Cebu is Sweeter the 4th Time Around

I don’t know what it is in Cebu that made Gin say that it’s her favorite city outside of Manila.  Maybe it’s because Cebu mirrors Manila, minus the latter’s imperfections.  Maybe it’s because everything still seems simple and laidback in this place despite the ever expanding urban landscape around the city.  Whatever her reasons might be, I’m one with her in regarding the queen city of the south as a place that I’ll never grow tired of visiting due to a very special reason – this is the place where Gin and I officially became a couple :)

I went to Gin’s home at around 5:00am (late as usual) so that we could go together to the airport for our 8:00 a.m. flight.  Going to the airport on a Sunday was a breeze.  We arrived at the NAIA Terminal 3 fifteen minutes before 6.  This was our first time to leave the car at the airport’s overnight parking area as we usually entrust it to the guys at Park N Fly.  We didn’t encounter any problem at the check-in desk and we left Manila on time.  I wanted to catch some sleep during the flight, but the one-inch legroom made that 40 winks elusive.  It’s either the plane shrunk or I just got bigger.

Honey, I shrunk the plane!

Good Cabbies

Upon arriving at Cebu, we proceeded to the Arrival’s area to line up at the taxi stand.  Unlike at the NAIA, getting an ordinary metered taxi in the Mactan-Cebu International Airport is easy and convenient.  Our previous encounters with the city’s taxi drivers were horrendous, though.  There were times when the meter shuffled digits so fast that it made me wonder whether the device was displaying the fare or the odometer.  In this particular visit, however, the drivers were honest and courteous.  They even went the extra mile in providing me with contact numbers or suggestions on how to get a cab in the area around Marco Polo Plaza Cebu.

Answered Prayer!

Our first stop was the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño for the 11:30 a.m. mass.  This was the focal point of the day for me as it was here when Gin finally became my girlfriend! :)  I guess it is only fitting for me to receive her nod in this church.  Back in 2009 during our second visit to this basilica, we looked for a vacant pew where we could rest for a while.  After having caught our breath, Gin knelt down to pray.  As my knees are missing a few ligaments, I decided to remain seated.  In the middle of my silent conversation with God, my eyes shifted to Gin.  I looked at her for a long time.  It was at this point when I told The Big Boss of my hope and wish that the girl kneeling in front of me would become my partner in every crime that I intend to commit in this lifetime.  Nakulitan na siguro si Lord sa akin kaya He finally gave me His nod after 1 year and 8 months of trying to win Gin’s heart he he :)

Sto. Nino Church Altar

Bo’s Original

We then went to Ayala Center’s The Terraces for lunch at Mesa.  We were quite lucky to have the place virtually to ourselves as there were only about 5 persons having lunch in the place.  This doesn’t mean that Mesa’s dishes aren’t pleasing to the tongue, though.  Their sisig with egg tasted good, while the hito flakes with green mango was interesting to the pallet.

Mesa Restaurant

After our hearty meal, we strolled around for a few minutes to give our tummies a time to make some space for coffee :)  Gin and I have been craving for Bo’s coffee for quite some time now and it’s a delight to know that we’ll be satisfying our craving at the coffee shop’s city of origin!  I’m not exactly a fan of Bo’s Coffee since the ones that I’ve had in its Manila branches tasted quite bitter.  But the Mocha frap that we’ve had here tasted different.  It was sweet and blended very well.  Our first sip almost made us forget Starbucks!  Well, almost :)

Bo's Coffee Club Cebu

After a good and relaxing time at the Ayala Center, we went to SM North for CNT’s famed lechon.  We’ve been told that Alejo’s tastes better.  However, one of the taxi drivers that we were able to talk to said that we had to pre-order our lechon and that they’re only open from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.  Hence, we decided to opt for what seems to be the Cebu’s second best.

Marco Polo Plaza Cebu’s Blu Bar and Grill

With the sun already getting ready to hit the sack, we headed to Marco Polo Plaza Cebu for a quiet and relaxing dinner at the Blu Bar.  I was initially quite apprehensive in having our dinner date at the Marco Polo as it is quite far from the city center.  However, the hotel’s Blu Bar and Grill has a fantastic view of the city as it sits right at the top of the building.  Thinking that Gin would very likely enjoy the ambiance and the view, I decided to brave it out and stick to my original plan and choice.

