zamboanga: a chaotic mess of a city

okay, so let's talk about zamboanga city. it's this huge place, like the third biggest in the philippines, and i'm still trying to figure out if that's including all the islands or not. anyway, it's stuck on the southwestern tip of mindanao, basically poking into the sea like a sore thumb. the coordinates are 6°54′n 122°05′e, but who's counting? what matters is it's surrounded by water-sulu sea to the west, sibugay bay to the east, basilan strait to the south. and oh, the elevation? goes from -2 meters (yes, below sea level) to 1,333 meters. so you got beaches and mountains in one place, which sounds cool until you realize the flat bits are only along the east coast. everywhere else is steep. like, 18-50% slope steep. 37% of the city is basically cliffs. if you plan on walking, bring good knees.

so anyway, let's get to the map. that's the general area. if you look closely, you'll see the city is bounded by the sulu sea to the west, sibugay bay to the east, and basilan strait to the south. and then there's moro gulf/celebes sea. it's a lot of water. and then the mountains. the elevation goes from negative? yes, -2 meters? to 1,333 meters. that's a big range. so you have flat areas and then steep, steep hills.

the beaches are nice, i guess. someone told me the sand is a mix of sand and gravel, so not the softest, but it's fine. and there are at least 25 islands around. i didn't visit all of them, but vitali island is one of them. the city has spanish-style architecture, which is cool, but i was more into the nature stuff. the pasonanca watershed forest reserve is a place to go if you want to escape the heat. the climate is cooler than manila, which is a plus because it's less humid. i just checked and it's 26.02°C, feels like 26.02°C, hope you like that kind of thing. it's pretty consistent, min and max are the same. pressure is 1009 hpa, humidity 84%. so bring a towel, you'll be sweating.

the city is highly urbanized, but also has a lot of rural areas. 98 barangays, 28 urban and 70 rural. the population is 977,234 (2020 census). that's a lot of people. they speak chavacano, which is a spanish-based creole, and it's a trade hub, so very diverse. someone told me that the city was a spanish fort in the 17th century, and that's why it's called the 'ciudad de zamboanga'. it's the sixth most populous city in the philippines.

if you get bored, you can drive to dipolog (232 km northeast), tangub (225 km northeast), or ozamiz (239 km northeast). but that's a long drive. manila is 859 km north, which is even farther. so maybe not. the terrain is a challenge. 37% of the land has slopes from 18% to 50%+, which is steep. the highest point is 1,200-1,333 meters. the flat areas are only along the east coast. so walking around the city can be tiring. someone told me that the city has narrow coastal lowlands that descend abruptly to rocky shores. so be careful near the edges. also, the geology is wild-volcanic outcrops, fault lines, alluvial soils. it's like the earth just threw a bunch of rocks here and said 'deal with it'.

the city has a busy port on basilan strait, and it's a strategic port for the southwestern sea lanes. that's why it's been important historically. the mountainous backdrop and the mix of urban flats and steep hills make it a unique place. but it's not a tourist hotspot? the search results didn't have much on local dishes or notable people, so maybe it's more of a working city. i did see the spanish architecture and the mangrove areas, but that's about it. overall, it's a big, steep, and interesting place. i'm not sure if i'd go back, but it was an experience. just wear good shoes. and maybe bring a map because the terrain will mess with your sense of direction.

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