Cebu consists of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. Cebu City is the capital city of the province, and the oldest city in the Philippines. Between the 13th and 16th century Cebu then known as Zubu (or Sugbo) was an island inhabited by Hindus, animists and Muslims. ruled by Rajahs and Datus. It was a kingdom of the defunct Rajahnate of Cebu. It is also the first island inhabited by the Spaniards, this was brought forth by the arrival of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521.
Day 1- August 3
 |
| Our Plane, My friend Pia and her first plane ride... :D |
We asked how much is the fee, but then I know it’s around PhP 9, I just wanted to make sure. The driver told us PhP 20/person. Then a passenger told us now it’s just PhP 9, I think she realized the driver was trying to trick us since we spoke Filipino instead of the usual Bisaya and that we have our luggage.
TIP: Try learning Bisaya or better ask in English since most
of them know English than Filipino.
We were shocked that our PhP 9 went a long way. The shrine is inside a park in Punta Engaño, City of Lapu-Lapu.We reached the shrine and took some pictures.
We encountered many runners that early in the park since it’s a day before the Ironman Marathon. I was amazed how it was near the Mangroves. Since it was about to rain so ths sky was not that perfect, still the view just captivated me and even made me ask myself, "how come bloggers don't blog this view"
We were expecting low since we got a 3-stars hotel and that it was on room sale so we thought it might not be good. We just wished the bathroom was clean.
And to our surprise it was beyond our expectation. It had a cabinet where in you could put your clothes the room is really clean. They also have a card key for the electricity. You have to put in the card so that the electricity would be on. They also have 24 hour room service, laundry services and also the room has a mini bar and sky cable digibox.
We then checked in, and rested for a while since we lack sleep. We woke up around 1200H and ate lunch at the restaurant down stairs and ordered the famous Cebu Pochero. It’s different from the usual Pochero Tagalog people know. There's no tomato sauce and it is somewhat similar to niglaga.
We asked if the hotel is providing tours, but then we found
it expensive so we decided to just go on our own. So then we then rode a taxi
to Taoist Temple since it is the farthest.
The temple was built in 1972 and is located in Beverly Hills Subdivision. The temple was built by the Chinese community. With an elevation of 300 meters above sea level, and is a towering, multi-tiered, multi-hued attraction accessible by three separate winding routes.
It is open to the worshipers and non-worshipers alike. A ritual among devotees
is where one prays to the gods to grant one's wish. The ritual includes
washing of hands, going inside the chapel barefoot and dropping two
blocks of wood. If the blocks of wood are both face up then one could
make a wish. If not then it is not yet the time for one's wish to be
granted and one has to come to the temple some other time.
The temple was built in 1972 and is located in Beverly Hills Subdivision. The temple was built by the Chinese community. With an elevation of 300 meters above sea level, and is a towering, multi-tiered, multi-hued attraction accessible by three separate winding routes.
It is very beautiful and peaceful and if you would listen
closely you would hear the chants. It is nice to take pictures in this place
but be sure not to take pictures of the altar & the prayer rooms.
We then headed to our next stop which is the Magellan’s cross & Basilica Minor del Sto. Nino.
Magellan's Cross is a Christian cross planted by Portuguese, and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in the Philippines on April 21, 1521. The original cross is encased inside the wooden cross that is found in the chapel. This is to protect the original cross from people who chipped away parts of the cross for souvenir purposes or in the belief that the cross possesses miraculous powers.
The convent of the Sto. Niño de Cebu was founded by Fr. Andres de Urdaneta on April 28, 1565 , the very day the Legazpi-Urdaneta expedition arrived in the island. On May 8 of the same year, when Legaspi and his men planned the urbanization of the city, they allotted a "place for the church and the convent of San Agustin, "where the Santo Niño image had been found." In 1599, the convent was made a house of studies of grammar, headed by the Visayan linguist, Fr. Alonso de Mentrida. It also served as a rest house for missionaries working in the province and as a retirement home for the aged and the sick, usually attended to by a lay brother. The church has always been the Sanctuary of the Sto. Niño, under the custody of the Augustinians. The number of priests assigned to the church varied from three to five aside from one or two lay brothers. (source: http://basilicasantonino.org.ph/pages/basilica_complex.html)
UPDATE: The bell tower of this famous church got destroyed last October 15, 2013 due to a 7.2 magnitude earthquake
 |
| Mass Schedules (source:http://basilicasantonino.org.ph/) |
After a stop at the gift shop and Island souvenirs we decided to take a quick break at McDonalds, and I had my first Smurf float!
We then walked to the Cebu Cathedral took
some pictures and prayed, we were not able to get near the altar since there was a wedding held in the Cathedral.
So we then continued to the Heritage Monument, and at last to the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House. Then luckily as soon as we stepped inside the house it rained.
So we then continued to the Heritage Monument, and at last to the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House. Then luckily as soon as we stepped inside the house it rained.
We were toured by the curator who is the care taker of the house and also served as our photographer.