Blu Bar and Grill

True enough, Marco Polo Hotel’s Blu Bar lived up to its billing.  Not only did it gave us a fantastic panorama of Cebu, we were also served by the restaurant’s warm and friendly staff.  It was truly a romantic evening, indeed :)  We wanted to stay longer, but we had a 10:40 p.m. flight to catch.

View from Marco Polo Cebu's Blu Bar and Grill

What an amazing and wonderful day it was!

Banana Leaf Asian Cafe

If you’re in the habit of taking a stroll in the restaurant rows of the numerous malls around the metro, you’ll notice that a good number of them are catering to a specific type of cuisine, most of which are Asian. Of course, Chinese restaurants dominate the gustatory landscape of Manila, just as Chinese goods are dominating the shopping landscape of just about every nook and cranny in the country. Coming in at a distant second are Thai dishes which many locals are starting to find grow fond of despite its spicy aftertaste. Dotting the rest of the dining areas are plates from neighboring Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, and even India.

Trying each and every menu that our neighbors in Southeast Asia have to offer may be a daunting (and expensive) task. Getting familiar with our local dishes alone can already be challenging. Heck, I can’t even remember the name of the last Filipino dish that I bought from a local eatery!

Having all the different menus in Southeast Asia brought and cooked in just one restaurant would definitely make our task of dipping our tongue around region easier. It’s therefore a delight to know that Banana Leaf Asian Café have all of these dishes in just one roof.

The Banana Leaf Asian Café’s branch that Gin and I went to for our usual Friday date was the one at Robinson’s Place Ermita. Most of the tables were already taken, but we were lucky to be seated at a cozy corner. The first thing that surprised me was the price. For a restaurant that made it to Philippine Tatler’s list of best restaurants in the Philippines, one would really be amazed to be able to order a dish that’s cheaper than a Big Mac meal. (Click here for Banana Leaf’s menu)

We ordered three of Banana Leaf’s bestsellers under the Appetizer section: Chicken Satay (P128), Deep Fried Pandan Chicken (P168), and Crispy Spring Rolls Thai Style (P118). Even though they’re denominated as “starters,” the dishes that we’ve ordered could already pass up for a main course. The serving was generous and unusually fast.

As expected and as attested to by Philippine Tatler, the food tasted great! Of the three, the Chicken Satay took my heart away. Gin picked the the Spring Rolls, but it didn’t get my mouth watering as it turned out that it was stuffed with veggies instead of meat! But it tasted good just the same. She was right on the Dalandan Juice, though, as it lived up to her billing as something that’s worth to try.

Overall, we were greatly satisfied with our time in Banana Leaf Asian Café. The food was great, and the ambiance was still cozy enough to warm our dinner date despite the fact that the place was almost packed. We give Banana Leaf a score of 8 out of 10 :)

The Scorecard:

Food: 8/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Value for money: 9/10

Service: 9/10

Cleanliness: 8/10

Toilet: N/A

Rolling the Hills in Bohol (Sagbayan Peak and Chocolate Hills)

Whenever Gin and I stumble upon blogs, magazines, or newspapers that feature the island of Bohol, we notice that they are always replete with superlatives as to how beautiful it is. It would not be surprising, then, if many are beguiled by those words and lure them to this part of the world where many consider as God’s little hideaway in the Pacific.

Although we are easy to please when it comes to nature’s sensory treats, we were quite apprehensive if Bohol is really like paradise as many are claiming to be. Indeed, our first step to the island did not impress us that much since the sea portal (Tubigon) of the province is not that grand compared to its neighboring islands, especially Cebu. But while the harbor may have curled our eyebrows a bit, the first locals that we encountered plucked the bend from our brows and placed a curve on our lips instead.

The People

We were told that Boholanos are generally friendly and very accommodating. We noticed this when we were still in the ferry as some of the passengers gladly answered our queries regarding their place. That blew our worries away as it was our first time in the province. We didn’t let our guards down when we conversed with some locals in the harbor, though. But our weariness proved to be baseless as we observed that their sincerity is genuine. One local dispelled our worries of being swindled or shortchanged by aptly saying that, “hindi po ito Manila.” Indeed, Bohol is anything but Manila.

