sunday in shang mactan

as i write, my tummy is taking a nap after a buffet beating at tides. i'm hoping it'll wake up just in time for rounds 3 and 4. maybe 5? photo on the left is of my third plate.

we landed at 9 this morning, and got on the free shangri-la mactan shuttle from the airport straight to the hotel. we got our day passes at senses, and hit the beach.

day passes have gotten more expensive since the last time i went here. they're now PHP 2,500 net per person each (up from PHP 2,000), and includes access to the pools and beaches, and buffet lunch at tides. they provide towels for you as well.

sadly, there are a lot of people here right now, so we couldn't find a prime spot on the beach with enough shade. which is fine by me, i need a tan anyway.

after this, we'll be enjoying more time at the beach, then we.go to the city for some zubuchon. :)

*sigh* it's gonna be a bitch going to work tomorrow. :p

okay, what just happened?!

i blink, and suddenly, it's february. work has taken centerstage when the curtains went up in 2011, that i hardly noticed it was time for our cebu daytrip and my hk 'me-time' pre-birthday trip.

in a few hours, i'm off to hopefully sunny sugbo. the plan is to laze around shangri-la mactan, pig out there for lunch, laze around some more, then feast on some delectable zubuchon. all in one day. gotta love promo fares for making crazy trips like that possible.

i'm hoping this quick getaway will pick me up a bit. my nerves have been all wrung out the wrong way, and a beach trip might just straighten them all out.

i'll be reporting on the trip when i get back tomorrow night, or when i gets me some wifi.

bacolod food trip for a day

we've done cebu before, so this time, we went for bacolod!

this plan was hatched years ago, when our friend adrian shared a dream he had of going to bacolod for the day just to have authentic chicken inasal. susie and i just laughed at him then, not realizing he was serious.

this year, we thought we'd make his dream come true. so, a couple of months back, we booked tickets to bacolod, taking the 6am flight, then going back on the last flight. on the day of the trip, adrian was obviously excited. he prepared by not eating any chicken dish a week or so before the trip.

upon landing, we went to chowking in front of the former city hall. we landed in bacolod too early, that chowking was one of the few places that was open on a sunday morning. it was our way of lining our stomachs for the chowfest that was to come.

come lunchtime, susie's brother took us to manukan country, where a row of inasal stalls can be found. aida's was the favored stall, and so we sat down and finally ordered the very thing that we came there for. of course, it didn't help that aida's had a poster inside the store saying "aida's chicken is now at makati square."

they have it in makati square?!

still, though, that didn't keep us down. bacolod will always have better-tasting chicken inasal than manila. i couldn't wait to have that tasty pecho, the "motor oil" mixed in with every spoonful of garlic rice i shovel into my mouth. lookit at our chicken inasal orders:

delicious chicken inasal at aida's in bacolod

there's really nothing like the taste of freshly cooked chicken inasal from bacolod's manukan country. to make up for the long trip he made, adrian devoured four sticks of inasal: pecho, native chicken, isol, and another pecho, or i think a leg. he found the native chicken very tasty, and still speaks of it to this day. he was so happy about his meal, and by the price of the chicken, that he paid for all of our orders. we really should exploit this generous gene of his more. :p

so, with that crossed off our list, we all felt like there wasn't really anything else we should do. until we got to calea, dessert-maker extraordinaire. unfortunately, we were all bushed from all the eating, so there are no pictures of calea goodness to be shared. i wouldn't have been able to do them justice, anyway. i think, though, that anything you order from calea is sure to hit the spot. and that's coming from someone who doesn't have a sweet tooth.

susie's brother and his wife took very good care of us--picking us up at the airport, taking us to places other than manukan country, and letting us snooze off when we were all wiped out after the heavy inasal lunch. before sending us off, they even fed us leftover lechon, which was absolutely delicious.

