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Food Galore in Cebu
In: Food
3 Feb 2012
Aside from the fact that Ferdinand Magellan’s Cross is standing here and that this city has the most colorful and faithful festival called “Sinulog”, Cebu City is totally a place to visit because of its fancy restaurants that offer a wide variation of cuisine.
For fine dining, here are a few places you might want to try:
- Anzani – located in Lahing Nivel Hills.
- Imperial Palace – located in Lapu-lapu City.
- Cielo – located in the heart of the city, at Archbishop Reyes, Cebu.
If Japanese foods are what you are after, try the following places:
- Han-Nya
- Kagura Authentic Japanese Restaurant
- 168 Ramen House
- Mizu at Waterfront Hotel
For Pizza lovers:
- La Buona Forchetta da Paolo Ristorante Pizzeria
- Yellow Cab Pizza
- Calda Pizza (for giant pizzas!)
- Greenwich
Of course, when we speak of Cebu, the first food that really comes to mind is their famous lechon and I have heard, and yet to try, the lechon in CnT. They say it’s the best among the many lechon places in Cebu, which is basically everywhere. For other local dishes and Asian cuisine you may want to try the following:
- Golden Cowrie
- Spice Fusion
- Jo’s Chicken Inato
- I Am Ngoyong House
- Abuhan
- Grand Majestic
- Big Mau’s Chinese Restaurant
The newest rave in Cebu is their “Sutukil” which means Sugba (grill), Tula (broth), and Kilaw (raw, usually with vinegar). You can cook seafoods by these different ways. Customers will have their choice of the different seafood and have them cooked fresh. This is something tourists from the metro really go for because of the freshness, something you seldom encounter in the city.
Aside from these, there are still the many fast food restaurants that are scattered around the city, particularly in their malls, like Jollibee, McDonald’s, Tokyo Tokyo, etc.
So you see, Cebu will not only satisfy your craving for history and pretty places, even your appetite will be fully filled with delicious food. Bon appétit!
Reference:
Asia Web Direct (2012). Cebu City Restaurants & Dining. Retrieved February 2, 2012, from http://www.philippines-hotels.ws/cebu-city/dining.htm
Image Sources:
Sarmalute Mamaliguta by Themightyquill, available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Generic license.
Chez Panisse Pizza by stu_spivack, available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.
Chicken Adobo by dbgg1979, available under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
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- Tags: abuhan restaurant foods, Alike, Cebu, Cebu City, Cebu City Restaurants, Chicken, Creative, Creative Commons, Cross, cuisine, fancy restaurants, fast food restaurants, fine dining in cebu, Food, food galore, foods in hotels, jos chicken inato, la buona forchetta da paolo cebu, la buona forchetta restaurant pizzeria cebu, Lahing, lechon, Paolo Ristorante, Share, variation, Yellow Cab Pizza Calda Pizza, yellow pizzeria ristorante
Fact: I have a fear of heights. I hate standing close the edge of a balcony from a hundred feet up. The fear is minimized if I were in an enclosed area, like those glass-walled elevators. The uneasiness is still there but not as much. This is why living in a condo unit is not in my plans, unless you put me in the second floor.
Another fact: I love adventures. I love the high that the thrill and challenge bring. And most of the time I choose adventures that defies my phobias in hopes that they could zap away those fears, which we know only exist in the mind.
I have challenged my fear of heights so many times. Like crossing a broken and unused railroad which would have left me dead if I slipped and fell in the rivers below, and parasailing in the beaches of Boracay. Sadly though, my fear of heights is still there so I continue to “cure” it.
My first plan was to skydive. However, there was plenty of news last year of freak accidents that happened during a dive. Some of these included professional skydivers, so I naturally crossed that off my list.
Then there came a chance to visit Cebu. I have heard and seen pictures of their Sky Experience Adventure, and my first thought was “perfect”. Yes, this is it! To make it more fun, I chose to do it on my birthday. What a way to celebrate, huh?!
This adventure is offered in Cebu’s Crown Regency Hotel. There are, in fact, a number of rides and adventures to choose from, each offering a different intensity and style. The daredevils can try the Drop Zone, a 40-ft drop while strapped on a harness. For those who want to take it slow, like me, the Sky Walk would be a fitting choice. This makes you walk around the edge of the building from 126.55 meters high (37th floor), on transparent glass floor. Whew! Good thing the guides were keeping the experience fun with jokes, thus making the 15-minute walk a breeze.
