The Sinulog Grand Parade

Every January, Cebu City celebrates the Sinulog Festival, which is in honor of the child Jesus or the Sto. Niño. It culminates every third Sunday of that month with the Grand Parade that is  full of pomp and pageantry. Aside from experiencing culture, the occasion is also good photo ops for photographers, the tourists and the locals. Some of the participants are from other provinces. The floats and costumes evolve so there is always something new for everyone year after year.

 The Costumes

                            

                           

Loboc, Bohol

Loboc town in Bohol is a place popular for its floating restaurants and the angelic voices of the Loboc Children's Choir. But other than those popular attractions, only a handful knew that this place has a lot more to offer than what they are known for.

The man-made forest

A part of the stretch of the man-made forest is located in this town. Just a few year's back, this area has been made as one of tour stops for photo ops. As a kid, I've travelled this road in the 90s to visit my grandparents who lived several towns farther. I remembered that the forest was lush despite the trees getting older. I also remembered that there used to have monkeys that would jump from tree to tree which was always a child's delight. Sadly, there are none of these in recent times.

A recent development in this town is the zoo which they sweetly named ZooColate Thrills, a shout out to Chocolate Hills, Bohol's main attraction. Their collection of animals are not much, but to those who rarely go to zoos, anything would be a delight. They have three Bengal Tigers and one of them is named Tiggy. They also have a monkey, a civet cat, a set of eagles, a pony, a turtle and an ostrich. There's a guide that will go with your group as you roam around the zoo to introduce you to the animals.

After the the zoo trip, we passed by the Loboc River where the floating restos ply. However, during the time that we went there, no restaurant passed.

We then proceeded to Loboc Ecotourism Adventure Park. They they offered a zipline ride and and a cable car ride.The ride is to go to the other mountain an have to pass above the great Loboc River. None in our group were dauntless enough to try it, but we tried out the cable car. The ride is just like one to two minutes, but it sure feels like more than that. Even if my mates were screaming their hearts out, my knees were still shaking. The ride is totally safe, but the harness/ seat belt did not stop my mind from thinking that in case we fall, that would be the last of us. The P350.00 fee was for a two-way ride, and when we finished the ride, it seems that we'd wanted to try it again. We did not.

Loboc is about an hour's ride from the capital,Tagbilaran City.

Loboc River - the route for the floating restaurants

At the zoo. This train is actually just for photo ops. 

 Tiggy

The Animals at the Zoo Colate Thrills

The Cable Car Ride- notice how far they've come from. The girl in black is not afraid of heights.

And its our turn for the ride. We were going to that speck on the other side.

That is where we came from. We disembarked from the car and has to turn around 360 degrees for the return trip.

This is what we saw from up above. Aside from the restrictive belt, I was too scared to move even a bit to take pictures.

The Loboc church building was ruined by the October 2013 7.2 magnitude earthquake that struck the region.The church is one of Philippines' oldest.

Journey to the Past: Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu

The Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino, a Roman Catholic church is another major historical landmark of Cebu City, Philippines. The church was built during the Spanish occupation, and is one of the country's oldest.

Right shows the repairs being done for the belfry that was damaged by the October 2013 earthquake.

Right shows repairs being done on the belfry that was destroyed during the October 2013 earthquake

Pochero in Abuhan Dos

I've heard from friends that the best pochero Cebu  is in Abuhan Dos, along F. Ramos Street. So When my mother's birthday came, my Dad and my brother brought her there for a special lunch. And we definitely tried their special pochero.

Seafood at Co Jordan

Every now and then, we crave for something that we don't normally eat everyday, like seafood. And nothing beats eating it as fresh as can be. That is why my friends and I headed to Co- Jordan Seafood Restaurant. They offer a variety of fresh seafood like crabs, shrimps and different kinds of fish, and of course, talaba (oyster). The shrimps and the crabs are very much alive. You'll have to pick whatever you like, and then the staff will cook it for you. 

Journey to the Past: Fort San Pedro

The Fort San Pedro in Cebu's  port area was built during the Spanish occupation in the Philippines. It was built in the 1700s under the command of Miguel Lopez de Legaspi.

Today, it served as one of the major tourist destination for those who want to learn something about Cebu's colorful history.

Part of the front facade

... And the Trek Continues

There were three reasons why all five of us were already in snooze mode by six- thirty pm. First, we were so tired from the trek; second, it was so dark in there since the place does not have electricity. We had flashlights, yes, but we rather saved energy. And the third reason is that it was so cold in there ( around 20 degrees Celsius), that we wanted nothing but curl up in the sheets with our knees on our chins.

Since we slept early, we also woke up very early - around three o'clock in the morning. So we just cooked our breakfast, but since we were not hungry at that time, we kind of just bonded with small talk around a small bonfire we made. Most of the other campers were already awake by then, but we were like 10 meters apart, so we really did not get to know our fellow campers. When there was enough daylight, we climbed the hill that gave us 360 degrees view of the place. It was truly magnificent. After the picture taking, we ate our breakfast and folded up our tent.

It was time to start our long trek to a place called Kawasan ( which is vernacular for exit) Falls. We started the trek on a high note, the terrain was flat, and since  its still early morning, the temperature was not that hot.

And who wouldn't be in awe with this picturesque walk?

Camping At Osmeña Peak

My Friend Barbie traveled to Thailand last April. As our way of last minute bonding, we decided to trek Osmeña Peak, last March. It is known to be one of Cebu's highest mountains. It has an elevation of approximately 1,000 meters above sea level.

Getting There

We took a bus from the Carbon Public Market and spent 3 and a half hours of travel from Cebu City to Mantalongon, where the peak is located. We arrived at the public market - the last stop of the bus - at around two in the afternoon. Afterwards, we rode a motorcycle until we reached the trail where the trek starts. 

It was a mere 30 minute walk, but the terrain is so erratic it will test your legs and lungs. The following are the images of that amazing experience.