With Alex Africa and Rovin Sanchez
This was my second time in Cebu. I did not come prepared the first time. For one, I was not supposed to be in Cebu. I was going to CDO (Cagayan de Oro, not the canned good) but due to some heavy rains and thunderstorms in the area, the plane was forced to make an emergency landing in Cebu. Adventurer that I was, I hopped off the plane after CebuPacific guaranteed a return trip ticket for me.
I like the weather in Cebu, warm and nice. And the airport is an easy place to maneuver around in, totally unexpected since this is an international airport. My very good friend QB (Querubin, not Quarterback) picked me and my friends up at the airport and headed straight to Matias Barbecue Place, a popular barbecue joint with, get this, unlimited rice! Yey! I know it's still early to tell but I already had the feeling this will be one of the highlights of the trip. Food was just awesome. I was able to put in my stomach, not two, not three, but four servings of rice! With that, I think it's normal that you can't move a lot after eating. This place is not for those on diet. For a full review of the joint, you can visit my friend Alex's review about it here.
For those wondering about how the they serve the rice, here's a glimpse. Tempting!
The next day was our tour day. First on the list, the Taoist Temple. Just a 20-minute drive from the city, the temple proudly stands on a mountain side and looking from afar, you really can't help but admire how beautiful and majestic the structure is, but closer, you will be blown away by how intricate the designs in the building are, and how much effort was put into play to get this temple to what it is now. As expected, it was quiet in the area, not the spooky quiet type, but more of reflection-quiet type. It was obviously a perfect way to start the tour of Cebu.
After the temple, the theme shifts to music - off to the guitar factory. Well, it's not really a factory, more of a street lined with a bunch stores that sell guitars. I used to play the guitar so I thought I might try one. Boom burum boom base... Yeah, I think I still got it. I think what's fascinating about these guitars is how the owner of the store narrated a lot of trivia about how the guitars were made, and even gave us a sampling of him playing, not the guitar but its smaller brother the ukulele. Loved it! I was this close to buying a ukulele, I just can't figure out how I can conveniently carry one back to Batangas. Maybe next time.
From music, we go to the history bit of the tour. From the guitar factory, we proceeded to Fort San Pedro. Hhhmmm... to be honest, I had no idea what the fort was for. I just knew it served as a military camp like the other forts found in the Philippines. But it was a nice place for all you history buffs, there were dungeons, canyons, thick walls, lookout window, all those war-related stuff. Ahahah. And oh, there's a portrait of Brother Ferdz (Magellan).
Then off to our final stop of the tour for the day - the famous Magellan's cross, in all it's majesty. It's always nice to see things that remind you of your beliefs. I am Catholic, and a lot of times I tend to forget that. So I made it a point to enter the church to pray. I believe I have seen the main altar in some Pinoy movies, which is an indication of how picturesque it is. Add to it the fact on how devoted Cebuanos are with the Sto. Niño, and you've got a perfect combination of religion and culture.
We then ate dinner at this little pizza place call Da Vinci's, famous for its white sauce pizza. A full review of the place you can check out in Alex's blog (link above) as well. Then I dropped by TeleTech Cebu and worked for a few hours. The facility was very similar to other TeleTech sites in terms of atmosphere and color. But since this site is relatively newer compared to the rest, it was very clean and welcoming. I think in general, Cebuanos are generally hospitable.
Day 2's theme centered more on thrill. What we have looked forward to in this trip is finally happening, the SkyWalk Adventure in Crown Regency Cebu! I am sure a lot of you have seen pictures of that already. It was even featured in Sports Unlimited some months back. And what an adventure it indeed was.
For just 888 pesos, we got a package that includes buffet lunch, SkyWalk, 4D movie, and free use of the pool. After eating at the buffet (for and hour and a half) on the 18th floor of the building, we immediately proceeded at the 38th floor to experience the SkyWalk. The line wasn't that long fortunately. There were just a group of Koreans (or were they Japanese) before us so we did not have to wait that long. One of the Koreans who took the walk was afraid of heights and we practically saw him shaking and crying and almost vomiting. It was a funny sight, sorry. The guide gave us our orange jump suits and strapped us up with the gears and belts before being connected to the harness. And then we walked the edge of the building. At first it was really frightening, we're on the 38th floor for heaven's sake! But you get used to it instantly, after all, you know you're safe because of the harness. It was a real adventure for thrill seekers. Having to see the magnificent island of Cebu province from atop one of the tallest buildings there. We could have done it during the night to see the lights around the city, but I still prefer doing it during daylight, gives you a better view of the province and the waters that surround it. And we got to the the Plank!
Overall, the trip to Cebu was really nice. The people were very hospitable, although at times you have to establish with them that you don't speak their language. Very rich in history and culture. Lots of amazing spots to visit. Awesome awesome food. Thank you Cebu!
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