A Weekend of Firsts

SEPTEMBER 22, 2012

I flew away from home to get to Cebu… And I brought along with me my best friend Rose Ann. It's a long story why we ended up together instead of me going with some other friend of mine. It was one hell of a weekend getaway! It's my first time to travel by plane on my own… It's my lovebabe's first time to ride on a plane… And it's our first time to be in Cebu. So yeah… Technically that's how it became a weekend of firsts!

We had the most organized, self-planned itinerary! Yup, take all the sarcasm in that statement. Two days before the scheduled flight I asked my bhezzt lovebabe to come for an adventure in Cebu and she said she's game for it… I never thought we'll survived it. We searched all the cheapest hotels, tour guides, agencies  and beach resorts that can accommodate us for a short notice… Fortunately we found them… It was a little bit hassle on our part though... But we got over that.

Our flight took only about an hour or so… Ewan ko ba, kas-kasero yata yung piloto eh! HAHAHAHA!.. Oh yeah, there was a little incident before the plane took off… Well you see, I'm always excited to board a plane… I love seeing the clouds on the windows and admire them closely with my dreamy eyes… And every time I board a plane I always make sure that I'm sited on the WINDOW SEAT. Doesn't matter whether left or right, so as long as ITS WINDOW SEAT. Yes, that's how much I love the clouds… I love feeling close to them… So anyways, I was beyond disappointed when I reached our seat number and there was an old woman (well, not so old) sitting on my seat! Gaahd! But hey, I did held my temper… I might be a brat, but I'm the nicest brat there is… So yeah, I asked her nicely and she said that she's just waiting for me to ask her to exchange seats with her… I was like: "OH PLEASE! YOU KNOW YOUR SEAT NUMBER AND YOU SAT ON THE WRONG ONE THEN YOU'RE WAITING FOR ME TO ASK YOU?!.. WADAHELL.." *just in my thought* Nakakaloka naman kasi. Anyways… That incident reminded me a line from one of the best movie's I'd watched when I was in HS: "Sometimes, you gotta take what's yours" (Coach Carter). But I won't discuss it because we'll get out of line. In the end I got my window seat. ^_^v

Lobby/Cafe area of Fuente Oro Business Suites

My bhezzt lovebabe doing something on my phone while we're hanging out at the lobby.

That's moi... Waiting for my love.

So, our first day was spent in the four corners of our room. We arrived at the airport and we rented a car that brought us to our hotel for our first night… We spent our first night at Fuente Oro Business Suites, but that wasn't our originally booked place… Our contact person just called before we board the plane to Cebu to tell us that they overlooked our reservation and they wouldn't have a room for us, but before I freak out on the phone, he suddenly added that they have reserved a room for us in another hotel… So they still did accommodate us perfectly… At least for me, freaking out over the phone is not my thing naman but I did panic though. So, yeah… We roam for a bit outside after settling in our suite… It's kinda freaky… I mean, not in a negative way but… I just felt I'm a foreign in my own country. HAHA! I dunno it just felt weird. Yeah, it was just me.

My heavenly love mini Macarons!

After checking out what's outside our suites we came back and stayed at the hotel's lobby which turned out to be a coffee shop… It was a coffee shop that offers cupcakes and *drum roll* MACARONS! And that suddenly made my stay in Cebu a perfect one! HAHAHA! It's so awesome! I just felt that there will be macarons at Cebu while I was on the plane and I never really thought that there'll be… Oh, my connection with macarons… It's magic!

I fell asleep after taking a bath… That was probably around 9 in the evening… I don't know what's with me… That was a first in a long time… Here in Manila my earliest sleeping time is 12AM! And I drank coffee for Pete's sake! Usually I don't sleep for the entire night when I had my coffee fill… Probably it's the macaron..? But I doubt, my bhezzt lovebabe stayed up all night! She ate macarons din naman… So I dunno.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2012

FREE BREAKFAST! I love a decent breakfast! And Fuente Oro provided us one… But we woke up late.. Past 8 AM I guess..? And yes, it's late for me! I don't know what happened with my body clock when I was there in Cebu.

Jump shot at the Beach Front. 

Under the Sea!

