SE Asia 2018, June 7-11 - Day 2, Cebu City

June 8, 2018.

Thanks to jet lag and an early sun, I woke up at about 6 am the next morning.  In the daylight I got to meet my friend's family, and we walked across the street so I could meet some more ants and uncles as well as her grandparents, was offered some Filipino coffee (which I am now currently obsessed with), and began plotting out the day.

The original plan for this morning was to head up to Malapascua and Kalanggaman, two islands with stunning beaches that are pretty well-known in the Philippines, but due to weather (the Tropical Storm I'd experienced in Hong Kong) it was postponed.  This then changed to Bantayan, another island with great beaches that is well-known in the country, where we'd planned on going the next day.  Today was just going to be exploring Cebu City and some surrounding areas.  Cebu is the oldest city in the Philippines and is called the Queen City of the South.  It was "founded" in 1521 by Ferdinand Magellan, sailing for Spain (despite being Portuguese, as many of us well know, not that it ultimately makes a difference).


Our first stop was the Fort San Pedro (which still often goes by its original Spanish name of Fuerza de San Pedro), built in the 16th century to defend the city.

The view from my friend's family's house.  I could seriously get used to this.

Plumeria trees in the fort.  I am obsessed with this flower, partly because it's so delicate and can only grow in the Tropics.  Partly because it's beautiful and smells lovely.

View from the ramparts.  Note the cloudy skies, which is why we didn't go to the beach.

Inside the fort

It was really interesting seeing the Spanish fort.  I've spent so much time in Spain and haven't really been to any former Spanish colonies besides Mexico so seeing the impact of Spanish colonization as opposed to British colonization was a very interesting experience.  We can certainly all agree about the inhumanity of the Colonial Age and the wars for land and the beliefs that European countries are obligated to "educate the savages".  What's interesting about the Philippines in particular is that despite the atrocities committed by the Spaniards as colonial powers (not to mention the Americans after 1898 after the Philippines had already been granted independence), Filipinos are probably one of the few former colonies to not harbor fierce resentment towards the countries that colonized them.  Not to say that there are no harsh feelings and everything is perfect, but I think it says so much about the Filipino people that they have managed to stay so optimistic and humble despite being taken advantage of throughout centuries of colonial occupation.  They don't see themselves as victims but rather survivors, and I think that's an incredibly powerful perspective, and something we should all consider when bad things happen, no matter how minute or how large.  I'm sure there are Filipinos who do consider the colonial injustices worthy of fighting against and who have a much more pessimistic and negative perception of the world because after all, we're talking about human beings.  But from what I've seen and experienced, the vast majority of Filipinos are simply optimistic and generally positive, and for a country that's still reeling from centuries of injustice and decades of corruption, that says so much about their culture and who they are as a people.

After the fort we headed further into the city to see the major churches: the Basílica del Santo Niño and the Catedral, as well as Magellan's Cross just outside the Basilica.  The Philippines is still a predominantly Catholic country, the only Catholic country in Asia, and many of them are even practicing, which is certainly more than most Westerners can say.  When we stopped in the Basilica there was a Mass going on, and there were many people in attendance, to the level that it was standing room only by the main altar, which was outdoors.  I have to admit, it was a beautiful sight.

A paso like the ones used in Spain during Semana Santa outside the Cathedral.  Only instead of being housed indoors as they are in Spain, this one is out in the open.

Outside the Cathedral

Inside the Basilica, in one of the indoor chapels.

The Cathedral has a much more ornate interior than the Basilica, looking like a more modern Spanish Gothic cathedral

Between the Cathedral and the Basilica we wandered through a market, stopping for fresh coconut milk.  I'm legitimately obsessed with anything coconut, and when you're in a country that happens to be the world's second-most exporter of coconuts, well, you eat and drink a lot of coconut products.  I can definitely get used to that.

Right outside the Basilica is Magellan's Cross.  So called because it was erected by Magellan himself at that site in 1521, shortly after conquering, and shortly before he was mutinied.  What you see is a wooden cross that encases the original cross and not the cross itself, but it is the exact location and the original cross is in there.  Supposedly.

After Magellan's Cross, we headed across the strait to Mactan Island, which a lot of people probably know as the island with the fancy resorts, but we went there for lunch and for the Mactan Shrine.

