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Published: September 14th 2007
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Wow, i love Cebu! The people are warm, taxi drivers are very friendly, food is great! what can i say? our 4 days/3 nights stay was really memorable for me and my husband! initially we decided to cancel our plans on going to Cebu due to budget constraint but finally decided to go anyway since it's a once in a lifetime experience and we're really glad that we did!
Ok so let me start my kwento. we boarded Cebu Pacific on Sept.7, 2007 10:30AM and landed at Mactan International Airport at 11:30AM. i was adviced on one forum to go straight on the 2nd floor of the airport to get a taxi since the taxis in front of the airport charges steeply! and he was right! the taxis in front charges us P375 going to Cebu City(it's not metered) while the one we got at 2nd floor is a metered taxi and we were charged P230! what a big difference! the driver was also very helpful since we dont have any reservations, he suggested some places to stay which are not expensive. we finally settled at LS 2 pension house for the first 2 nights. we paid P700 a night.
on our 3rd night we stayed at mactan pension house(P890/night) since the location is good(near the airport) and we planned on going to punta engano to see lapu-lapu monument and go swimming at one of mactan beaches.
the food was great! we first ate at Abuhan Dos which specializes on potchero or bulalo! we also ate at Tong's Filipino Restaurant and the baked oysters was to die for! they have buffet lunch and for only P160 its' an eat-all-you-can resto, not bad considering that the food are great! we also tried SU-TU-KIL (Sugba (Grilled), Towa (Tinola), Kil (Kilawin) this is the original concept of the dampa places) at Punta Engano LApu-Lapu City and although we were satisfied with the food i think it was overpriced! sad to say we didnt had the time to try the famous CNT lechon and Larsian for sidewalk bbq. we went at SM but there was so many people eating at CNT and we were very hungry that time and didnt have the patience to wait any longer so we ate at jollibee na lang, hu hu hu. with regards to Larsian, me and my husband is not that into barbeque eating so i
guess that's it.
Places that we visited IMAGE OF SANTO NIÑO Considered as the oldest religious relic in the Philippines. It was on April 21, 1521 that Magellan gave the image to Queen Juana as a baptismal gift. Forty-four years later, on April 27, 1565 when Miguel Lopez de Legaspi arrived, Fr. Andres de Urdaneta who formally Christianized the Cebuanos, found the natives hostile. Legaspi himself besieged the settlement and set the village on fire. It was on one of the burnt houses that Juan Camus, a soldier, found the image of Sto. Niño unscratched. Since then, the miraculous image has been venerated by the Cebuanos as its Patron Saint. At present , the miraculous image is kept in the Parish Covent, and a replica is adorned with gold and precious stones and enshrined in glass. It is housed in a side altar inside the Basilica Minor del Santo Niño.
BASILICA MINOR DEL SANTO NIÑO This church was built by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Fr. Andres Urdaneta on the site where the image of Santo Niño was found in 1565. The first structure of the church was, however, destroyed by fire on November 1, 1568. It
was rebuilt in 1602 under the administration of Juan Albaran and was rehabilitated in 1740. On May 1965, the church was conferred the title of Basilica Minor del Santo Niño by Cardinal Antonuitte, Papal Legate during the Fourth Centennial celebration of the Christianization of Cebu.
MAGELLAN’S CROSS Planted in April 21, 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan, this marks the spot where the first Christian Filipinos, Rajah Humabon and Queen Juana and about 400 followers were baptized by Fr. Pedro Valderama. In 1525 to 1740, the Agustinian priests built and open shrine for the cross, but the natives began to take chips from the cross believing it had miraculous power.So a kiosk-like structure was built to protect the cross from total destruction. To protect it further, a hollow cross of tindalo wood was made to encase the original cross which still stands today.
FORT SAN PEDRO The smallest, oldest tri-bastion fort in the country. This served as the nucleus of the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines. It has a total inside area of 2,025 sq. meters. The walls are 20 feet high, 8 feet thick and the towers are 30 feet high from the ground level. Work
was first started on May 8, 1565 with MIGUEL LOPEZ DE LEGASPI breaking the ground. After the battle of Manila Bay, Commodore George Dewey turned the fort to the local Cebuanos, then it became an American Warwick Barracks during the American Regime which was later converted into classrooms where the Cebuanos received formal education. During World War II, from 1941 to 1945, it served as fortification for Japanese soldiers, when the battle for liberation was fought, the fort served as an army camp . After 1950, Cebu Garden Club took over and fixed the inner court into a miniature garden. For a couple of years it also housed the Cebu City Zoo. In 1978 to August 15, 1993, it housed the offices of the Department of Tourism and the Philippine Tourism Authority. At present, it is under the care and administration of the PTA and now houses the National Museum that showcases the San Diego shipwreck & Fort San Pedro diggings.
FORT SAN PEDRO NATIONAL MUSEUM Artifacts taken from the old Spanish Galleon known as SAN DIEGO within the deep sea of Fortune Island off the coast of Nasugbo, Batangas are on display in this centuries-old Fort. Artifacts
excavated within Forts San Pedro’s premises are also on displayed. The Museum used to house the offices of the Department of Tourism and the Philippine Tourism Authority. The artifacts on display include Ming porcelain pieces of all sizes, coins, lockets, swords fragments, cannons and helmets. Well-kept flower beds, cannons, lush vegetation, and neat walkways align its interiors along with a canteen and a museum. Open from 8AM - 7PM daily.
Fuente Osmeña Circle An impressive circular park in the heart of Cebu City. The park is named after Sergio Osmeña Sr, the second president of the Philippine Commonwealth and a native of Cebu.
TAOIST TEMPLE Located at Beverly Hills, Cebu City. This temple preserves the teachings of Lao-Tse, the 600 B.C. Chinese philosopher. Everyday people climb its 81 steps (representing the 81 chapters of Taoism scriptures) to light joss sticks and have their fortune read.
Tops Situated around 2,000 feet above sea level up in the cool hills of Busay is Tops. It is a very popular sight-seeing spot offering a stunning view of Metro Cebu, the islands of Mactan and Olango & Bohol. There are kiosks available for daytime picnics and instant evening parties.
Make sure your transport is in good condition as the climb up the mountains is very steep in places.
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mariz
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tops
what time do then operate? thanks! :)