I have hugely enjoyed my first brief experience of Mindanao.

I was fortunate enough to be invited to speak at the second conference of the Philippine International Studies Organization (PHISO), which took place at Ateneo de Davao University. For three days we were all hard at work in workshops, panels, and plenaries. But there was also lots of fun.

Here are my highlights:

1. The conference itself. It's honestly no exaggeration to say this gathering restored my faith in the utility of such events. So many conferences are big, impersonal, cliquey, and generally discouraging. This one, propelled by an enthusiastic and dedicated team of young scholars, was friendly, small enough to allow people to really circulate and talk to each other, and supportive of all the contributors while still offering pertinent critique. I found the papers refreshing and thought-provoking, and particularly enjoyed the opportunity to hear views from the Philippines.



2. Art and culture. I loved the cultural snippets that punctuated the trip. Our university accommodation featured many examples of local art, and the ground floor chapel is superb. During the conference we enjoyed vibrant performances of songs and dances, all drawing on Mindanao's multi-ethnic heritage.













The People's Park houses numerous sculptures by Kublai Millan, and many humble walls sport colourful murals.











The Museo Dabawenyo also offers glimpses of Mindanao's fascinating history and anthropology. You're not allowed to take photos of the exhibits. But this one is an exception...



3. The food. Balik Bukid is a stand-out in terms of fresh and delicious food, evocative decor, and great music. I loved my chicken parcel, but I guess the piece de resistance was the amazingly aromatic bamboo-grilled coconut (which comes in shrimp, chicken, or beef versions).







Right outside the university is the night market, with seemingly kilometres of food stalls. You can find siomay (we tried a couple of types); loads of sate sellers, fanning frantically, smoke billowing around them; fruit sellers; drinks stalls (dalandan is always good); second-hand clothes stalls; and an open-air massage area. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming.





The conference provided plenty of opportunities to sample kakanin (sweet local delicacies made from rice or tubers and often coconut).

Other treats along the way included local coffee (strong but mild), tsokolate (Filipino hot chocolate), local pomelo (in season right now, and ubiquitous), pistachio sans rival, and durian ice-cream (the durian is one of Davao's symbols, along with the eagle, the waling-waling orchid, and Mount Apo, the highest mountain in the Philippines).

And then there was Lyndon's World's Worst Ribs and Awful Chicken. It takes guts to advertise yourself this way, but we can confirm that said ribs and grilled chicken absolutely do not match their descriptors.







4. The boat trip. The day after the conference, we joined the organizers and a few of the other speakers and panellists on a boat trip round Talikud Island. We were treated to wonderful views of Mount Apo, a great lunch, three swimming stops (the middle one over a coral garden), and a scenic trip back. Such an enjoyable way to round off the event.

















5. Strolling the streets. We walked a lot around Chinatown, as it was close to the university. But you can lap the People's Park (in the dark or in the light), or pace the low-key residential streets, or puddle-hop downtown on a rainy day. Everywhere there's colour and interest a-plenty.















Mindanao is currently under martial law. I asked one of the local lecturers how that affected daily life. "It doesn't," she said.

It's true that there are armed guards on the entrances to the night market (there was a bombing here two years ago). Your bags are examined as you enter your hotel or the People's Park. There are pictures of wanted terrorists at the port and in the park.

But life very much goes on here, in apparently relaxed and cheerful fashion. Having barely skimmed the surface of this historic city and its environs, we would very happily return.