Lunch involved seafood being cooked after being picked out fresh outside, then prepared, then served as you waited.

I, of course, got fresh coconut milk.  Because coconut is life.

I also got to enjoy looking at the mangroves

So. Much. Seafood.

After enjoying a wonderful (and obscenely cheap) meal, we walked down the road to the Mactan Shrine, where Lapu-Lapu, the Visayan tribal leader who challenged Magellan and his men (apparently it was taught that it was Lapu-Lapu who in fact killed Magellan which I am okay with tbh).  He's memorialized everywhere on the island of Mactan, since it was at this site where there was a fight between Lapu-Lapu and his men against the Spaniards.  As far as I'm aware (I haven't done further research on this yet), Lapu-Lapu was not killed in the battle, which may be part of the reason why Spanish influence may not have been as strong in the Philippines as it was in the Americas, though it was strong enough to certainly affect the country negatively.  We are talking about colonialism, after all, and we know for a fact that Spain still committed many atrocities against the native Filipinos.

Apparently this is supposed to be a life-sized representation, but I kind of doubt that.  Still must have been a formidable opponent, though.

After visiting Lapu-Lapu, we headed off into the mountains outside of Cebu City to check out some gardens and the Cebuano countryside.

And damn if it isn't beautiful tropical countryside.

This is near or at the Buwakan ni Alejandra, or Alejandra's Flower Garden in Cebuano/Visayan.  Its more famous neighbor Sirao is not far away, but this one was recommended because it's smaller, quieter, and with a greater selection of flowers.  A highlight was having one of the workers take pictures of all of us (a group of 6), with a very creative way of having us smile.  It became an inside joke for the rest of the week anytime we took group pictures.

At this point, I'm seriously losing track of time, because we went to the Fort San Pedro at around 10 AM, the churches and Magellan's Cross between around 11 and 12, we had lunch at around 2, and we were up at the gardens by 5, and left around 6 right as the sun was setting.  There was a lot of driving because my friend's father is wonderful and was willing to haul around six friends and family members (two daughters, a husband, and two of his daughter's friends) including an American girl whom he couldn't communicate with.  Which was one of the things that made my entire time in the Philippines so special.  Not just because I was a foreigner and I deserved special treatment (I don't), but just because it really showed just how hospitable this culture is.

After the Buwakan ni Alejandra we headed down the hill to the Temple of Leah, which is basically a Filipino version of the Taj Mahal, being commissioned in 2012 by Teodorico Soriano Adarna for his wife Leah.  She didn't die during childbirth, but her husband adored her that he built a Greek-style temple for her after her death.  He had the money, so why not?

Most people seem to visit in daytime; we went after the sun had set and were able to enjoy it without many crowds, with a beautiful view of Cebu City down below.

Panoramic view of the city

After spending about an hour here taking pictures, we headed back down into the city and stopped at what's probably Cebu's most Instagrammed location: La Vie Parisienne, a French-style restaurant/deli/wine cellar that's owned and operated by a French couple.

What makes this place so much fun is that the outdoor area is organized in sections, and each section is decorated differently.  You have one section that functions as an outdoor theatre (Fridays are movie nights, and they were playing Amélie while we were there), one has teepees and chaises longues that you can stretch out in with a long table between them, 60s-style plastic tables and chairs that light up in different colors, a wire curved canopy with trees made with colored lights, among others.  It's very easy to see why it's so popular with the locals (those who can afford it anyway; it's quite affordable for American and European standards, but in a country with an average income of less than $50 a day it's pricey).  There's also a great wine cellar with champagne and cava, as well as a deli and shop with French goodies, and the restaurant serves some pretty decent pizzas.  And I'm speaking as someone from New Jersey who knows good pizza.  It's not Jersey or New York quality, but certainly not sub-par or even par.  I picked out a nice Syrah for the meal and my friend really wanted to sit under the dome, so we had a very chill, cute environment for a nighttime meal.

After dinner we headed back to the house to get ready for the beach the next day.  Our plans for Bantayan fell through due to weather and lodging since we wouldn't be able to spend the night as all the resorts were booked (the summer season was beginning and all the Filipinos were getting their beach vacay in before more tourists arrived; that and the weather was starting to act up).  We settled on Moalboal, a beach on the western coast of the island about halfway down, which I was told would be an hour-and-a-half-long drive.