As expected, our driver cum tour guide was easy to be with. He had difficulties conversing with us in Tagalog, though, but we didn’t mind as we were more concerned with the driver’s trustworthiness than his aptitude in speaking to us in our language/dialect. We felt very comfortable with him from the start even though his car’s aircon conked out.

Sagbayan Peak

Our first stop was Sagbayan Peak. It is here where you’ll first get a glimpse of the famous hills. This recreation area is a good alternative to the observation hill in Carmen as the latter can get very crowded, especially in the mid mornings and afternoons. Some tourists tend to skip this site as they think that they’ll get a better view of the hills in the Chocolate Hills Complex. However, this is not exactly an accurate assessment. One would still have a spectacular view of the Chocolate Hills in Sagbayan even if it’s quite from a distance. The resort has a platform or gazebo that gives a 360-degree perspective of the area where the hills are scattered.

As can be seen from above, Sagbayan Peak gives the best viewpoint as far as the hills and the coastline is concerned. You could even see the Cebu skyline via a large telescope that you could operate for only P10.00. The recreation center is a wonder in itself and can stand alone even without the hills. It is highly recommended for nature-trekkers and for people who want a serene place for rest, reflection, or relaxation. The resort also keeps a tarsier.

Chocolate Hills Complex

Of course, many consider the observation hill in Carmen as providing the best vantage point when it comes to communing with the Chocolate Hills. Before you could see the hills up close, you would have to climb a dizzying 214-step staircase that leads to the deck. For fitness buffs, the climb can be a treat in itself. But for those who already categorize walking from the parking lot to the office building as “strenuous,” going up the hill can be a daunting task. Being associated with the latter class, I was already taxing my lungs to its full capacity halfway through the task. After several minutes of complaining, I finally made it up the hill.

Perseverance, as they say, is greatly rewarded. Such is the case with the climb in the Chocolate Hills Complex. Upon reaching the top, you can indulge yourself to a spectacular panoramic view of the perfectly-shaped mounds. Sagbayan Peak provides a similar view, but not as close and as (nearly) perfect as this one in Carmen. Almost all photos of the hills that you usually see in postcards are taken from this place.

Nobody knows how the hills came about. If the local folklore is to be believed, these unusual geological wonders were the mud that two giants from long ago threw at each other during a fight. Geologists offer a less colorful theory, though, saying that they are the result of the mixture of marine limestone and clay. I didn’t bother to count each and every hill in the vicinity as I would be risking a premature visit to my ophthalmologist (or maybe a psychiatrist) if I do so. Besides, I’m not keen on refuting the claim that there are exactly 1,268 hills in the area.
If you’re taking the tour from Tagbilaran, the Chocolate Hills Complex will probably be your last stop. But if you’ll be starting from Tubigon, it might be your second stop after Sagbayan Peak. It’s best to climb up the observation hill early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Bohol via the Cebu-Tubigon Route

When the obsessive-compulsive in me jacks out of its box, it usually nudges me to plan our out of town trips to the detail. Bohol was not supposed to be an exception. Of late, though, Gin and I had been experiencing a drought when it comes to having spare hours. Hence, we ended up planning our one-day, central Visayas trip only 3 days before our departure.

This didn’t prevent us from successfully booking our Cebu-Tagbilaran ferry tickets in advance, though. We were also able to find a good driver/guide that would meet us at the Tagbilaran port. However, disaster struck just a day before our trip when SuperCat sent a notice that it was cancelling its March 6 trip due to technical problems. The news shook me for a while as our itinerary depended on our ferry trip.

I immediately called the other two fast craft companies that are plying the Cebu-Tagbilaran route. Unfortunately, both Weesam and Oceanjet informed me that their morning trips to Bohol were already fully booked on the date that we’re supposed to go there. Because of this, I informed our driver/guide that we would be cancelling our reservations for his van/service. He tried to save our trip by suggesting that we take a ferry instead to Tubigon. I entertained the idea, but still cancelled his services as I was still apprehensive in taking an alternative route.

Upon arriving at Cebu, we immediately rushed to Pier 1 to book a ferry trip to Tubigon. There are two ferries that service the Cebu-Tubigon route in Pier 1. We chose the 7:00 a.m. trip of Lite Shipping since we weren’t able to find the new ticket booth of MV Starcraft.

