Mabuhay Philippines - Uptown & Downtown Cebu (Day 4)

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Saturday, 27th October 2012

The drive from our hotel to downtown Cebu City took about 40 minutes in heavy traffic this morning. We asked the taxi driver to drop us at Fort San Pedro - one of the chief sites in the city. These days, the fort no longer served its intended function. It is one of the last pockets of greenery left within busy Cebu. Fort San Pedro wasn't huge but it was nonetheless a peaceful spot amidst the downtown chaos of Cebu City.

We took a walk through Osmena Boulevard which would lead us to Basilica Minore del Santo Niño, an impressive church that was built in the 16th Century. This is Philippines oldest church and certainly a site that all visitors - believers or non-believers should visit while in the city. The facade itself reminded me of the many churches we stopped by during our European trip.

Finally, we hopped over to the Magellan's Cross which was our ultimate stop in downtown Cebu. The Cross was planted in April 1521 by Portugese and Spanish settlers. Today, it is housed in a small building next to the Santo Niño church.

Our journey continued towards uptown where we were greeted by the modern Ayala Centre. Anchored by the Metro Departmental Store and the Rustan's supermarket, this is a typical shopping mall catering to both the middle and upper income groups.

After lunch in the afternoon, it was time for us to head back to Lapu-Lapu city. We decided to stop by at the Cebu Yacht Club behind our hotel which afforded a great view of the mountains and the city. Amidst the beautiful backdrop, this was a perfect way to end our penultimate day in the Philippines.

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