An invitation to visit always excites me, especially if it requires me to travel to another region. A traveler at heart, you know! 😉
My friend, ReyJan, sent me a photo of ‘Ginabot’ on Facebook Messenger, saying ‘Come here, in Cebu, I’ll treat you.’ As a food lover, how could I say no? So, I planned my trip to Cebu, bought a promo plane ticket from Cebu Pacific Air, and didn’t need to book a hotel because I’ll be staying in his dorm. A big saver for someone like me, who enjoys backpacking. This post showcases my city tour in Cebu.
Sept. 24, 2014, around 3 pm – touchdown Cebu.
It’s always good to research before traveling. Thanks to Christian, a blogger from The Bisdak Explorer, for sharing a money-saving transport tip from Mactan Airport to mainland Cebu. I asked Reyjan if we could stop over at SM just so I could continue working on my task; he agreed, so we took 05A from the airport, then 23D to the jeepney terminal heading to SM, and finally 21B going to SM. Just so you know, guys, I am a freelancer through oDesk.com.
I finished my thing around 6 pm, we head up to his dorm, fixed a little of my stuff and relaxed for a moment and then time for dinner. We ate at Surfin’ Ribs, recommended by him, a seafood and barbecue restaurant. One word for their Pete’s Ribs, DELICIOSO!
After that satisfying dinner, Reyjan took me on a tour of I.T Park. This was only my second time here; my first visit was during the day. I.T Park is even more beautiful at night, especially because of the stunning lights at the Waterfront Hotel, resembling a castle. We didn’t stay out late as we had plans for the next day. Waking up at 8 in the morning feels early, I suppose! 😛
Our first stop was at the Taoist Temple. From UCMA, Lahug, we took the 17B jeepney and then rode a habal-habal to Beverly Hills Subdivision where the Temple is located. Don’t expect a door-to-door habal-habal ride because public motorcycles are restricted from going further into the quiet and solemn subdivision; the driver will drop you off at the subdivision’s entrance area. No fee is needed. 😉 So, get ready to walk for 20-30 minutes. When you visit the Taoist Temple, remember two things: (1) Observe S-I-L-E-N-C-E! (2) NO taking pictures inside the Temple/Shrine!
The Taoist Temple is awesome! It’s a great escape from the city noise, super peaceful. I adore their mini Great Wall of China; it’s adorable. And that Dragon, I thought I’d only see it in pictures. Hehe. After our visit, we were starving since we skipped breakfast, so we opted for some ‘Gigabot’ for lunch.
Finally, introducing Ginabot! It is a street food that I believe is very famous and the best in town. Known as Chicharon Bulakbulak, it is made from pig mesentery. I think we ate it somewhere in Fuente because it is just a walking distance to Crown Regency, where I hope to experience the Sky Walk.
After fulfilling our stomach which really obvious in my photo below, lol, Magellan’s Cross, Basilica Del Santo Niño, and Fort San Pedro were our next spots.
The first time I went to Magellan’s Cross, it was closed due to a 7.2 magnitude quake that affected Bohol & Cebu, causing Magellan’s Cross and the Basilica Church to be damaged. Fortunately, they were able to start working on it. Moving on to Fort San Pedro, it was just a few minutes away from Santo Niño. After paying a Php30.00 entrance fee, you can appreciate the historical significance of the place. We had a great time there, taking more pictures for more fun. HAHA. Additionally, there were many Korean tourists at that time. I was truly amazed by the age of this place and how well it has been maintained. Upon entering Fort San Pedro’s premises, I felt like I was in Vigan, even though I haven’t been there yet. It might not be exactly like Vigan, but you can still sense the influence of the Spanish Regime.
Sept. 25 was indeed a long day. Reyjan had a dinner scheduled with his workmates, so after spending time at Fort San Pedro, we went home and took a rest. Reyjan just can’t leave me in the dorm, so he invited me, of course, to that dinner. His workmates welcomed me and didn’t make me feel like I was such a stranger. They were so bubbly, funny, and just full of happiness altogether. Dinner was at Bigby’s Restaurant in Ayala Center Cebu, but the night was not over yet because Reyjan and I decided to watch the movie “The Maze Runner.” Superb movie! Super! Meanwhile, while waiting for the scheduled screening, we had some ice-cream time at Gelatissimo with Sir Rj, and sorry, I forgot the name of his other workmate. This was my first try at Gelatissimo, which is not yet in CDO, but I hope it will be soon. Our movie date ended around 11 pm, I guess, and before we went home around midnight, we had a photoshoot in the Ayala Center garden area. We couldn’t resist the night-light view.
Ops! As I’ve said this post is more about my city-tour in Cebu, so please stay with me. Hehe.
The next day, September 16, our itinerary included Oslob Whale Shark Watching, Tumalog Falls, and Simala Shrine. However, the Whale Watching plan fell through because we departed the city at 7 am and caught a bus to Oslob around 8 am. Whale Watching only operates until 11 am, and since we hadn’t reached the Simala area by then, close to 11 am, we decided to skip that spot and head south. We made a stop at Simala Shrine first, which I will share in a separate post. You can read about our Tumalog Falls experience HERE. 😉
To tell you the truth, we only had breakfast at South Bus Terminal. We didn’t have lunch, but we at least had Carcar chicharron while on the bus heading to Tumalog Falls. From my side, I claimed it; having motion sickness truly sucks! I hadn’t really eaten because I might vomit. Unfortunately, heading back to Cebu City from Tumalog Falls, I couldn’t hold it anymore. Less than 2 hours away from the city, I let it out. Ehw! lol. Pobrecita! But I will still share a sneak peek at Simala. 🙂
If I remember correctly, we arrived at his dorm around 7 or 8 in the evening. After tidying up my mess, we went to Pizza Republic, which is just one block away from his dorm, to enjoy some delicious food. Did you notice the wall at Pizza Republic?
The highlight was when we visited La Vie Parisienne. This time, it wasn’t just the two of us but with Sir Rj and my college classmate Bethany, who was with her boyfriend. We had a long catching-up chat while sipping champagne; I can’t recall what we had. LOL. La Vie Parisienne is a Bakery & Wine bar with an amazing ambiance. Trust me.
‘Twas a long night, a new bond shared, a new friendship bloomed. The next morning, it was time for me to head home – back to reality. However, this wasn’t my last Cebu experience because just last January, I enjoyed Sinulog 2015 so much.
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