CEBU: My Brief Flirtation with a Queen City

However brief my stint at Cebu was, I was able to see why people call this uber city the Queen City of the South and why the Cebuanos are proud of their origin. Cebu is where one can find the old and the new, the heritages of our past as well as the markers of a rapidly growing locale. It is also the gateway to other tourist destinations in the Visayas . Within the short hours of our stay there, we've been to some of the well-known historic sites in the metro city and met several different individuals, from taxi drivers to souvenir vendors and ladies selling candles and performing the prayer dance--all of them have been very cordial and accommodating to us. These short encounters left me yearning for more.


The DIY tipid tourists: Lhei, biyahera and Pyke (Squall took the pic)

We went to Cebu for our Bohol tour--about which, I will rave in my next post (*smiles*). But instead of going straight to Tagbilaran, we dropped by in Cebu first. Being the budget travelers that we were, we thought that going straight to Tagbilaran would be more expensive in terms of airplane fare. Our plan is that from Cebu, we'll ride a fast craft to Tagbilaran and from there, to our target destinations in Bohol. This was indeed cheaper. Tagbilaran-bound flights are more expensive and according to a friend, rarely go on sale. Our Manila-Cebu-Manila fare was barely PHP800 at P399 for each flight. Thanks to Cebupac and Zestair promos! This has saved us almost two thousand pesos, plus we also got the chance to visit Cebu since most of us have not yet been there. Hence, to Cebu we went!


Maayong pag-abot! :)


Crossing the Mactan-Mandaue Bridge

Upon arrival at the airport, we rode a fixed-rate taxi (approx.PHP300.00) to the port to buy tickets for our Tagbilaran trip (PHP500.00, one-way) the following day. From the port, we hailed a taxi again and proceeded to LA GUARDIA HOTEL. La Guardia was recommended to me by my Auntie Marty, who's also a savvy tipid traveler. The hotel is at the very heart of Colon and Osmena Street. It's just in front of Gaisano-Colon and near the Cebu Appliance Center, but still, it's not easy to find. First, it has a very narrow stair entrance and second, you have to pay close attention to notice the signage.


La Guardia Hotel (picture taken from their website)

I am recommending this hotel because its rooms are large and neat--or at least at that time we were there--enough to appease any germ-phobe tendencies among us. Our room, however, has a trace of cigarette smell and the best that the personnel can do was to offer us a can of air-freshener. Squall and Pyke's room smelled better. The rooms were modestly decorated, although there is still that comfy atmosphere. There's TV with cable, cabinets, dresser, etc. The supposed single beds are big enough for two. Aircon's OK, blankets are thick, CRs are clean, and there's hot and cold shower. In other words, the rooms look more expensive than the actual PHP550 plus deposit of PHP100 we paid for a 24-hour rate! :)


The Basilica Minore del Sto Niño


A relief of the Sto Niño


The image of the miraculous Sto. Niño

Due to our very limited time, we immediately proceeded to the first item in our itinerary--the Basilica del Sto. Niño. Basilica del Sto. Niño is a famous pilgrimage location in the Philippines. The image of the Sto. Niño (Holy Infant) is not just a precious religious and historical relic, but is also considered miraculous. Hence, we joined the long queue to get a chance to be near the image as well as offered our prayers in earnest (re passing the Bar exams, perhaps?) The Basilica Church, on the other hand, is also quite a sight, with its 16th-century Romanesque and neo-classical structure built on the very spot where the image of the Sto. Niño previously left behind by Magellan's team of explorers was unearthed by the Spanish conquerors.




The author and her travel friends: Top: With Lhei and Squall. Bottom: With Lheila, in front of the Basilica



Each candle represents a prayer



Pyke here, solemn in his prayers

A short distance from the Basilica is the famed Magellan's Cross. A little review of Philippine history (on my part included hehe), Magellan's Cross symbolizes the start of Christianity in the country, which led to its being the only Catholic country in Asia. The story is that the Portuguese explorer, Magellan, upon arrival in Cebu in 1521, erected a large wooden cross to mark the start of Christianization therein. Cebu's Rajah Humaton and his wife, Juana, were both baptized along with their family and around 800 of their followers.