Another ride I tried was the Edge Coaster. This time they made me sit in a coaster that tilts at the edge of the building from 130.84 meters above ground. It starts with an angle that leaves you almost face to face with the ground below, but there is a control on the side of the seat so riders can tilt it back for a less scary experience. I took the ride alone so I spent the next 4 or 5 minutes screaming and laughing!
They offer other adventures and are also developing new ones. For a complete list and information, you can visit the Sky Experience Adventure website.
That was one birthday I will never forget! In fact, the only sad part was not having enough pictures. From what I know, some friends of mine who tried it before were able to have digital copies but when I went there, they only offered printed copies which were costly. It would be better if they just compile all the digital pictures in a disc and sell it. That would be much cheaper.
Nonetheless, it was a good high, literally speaking. Go try it, you even get a certificate for finishing the feat.
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- Tags: adventures, birthday, Boracay, building, Cebu, Cebu City, Coaster, condo, Crown Regency Hotel, Dare, drop, drop zone sky experience adventure, edge, Fact, fear of heights, ground, railroad, ride, sky drop sky experience cebu, Sky Experience Adventure, sky experience adventure cebu city 2012, Sky Walk, thrill
The 7 Church Wonders in Cebu
15 Jan 2012Just you all know, the Visayan region of the Philippine Islands was the welcoming land for the Spaniards a century ago. That is why, most of the religiosity can be found in this part of the country. They have all the catholic antiques from the Hispanic times. The conquerors had left not only valuable and precious things but also breathtaking churches—yes, I can say, breathtaking.
As far as structure is concern, Philippine old churches, especially in the Visayan region, are the most beautiful artwork of the past. In Cebu only, which is the capital of this region, there are seven magnificent churches which you can visit.
First, we have the Dumanjug Church. One foreign columnist just exclaimed in his article: “What a structure!” It is very massive and beautiful as your ponder upon it. The Augustinians, who were the Hispanic missionaries who evangelized in Cebu, built this particular church—of course, with the help of local muscles.
Second is the Bantayan Church. You will be filled with wonder and you will certainly be stunned as you look at this ever-pretty church—it is indeed jaw dropping. The artful details are just too much to handle for a single ocular view.
Third, we have the Graeco-Roman structured church called Carcar Church. The façade is wonderful. It has the taste of Mt. Olympus. Ironically, it is located on the top of hill where you can overlook the town proper.
Fourth in the list is the Minor Basilica of Sto. Niño de Cebu. This is the center of churches in Cebu. It is the abode of their beloved Sto. Niño or the Holy Child Jesus which has a very glorious story behind. Actually, the well known Philippine Festival called Sinulog is being held here in the middle of January.
The fifth Cebu church is the Boljoon. It has baroque structures. The local faith expression were beautifully painted and carved in the ceiling. The sixth and the seventh are the Argao and the Naga churches. These two are actually called capillas or small churches. But despite their petite structure, still, they showcase magnificent works of art.
You should visit Cebu and its magnificent and wonderful old churches if you happen to visit Visayas, Philippines.
Reference:
Cabigas, E. (2009). 7 Interesting Churches in Cebu, a Visita Iglesia. Retrieved January 10, 2012, from http://langyaw.com/2009/04/07/7-interesting-churches-in-cebu-a-visita-iglesia/
Image Sources:
The facade by rbe_1878, available under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
080121 Basilica del Sto. Nino-04 by Capella Boltiador, available under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
Boljoon Church by Coolm36, available under Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.
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- Tags: artwork, Attribution, basilica del santo nino sinulog, Boljoon, capital, carcar church facade, Cebu, cebu churches beautiful, church of carcar, Church Wonders, church wonders structure, columnist, concern, Creative, Creative Commons Attribution, dumanjug church cebu, January, land, Philippine Islands, region, structure, Visayan, Visayan region, wonders of cebu
Taoist Temple in Cebu City
20 Nov 2011
I have been to Cebu a number of times during my college days and after graduating. Roaming around the many tourist spots was something I failed to do then in leisure because those visits were school-related (conventions, quiz-bees, licensure exams, etc.). I did manage to visit the Taoist Temple but it was a short visit due to time constraints. Luckily, early this year I finally got the chance to re-visit for the sole purpose of seeing the much talked about tourist attractions Cebu boasts of.
The Taoist Temple is situated in Beverly Hills Subdivision, some 6 km. north of the city. Built in 1972, it has become the center of worship for Taoism, a religion that abides by the teachings of Lao Tze. The place is open for believers and non-believers, and being one of the latter, all I could do was observe the many rituals that the former did. One of this is lighting the joss sticks and having their fortune read. I am not a religious person but it has never ceased to amaze me to witness acts or traditions that were handed down for so many generations. Take note, that Lao Tze lived in the 600 B.C., so seeing these rituals in tact truly is amazing.
