Mindanao: Guts for Chicken Gut ( part 1 )

Que Pasa Readers,

Right now, I'm in Mindanao, the southernmost group of islands in the PI archipelago, and also infamously known for its terrorists ( Muslim extremists ).  But readers, we always have to be careful about broad generalization.  I'm blogging this, so presently, I'm still free from danger and in such a gutsy place, nothing is more captivating and so Beyonce's Sasha Fierce THAN chicken gut/intestines ( Bituka nang Manok ).

If time slowed down in Manila ( maybe because of traffic and heat intensified by smog ), pacing in the coastal town of Dipolog City is even more chill.  I've yet to try Dipolog City's famous sardines, but I've seen their famous orchids ( at wow ang ganda, c'est hermosa ).

We rode mopeds to the Boulevard ( like Manila's Baywalk ) to get dinner passing by couples sitting in benches listening to the crash of waves and watching the moon's golden smile glimmer and trail on the coast.

Our hungry stomachs convinced us to sample several dishes/ulam, and of course rice.  While Europeans have their wines, it seems that Pinoys have their Coca Cola.  Among the 7 ulams, we had seaweed salad ( fresh off the coast ), and chicken neck ( spicy with broken bones included - I tried it of course but I still spit out the bones; I've been told that others eat it all ).  A band played in the background, singing songs from Journey, Beyonce, Jason Mraz, and more.

For a post dinner appetizer; we ordered chicken gut/intestines ( Bituka nang Manok ).  My dad used to buy chicken gut/intestines during rainy short trips para hindi magutom sa daan ( in order not to get hungry on the way because of traffic ).  And guess what, chicken gut tastes like chicken with a bit of  fillings inside.  I was so full I didn't have the stomach, the gut to try Chicharon Bulaklak ( which I mistranslated as fried flowers, BUT in reality, it's pork intestines that look like blooming flowers ).  The others played puzzle games with sticks ( a favorite game to play while drinking )...

Chicken Gut grilled as a band played songs from Beyonce and Journey.