The chapel housing the Magellan's Cross







The crucifix in the chapel, however, is no longer the real cross brought by Magellan. The original giant cross deteriorated through the years so that another one, a replica, was built and erected in its stead. This is the cross now seen by visitors who frequent the place, although pieces of the original cross were placed inside the hollow of the new cross.

Outside the Magellan's Cross chapel is another cultural showcase. I am referring to the dancing prayer ladies (I actually do not know the correct term lol :P ) who offer to recite prayers for visitors while performing a prayer dance. I bought five candles from one of the ladies, supposedly to represent the different aspects of my life (family life, career life, love life *wink*, etc.), and watched her mumble a litany as she performed her dance and gaily waved the candles. I know I'm supposed to pray along but I can't help but watch with keen interest. Nonetheless, I hoped in the potency of her prayers :)





Ladies in Yellow--They recite prayers for you while dancing, for a fee of course :)

I've seen these dancing prayer ladies featured in a TV show one time and it was said that the culture is already dwindling. I feel sad about this and wish that their profession, if ever you can call it as such--or perhaps "devotion" is a better term-- will be passed on to the next generations of yellow-clad dancing prayer ladies.


Dusk time in Cebu

After our religious pilgrimage to the Sto. Niño, it was almost night-time and I suggested that we go to the THE WALK, a gimmick spot in Cebu. We decided against it last minute though, because we wanted to eat dinner at CnT--the restaurant touted to serve the best lechon! We heeded Lheila's suggestion instead and made usisa at the Waterfront Hotel before we have dinner:)


The relaxing view of Waterfront Hotel's beautiful swimming pool


Near the pool area at the Waterfront Hotel

We worked up an appetite during our Waterfront Hotel stroll so that we headed to CnT hungry and super craving for scrumptious lechon (roasted pig) and crunchy lechon skin, only to arrive at an already empty place!!! The waiters who were clearing away leftovers told us that they've closed for the night. Imagine, the restaurant closed at 7PM! All the lechons are sold out. Gone. Ganyan sya ka in demand hehehe...So poor us, tardy tourists :) The disappointment increased our resolve to return there on our way back from Tagbilaran--and to be a little earlier!

Anyways, we just ate our dinner at SM Cebu, bought some supplies and baon for our Tagbilaran trip the following day and went back to our super sulit hotel. Snooze time after that. Next day, Tagbilaran, Bohol! :)


Next Base, Bohol: Fast crafts like Oceanjet (there's also Supercat and Weesam) cater daily trips to Tagbilaran

After my very short stay at Cebu, I hope that I'd be able to go back to explore its other many wonders. Even without a solid plan yet, I'm already excited for my return back in the arms of the Queen City where I hope to linger for a longer time.

How To's and Other Tips:

1) Cebu can be reached from Manila by airplane, ferry, and bus or land vehicle--the latter is made possible through RORO. The quickest way is by plane, of course, which only takes around an hour. Fare in airplane depends on the distance and timing of booking. Our discounted tickets only cost Php399 each. Going there by boat, by Superferry or RORO, takes around 24 hours. There are also entry points other than Manila since Cebu can be accessed from other local airport in the country, such as Legazpi, Davao, Iloilo, Cagayan, etc. For international travelers, Cebu has an international airport in Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan, Cebu. There are flights to and from Seoul,Busan, Tokyo, Narita, Doha, Singapore and Hongkong.

2) Restaurants and hotels of all classes--from five-star accommodation to lowly, uber cheap lodges--abound. Also, there's surely a gastronomic feast waiting for the foodie adventurer in Cebu at prices that can be surprisingly cheap.

3) Cebu is known for its dried fruits (dried mangoes) and dried fish products.

4) Cebu has her share of beautiful beaches and islands, such as the Camotes Island and the beaches in Moalboal and Badian. These are my future travel destinations, hopefully!

5) Overall, there are many fun things to do in Cebu. The Skywalk Adventure at Crown Regency Hotel is an example (the list is too long to mention!hehe). One thing is certain, tourists will never run out of gimmick spots while in the city.

6) Cebu may also be a jump-off point to other locations in the Visayas, like Tagbilaran, Ormoc, Dumaguete,etc.

7) Travel around the city is relatively cheap. Our taxi fare for all our rides rarely reached Php100.00, the average being just Php 60.00. So, just ride and enjoy! Or for greater adventure, ride the jeepney. Just arm yourself with a map or you can simply ask around :)