely a craving for kinilaw.

Oh, and one more thing: someone warned me about the stray dogs around Roxas Avenue*. Apparently, they can be a bit aggressive. Just something to keep in mind. I’m off to try and find some shade and maybe another cup of Aling Nena’s coffee. Wish me luck.

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