Despite the fact that the ship we took sailed painfully slow, we were happy to know that the trip would only take around two hours as Tubigon is the closest port of the island from Cebu. A fast craft trip to Tagbilaran is 1 hour and 40 minutes long. Most people, especially tourists, know only about the latter route. However, the locals prefer going to Bohol via Tubigon as it is the fastest and cheapest way to the island. A regular ferry ride to Tubigon costs around P120-P170, while going there via a 45-minute fast craft ride would only cause you to shell out around P200-P270 pesos. This beats the P400-P500 ticket price of Oceanjet, SuperCat, and Weesam for the Cebu-Tagbilaran journey.
The trip was very relaxing. As it was March, the summer weather tamed the waves. It was smooth sailing all the way. By 9:00 a.m., the municipality of Tubigon was already in sight. The port is not that grand, but it was clean and did not litter with people trying to jostle up for passengers that may want to rent a van or look for a tour guide. The only drawback in going to Bohol via Tubigon is that it is still an hour away from the provincial capital. Renting a van (with driver) also costs more in Tubigon than in Tagbilaran. One reason for this is that there’s only one association that regulates the car/van rental services in the area, thereby making the rates fixed and uniform.

Gin, with all her haggling prowess, failed to bring down the digits to the P2,500 car rental rate that the association was charging. Rates in Tagbilaran are usually P500 cheaper since car rental/tour services abound in the city. Faced with the prospect of having to take a one-hour bus ride to Tagbilaran just to get a car that’s P500 cheaper, we decided to take the offer. We didn’t regret it, though, as our driver was very kind and accommodating. He also drove like Michael Schumacher which helped us visit more sites than one could usually do in a 7-hour sojourn.

Our 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. tour led us to all the sites that we wanted to see: Sagbayon Peak, Chocolate Hills, the long hanging bridge, the man-made forest, the Tarsiers, Loboc River, Baclayon Church, and the blood compact site. Our driver also gladly acquiesced to my request that we drive around Tagbilaran before we head back to Tubigon for our 5:45 p.m. trip back to Cebu via MV Starcraft. Our business class tickets cost only P270. It was a bargain considering that a catamaran ride from Tagbilaran costs twice.

Dealing directly with the driver may save you a few hundred bucks. Our driver, Sancho Ranesis, drives a 1990 Mitsubishi Lancer. It’s still in good condition. He had a hard time speaking to us in Tagalog, though, but we didn’t mind as he was very friendly. If you’re interested in hiring his services, you may contact him at 09398140994.

MV Starcraft Schedule (Cebu-Bohol via Tubigon and vice versa)
Pier 1

Cebu to Tubigon, Bohol

5:45 a.m. - 6:30 a.m.
8:00 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.
12:30 p.m. - 1:15 p.m.
3:30 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

Tubigon to Cebu

7:00 a.m. - 7:45 p.m.
11:00 a.m. - 11:45 p.m.
2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
5:45 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Rates (Plus P10 Terminal Fee):

Economy: P200
Tourist: P220
Business: P280

Manila Marriott Hotel

When Marriott first made its footprint in Cebu, everybody was expecting that it would immediately carve a spot for its second Philippine chain in the capital. However, the management of one of the world’s best names in the hotel business seemed not too keen in immediately leaving its Visayan nest. It took more than a decade before they’ve decided to establish a niche in Manila.

Situated in the fast-developing and world class tourism complex of Resorts World Manila, Marriott Hotel Manila is an oasis not just for the weary traveler, but also for locals who want an out-of-town experience without actually going out of town. Guests who will be checking in straight from the airport will be delighted to know that they will be spared of the metro’s horrendous traffic as the hotel is located just along the NAIA grounds, infront of Terminal 3.

The Sala

The first thing that you’ll notice upon entering the building is the lobby’s homey ambiance. It’s not as grand as Peninsula’s “The Lobby,” but Manila Marriott Hotel’s sala is definitely more welcoming and less formal. Instead of the reception desk, the centerpiece of the lobby is a bar whose backdrop is a teaser of the garden and golf course that neighbors the entertainment complex. If you’re not observant enough, you might even miss the check-in or concierge’s desk as it is partly hidden. The couches that abound in the lobby prod the guests to relax first before checking in, a noticeable departure from the typical arrangement or order of things in most hotels.