The house is one of the oldest houses in Cebu. Yet it is amazing how the family still occupies the house every weekend and yes, they’re coming that night.
It was constructed out of coral stones and woods, by a family of Chinese merchants sometime in the late 17th century.
History tells that Parian was a busy barangay and the community houses were commonly designed with a second storey. To date, this “Balay nga Bato ug Kahoy” (house of wood and stones) stands still despite wrecks and fate of time at the corner of Mabini and Lopez-Jaena streets. The house’s roof and wall were 95% original. It was also believed that this particular old landmark was the oldest existing Chinese house outside China.
We stayed there until the rain calmed down. We then decided to end our tour from there. Which actually,
if it wasn’t raining, we still have yet Casa Gorodo, Sugubu Museum & Fort
San Pedro. So we then decided to go to SM Cebu to eat dinner & buy our
ferry tickets to Bohol the next day. We bought our tickets at Mail & More,
the personnel was kind enough to find the cheapest we could get, but then they
told us that they charge 10% of the ticket price as their service charge.
We then bought dinner at Jollibee and also bought some
things we forgot to bring. We were okay until we realized that we forgot to ask
the hotel staff what to ride from SM back to the hotel. We then decided to take
the taxi, not realizing that the long line was actually the queue for the taxi
and it was the LONGEST TAXI QUEUE I EVER SEEN! To think that before we tried
riding a taxi going home from EDSA Shrine after attending the EDSA 2
Revolution. 
It took us almost 4 hours before it was our turn, I prayed
hard that there would be more taxis and yes after my 4th mystery it
rained taxis! 4 taxis arrived all at the same time.
Day 2- August 4- Bohol Trip
We woke up around 0500H then dressed up and flagged down a
taxi to Cebu Port. My friend decided to buy breakfast, while I already ate in
the hotel my spaghetti that I bought last night. Then we went inside the port.
There we saw a lot of tourist, you would know they’re tourist simply because of
the constant picture taking and some are foreigners with their luggage at hand.The gates were opened at 0600H exactly. We headed to the ferry and sat, well I was actually my first time to ride a ferry. It took us a while; we waited until around 0700H before we departed.
Here is a link for a more detailed entry of our Bohol Trip.
Day 3- August 5
We were able to go home around 2200H so we decided to sleep till 1030H the next morning. Then we dressed up and packed our bags. We left our bags at the baggage area and headed to finish our list. First stop was Fort San Pedro.
Fuerza de San Pedro is a military defence structure, built by Spanish
and indigenous Cebuano labourers under the command of Spanish
conquistador, Miguel López de Legazpi and the Spanish Government in
Cebu. It is located in the area now called Plaza Indepedencia, in the
Pier Area. The smallest, oldest triangular bastion fort in the country
was built in 1738 to repel Muslim raiders. In turn, it served as a
stronghold for Filipino revolutionaries near the end of the 19th
century. This served as the nucleus of the first Spanish settlement in
the Philippines. The three bastions were named La Concepción (SW);
Ignacio de Loyola (SE), and San Miguel
(NE). The sides are of unequal lengths and the one
fronting the city is where one may find entry into the Fort. Fourteen
cannons were mounted in their emplacements most of which are still there
today. Work first started on May 8, 1565 with Miguel Lopéz de Legazpi
breaking ground. |
| sitting under a hundred year old tree |
 |
| Me & My friend on our way to one of the bastions |
We took our time taking pictures and enjoying the fresh air. It was also nice knowing more of the history of Cebu. It was also dreadful to hear and read the stories of hardships our countrymen had suffered brought by the colonizations of other countries.
Then we headed straight to Plaza Independencia had some
pictures then spotted AA BBQ just across the street. We decided to have our
lunch since it was already past 1200H. It is actually a “paluto” restaurant
where in you would choose you the food raw and then you would tell them how
they would cook it for you and the price…. Was reasonable! We had 3 sticks of
pork barbecue, 4 pieces of langgonisa, a grilled fish, 2 orders of rice, and drinks.
After a hearty meal we headed out to Casa Gorodo, we got lost and reached the pier but luckily I remembered the pier so we used Google maps. As soon as we reached Casa Gorodo, the care taker informed us that it was closed. They told us to try going to Sugbo Museum instead which is just near. Not being a “walker” we kinda got tired and felt that it was too far than what we usually expected. So we asked around again and they said it’s just straight ahead.
 |
| An Old Drug Bottle |
As soon as we saw it we paid the fees and went in. The Sugbo Museum is the Cebu Provincial Museum. It was once the main prison of the Visayas Islands and was called Carcel del Distrito. It is a huge museum containing 12 air conditioned galleries. There are 4 permanent galleries and the special exhibition galleries. There are also 2 large galleries which contains the National Museum- Cebu regional Branch. It houses the excavations from Plaza Independencia and the San Diego Shipwreck of 1600. Another 2 large galleries contain the National Historical Commission’s Museum of Philippine History.
 |
| Head of the 12 Apostles |
 |
| Future Pres. Kennedy of the Philippines? hahaha :P |
After the long tour, we decided to head to Ayala Cebu, cause you know we’re Ayala Mall girls. So we flagged down a taxi to Ayala Cebu.
