WHENEVER I travel from uptown to downtown Cagayan de Oro, I use that time to write this column or to check out Facebook and Messenger or to just stare at my mobile phone.

That’s how I avoid looking at Manresa as it morphs into a desert. And I don’t want to see evidence of uncollected garbage at the downtown area. I don’t want to see the street vendors. Plus there’s the traffic—I may be right there, stuck in traffic but at least I don’t see it.

And Gaston Park and City Hall now have what look like gigantic silver eggs. I know they’re art. Other cities even have bigger versions of that.

While watching YouTube videos of the Fountains of Bellagio, I started to imagine if the same is possible for Gaston Park. But that entails removing the St. Augustine Cathedral and City Hall to make way for the huge fountain.

CDO tries hard to have unique tourist attractions, entertaining visitors with silver eggs, white-water rafting, and overlooking views of the city and Macajalar Bay. Tourists do shop and eat here before or after going to Camiguin, Iligan, Claveria, Talakag, Del Monte, and Dahilayan, and other Bukidnon areas which do have tourist attractions.

When non-Cagayanon friends ask me what CDO has, I always mention the white-water rafting, Amaya View, and Ultra Winds although the latter is actually in the nearby Baungon, Bukidnon. Need I add that the last two are owned by political dynasties? Hmmm.

When the non-Cagayanon says that CDO is a nice place, I wonder if he sees what I see. I guess being a Cagayanon, I’m expecting more. Whereas a non-Cagayanon, who previously had no idea that CDO exists—much like the foreigner who believes that the Pinoy lives in trees—will always be pleasantly surprised that CDO has an Ayala mall, two SM malls, homegrown malls, tall buildings, and flyovers.

Proofs of a thriving urban life, though, are not necessary in attracting tourists. It’s the place’s uniqueness that makes people curious. That’s why the tourist goes to Bacolod, Baguio, Banaue, Batanes, Bohol, Boracay, Camiguin, Cebu, Coron, Dahilayan, Davao, the Del Monte pineapple plantation, El Nido, El Salvador (Divine Mercy Shrine), Iligan (Maria Cristina Falls), Iloilo, Siargao, Siquijor, Tagaytay, etc.

CDO does have its own charms. It’s the City of Golden Friendship after all. Plaza Divisoria is now undergoing renovations. New restos and cafes are here, there, and everywhere, guiding the Cagayanon on where to buy the best matcha latte and Spanish latte, the yummiest croissants and halo-halo, the most delish bulalo, kare-kare, crispy pata, humba, and sizzling sisig. And there’s calmness while seated in a resto or cafe with an overlooking view.

Sometimes that view is a parking lot that may have “Birds flying high,” inspiring you to sing the rest of the lyrics: “You know how I feel/Sun in the sky/You know how I feel/Breeze driftin’ on by/You know how I feel/It’s a new dawn/It’s a new day/It’s a new life/For me/And I’m feeling good/I’m feeling good.”

As for the most delish lechon, the Cagayanon already has his own suki lechon supplier, so, may the best lechon win.