Sights of Cebu, Philippines 🇵ðŸ‡
Day 1
We traveled via our three time capsules: planes to Vancouver, Dubai, and then Cebu. We left home on Tuesday, Feb 13, arriving on Thursday, February 15, totally losing a day.
After settling into our hotel, the Radisson Blu in Downtown Cebu, planning to walk to the Night Market, the concierge advised against it and suggested we take a taxi. We are glad we took his advice. It's further than we had the energy to tackle. Also, as it turns out, the night market is not on. Go figure. But that's okay; it still gives us a feel for the busy nightlife in the old part of Cebu. It makes me think of how quiet and sedate our downtown must seem when people come to our neck of the woods.
It's not an easy night's sleep. We are both woken by a phone call at 4 am. and remain wide awake after that, unable to fall back asleep. We enjoy an early breakfast at 6 a.m., which is fantastic. The variety of international food options is very impressive.
After breakfast, we speak to the concierge about places to visit while here. We do not fancy much of what is offered. We know we can cover some highlights ourselves versus on a tour. I asked about visiting their Chinatown and a market I found in a local neighborhood. He is unfamiliar and has not even been to either of them. I show him on Google Maps, and he suggests we not go there; it's too local and may be unsafe for tourists.
We go back to our room to plan our day. I mapped out a route that takes us to some highlights on some tours and added Chinatown and the local market we are advised not to visit.
Cebu is a busy city, nicknamed the Queen City of the South, and is the oldest city in the Philippines and the first capital of the Philippines.
When we first leave the hotel, following Google Maps, we find ourselves on a hectic main road without a sidewalk and are not enjoying this route. After a short distance, we come across two people standing on the road when a jeepney stops to pick them up. It is a popular form of transportation here. We arrived just as the jeepney stops, so we decided to hop on to avoid walking along this busy road, hoping it would take us to or close to our stop. It goes right past our first intended stop for only 13 Pecos (30 cents).
Our first stop is the Fort, which was not open yet, so we walked around for a while and checked out some local shops before going back.
Fort San Pedro is the country's oldest and smallest fort. It's cute and does not take long to tour.
We then walk to the oldest Roman Catholic church in the country, Basilica del Santo Niño. There is a large congregation here for service, so we do not go in. It is the first church I have seen that has a large outdoor area with bleachers to allow for several attendees.
After walking around for a bit and finding our next stop, the Cross of Magellan, we find ourselves on the other side of this large church courtyard. The service has ended, so this time, we go into the courtyard area that was early full of people.
We then find ourselves in Chinatown. It's a smaller area than other Chinatowns we have seen. One section has fish vendors out on the street with tanks full of colorful fish.
On our way to the Taboan Market, we pass an optical store and decide to check it out. Norm recently ordered glasses for distance, but they did not arrive before we left. We thought we'd see how much glasses were here and how long they would take. We walk out of here, having ordered two pairs of prescription glasses for Norm and a pair of prescription sunglasses for me, ready for pick up tomorrow afternoon. 😎 Only $250.00. Bonus, stop!
On our way to the Taboan Market, it is clear this is not a tourist destination. It is a much poorer neighborhood for sure. Apparently, pickpocketing is quite prevalent in Cebu, so I don't take a lot of pictures, yet I never felt intimidated.
We stopped for a drink and washroom break at the weirdest cafe ever. I want to go in because of its weirdness, Norm is less than impressed. The tables were like little 2-story bunkies or tree houses, and we had to sit on the floor. Sadly, right outside the door, a fellow sat down and started sniffing a can of something.
Getting closer to the market, Norm asks, "So this is on the top 10 places to see?" I said no, it's on my list of the most local looking markets I could find on Google Maps photos. Oh ya right, he says, that explains it.
The market stalls are half empty. But we walk around and buy a large bottle of water. We leave the market and navigate through some smaller, narrower streets.
We quickly realized these narrow streets are no longer filled with shops but mostly homes. We guess that it must have been a water delivery day or something as the streets were wet and busy with women bathing their kids or themselves in little basins right out on the street. Many were also hand washing their clothes. There were also a couple of women walking down the street with just a towel on.
The scene and atmosphere were amazing and unique and unlike any neighborhood I have visited to date. The streets narrow, full of items, and people and basins filled with water. There's a lady with a large jug on a chair. The jug has a hole in it, creating a little shower for her boy playing in the tub that's filling up with water. Streets so narrow we sometimes have to walk behind one another to get past someone. There are dogs and chickens and cats. Many of the homes doors are open, I assume for both light and airflow.
There are so many opportunities for amazing pictures, but out of respect for being in a tight family neighborhood, and for fear of inadvertently taking a picture I shouldn't, I just walked and cherished the opportunity to be here.
There wasn't a single person who made us feel we were intruding. Some people just watched us walk by, while others smiled or said hello. Even one of the ladies who passed us with just a towel on gave a big friendly hello.
There is one moment that I really wish I could have captured. At the end of one of the streets sat a very old lady in a chair just inside her tiny home. She was facing out with the light of the sun shining on part of her face. The part that had half an old stogy hanging from the side of her mouth. I walked past her a second time. This time, she saw me and gave me a small nod. That's one picture I will always remember but not be able to share. I wish I was here as an assigned documentary photographer. It would be so amazing and even more humbling.
We walked back to our hotel, feeling tired after our 16 km (10 mile) walk exploring Cebu.
Our day concluded with a well-deserved massage, a tasty pho soup dinner, and a brief walk around Robinsons Galleria, a big mall close by. It's a full day with over 26 thousand steps, and it's only day 1.
So far, what we often say at home is reaffirmed here. Filipinos are very friendly.