seriously, eating in bacolod is such a pleasure. you'll go back to manila a few pounds heavier, but you'll be a very happy fatty. for this very reason, i vow to come back, but for a longer period this time, to make sure that i sample every tiny bit of yumminess this city has to offer.

win 1 million in DBP's interisland race!

we were crawling along EDSA when i spotted a URL flash on that screen along guadalupe bridge: http://www.dbprororace2008.com.

it's a race using our very own RORO (roll-on, roll-off) transportation system, sponsored by the development bank of the philippines. and i was really surprised to find out that this is actually the third "season" of the contest. where was i when this was being advertised?!

never mind the million, if i get to join a contest such as this, i'm just going for the fun and adventure, and to find out if i can hack it. i'd like to know just how far i can go. even with my harrowing experience using the RORO some years back, i'm pretty excited to join this contest. unfortunately, i won't be able to join this year, because i already have a scheduled trip from november 7 to 12. tsk, too bad.

but for those of you who are interested to join, check out the dbp roro race 2008 website. they've posted everything you need to know, from how to join, to this year's race route. the race will be starting in bohol and will end in manila, with 9 pit stops in 6 days. phew!

i am a bit confused as to why it's being held this time of year. aren't the seas less cooperative now than during the summer? oh well. i'm just glad they're doing something like this. i really think the RORO is a fantastic idea, and anything that promotes it is something i will promote, too.

event information
"ready, set, RORO!" the dbp roro race 2008
date: november 7 to 12, 2008
deadline of entries: october 25, 2008
online application form
use this online feedback form for questions

or course your questions and entries to:
DBP INTERISLAND RACE-YEAR 3
c/o Think Ideas
Unit 406 Greenbelt Mansion
106 Perea St., Legaspi Village
Makati City 1229 Philippines
Tel. Nos.: (632) 813 7635 or (632) 813 8723
Fax: (632) 813 7635 loc. 808

boracay on a budget

boracay seems to be on most people's list of places to see. most people have this impression that it costs so much to go and stay there, but actually, you can enjoy boracay for less than P10,000.

i remember when airfares to boracay would cost around P7,000 per person. today, flying can cost somewhere between P3,000 to P5,000, depending on the airline. cebu pacific's go fares come to about P3,000 to P4,000, depending on your departure date and time. seair and asian spirit are more expensive, but they land in caticlan already, saving you about P200 on bus or van ride.

we were pretty lucky that the philippine travel mart was on when we decided to go. we were able to score P2,705 roundtrip fares via seair, which lands on caticlan. because of the season and the condition of the waves, we had to go to tabo port instead of the other port that i've grown familiar with. we took a tricycle ride for P70.

upon arriving at the airport, we were charged P50 each for environmental fees and P2 for the terminal fee. the boat ride itself costs P19.50 per person. when you get to tambisaan port, which is the boracay end of the ride, you'll be charged P20 for a non-chartered tricycle ride to boracay civilization (a chartered, or "special" trike ride goes for about P100). i don't recommend walking from the port to your resort. i highly doubt you will like it.


for accommodations, low season offers the best rates (but not the best weather). still, boracay still has a certain allure even when the sun is behind the clouds. we were able to get a beachfront room at chez de paris, at station 2 (beside le soleil de boracay) for P1,120 a night. we were surprised to find two double beds in our room, so if there are four of you, P1,120 a night comes to about P280 per person, per night. can you say affordable? :) during peak season, accommodation costs will double. so that's about P560 per night. still not bad.






and finally, the food. there are many, many, many choices in boracay when it comes to food. in fact, because of the rain, all we did during our visit was to stuff our faces till we were about to burst. there's something for everybody--grilled, greek, portuguese, seafood, japanese, chinese, pinoy. since our beach activities were limited, we devoured food every chance we got, and spent about P1,000 a day. take a look at what we ate:



you can order a la carte, stuff yourselves with a buffet, or enjoy tiny snacks through the barbecue kiosks that line the path. if you're thinking of splurging on food, it's safe to allot P500 per meal, so that's P1,500 a day. but if you're a big group, you can order large dishes and share. nightlife expenses (read: beer and other alcoholic drinks) doesn't need to cost so much. just choose your establishment well. you can buy a bottle of beer for about P30 to P50.