Accommodation

We were billeted in a deluxe room that resembles the one that we’ve been to in Marriott Bangkok. I guess the hotel has a standard design for each and every chain it has around the globe. There’s nothing much to rave about the room, except for the 40-inch Samsung flat screen display and a uniquely-designed bathroom that might tickle the fancy out of every voyeur as the wall dividing it and the room is made of plain, see-through glass. For those who are not that excited with the thought of having an aquarium-like experience when taking a bath, an electronically-controlled blind is just within reach to give you the privacy that you need. As for the bed and pillows, suffice it to say that it made me send a message to my boss that I would be reporting to work a few hours late.

Small But Charming

If you’re expecting a scuba-dive experience with Marriott Hotel Manila’s swimming pool, then you’re in for a disappointment. However, if what you’re after is just a relaxing dip and a date with the sun, then the pool area will definitely make you want to extend a day or two. The pool is just over 4-feet deep. It’s not that big, either. However, it does offer a panoramic view of the Makati and Ortigas skyline which provides a romantic or reflective backdrop at night. On the other hand, the Villamor Golf Club is the best vista when the sun is up. The 18-hole green will surely calm and relax your weary eyes from the grays that shade the metro.

Meat and More

One of the best ways to go around the world is to go around a multi-cuisine buffet table. Marriott Café offers the best dishes from the East, as well as from the West. Meat lovers will be delighted with the choices that are sprawled before them. Sadly, though, as with most hotels, it doesn’t offer the best pig dish in the world – lechon. But unlike most hotel café’s, Manila Marriott Hotel does not scrimp on expensive shrimps! It also has a delectable selection of cakes and other desserts that will make you forget your physician’s warning about diabetes.

For those who want their meat even bigger and tastier, a visit at the hotel’s Cru Steakhouse is in order. For those who just want to drink and groove all night, then the Velocity Bar is the right spot for you. Gin and I went there early in the evening for some killjoy drinks – plain, nutritious, non-alcoholic, out-of-the-box, grocery-grade MANGO JUICE. The fact that the area is meant for liquor-loving patrons made us quite apologetic and embarrassed of our order. Our bar experience was good and relaxing, though, especially since an excellent selection of Usher’s R&B masterpieces was being played in the background.

While the Manila Marriott Hotel is just a few weeks old, having only formally opened last November 12, 2009, it won’t be surprising if it becomes fully booked by December. The fact that the hotel is within a recreational complex makes it all the more enticing for those who want a taste of what the metro has to offer.

Cebu! Cebu!

(Featured in Travel Plus' March-April issue)

Cebu has not earned the label “Queen City of the South” for nothing. If the Cebuanos and the thousands of Manileños who have visited it would be asked, I’m sure they’ll say that Cebu is the Queen City not just of the south, but of every direction that a compass could point to at this part of the world.

Exaggeration aside (or is it?), Cebu is definitely the most developed city in the Philippines after Manila. Some even say that it’s almost like a spitting image of the capital, except that it is less infested with pollution and traffic. I agree.

Concrete Rainbows

The first thing that would welcome you upon driving to the island is one of its bridges. In our case, it was the one built in honor of the late Chief Justice and Senate President, Marcelo B. Fernan. It’s one of the longest bridges in the country, and the second most picturesque after the San Juanico. The other concrete rainbow, the Mactan-Mandaue bridge, was built a few decades earlier. At the end of both bridges lies the port city of Mandaue. There’s nothing much to see there other than Henry Sy’s first and biggest Visayan model of his shoe box.

The first stop of our hour 5-hour Cebu sojourn is the Taoist Temple at Beverly Hills Subdivision. It took us around 40 minutes to get there from Mactan (Cebu’s traffic is slowly rivaling that of Manila’s!). We were quite worried about this trip as the temple is a long walk from the subdivision gates. It’s a good thing our cab driver was cool to the idea that he’d be our transportation host for the rest of the afternoon (and for P400 only!).

Taoist Temple

Built in 1972 by the city’s Chinese-Filipino community, the structure resembles a typical oriental place of worship, albeit more ornate. Take a deep breath before attempting to reach its peak, though. The temple has 99 steps, a daunting number for those who are infatuated with escalators and elevators.

