Missing the scheduled 1600 hours ferry from Bohol to Cebu, we were very grateful that Weesam Express reimbursed our missed ticket. The last flight and ferry out of Bohol were all nearly booked and the chance to explore the Queen City of the South was slowly dimming as the setting sun was agonizingly descending on the horizon.
We fortunately reached Cebu, via a (1.5 hours -haha!) delayed Ocean Jet Liner. As we arrived, the majestic Queen City of the South lay in slumber with only some few locals and tourists lingering the streets of Cebu. Cebu mesmerized me! Cebu is truly a Queen to behold.
Being the oldest city (established by Miguel Lopez de Legazpi in 1565), Cebu surely holds some of the most antique relics and ancient traces of the Spanish-Filipino conquest. Various forts, churches and museums are scattered throughout the metropolitan that attest to how western colonialization has changed the indigenous culture of the early indo-malay settlers.
Quick travel facts on CEBU!
1. Knife shaped Cebu is in the center of Visayas region.(a good hub when touring)
2. Cebu is a metropolitan city with the four major cities being Cebu, Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and Talisay.
3. The airport is found in Lapu-Lapu City. (traffic to and fro the ariport is heavy on most days, make sure you allot 1-1.5 hours when travelling from cebu city to airport)
4. The weather in Cebu is hot and humid most times of the year.
5. Taxi, jeep, and tricycle are the major means of transport. (like in manila, tumataga ang mga taxi, so ask for the metro! haha)
6. The best thing to do in Cebu is to walk around and eat! Try Larshan -a complex of turo turo that offers a variety of side walk goodies. Puso -rice wrapped in local leaves. Lechon Cebu -one of the tastiest roast pork…and so much more.
7. Go-to places: Taoist temple, Magellan’s Cross (FYI: the cross in the plaza is a product from the Tindalo wood planted by Magellan on the very site where the cross is found), Fort San Pedro, Cebu Cathedral (very regal in the evening), Guitar factories (in Mactan island), Mactan Shrine, Casa Garordo Museum, Tops (skyline view of Cebu), and the University of San Carlos (1st university in Philippine Islands established by the SJ but today run by the SVD).
8. Pasalubong abound, must buys include da-ing (dried fish, and an assortment will bewilder you, masarap yung “tocino daing” and danggit of course…), shirts (the best come from island souvenirs), dried mangoes, guitar?, and very importantly -Lechon Cebu!
As in all travels, it’s not the food nor the places that matter most. It is the faces and experiences you encounter that etches memories into one’s soul. In this out-of-town, meeting Fiona Lim, my student’s sister, was one of the good experiences. Fiona, the COO of the body and sole spa franchise, toured us in her lovely city and she struck me as a very humble person. Being a COO at that, she never exuded the flare of a businessman. Her modesty must be an art. An art that challenges people around her to recognize the beauty within. Visit Body and Sole Spa at http://www.bodyandsolespa.ph. Contact Fiona Lim at 09228181759 or email at fionajadelim@gmail.com.
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Philippines Nurses Association annual convention this year will be in Cebu! Watch our for the barrage of nurses this October!