Ayala Cebu has an exterior with the similar feel to Alabang
Town Center and a garden area similar to Greenbelt. I went to Starbucks hoping
that they would have a demitasse set there for my collection. Luckily the have
one, they were actually telling me they have little stocks left because of the
Ironman Competition held yesterday.
After roaming around we decided to go to ask the taxi driver to drive us to Shammrock to buy some pasalubongs and then pass by the Church to say a little prayer and head back to the hotel. Luckily the taxi we rode was a Manilenyo, born and raised in the city of Manila, he was around 40-50 years old and stayed in Cebu since his 2 children went to college. He asked us if we already visited the different tourist spots. I even told him, “Sana Manong nung isang araw pa naming kayo nasakyan. Para kayo na lang po tour guide naming, madalang kasi kami maka-encounter ng marunong mag Tagalog.” (We hoped we were able to ride in your taxi since our first day here so that we made you our tour guide, we seldom encounter taxi drivers who can speak & understand Tagalog.) Our taxi bill was just around PhP 130 but I gave him 200 :D He was really kind to us and even wished us a safe flight back to Manila.
After roaming around we decided to go to ask the taxi driver to drive us to Shammrock to buy some pasalubongs and then pass by the Church to say a little prayer and head back to the hotel. Luckily the taxi we rode was a Manilenyo, born and raised in the city of Manila, he was around 40-50 years old and stayed in Cebu since his 2 children went to college. He asked us if we already visited the different tourist spots. I even told him, “Sana Manong nung isang araw pa naming kayo nasakyan. Para kayo na lang po tour guide naming, madalang kasi kami maka-encounter ng marunong mag Tagalog.” (We hoped we were able to ride in your taxi since our first day here so that we made you our tour guide, we seldom encounter taxi drivers who can speak & understand Tagalog.) Our taxi bill was just around PhP 130 but I gave him 200 :D He was really kind to us and even wished us a safe flight back to Manila.
After reaching the hotel, we got our bags and flagged down another taxi to Mactan. We plan to go to the beach and found this really cheap beach with PhP 20 entrance fee. It was called Vano beach. It was a long trip we reached the place around 1800H and as soon as we reached it the caretaker said they’re closed already, then I asked them if they do have rooms, they said they have but they don’t accept overnight stays.
With nowhere to stay we headed back to the previous resort we saw, Haruhay Restaurant & Resort.
It was a little bit
dark already, around 1830H when we negotiated the price of the room. We also
informed them if they could give us a discount because we’re just gonna stay
there till 0200H. The said it is a fixed price. We did not bargain enough
because we were so tired already. We then agreed and just paid them since we’re
about to leave early.
They have a pool, a tennis court and of course a german restaurant. The place was nice, the thing I did not enjoy with this place was that it was too dark even though it was just 1900H and last is that I left my Timex watch (learned I lost it when we already checked in at the airport) in the room and tried to contact them but they did not respond back. The staff was courteous anyway so that’s a plus for me. Though don’t expect too much, it’s not that clean because of all the trees surrounding the place, but at least the bathroom is clean and so is the bed, very comfortable!
We then asked them if they could call in a taxi for us to bring us to the airport and they did. Unfortunately we were asked by the taxi driver if it is okay if we give him PhP 450 because he came from the Cebu City proper.
We reached the airport around 0230H. And had our flight back home around 0310H and arrived in Manila around 0400H but it took us a while because of our checked in bags and unfortunately it rained so yeah I got my bags drenched in the rain.
But over all I enjoyed. There were adventures, and
misadventures but who gets a perfect getaway the first time they planned one
right? I also love how Cebuanos are very accommodating, warm and helpful. Only downfall is that not everyone can speak Filipino, but they try hard to help. The City feels like Metro Manila minus the traffic. Surely will come back I also love how they preserve every important places and yet still have that Metro feel. I would really want to come back and enjoy the other side of town and get sun-kissed skin all-over me!
For the list of our expenses & the summary of our travel itenerary see this post
WHERE TO STAY:
Golden Valley Hotel
155 A. Pelaez St.
Cebu City 6000, Philippines
Tel Nos.: (6332) 253-8660; (6332) 253-8481
Cellphone Nos.: (+63917) 323-8660; (+63918) 951-5497; (+63923) 737-6215
Sales / Telefax: (6332) 253-8482
Email: sales@goldenvalleyhotel.net; reservations@goldenvalleyhotel.net
website: http://goldenvalleyhotel.net/
Haruhay Dream Resort
Marigondon Beach, 6015 Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
Telefon +00 63 917 303 1954
TEL/FAX +63 32 340 9790
Alternate Mobile No.: +00 63 917 325 6016
E-mail Address: contact@haruhay-philippines.com
website: http://www.haruhay-philippines.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for reading. Hope your feet got itchy to try this place. Feel free to express that though you have there I would love to hear from you...