CEBU CITY : MISHAP (Part 2)

Prior going anywhere, I really take time to do research about places I am visiting and crime rate tops my checklist. In merry month of December 2009, a visiting friend from Bahrain was flying to Manila for a business trip in Cebu. He handed me task of booking us flight for one week. According to Police Regional Office 7 website, Cebu City registered the highest recorded incidents of 924 of the region-wide Index Crime, followed by Cebu Province with 688 incidents, Bohol with 404, Lapu-lapu City with 271, Negros Oriental with 234, Mandaue City with 161 and Siquijor 24 incidents. Visitors were advised to be cautious for Theft was recorded as consistently prevalent among crimes followed by physical injury and robbery comes third highest. Despite alarming statistics, I simply ignored facts and data for it was a guaranteed all expense paid trip.

  

            I was hands off picking accommodation for my friend’s company had this tie up with Sampaguita Suites Plaza Garcia. I made no arguments with the hotel choice; Sampaguita Suites boasts a variety of elegant rooms that are suitable for couples, families and travelers. In addition, it is ideally located in Cebu City, within close proximity to Basilica Del Santo Nino, Magellan’s Cross, Patria De Cebu, La Nueva Supermarket, Cebu City Hall and much more.

            Since my friend was busy conducting interviews for possible employees by morning, I scouted for potential place to hang out as night falls. I was told that Mango Avenue and Mango Square is where all the bars and nightclubs are located. Variety of strip clubs lining Mango Avenue leading up to Mango Square, a few new establishments, designed in different themes were located at the International Bar Complex, near the convention centre. For someone seeking alternative bars and nightclubs, karaoke and casinos major hotels at Cebu City are to visit.

            We missed Cebu’s nightlife for two consecutive nights as we busied ourselves from sunrise to sunset exploiting the city. This entry entails mishap I encountered but gratified to share some joyous moments with following key landmarks:

Tabon Market

Cebu is famous for dried fish and seafood and Taboan Market is the “IT” place. Jeepneys are available going to this market with signboard displaying “Taboan”. This place is heaven for danggit, dried pusit and even dried mangoes to longanisa, we engaged too much that we had three boxfuls loaded of dried stuff costing us 3,000 php. After two hours, we both smelled dried fish garnering unsolicited stares from people we passed by.

Larsian Sa Fuente

Is a landmark all Cebuanos have been. Larsian famous place for grilled and barbeque located near Fuente Osmena rotunda and beside Chong Hua Hospital. Larsian houses an assortment of carenderias offering fresh meat, fish, longanisa, chicken and anything possible for grilling partnered with Cebu’s hanging rice, puso. For 35.00 php one can have a hearty meal.

Magellan’s Cross

            Close to 500 – year old cross, called Magellan’s Cross is a popular tourist attraction that celebrates baptism into the Roman Catholic religion of the island chief Rajah Humabon, his wife, and some 500 of their followers.

            Magellan’s Cross is right in front of the old Cebu City Hall building, in downtown Cebu near the port area. The easiest way to go there is to take a cab, all drivers know where it is, or via public transport, take a jeepney with signboard “City Hall” or “Basilica”. Within vicinity of Magellan’s Cross-are guitar vendors, shell craft and woodcrafts display, products popular for both local and tourist.

Basilica Minore Sto. Nino

            Just a throw away from Magellan’s Cross is the Basilica Sto. Nino – amongst basilica I had visited and photographed, I find the basilaca’s design unusual for the retalbo as centerpiece with niches and more than dozens of saints adorning it. The whole rests on a high plinth decorated with bas relieves of griffins. Another worth noting in the interior are the curved lattice screens of the choir loft, the stained glass windows and the corn motif decorating the capitals along the nave.

            There was no festivities but I patiently lined up from outside at the ambulatory between church that winds behind the altar of the Sto.Nino image like pilgrim anticipating to touch the cape of this beloved icon of Cebu.

            Candles are not allowed inside the church; however, devotees may light candles at designated places in the ambulatory.