Anyways, as planned we decided to spent our second day at the beach! From Cebu City, we took a cab to get to Mactan Island and visit Cebu White Sands at Maribago Beach. We avail their day tour escapade with free buffet lunch.. It is another first for me.. Not at the beach, but 'twas my first time beaching in September! Then my bhezzt lovebabe made some negotiation with 3 Cebuanos to take us in the middle of the sea and snorkel our way through to see the hidden floor of the sea. Snorkeling was first for the both of us as well…

We found NEMO! 

Some scuba divers... We'll try that in the near future. LOL

Freshly dived sea urchin.

Then our companion offered us to buy and taste sea urchin. And we did. It was our first time to try eating an unni (that's what its called, the sea urchin as a food is called 'unni') Do your research about it or try it out for yourself… For me it tastes like crab/shrimp + the texture of oysters all round up in one! It's deliciously good and you have to eat it fresh!

On the way back to resort.

We took our lunch after our little snorkeling adventure and then we dipped on the resort's pool. After having our moment, we packed up and took our private cab (as if you'll get a public one? LOL.) to get to our second suite… From Mactan Island, we travel back to Cebu City to get to Gran Tierra Suites… We checked-in and settle down… Don't ask me how long did our travelling time last because I was sleeping. I felt so effin' exhausted when we get to our room. And just as when we're planning to leave the suite to have a little sky adventure, the rain suddenly poured down heavily! We both thought we won't be able to do what we had planned that night.. Fortunately, my rain gave way for our little night adventure…

The place where we dine and munch our awesome lunch.

A chef in action. HAHA!Seriously, I'm not into food blogging.

A night of firsts… We went to Crown Regency Hotel & Towers and we tried and experienced their Sky Experience Adventure. We first tried the Edge Coaster, that bores me.. HAHA. Well, basically you'll just sit in a coaster which has a tiltable seat that goes around the edge of the building. The view is quite breath taking anyway, you can see the whole city from almost 430 ft above.. I guess that's your consolation. Then we went down a floor and took the Sky Walk Extreme where we stayed almost, more or less 30 minutes at 400 ft above the ground! Talk about being high eh?.. It was fun mainly because of our companions, specially the funny tour guide (well I don't exactly know if he's a tour guide but… let's just call him that.) he's an entertainer! Gaahd! You always laugh when he speaks.. Then he's super makwela and makulet. The most epic thing that he did was when he pretended to slipped right on the edge of the platform where we stand! He was funny indeed. I think I said that quite enough huh?.. Well yeah, he is epicly funny. After having our fill for height adventures, we went back to our suites. The end of our second day.

September 24, 2012

BREAKFAST IN BED. Kewl… haha! We ordered our breakfast the night before and we had it delivered in our room. We got our third and last day packed up with an 8-hour City Tour. We were picked up by our private tour guide/driver with our private car right in front of Gran Tierra Suites. Hahaha. Seriously, it is exclusively and privately for the two of us. I wanna share and put the deets here but… I forgot his name, I lost the business/contact card. But I'm sure my bhezzt lovebabe has them, so maybe I'll ask her. :P

First stop is the Taoist Temple… I felt like I'm the priestess of Suzaku. HAHAHA! I wasn't in the mood to pose for picture that day.. Then later I realized that its Monday. Seriously, I have issues with Monday Madness. Hahaha!

Me as the Priestess of Suzaku.

Our next stop was Museo Sugbo, the place has quite a rich history, it was formerly known as Carcel de Cebu and it used to be the Cebu City Jail and Cebu Provincial Detention & Rehabilitation Center. Museums is one of my favorite places when I was a kid… I have a personal attachment to history… Well, I don't ace in the subject… I hate memorizing dates and such, my point is I love museums! Hahaha! I always get out of the topic… My random thoughts are killing me! Blah. Yeah, so I just love looking at old artifacts and the like… What would it be like to live in those old golden times? Its fascinating. Museums are my personal time machine… Though sometimes, I felt like they just invented the infos and all… But still, it fascinates me… The rich history of my country… It has been told by different people from different places but for me, it’s a great deal to pay attention to it mainly because this is where I came from. It's nice to go back and revisit the past once in a while. Relive the moments and learn from them so as to refresh and look at where you are right now. Appreciate the past to be able to appreciate the present.