But the effort will be worth it, I assure you. Upon reaching the top, you’ll be treated to an exhilarating view of the city, Mactan Island, and nearby Bohol. The temple is situated 300 meters above sea level, so I’m sure you already have an idea how good the vista is at this part of town. The setting is quite romantic. Unfortunately for me, my partner is romantically-challenged (but I love her just the same  ). The fact that we were catching our breath from the steep climb may have also erased any possibility of a hallmark moment.

Magellan’s Cross

It’s already 4:00 p.m. and the sun was racing us to the ground. We hurried back to our waiting taxi and headed off to the downtown area. Daylight was fast dimming when we reached Magellan’s Cross. In case you might not know, this cross is the very one that Magellan planted on the island on April 14, 1521. The shrine is also the very spot where Rajah Humabon, Reyna Juana, and a few hundred of their followers were baptized by Fr. Pedro Valderama, making them the country’s first Christians.

The wooden cross that you’ll see in the shrine is actually just the casing. Inside it is the original cross. It was encased therein by the Augustinian priests as locals were chipping bits of the cross as it was widely believed to have miraculous qualities. Local folklore also has it that the cross is actually growing and that its present size is significantly bigger than the original one. A mural of the conversion and baptism can be seen on the ceiling of the chapel/pavilion that houses the cross.

The Sto. Niño

Right beside the shrine is the most important structure in Cebu City – the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño. Built in 1735, it is the oldest church in the country and the cradle of Catholicism in the region. It’s also the very spot where the image of the Sto. Niño was found unscathed after a fire gutted the structure which housed it. It underwent several constructions since it first stood in 1566. The church was originally made of wood, mud, and nipa.

As with Magellan’s Cross, the image of the Sto. Niño is the very one that the Portuguese conquistador gave to the royal couple of the island in 1521. The figure’s complexion turned dark, though, due to the fire that engulfed the small shrine that hosted when Miguel Lopez de Legaspi arrived in the city. Hundreds of pilgrims line up to pray before the image, while thousands flock around it during the annual Sinulog festival held every third week of January.

After praying before the basilica’s altar and the image of the Child Jesus, we headed off to Colon, the country’s oldest street. The sun already bade goodbye to us when we were looking for a pasalubong shop, so we went to the first grocery store that we saw (Metro Gaisano). Images of the plane leaving us flashed in my mind when we exited the store as people were jostling for taxis. Luckily, Gin was able to hale one down and one-upped the others to it. We arrived at the airport well ahead of our departure time and just before the pasalubong shops locked their danggits and dried mangoes for the rest of the day.

A Good Tan in Mactan, Cebu

If there’s one trip that I would label as “unforgettable,” it would definitely have to be this one.

Not only did we get our airfare to Cebu for free, it was also our first trip outside Manila. It also happened to be my 31st birthday. But the thing that really lit the candles of my cake and sparked the rest of my day was the fact that this was our very first date! :)

Although I already had everything planned, the day didn’t start flawlessly. In fact, it started terribly. We encountered turbulence even before we boarded the plane when we didn’t get to be at the check-in counter 45 minutes before our 6:35 a.m. flight. The lady manning the check-in desk refused to accept us as it was already 6:05 a.m. I wanted to argue our way to the boarding gate, but I decided to just save it for another day. Our zero-fare tickets ended up having a couple of zeroes more, only this time it was preceded by a different digit.

We left Manila at around 10:15 a.m. Gin and I originally planned to just sleep through the entire trip. However, Cebu Pacific’s in-flight game jolted our drowsiness away. We didn’t welcome the game at first, but we ended up as active participants and eventually won a water tumbler :)

We landed in Cebu an hour later. Cebu shares its airport with Mactan, the latter being the actual host of the facilities. Nothing much has changed in the airport. But it still remains to be a good and very efficient one. It’s even more tourist-friendly than NAIA as it has a tourist information desk with free brochures and maps of the city. There even was a time when it put to shame our airports here in Manila, well at least to the ones which served the domestic flights. That reign ended when Terminal 2’s construction was completed in 1998. And with Bacolod and Iloilo now having new air terminals, I think the Mactan-Cebu International Airport is already due for a facelift.

