Seafood and Stilts at Cao-Oy, Olango Island – Cebu, Philippines

March 8, 2013 by Leave a Comment
Another restaurant on stilts

We arrived early for dinner. Too early. The sun looked like it had no plans of letting the night take over yet when our boat docked at a floating seafood restaurant off the coast of Olango Island, Cebu. We were supposed to watch the sunset here and have sinful dinner but it seemed like plans needed to be changed at that point. We came from Talima Marine Sanctuary, where our snorkeling time was cut short for two reasons. First, we were kind of disappointed by the site. We just floated aimlessly there looking for anything interesting to see but all that greeted us was a carpet of sea grass with very few fishes swimming around. I had heard many great things about Talima but I guess we … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Beaches and Islands, Cebu, Food, Philippines Tagged With: , , ,

Review: BE Resorts Mactan – Cebu, Philippines

February 20, 2013 by Leave a Comment
My friends April and Chichi by the pool

My last time in Cebu was pretty uneventful. I've always liked Cebu but this trip was a company outing and the places we were set to visit were those I had been to twice before. While it was nice to see Cebu's top tourist spots again, I guess I can't be blamed for wanting to finally go out of the city and head for the islands of Bantayan or Malapascua, which did not happen. But the saving grace was the hotel --- BE Resorts Mactan. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Accommodations, Beaches and Islands, Cebu Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Drowning in Danggit at Tabo-an Market – Cebu City, Philippines

August 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Mounds and mounds of dried fish at Tabo-an Market!

"I asked for a fish. You gave me an ocean," I told my friend whom I had been urging the whole day to take me where I could buy danggit, a popular dried fish product in Cebu. The entire day that I was exploring Cebu City, a nagging voice had been playing in my head. It was my mother's; she always requires that I bring danggit home as pasalubong whenever I am in Cebu. My friend appropriately took me to Tabo-an Market. What I didn't expect was how much dried fish and how wide a variety of it would welcome me there! It was a danggit-lover's paradise! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cebu, Food, Shops Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Inside the Walls of Fort San Pedro – Cebu City, Philippines

July 28, 2012 by 1 Comment
The seal of the Spanish King at the gate

A contemporary tune played by a talented blind musician welcomed us as we stepped into the grounds of Fort San Pedro in Cebu City. The music was rather merry that my cheery friends could not help but dance to the tune. There we were by the entrance to a truly historic site, dancing and sharing a laugh on a bright Saturday afternoon. Rewind to centuries earlier, when Fort San Pedro was not a popular tourist spot but a functional military defense structure. Lying in Plaza Independencia in Cebu City, Fort San Pedro (aka Fuerza de San Pedro) was constructed by Spanish and Cebuano laborers. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, a Spanish conquistador who founded the earliest Spanish settlement in Cebu, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cebu, Historical Sites, Museums Tagged With: , , , ,

Cebu Taoist Temple: A Date with Dragons – Cebu City, Philippines

July 4, 2012 by 3 Comments
The prayer room at the highest peak of the complex

A wooden board displaying instructions on how to communicate with God stood just outside the main temple hall. My friends gathered in front of the board while trying to think of the perfect questions to ask God and excitedly anticipating whether the answer would be Yes, No, or Maybe. But before they could come up with any, another friend invited us to explore the rest of the Cebu Taoist Temple complex. The Cebu Taoist Temple was built in 1972 by the Chinese community of Cebu City. Located in Beverly Hills Subdivision, this multi-tiered temple stands on top of a small hill at an elevation of 300m above sea level. It is the center of the Taoism religion in Cebu but is open even to … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cebu, Religious Sites Tagged With: , , , , , ,

A No-Regrets Half-Day in Cebu City, Philippines

August 10, 2010 by 8 Comments
Sto Nino Church in Cebu

After our two-day tour in Iloilo and Guimaras, the Poor Traveler and his poor friend decided that it was time to head home. But the flight tickets that we got would have a connecting flight in Cebu City. Our plane would land at Mactan International Airport at 4pm and would depart for Manila at 6am the next morning. But we were not pissed. We saw it as an opportunity to explore the Queen City of the South. We just had to be back at Mactan Airport at around 4am. So we had 12 hours to go see places and meet people in Cebu. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Airports, Budget and Expenses, Cebu, Food, Historical Sites, Religious Sites Tagged With: , , , , ,

Magellan’s Cross – Cebu City, Philippines

August 9, 2010 by 13 Comments
magellans cross cebu philippines

"Destination?" The driver said as we hopped into his taxi. It was too early to check in at my hotel and I did not know any other place in Cebu at the time except... "Magellan's Cross," I replied, half in delight and half in utter hope that it was not that far from the airport. Call it reflex but you can also say it was the only place in Cebu that I was familiar with at the time. Since childhood, there had been this need to be up close and personal with this legendary landmark. I guess it was one of those things Grade School forced me to love, along with the Banaue Rice Terraces and the Chocolate Hills. Not that I'm complaining; they're worth loving. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cebu, Historical Sites Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

History of the Santo Nino Church in Cebu City, Philippines

August 4, 2010 by 9 Comments
santo nino church in cebu

It was Sunday and the church premises were crowded as locals and tourists gather around the area. Wherever we look we could see many people --- lighting candles on one side, attending  the mass on another, or simply taking a walk around the church premises. We decided to just skip going inside the church as there were too many people. We just lit some candles at a park-like area in front of the church especially dedicated to people who wanna light candles for the Santo Nino. Candles were free, Yay!!! … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Cebu, Historical Sites, Religious Sites Tagged With: , , ,
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