This was my second time to visit Cebu. You probably can finish doing a day-tour in a day but we skipped going to Taoist Temple, Prince Cafe and Tops Lookout because it was raining the whole day due to the typhoon.
Basilica del Santo Niño
Magellan’s Cross
Fort San Pedro
The city has not changed a lot the last time I visited. But it was worth revisiting the city with you.
Masking acrophobia
I usually do lone beach trips annually but last year, I failed to do so because of overwhelming schoolwork from Stat 221 (which I have to redo anyway next semester). This year, I brought Jayvee with me so he can see Cebu City, too.
Our trip started at 2AM where we were delayed by Cocoa because she decided to play in the middle of night. While I was running after her, my phone dropped somewhere so I have to use my Mac to find my phone. The uber driver almost cancelled our trip because he has been waiting for 20 minutes.
Fast forward after our plane ride to Cebu, when we arrived at the North Cebu bus terminal, as expected, the queue was long. It took us 2 hours just to ride the 165-peso worth AC bus towards Hagnaya port; considering that the bus ride was expected to be a 4-hour slytherin-road drive, we were almost on time before our scheduled check-in.
But at the port, there have been delays in accommodating the passengers to Santa Fe. So we waited for another 2 hours just to ride the ferry and another hour before we boarded and sailed to the destination island.
Going to your vacation destination during holy week can extend your travel time by 5 hours. Nyeta
— Adrian Cuyugan (@FoxyReign) April 13, 2017
The shores of Santa Fe, Bantayan Island is almost as pristine as Boracay. There are only a few upscale resorts, most of the inns are Bed and Breakfast. This is actually good if you just want to rest and smell the ocean breeze while enjoying the beautiful almost-white sandbar of Bantayan.
Hut
I wish there were just more activities we could do particularly going to smaller islands but there were none.
The sun is out pic.twitter.com/6lOkssZft2
— Adrian Cuyugan (@FoxyReign) April 14, 2017
Considering that we only roamed around the famous Kota Beach, I also didn’t expect that there would be parties at night. There were a few signages that the community does not like to have music festivals during holy week, hence the event was limited to one part of the beach where the visitors preferred to stay outside the venue and just enjoyed the sound from the concert.
Sandbar
Clear waters
Poi
I just wish that I brought my LED stick poi because there were not too much light shows during the event. Besides, I have to find my rechargeable batteries first. Maybe on my next beach trip?
We almost got stuck in the island because the Coast Guard decided to troll with the passengers that they prohibited any small vessels to sail when the tropical depression was nearing Samar despite there were no strong winds nor rain happened between the seas. So we had to find illegal ways so we can get to the main island.
Pump boat
Path to Medellin
Some fishermen were offering special trip at a higher cost. We were given assurance that it would be faster because they have a different route. Not that I know of that we would be sent to a different port farther to Hagnaya which added another hour to our bus travel back to Cebu City.
If we only took the risk earlier when the first announcement of PCG denying passengers to sail, we would have not been delayed for 4 hours at Santa Fe port.
While I was organizing my photos, I realized that I have not developed some of these which were taken when I went back to the Philippines for a short vacation. I could not remember what was the occasion, it could be that I got bored here in KL.
I asked my mother if she could come with me to Baguio since the plan to drive north to Baguio with Armel was not happening. She mentioned that we could stay in her friend’s house and it all went hell that I had to immediately find a room for two as soon as we arrive in Engineer’s Hill in Baguio.
Nevertheless, this is the first Philippine festival that I captured on camera. There were some that I have witnessed but I still didn’t have my camera with me.
As you could see, that the Ifugao culture is very rich. It roots down to their ancestors. I would want to go to the mountains and see the Ifugao Rice Terraces first hand – maybe soon.
The intricate of design hand-woven or hand-painted were designed on their clothes and costumes struck me the most. Although I didn’t have the time to take pictures of the flower gazebos and floats because it was already full of mob as the local celebrities presented themselves along the famous street of Session Road, much to my surprise after going to the market that morning with my mother, the people were already taking their places to witness the procession of Panagbenga.
You could read of why they celebrate this festive occasion somewhere but I’d like to show you how colorful they are.
I am tracking back the posts that I have lost and it goes back to December 2012.
This is my cousin’s wedding held at the small yet historical church of Barasoain in Bulacan. I never thought that the church would be that small. Inside, it is buffed up with Christmas decors but when you stand closely next to the alter, there’s something eerie you would feel.
I am not a big fan of religion, specifically Catholicism yet the joy that it brings to me when I take good HDR shots is priceless.
FoxyReign 