here's a rundown of our expenses for this trip (per person, unless otherwise stated):



rates will change by the season, of course, but still, a visit to boracay need not be the daunting trip everyone expects it to be. with a little research, and some stubborn haggling skills, your visit to this island need not be an experience in bankruptcy. :)

check out my boracay pictures here and susie's photos here.

travel details:
airlines plying the manila to caticlan route:
air philippines
asian spirit
south east asian airlines (seair)

airlines plying the manila to kalibo route:
cebu pacific
philippine airlines

chez de paris resort
station 2, beside le soleil de boracay
mobile number: 09212516300

back from boracay

i saw a different boracay this weekend. our luck with getting cheap tickets and taking advantage of low season accommodations came with a price: it was stormy in boracay.

because of the strong winds, large screens made of wood and plastic were up along the shore, protecting the resorts, restaurants, and other establishments. waves were strong, skies were dark. this made donning a bikini quite inappropriate and somehow stupid.

yet i had a great time!

while boracay is known for its sand and the water, i still had fun even though i didn't get any beach time. i only got to dip my lower extremities before calling it quits due to the cold. there's so much more to this island than dips in the sea and baking on the beach.

the island has progressed so greatly. i was one of those who was against all the concrete buildings and modern shops. yet even with the line of clothing stores in d'mall, and all the modern, concrete resorts, boracay still hasn't lost its charm. it still offers a lot, probably even so much more, than your run-of-the-mill beach.

the strong winds didn't kill the action on the beach. while swimmers should be more cautious, kiteboarders were having the time of their lives, all taking advantage of the wind. i couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as one of the kiteboarders coasted above the water, the kite carrying him over the breaking waves.

the usual boracay beach activities were still being offered by more than a dozen men, all carrying their rate cards. on the other side of the island, you can still go parasailing, snorkeling, and island hopping. but susie and i decided not to go, because the weather was pretty unpredictable. besides, we were content with walking the long stretch, and exploring an establishment every now and then.

but i think, what makes boracay really exceptional is the food. there are just so many choices, especially now that d'mall has built more "wings." i had just been away for a year, and already, the choices have grown tenfold! i actually hated myself for just booking three days. so little time to devour all the food i wanted!

and as for my promised article on boracay expenses, i am glad to report that a trip to the island did not cost me much. i didn't reach five digits for this trip. :) so stay tuned for that one.

lookit how much fun we had by checking out my photos!
susie's photos are in this album.

two more days!

in two days' time, i will be off to boracay to escape work. :) it's been a while since i've gone on a trip, and the cheap fares at the last travel mart convinced us that we should try and go to boracay already. might get me back in the "gotta go!" groove.

this is going to be my first time to see the island during low season, so it's going to be a different experience from my usual holy week trips there. i am looking forward to having the beach to myself. and to playing in the rain by the sea. and to eating till i burst. and to downing fruit shake after fruit shake.

i also can't wait to find out how much i'll be spending. i'm hoping to write something about going to boracay in less than Px,000, to encourage those who are daunted by the "image" of boracay being an expensive vacation island.

so stay tuned! here's hoping we don't get stranded on the island! :D

dalaguete

the next town in our agenda was dalaguete, which is 85.1 km from the city of cebu. that's about an hour and a half drive away (if you're not driving at 60mph, that is). a barrio in dalaguete called mantalongon is hailed as cebu's vegetable basket, as abundant veggies grow there. it's also known as cebu's version of baguio.

the town is named after dalakit, which is cebuano for balete, the tree that used to grow abundantly in this part of cebu.

