There are two generally accepted etymologies for Zamboanga. One is jambangan, which according to its proponents, means flower in Malay. This also gives rise to the other moniker of the city, which is City of Flowers. This word origin, however, is considered folk etymology at best. Apart from the lack of academic documentation that would support it, jambangan actually means vase, not flower. The other etymology tells that Zamboanga is the Hispanized form of the Sinama word samboangan which literally means place of mooring poles. This one is supported by historical documentation coming from Spanish and American sources, let alone other verifiable documentation from the British, the German and the French. Besides, given that Zamboanga is a peninsula, samboangan makes more sense. Zamboanga, after all, has been and remains to be an important hub for maritime trade. The notable presence of the Sama-Bajau in the city is also worth mentioning. As seafaring people, they would need to moor their boats at some point, adding more sense to samboangan as the origin of the word Zamboanga.

Some snaps of the sea and its people taken from Paseo del Mar.

Somehow, hence, the name Zamboanga is a tribute to the sea, the rich body that has propelled and that sustains the life, culture history and heritage of the Pueblo Zamboangueño. Such tribute continues to this day, which is visible with how the Zamboangueños choose to marvel at the wonders of the sea and stay connected with it, so much so that one of the biggest and busiest parks in the city is literally by the sea, named after it.

Paseo del Mar, literally sea walk in Spanish and Chavacano, is a sprawling open park by the sea, facing southward towards the direction of the island province of Basilan. Located beside Fort Pilar, the Paseo hosts a green-laden open space for picnics and a variety of restaurants where people could indulge to different food varieties. It provides a space where people can bask under the sun against the backdrop of blue waters, offering a break from the usual bustle of the city by allowing time to pass unnoticed.

The sprawling space of Paseo del Mar.

Discreetly excited that we were for being first-timers not only in Zamboanga but in Mindanao, we explored the park until we reached the seaside promenade. While the traditional mooring poles were no longer around, there is a strong sense of historical connection on the spot where the land meets the sea. This is samboangan.

Around 05:00 PM, we’ve started to get hungry. Perfect! The Paseo has a lot of food options to choose from. We settled with a restaurant that is set apart from the row of eateries, located on the other side of the park. Apart from its location that is literally next to the sea, it was far from the noise on the other side, which provided a more conducive space for conversation over a meal.

Kape Zambo y Busy Bee was established in 1999 and has three locations in the city: one in Canelar, one in KCC Mall, and the one we’ve chosen in Paseo. The staff in the restaurant are friendly and accommodating. We were guided to our table which was an al fresco seat by the sea, making the wait for our order to arrive a worthwhile one.

For our early dinner and first meal in Zamboanga, we did not really go much exploring with our palates. Fried chicken meal with a side of atsarang ampalaya, a platter of chopseuy and a bowl of sotanghon soup did the trick for us. I must say, it was delightful in its simplicity. Ta bien sabroso!

The atsarang ampalaya is actually a special star worth mentioning. Overall, it was a sumptuous meal which complemented our first day in Zamboanga, not to mention, it was affordable. Sorry though, I forgot to keep the receipts. Nevertheless, if you are interested in trying the food and ambience of Kape Zambo y Busy Bee, you may check our Renegade Directory for more details!

After our early dinner, it was time to go back to our accommodation in Canelar. We decided to walk back to the cathedral and take the trike from there. That way, we know already how much the trike driver would charge us. On our way back there, we saw the downtown plaza illuminated, showing us the other side of life in the Latin City.

Our first day in Mindanao has drawn to a close, but the real adventure still awaits. We haven’t even nicked the tip of what is in store for us in the southern part of the country. Except for the time we travelled with family, this is the first time in Renegade Junctures adventures that we won’t do this by ourselves.

Things just started to get exciting.