Although they have opened the place for the public, with no fees taken, visitors should practice respect of the place. Besides, this is still a temple. Tourists can roam around the premises but silence should be kept in the places of worship, which are a few. Also, pictures are not allowed to be taken in the altars or places of sacrifice.
Of course, visitors primarily go up to this place to see the Taoist architecture which is in fact very mesmerizing. There are statues of dragons, wishing wells, towers, and the 99 steps you have to climb to get to the main structure. In fact, the temple is situated 300 meters above sea level, so you are also presented with a grand view of downtown Cebu. Not only that, neighboring islands are seen from this spot, like that of Mactan and Bohol.
I am glad that I had the gift of time during this trip. I remembered the first time was a quick climb to the top, a few pictures taken, and off we went. This time, I was able to catch my breath after the climb by resting in the spacious garden and basking on the island’s scenery.
Reference:
Cebu-Philippines.net. Astonishing architecture of Taoist Temple Cebu. Retrieved November 19, 2011, from http://www.cebu-philippines.net/taoist-temple.html.
Who Killed Ferdinand Magellan?
9 Nov 2011
Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when we speak of Cebu is Lapu-Lapu, the epic hero who fought against the Spanish colonization, specifically the brave native who killed Ferdinand Magellan. These two people are very famous in the history of the Philippines. I can still remember in H.S. when my classmates made a funny musical re-enactment of the battle. Of course, there is also the never ending question from our teachers (I am going to bet that every Filipino student had encountered this during exams) of who killed Magellan.
Anyway, I personally was not fond of my history subjects then in school, so I had to do some reading now to know more about the topic.
It is said that when Magellan came to Cebu, he was able to baptize 800 natives as allowed by Rajah Humabon of Cebu. This was an act of gratitude from Humabon after his ill grandson was cured by one of Magellan’s men. Magellan, probably elated by the success of Christianizing these natives, crossed to the island of Mactan for the same purpose. However, Datu Lapu-Lapu, the chieftain of Mactan, was not open to this and resisted Magellan’s party. On April 27, 1521, Lapu-Lapu, along with his 1,500 warriors, defeated and killed Magellan. This was later known as the Battle of Mactan. This made Lapu-Lapu popularly regarded as the first Filipino hero.
Today, a shrine has been built to commemorate the exact spot where the battle took place. This is aptly called the Mactan Shrine, located in Punta Engaño, Mactan Island, Cebu City. Inside you will see the Lapu-Lapu Monument and the Magellan Shrine. The former is a towering bronze statue of Lapu-Lapu, where he is holding a shield in one hand and a “kampilan” on the other. The shrine is a 30-m high tower which rises on a spot purportedly believed to be where Magellan died. By the way, according to history, Magellan’s body was never recovered.
Going there is no problem at all since this is a famous spot. The last time I went to Cebu, my friend who lives there suggested that we make it our first stop because it is nearest to the airport. There is no entrance fee to be paid, but they do have a donation box at the entrance, probably used to maintain the place, which is very evident with the clean surroundings and lush gardens. Aside from the monuments, headstones, and mural depicting the battle, there are also souvenir shops inside that sell different crafts at reasonable prices.
Behind the shrine is a beach, on the shores of which is where the yearly festival called “Kadaugan sa Mactan” is re-enacted every April.
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Welcome to Cebu Travel!
In: Cebu
4 Oct 2011Cebu is one of the 80 provinces of the Philippines, located in the Visayas region. The province consists of the Cebu Island and 167 neighboring smaller islands, like Malapascua, Bantayan, Mactan, and Camotes, to name a few. Here you will find the oldest city in the Philippines, Cebu City, also known as the Queen City of the South.
This province boasts of a rich history which makes it a subject of great importance when studying the Philippine’s past. Of course, the most significant event being the colonization by the Spaniards, thus, the introduction of the Roman Catholic faith on this island some five centuries ago.
Cebu has been the center of trade and commerce during those era, and has remained so until today in the Visayas region. From the time of the Rajahs, to Catholicism, and to major economic development – Cebu has definitely gone through changes that have greatly affected our society today.
Let us learn more about Cebu and enjoy the many wonders it offers!
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About this blog
Tourist spots, foods, activities, festivals, beaches – everything and anything a traveller needs to know about Cebu. Visit historical places and keep updated with the new. Read-on so you can make a superb itinerary to make your stay in the Queen City filled with fun, laughter, and adventure.
- Hazel: hhmm.. the food looked enticing.. I'll try one of this fine dining restaurants when I go there.. Can [...]