We didn’t immediately proceed to Cebu City. Our first stop of the day was at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort & Spa for lunch. Getting a taxi at Mactan-Cebu airport is easy. There are coupon cabs and metered ones. Taxi drivers in Mactan and Cebu are very courteous. Some would even chase you down to give you your change, even if it’s just a few pesos! I wish I could say the same for Manila’s cab drivers. The drive to Shangri-La took just 15 minutes. I’m glad to see that Mactan still retained some of its rural charms. However, urbanization is fast creeping in on the island. I hope the place won’t transform into another replica of the city proper.

I wanted our lunch date to be a bit grand as it was a special occasion, so we went to the hotel’s Aqua Restaurant for a buffet feast. After filling our tanks, we went around the hotel to give our tummies time to sort out the things that we’ve eaten. The facilities and the view at the resort were captivating. We were so absorbed with the sensory feast that we didn’t notice that it was already 2:00 p.m. Time was of the essence as we’re scheduled to go back to Manila by 8:45 p.m.


One thing I liked about the hotel staff, and about the Cebuanos in general, is that they’re very friendly. Upon seeing us waiting for a cab by the entrance, an employee offered us a ride at the hotel’s golf cart. It was a fun ride going to the hotel’s exit by the main road. We found a cab a few minutes later and headed to Cebu.

Playing Hide and Seek With Mayon Volcano (Part 1: Lignon Hill)

The majestic Mayon volcano was in a playful mood when we landed in Legazpi City, teasing us all throughout the day as we pleaded for it to blow away its white shroud even for just a moment.

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View from the Tarmac

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Gin and I were expecting to be treated with a view of the world’s perfect cone upon stepping out of the plane. I even excitedly told her that we might even have a glimpse of it while we’re still in the air. However, we only saw lush vegetation and forests on our approach towards the airport. We were still combing the greens with our eyes for something interesting to see when we were nudged to our seat by a rough landing. It felt as if the pilot just dropped the plane on the runway like a bowling novice dropping a bowling ball on the lane. Gin begged to differ, though.

After stamping our first mark on the tarmac, I immediately tried to look for Mayon. At first, I thought I was just looking at the wrong direction. But after mimicking the possessed child in The Exorcist, my strained eyes and neck couldn’t find the volcano. While wondering as to where it is, I noticed a wide mound just below a band of clouds that hovered behind Lignon hill. I then realized that it was Mayon!

After passing by the tourist desk, we set out on foot to Lignon hill. We were told that it was just a 15-minute walk from the airport. But after five minutes of avoiding mud and potholes, we decided to just take a tricycle to the foot of our first stop.

Lignon Hill

Lignon Hill is the first accessible tourist attraction from the airport. It’s a favorite among first timers and locals alike as it gives one a good 360-degree view of the whole city, including a panoramic and unobstructed vista of Mt. Mayon. At first, the trek seemed easy as a paved road laces Lignon from head to foot. However, just 10 minutes through the climb, my knees were starting to remind me that they were missing a few ligaments. On the other hand, Gin was just taking it in stride (to think that I was the one in Nikes), going up on bends and inclines as if her Havaianas had wings on them. I ended up trailing her for most of the hike.

One thing that made our climb interestingly difficult was Legazpi’s fickle weather. We were initially thankful that the sun didn’t get out of bed immediately. After thanking the heavens for what seemed to be a sweat-free climb in view of the sun’s absence, the clouds played a trick on us by sprinkling us with rain on some stretches of our hike. Gin was saved from a second bath, thanks to her umbrella. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t bring one. While we shared her small piece of roof, I still ended up looking like I needed a spin drier.

The climb was worth it, though. Upon reaching Lignon’s peak, we were treated to a spectacular view of Legazpi City. The summit also seemed to be a very good viewing deck for Mayon hunters. Serving as Lignon Hill’s crown is a huge gazebo. The structure and the area around it are still undergoing construction and landscaping, so visitors have something to look forward to in the months to come.

While we were feasting on a sensory overload courtesy of the surrounding mountains and the Albay Gulf, the temperamental Mayon still wasn’t in the mood to give us a moment of its time, so we went down the Lignon mound with only pictures of a gray-shaded volcano. Before reaching the base, we took shelter on a nearby sari sari store as we were again threatened with a third bath. Coconuts littered the area. I was hoping for a buko shake. But after noticing the absence of electric posts, I gave up on the hope that the store has a blender. I just settled for a bottle of Pop Cola while Gin had a whole coconut for herse