Arriving at Cebu airport was very exciting. Stepping out into the warm, humid weather was confirmation on just how far we had flown to get here. Although it was about 12:15am at this point, we were both buzzing with excitement about everything to come.
We got our luggage and headed through customs. Finally it was time to take a taxi to our pre-booked hotel: San Remigio Pensionne Suites. Our very helpful flight attendant told us to go to the outskirts of the airport to get a taxi because they have much better rates… that’s what we did.
This is where we met Jun, our charming-yet-crazy taxi driver. His taxi pulled in and we both got in with our suitcases (one in the trunk and one in the front seat, as they were both too big to go side by side). Jun was an older man and his taxi had seen better days. First he told us he knew where he was going, but after a few minutes we discovered that he had no idea where our hotel was. Jun was also very talkative, but the problem was that he would drive between 30-35km/hr because it seemed he could not talk and drive normally at the same time. We stopped for directions a couple of times and Jun kept us entertained by singing Elvis songs to us (he loves to sing!) and by telling us about his family and how he can invite us over to his house and his wife will cook for us if we hire him for the day.
During the drive, it felt like we were going in circles. Everything was dark as there aren’t many streetlights and there are many shack houses with people socializing in front. Jun would stop, get out and try to ask for directions. At one point, we were driving along a dirt road that housed many shack houses. There were no streetlights, only a few lamps giving light and Jessie and I both thought the worst. Then Jun stopped… this was our hotel! I was nervous at what we were getting into judging by the look of the surroundings, however once we entered the hotel, we found it was very nice, clean and friendly… just in a random location (that’s probably why it was so cheap). We left our friend Jun with a goodbye and a promise to maybe call him and book his services (not likely).
The next morning, Jessie and I woke up starving and very thirsty. We finished the last granola bar we had packed and drank up all of our bottled water. One thing we have been very cautious about is not drinking the water. It is known to make foreigners very ill due to differences in it. We decided to get dressed, and head into town to get some money, breakfast and water.
The woman at the front desk recommended SM Mall . We took a short taxi ride there (just so you can get the picture… the taxi ride was about 5 minutes, and cost us less than $1US). I was amazed by the size of this mall… Korea doesn’t have anything like it. We perused the different menus and selected one restaurant that looked good. We then decided that our first priority should be exchanging money because we only had USD. We found the grocery store, bought some water to drink with our meal (can’t drink any of the tap water at restaurants) and exchanged some money. Then it was time for our first Philippino meal.
The restaurant had outdoor seating and was very charming, with very friendly staff. Jessie and I ordered two dishes: one noodle dish with meat and cheese and a vegetable dish that resembled bokchoi cooked in garlic. We also ordered some fresh fruit juice and smoothies, however we later discovered that these were made with ice, so we decided not to drink them for fear that we’d spend the next 5 days regretting it.
The meal was OK. We both found the food a bit salty but were unsure whether it was supposed to be that way or not. The best part of the meal was the dessert. We ordered a mango puree with glutinous rice balls… delicious! I tried this before in Hong Kong and loved it. I was thrilled to see that it is also served in the Philippines.
After lunch we went shopping… this lasted for a LONG time. We found such interesting stores and enjoyed looking at the various cultural things displayed in them. There were also many little food stalls. Jessie and I stopped for a frozen banana that was dipped in chocolate and then rolled in rice crispies: DELICIOUS!
After a few hours, we were both getting a little tired. We were wandering around and found a spa that was offering 30minute massages for 100PHP (that’s about $2.50 for 30 minutes!!). Of course, Jessie and I went in and treated ourselves to a little TLC. It turned out to be the highlight of the day for both of us. Of course, it was more simple than the elaborate spas at home that charge a hundred bucks for a massage, but it seemed clean and the girls were very nice. Jessie and I were in a relaxed state of bliss.
Now, after such relaxation we noticed that we were getting a bit hungry again (we’d been shopping for a while). Amazingly, we saw a DimSum restaurant. These are little Chinese dumplings that are absolutely delicious. It was the perfect snack to give us energy to do our last little bit of shopping and head home.
We finally left the mall, with quite a few bags and found a taxi to bring us back. The driver seemed to know where he was going, but when we hit the dirt road for our hotel, he had to stop. There were about 150 men all standing around and cheering together – completely blocking the road. I asked what was going on and we got our answer…. Cockfight. The driver asked if we would just get out and walk the rest of the way because there was nowhere for him to drive, however I didn’t feel too comfortable with that. Having to push through the middle of a cock fight with a bunch of adrenaline crazed men, having numerous shopping bags in tow was not something I considered too wise. I asked him to drive us to the door of the hotel instead.
Eventually all of the men split in half so there was room to drive. They were waving, smiling and holding their roosters (perhaps there was nothing to be scared of) and we arrived at the hotel. It was an interesting event to witness a cockfight, although Jessie later informed me that they often fight to their deaths, and that’s not something I’m too impressed about.
We came back to our rooms with the sounds of roosters crowing and took a nap after a busy day. We woke up in time to grab a quick dinner at the restaurant in the hotel. It was surprisingly good food with warm and friendly service.
So far, I really like the Philippines. I’ve noticed that the culture is much more laid back and friendly. Many things here remind me of my time in Spain and that’s probably because there was a Spanish influence many years ago.
Another thing I’ve noticed is the importance of Catholicism in this culture. I read that 90% of the population is Roman Catholic and it’s evident everywhere you go. Taxi’s have rosary beads, our hotel room has a crucifix, the hotel has a chapel room with Mother Mary, Jesus on a cross and other saints. Also the hotel and most of the stores in the mall play Christian worship music. It’s very comforting in a way, and it makes this country feel very homey and safe.
The best part of the day? Definitely the massage! Now it’s off to sleep.
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