our main purpose for visiting dalaguete is to see the san guillermo el hermitano parish church. construction of the church started in 1711, the year dalaguete was recognized as an independent parish. fr. juan chacel was in charge of construction. he finished the structure in 1825, and died later in the same year. years later,in 1850, fr. juan alonso had the belfry constructed.

the construction of this church is worthy of note, because it involved very little financial assistance. instead, the church was built by the townsfolk, who contributed free labor just to finish their parish church.

the san guillermo el hermitano church is described as pseudo-baroque. like all the churches we visited on this route, the floor had black and white tiles. inside, the ceiling is painted with various images, but is in need of some restoration, as some of the paint is already peeling or fading.

the chandeliers that hung from the ceiling still came from spanish galleons long ago. outside the church, you will see its three-tiered belfy, which is octagonal in shape. the shape seems to be a significant one in this part of town, because the watchtower near the shore was also rendered in the same shape. today, that watchtower has become a gazebo or store of some sort where people come to drink and have fun.

a few feet from the watchtower stands a wooden cross called sta. cruz, which was left by the spanish long ago to signify that the town has been christianized. i was really amazed to find the church still in perfect condition.

our stop in dalaguete was a brief one, but i enjoyed it. the more of this part of cebu i saw, the more interesting it got. i find it fascinating how things from hundreds of years ago still exist today, and are still in pretty good condition.

more photos of dalaguete may be found here.

for more information about dalaguete, visit its website.

alcoy: lunch and a pleasant surprise

we were feeling pretty hungry when we left boljoon, so we asked our driver, kuya celso, if he can recommend a good place to eat in. we weren't expecting anything fancy, but kuya celso surprised us by driving up to this restaurant in the small town of alcoy called triple b. the steep incline to triple b gives you no indication of what's to come.

when you get to the top, you'll be greeted with a clean, charming restaurant-slash-sports bar that mixes native and modern in its design. when we walked through the door, there was a decent bar to the right, and a pool table and a foosball table on the left. further down is the outdoor dining area, which offers a great view of the ocean and the highway beneath.

susie couldn't help marveling at how well the structure was built. the lines of the wooden planks that make up the floor of the terrace were all straight, the cuts clean. the accents were simple and classy. everything was obviously well thought-of, and there were no stray wires or other unsightly things jutting out of anywhere.

we were handed our menus and found that the place was a german restaurant. i decided to go for their italien sausage, while susie opted for the salmon. because the place was so laidback, we also ordered a pitcher of draft beer to celebrate our "discovery" of this niiiiiiice place. our meals were satisfactory. if not for the spice i felt in every bite, i would have pronounced my italien garlic sausage perfect. susie enjoyed his salmon, and we both didn't want to leave the place.


we found out that the place was also a resort, after much exploration. our table had a view of their fan rooms, which also had a balcony that looked out to the ocean. near these bamboo rooms is the pool. since we still didn't have a place to stay in for the night, we inquired about the rates, and found them pretty reasonable. P1,600 for an airconditioned room, and P1349 for a fan room. we asked to see the rooms, and we were accommodated by their friendly staff.

for its price, the fan room is a steal. it has a double bed and a twin bed, a very clean bathroom, and a view of the ocean. if memory serves me right, it also had a television and a safety deposit box. plus, all the fan rooms are closer to the pool.

the airconditioned room is priced fairly. it was built like the fan room, except it only has a queen bed. it's also equipped with a refrigerator full of different drinks. bathroom is similar to the one in the fan room.

all guests are supplied with towels and toiletries. bathrooms have hot and cold showers. televisions aren't powered by cable, though. the bamboo structure on which the tv rests doubles as an open closet and place to put your suitcase and things on. decor was minimal, but appropriate.

we didn't have any complaints about our stay. if we were to go exploring on this side of cebu, we will definitely stay here again. besides, there is much about the town that we still haven't explored. alcoy is known for having the biggest dolomite quarry in the country. it also boasts of stretches of white beach, with tingko beach being one of the most popular.

