Cebu times Two

August 2012: Bohol bound with Karla, Che and Mark, and the rest of VCF Alabang Singles for the Elevate Singles Retreat. After our 4-day stay in Bohol, we decided to visit Cebu too. It's just a ferry ride away, anyway.

We arrived in Cebu at night, so we just ate our supper and rested for a 1-day tour of the "Queen City of the South."

And here's where we went the following day:

visited Magellan's Cross

Cebu is famous for their lechon so we visited Zubuchon and tried their version of it. After we had our fill, we rented a taxi for a tour around the city. Taxi drivers are instant tour guides.

Our next stop was Lapu-Lapu's shrine

Then our driver suggested a Taoist temple which was along the way to our next destination. He must have thought we were all Chinese. Well, Karla and Mark are. This temple is actually one of the tourist attractions in Cebu.

Then we were brought to the TOPS for the full view of Metro Cebu

We, then went back to our hotel in Shangri-la Hotel. Not! Our driver said we can walk around the hotel and see the entire place. So we did.

A trip to Cebu is not complete without visiting its beaches. We did not have funds for expensive resorts but almost every beach there is beautiful. the only difference is the accommodation and amenities. 

We were not in the beach for long. After we took some beautiful pictures and enjoyed the sun, we showered and went to our next destination.

I survived The Plunge in Bohol but I find the Sky Walk scarier.

That's how our day ended. We had our dinner, bought pasalubongs, and rested for the night. It's amazing how we were able to visit all those places in just one day. The next day, we head back to Bohol for our flight back to Manila.

Last January 18 to 20 I went back to Cebu. I was invited by Roilo to join him in an all-expense paid trip ("libre!") with a one-way plane ticket to see the Sinulog Festival and then go to Bohol for two to three days. He works as a psychiatric nurse in Oman and was on a month-long vacation which he chose to spend with family and friends here in the Philippines. I missed traveling with friends, so it wasn't so hard to say yes. But I had to decline the one-way ticket. He was pretty uncertain when he plans to go back home and I don't want to abuse his generosity. So he bought me a two-way plane ticket for my three-day stay to see the Sinulog Festival. Yey! It's a good thing I've been to Cebu before. I already went to some of the city's tourist spots so I wouldn't be missing a lot.

Here's what happened to my most recent trip to Cebu for the Sinulog Festival:

We arrived in Cebu at night, so we just ate dinner and got ready for the next day's walkathon.
What I loved about this trip is meeting new people! The truth is, I haven't seen Roilo in a while too. The last time I saw him was before he went to Oman to work, which was about 2 years ago (I think). And he actually just said hi and bye and handed me his mango graham cake farewell present that time. I love spontaneity and am excited to meet his friends too!

Here are some of the beautiful pictures I took from that colorful festival.

More than the colors and beauty of the parade, what captivated me most are the smiles of the participants. They walked and danced under the heat of the sun for hours, but their dedication in representing Cebu and the Sinulog Festival, entertaining the locals and the tourists never wavered. 

There's still so many places in Cebu I want to visit.

By request...

My bestfriend Rachel tied the knot with Mark last 11.12.13. Yey! They've been together for 11 years, just like how long we've been friends. I have witnessed almost every sweet moment and fights they've had. I also have been a third wheel in some of our movie dates and food trips, although they never made me feel out of place when we're together. They are the type of couple you'd love to hang out with because they're just plain fun!

For their special day, Rachel requested that I make boutonnieres for the groomsmen. She wanted the details of their wedding to be special and with sentimental touches from friends and family. I had no idea how to make boutonnieres. I'm not even sure if I got the spelling of the word correctly. She gave me samples of the design she likes, but I must admit seeing those made me want to back out thinking I might not be able make her any. I already planned of making her a crocheted bouquet of roses for her wedding shower, but I was not able to finish it.

 

I got the pattern from cre8tioncrochet. Those were meant for the bridal bouquet, but  I realized it was hard. Haha! I am just a newbie in crocheting. Then, I thought I could use these to make the buotonnieres! And here's the outcome:

 

They weren't perfect, but I am grateful (and relieved) that the bride liked it. It even looked so good in that photo. Thanks to the photographer taking pictures of the details of the wedding. I am so happy my bestfriend liked it!