Roughly nine years had passed and finally, I had the chance to go back once again to Cebu, the Philippines' "Queen City of the South."
Four months ago, I was back at Cebu City! The last time I was back in 3rd grade. My father attended a convention there and grateful enough, our family, including my grandparents, were able to go with him.
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| Plane rides are always so majestic. I always rush to the window seat in the plane just so I could see the full view of the sky. |
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| To keep me entertained in the 75-minute flight from Manila to Cebu, I brought with me the Burn for Burn book by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian, which is truly deserves a double thumbs up! |
When we arrived Cebu City, we went straight to Radisson Blu, our home for the next 4 days, so we could check-in and leave our luggages in our room. Radisson Blu is a five-star hotel and I think, what made it five-star is not only its grand, expensive and elegant interiors but also its crew. Their crew were truly friendly and amiable, and very helpful too. Here are a few pictures of the Radisson Blu.
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| Radisson Blu's lobby |
Afterwards, we ate lunch at C&T Lechon. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures while we were there but C&T Lechon will always be the best lechon! Its flavor is remarkably good and it doesn't need lechon sauce to come with it. Then, we paid a visit at the Basilica del Sto. Nino, the minor basilica of Cebu City. It was there where the Sto. Nino given by Ferdinand Magellan to the wife of Rajah Humabon could be found.
And then, literally just a few steps from the basilica was the famous Magellan's Cross, and across it was the City Hall of Cebu.
Next stop was at Nino & Khristy Dried Fish Dealer & Pasalubong so we could buy pasalubong for our families back at home. Varied types of dried fishes and pasalubongs were seen, and it was really exciting to shop because of the different knick-and-knacks available there.
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| They even have these cute chorizos which look like giant bubble wraps!!! |
Afterwards, we made our way towards yet another famous tourist destination which was the Philippine Taoist Temple where different Taoist temples were found. It was really solemn there and the different colors used in the temples were eye-catching.
Next stop was Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa, another five-star hotel. We roamed around the hotel and we also had our early dinner there. I am looking forward to staying here if I'll go back to Cebu.
For day 2 of our Cebu trip, we had a 3-hour drive to Oslob to have an experience with the whale sharks. We were really hoping to see whale sharks that time because we've tried our luck in different places, like in Bicol, but we didn't get the chance to see them. And finally, we saw them there in Oslob! Apparently, the fishermen said that these whale sharks go there every day for a long period of time now, that they've already named them and treated them like pets. They said they know who that certain whale shark is just by seeing their spots. They don't touch them, though, because that's against the law. What they do is they just feed them. When you're there, you are given the chance to swim with them, if you want to. Don't worry because they won't eat you since these gentle giants eat planktons and the like.
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| A few guidelines before the interaction with the whale sharks start. |
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| Fishermen feed the whale sharks to come closer to the tourist boats. |
After our encounter with the whale sharks, we went to see Escuela Catolica, El Gran Baluarte and the Church of Boljoon which were a few minutes away from the shore. Tthe Escuela Catolica served as a religious place and a school as well in the 1940s. Meanwhile, the El Gran Baluarte is the biggest watchtower in Cebu. Lastly, the Church of Boljoon is known to be a National Historical Landmark in Cebu.
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| Escuela Catolica |
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| El Gran Baluarte |
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| The Church of Boljoon |
Our last stop was lunch! We ate the original lechon belly in Cebu, and I really enjoyed it because I just had to eat and eat without worrying of bones and the like.
The rest of the trip was spent at the hotel, either swimming in the pool or resting in the hotel room. It was truly a memorable trip since I got to know more about Cebu and at the same time, had the chance to bond and enjoy summer with my family.
Sources:
http://boljoon.myguide.ph/where-to-go.html
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