SAGING ni ROSE ANN. haha!Detachable hands of statues made of ivory.

At one of the Alleys.

come one, come all!

Right after time travelling, we took our lunch at Joven's Grill & Seafood. It was a lunch buffet and I must say it's quite a battle field. HAHAHA. Their foods taste awesome and superb. I'm sorry I'm not a food blogger so I guess I won't be able to give justice upon describing their menu… So, just try it out for yourself! *wink* They have variety of foods to choose from and for a buffet, they're quite affordable.


After a filling lunch, our awesome tour guide brought us to the Pari-an District of Cebu City. According to him, it used to be the center of trading system in Cebu waaaay back a long time a go. At the middle of the district there came a stone statues of replicas that represents everything about Cebu (A big cross, the Galleon, Magellan, sinulog festival, etcetera, etcetera!) The architect daw of that big piece o' art was the same as the one who designed the EDSA Shrine. We're suppose to go there first but my bhezzt lovebabe saw a bus that stops by with a hella number of people and since she wanna have a private photo opt, she insist to drop by first at the infamous Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House. Well, it's kinda cliché. I mean its an ancestral house so by that you'll know that its old… But the thing is… It is considered to be one of the oldest existing residential structure in the country. Wow. Just wow. HAHAHA. Well, according to the care taker, the house was still 95% (if I'm not mistaken by the number… Basta its between 90 and 100 so yeah. HAHA!) at its original state and materials. And according to that kuya as well, the owner still sleeps there over the weekend because they don't want to abandon the house. It's kinda… Creepy. Well, of course it is creepy inside that old house… After all, its full of things, old things to be exact, that has been passed on from one generation to the next… Who knows what histories those thingies have?.. *roll eyes*

the bed

the rocking chair

So after creeping ourselves out, we got out of the house and explore the stone statues… And had a photo opt. LOL. Then we went to see the famous Magellan's Cross and Church and Convent of Sto. Niño. After an intimate moment with God and feeding our soul we went shopping for a little something. Then head to Fort San Pedro, I don't know what it was… Well, it's like Fort Santiago… But I'm not really sure.. HAHAHA! There wasn't any tour guide to discuss it anyway… We just had another bunch of photo opt there. That was the last stop of our Cebu City Tour… We then headed to Mactan Island. And mind you, the traffic was tedious… Good thing our private car has comfortable seats and good AC. Hay! Screw traffic!

Magellan's Cross

Our first stop in Mactan Island was the Plantation Bay Resort & Spa. It wasn't part of the package… But our private tour guide/driver dropped us there nonetheless… I forgot his reason but he brought us there anyway, so… Yeah. The place was BEAUTIFUL. Their rates are quite expensive though.. But hey, it's quite worthy. As in… It's such a beautiful place. Need I emphasize more..? Well ok... The thing is... It's a paradise. Undescribably beautiful place!

After indulging in the beautiful view around Plantation Bay, we stopped by at Alegre Guitars…. It was one of the a very few moment that I regret not being in love with the instrument. Every piece was preciously gorgeous… Maybe if I just know how to play guitars… Then maybe… Just maybe, I'll appreciate the place more. The manong there told us that it takes 5 years for the woods to dry up! Such a long time huh..? Tsk. Nakakainip. HAHAHA. Oh! They export around the world by the way. And that manong strummed us a song. So sweet! I adore people who plays guitar. :") I love music! That's why I love people who makes music.

Cello? not sure though.

the pink one's MINE.

Our final stop for our Twin City Tour was the Mactan Shrine?.. I guess. Well, I don't know what its called! Or I forgot rather. HAHAHA. It was were the great Lapulapu (not the fish please!) killed Magellan… An unfair fight if might say… Magellan's troupe was outnumbered by Lapulapu's. But anyway, I guess the story of this fight was somehow a proof that, we Filipinos know how to protect and cherish what belongs to us. It somehow makes me proud to stand up with or against any other nations. ^_^

That how our weekend went. Mind you, when we board the plane bck to Manila… My bhezzt lovebabe was struck by what do they call it..? Love at FIRST sight. HAHAHAHA. I won't give deets. Ciao!