view more photos of triple b here.

contact information:
triple b (bodo's bamboo bar) hotel and restaurant
location: pasol, alcoy, 6023 cebu you can reach it by riding an oslob-bound bus from the south terminal in cebu city. tel. no.: (032) 4839119 fax no.: (032) 4835522
email: mail@bbb-alcoy.com
website: http://www.bbb-alcoy.com

for more information about the town of alcoy, visit this site.

next stop, historic boljoon

after about half an hour of exploring oslob, we were back in the car, and on the road. this time, we're headed back up to boljoon, which was quite a historic town.

there is much to see in boljoon, and it's a paradise for those who love to have a glimpse of how life was before. like most of the towns this side of cebu, boljoon is teeming with old houses that are still up and being lived in. aside from that, outdoor lovers will find it an adventure to climb the mystical eli rock.

our destination was the church complex of patrocinio de maria. the church, nuestra senora de patrocinio, was built by augustinian friars in the 18th century. other structures within this complex are the block house, which functioned as a watchtower back in the day, escuela catolica, and the 18th century cemetery, which we weren't able to see. let's discuss them one by one, shall we?





the church. like the church in oslob, the nuestra senora de patrocinio parish was located near the ocean, which explains why it's also made of corals. the church can be easily seen from the road, as it's in a large complex, and guarded by an arch with three angels. the church was one of the many fortress churches, to protect the people from muslim attacks. because of these attacks, boljoon was never densely populated. experts in these structures pronounce the church peculiar, because it actually looks islamic at first glance.

an attack destroyed the structure in 1782, and rebuilding began the next year. it took three different priests to finally finish the job. the convento that stands beside the church is said to have been built in 1915. beside the church stands its bell tower, which is a quadrilateral edifice that consists of three stories.

i was pleased to see that the church was being restored when we entered it. the paintings on the ceilings were still highly visible, and quite colorful, but the place really needed a lot of work done. it was declared for restoration in 1998, which is great because it would really be a shame if this structure crumbled into historic pieces. it was declared a national historical landmark in december 1999, because it is the oldest original stone church in the island of cebu that is still standing to this day.


the block house. it was father julian who decided to create a defense system to thwart attackers. he managed to create about three dozen watchtowers along the coast of southeastern cebu. the system works much like the lighting of the beacons scene in the lord of the rings: the return of the king.

boljoon played a central role in this system, because there was a hill close to it, where he built the highest watchtower. you can see a faint trace of this watchtower from the church, with the cross being prominent (if the sky is really blue). this watchtower used to have red, white, and black flags to signal the other churches in the system if there is an impending attack.

part of boljoon's defense system is the 120x80-meter block house, where cannons were mounted to thwart unfriendly groups. today, those cannons have been replaced by bells, as there is no more fear of an attack. it would also be interesting to note that its walls are a meter thick.

the block house looks pretty dull from the outside, because it just looks like a sturdy but gray box. it doesn't look especially charming when you see escuela catolica and the church behind it. but when i thought about it, its role in all this was vital, as it defended the town from the muslims. and i find it fascinating that the holes on the second story of the structure used to have cannons mounted on them. from deadly cannons to harmless clanging bells. what a change, huh?


escuela catolica. now we have come to my favorite structure of the entire trip. i was greatly creeped out by this building when i first saw its photo online. seeing it up close still sent chills up my spine, but my fear was also mixed with awe. i don't quite understand my fascination; i just found myself gaping at the structure as i was getting out of the car.

as it says on its facade, the school was built in the 1940. from the photo, it may look frail, but the twin staircases are actually made of tough concrete. its roof boasts of wood relief ornamentation, which is a great part of its eerie charm. the escuela is the only structure in the complex to have american characteristics.

the escuela served as a dormitory for children, because back then, they were required to stay at the escuela the night before their first holy communion. when it's not functioning as a dormitory, the structure would be the venue for religious teachings. at one point, it also served as a primary school. today, it is where parish meetings are held. i don't know how they can muster up the courage to enter the building, but kudos to them.



