Elise Goes to Cebu

My favorite picture of our Cebu trip.

Sinisilipan ni Edith Joaquin at ni Elise Estrella si Lapu-Lapu. Picture taken by Jean Mae Oryza

This entry is kinda looooooong.

Edith Joaquin and I went to Cebu last Friday night, on the Zamboanga Ferry. I realized that while take-off is my very most favorite part of flying, I love the whole trip taken on water. Anyway, we docked at Cebu City before 6 a.m. and went to LS Pension House (one of them) at Junquera Ext. The place is inexpensive but clean, and a good place to stay.

After our showers, we went to Bo’s Coffee at Raintree Mall to wait for the birthday girl, H (Jean Mae Oryza). We had brekkie. I had mushroom and cheese omelet with extra bacon, toasts and hot chocolate, and while I enjoyed the meal, I can still feel the bacon clinging to my arteries. When H arrived (late), we went off to Mactan Island to see the Lapu-Lapu Shrine. And in fairness, ang ganda ng katawan ng Datu Lapu-Lapu ha. I also bought pasalubong.

We had lunch at AA Barbecue where I ate all the shrimp from the sinigang, then we went to Tawis Tample LOL Okay, so it was Taoist Temple. H offered to spell it for me when I asked what that was and I said no kaya napa “aaaaah, Taoist Temple!” when I saw the sign hahaha *palm head* It was beautiful there. It felt like you were in a different country all together… okay, looked rather than felt. Ang init kasi eh, so you still kinda know you’re in the Philippines.

Then we went to the Ayala Mall for Gelatissimo where I showed them that I didn’t like ice cream (two scoops of white chocolate and chocolate chip, baby! And they’re both at my waist right now). We walked around, went to NBS. I got post cards for Kat that I didn’t get to send from Cebu ahehe kaya dito na lang din sa Dumaguete. Then we went to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, to visit the Santo Niño de Cebu.

After touching the marble stone in front of the altar, we went to the side to pray. I was just saying thank you, and qualifying the wish Jette told me to make because it was the first time I went there, when I suddenly started crying. Pa-simple pa muna ako nung una, tapos mamaya I had to swallow sobs na talaga. I didn’t know kung way ba ni Lord ‘yon na sabihin sa ‘kin na “ibibigay ko rin ‘yang wish mo, anak, huwag ko mag-alala” o “ang kapal mo naman, hija” ahehe pero again, thank you po sa lahat ng blessings Lord.

After that, we went to buy souvenirs and I got my mom a rosary, and Jette showed us the painting of the bishop that had Carla Giopaolo crying. In fairness, ang pogi nga ni bishop but he looks sad. Queng, waiting for the long ms ha! Isulat mo ‘yon.

We lit candles afterward and walked to Magellan’s Cross. Maybe it’s because it’s a sacred place (religious and historic) but I had goosebumps when I saw the cross. Nagtayuan talaga lahat ng balahibo ko. Sabi ko kay Jette, the place looks familiar. Like I’ve been there before… so I’m thinking… sa pastlife ko… isda akong nasagasaan ng barko ni Magellan at napadpad sa Cebu hehe ‘di ba nga, I always believed that I was a fish in my past life? I was a very good fish kaya ginawa akong tao ni Lord.

Anyway, after that we went back to the hotel where Jette napped and I took another shower and tried to work on Cameron. We were going to meet H sa Crown Regency Hotel and Towers at 7 (or 7:30) for our Sky Experience Adventure.

We had dinner at the hotel. For P600, it was an eat-all-you-can buffet and a free ride, either Skywalk or the Edge Roller Coaster. We tried the Skywalk.

Here’s how it goes:

1. After registration, you have to leave your things (basically everything aside from your clothes that is not a part of your human body): bags, accessories including earrings, rings, phones, slippers.

2. You have to be wearing rubber shoes. If not, they will provide the shoes, but you have to be wearing socks. You can buy a pair from them for P20.

3. You’ll be allowed to enter this area where you’ll put on your jumpsuits and shoes, then again, another area where an instructor will show you how to put on your harness. Your guide will also take your pictures.

4. They will lead you outside to the walkway, fasten your harness, then push you off the building you can start walking. The path is basically an arm’s length away from your body on both sides. You’ll be asked to stay in the middle of the path, and keep your hands on the harness. I was actually expecting it to be windy. We were standing at the 37th (or was that the 38th?) floor of the hotel, and it was hot.

5. The walk will take about 10 to 15 minutes. I didn’t exactly time it, but that’s the average. The guides will take your pictures and give you instructions, etc. but basically, if you don’t jump off the platform, it’s perfectly safe. The view of Cebu City was spectacular, and if you step unto the glass platform, it was like walking on air. Although there’s little dots that show you the path so that you don’t step off the platform.

I keep telling Jette that I wasn’t acrophobic. I know I wasn’t but I wasn’t really sure *peace tayo, sweets* So while walking on the glass platform, I made sure I was looking down into semi-empty air. It’s like when a nurse took my blood sample. I know I wasn’t afraid of blood (I think), but to make sure, I made sure to watch the barrel of the syringe fill with my blood. Kinaya ko naman… kaya lang nanlambot tuhod ko.

Anyway, with the Skywalk, it was worth it just for the view.

We then looked for a bar so they can have “juice”. I was already feeling drowsy, so I wasn’t the best of company when they decided to do karaoke at K1 Family KTV at Crossroads in Banilad. I rarely do karaoke, but I loved their Strawberry Margarita. I also fell asleep in the middle of Jette singing Tina Arena’s Burn LOL

Back at the hotel a little after one and I dropped onto the bed, unconscious until 9 a.m. the next day.

Cebu Day 2:

Jette and I checked out at 11 a.m. so we can go to SM City Cebu for lunch and to look for dresses she could wear for COSCA’s graduation. That’s an SM mall off my list. Pangarap kong marating lahat ng SM sa Pilipinas eh hehe

We had lunch at this Thai restaurant where we had bagoong rice which is mouth-wateringly good, steamed fish, pomelo salad and a tofu dish that I tried to finish before Jette could get to. I’m sorry, I didn’t catch the restaurant’s name *sad face*

We also got Jette’s dress, then baon from Bread Talk, before getting our stuff from the hotel to go to the bus station to catch the 2 p.m. trip to Liloan where we’d catch the boat back home to Dumaguete. The three hour trip made me appreciate again just how beautiful the Philippines is. There was mountains, and blue, blue seas, and we passed by Argao where I was shouting “TJ! TJ!” kasi do’n nakatira si TJ ni Edith Joaquin. She also pointed out Bohol to me. Basta. Ang ganda ng Pilipinas.

We caught the 6 p.m. trip to Dumaguete, got home before 7. We had dinner, then I tried to work, and Jette tried to write. Kaso pagod so natulog na lang din kami ng mga 10.

I like Cebu the way I like Manila. It’s a city, with the advantages and the feel of a city. I like Cebu because H is there (awww) but if I were to choose where to live, dito na lang ako titira sa Dumaguete. ‘Di ba, Jette? We can just go visit H ‘pag weekends hehe