more photos of the boljoon complex may be found here.

for more information about boljoon, do visit their website.

first stop: oslob, cebu

our first day consisted of the flight from manila to cebu, dinner in the metro, then driving to argao, where we stayed for the night. we weren't quite satisfied with the digs, so the next morning, we packed our bags and loaded them into the trunk of the opel, vowing to look for satisfactory accommodations as we drive along.

we decided to go to the farthest point first: oslob. from argao, it took us about two hours to find the church, mainly because we couldn't spot in from the road. as it turns out, the inmaculada concepcion parish is tucked away in a nice corner of town, at the corner of aragones and eternidad streets. i couldn't wait to finally see a church made of corals!

the inmaculada concepcion parish was built in 1848, four years after the town of oslob was established. this massive structure was part of the four fortress churches in cebu which served as the various towns' line of defense in the event of muslim attacks. this is evident in the nearby watchtower ruins and the tall bell tower, which was really meant to be a four-storey structure. however, the construction had to be stopped because of an earthquake and a storm. imagine how the tower would have looked if the plans pushed through!

the church interior was not as impressive as its facade, nor its history. there were no paintings on the ceilings, just simple decor and plain colors. what i found quaint, though, was that they used a shell and inserted it into the wall by the door to serve as the container for holy water.

beside the church stand ruins of an old spanish cuartel. even with the broken walls, i found the structure highly interesting. it's mostly inhabited by local goats and a horse, though.

for divers and beach bums, sumilon island will be paradise. from the road, you will see a sign where you can take the short, ten-minute banca ride to nearby sumilon.

another "historical" and natural wonder is their centuries-old nigad tree. you can also ask around for mainit springs, which is believed to be mystical and possess healing powers.

you can take a look at more oslob photos here.

a convenient way to travel

when ivan wrote about southeastern cebu's heritage trail, he took the bus and wrote down the fares. susie and i were ready to do the same thing, as we haven't had to go on such an adventure before. being a big fan of public transportation, the idea of bus-ing it to the various provinces was thrilling.

that was until we found cebu trip, a car rental service in cebu. the website is pretty informative and encouraging, and the rates, though not the cheapest, are pretty reasonable.

we booked a car for our first three days in cebu, to pick us up from the airport, drive us to argao, and go with us to oslob, boljoon, alcoy, dalaguete, argao, and carcar.

mr. emmanuel barretto, the manager, was open to suggestions from us regarding the arrangements for the rental and the driver. he gave us a rate of P3,500 per day excluding gas.

it was my first time to try out a car rental service, and i am happy to say that i am pretty satisfied. we were chauffered around inside a blue opel astra, by a friendly and knowledgeable driver named celso. he seemed to know the ins and outs of cebu, even the towns and the provinces that we visited. it was also pretty convenient to have a cebuano traveling with you, to ask people for directions or other interesting sights to cover.

our only beef was the speed. now, i'm not familiar with speed limits in the province, but i believe going over 60 is not a deadly sin. i kept fidgeting in my seat, sending signals to the driver that i can handle a faster speed, but he didn't seem to get it. we crawled along at 60kph most of the time. i really think we could have gotten to the other places faster if he'd just gone at 80 at least.

still, i am recommending cebu trip to anyone who'd like to see cebu with high emphasis on convenience. having a local show you around saves you lots of time trying to figure out where to go here and how to get there. you also get to leave your stuff in the car and not have to lug everything around with you. you even get commentaries and insider stuff about cebu that you wouldn't get from anyone.

contact information:
name: cebu trip
contact person: emmanuel barretto
website: http://www.cebutrip.com
email: info@cebutrip.com
address: 11 Forest Hills, Banawa, Cebu City, Philippines, 6000
telefax: +63 (32) 419-6740
mobile: 09228855511; 09173205688