Visits and Glimpse: Spending A Not-So-Ordinary Weekend in Cebu City

Here's a fact. I've been living in Cebu City for seven years. I didn't grow up here but I've known the place long enough to call it my home now. I've been to its places that most locals haven't been to. So after years of being here, if not going out of town, a question poses just before weekend: How am I gonna spend it now?

Night out? Yes I can do that. There are lots of hangouts at night in Cebu. I can stay up late with friends in The Walk at IT Park, Lahug; then stand by and get tipsy at Pier One there before going to Mango Square to be wasted in Juliana or Hybrid. But not this time.

Go to malls then? It sounds okay. Ayala and SM are two big shopping malls with lots of entertaining stuffs to do. I can watch movies, play in TimeZone, go (window) shopping, taste different foods, and many more. But I'm done with these.

So I decided to be at two particular areas of Cebu instead. These two areas are very well known but not really often visited for exploration on a weekend, especially by the residents of the city.

First stop: Downtown Cebu: Colon Street, Carbon Market, Freedom Park, and Tabo-an District. These areas in the heart of Cebu are just interconnected that it doesn't take up much time to be there. Most of the locals come here on the weekend. But not for the same purpose as I had that time. They come here to buy the whole week's grocery needs because of the inexpensive goods sold here. On late Saturday afternoons, women flock the wide street across University Of San Jose Recoletos, at the used-to-be-and-still-so-called Freedom Park, to grab the best second hand clothes (Ukay-Ukay) from abroad. At the wee hours of the morning, small restaurant owners (Carenderia) show up here to buy the freshest produce at the farmers' market in Carbon. People come near and around here to buy cheap stuffs: clothes, accessories, food, furniture, flowers. This is a fact. And this was not what I went there for.

I went there to feel the spirit of Cebu. It's not that I didn't before. But yes, I hadn't felt it in the way I did with that different purpose in mind. Before, during those many times that I went there, the spirit of the place was merely that of a bargain hunters' happy hunting ground. But that particular weekend, I saw more than that. I saw this man selling fried chicken on the side-walk. I saw vendors along the street selling banana-Q. They populate here. They are the soul of this district. I also saw the uniquely Filipino water vending machine. I saw the largest and freshest but cheapest supply of flowers in the city at the Freedom. I saw the simplest means of transportation that have been here for long: the trisikad, the tricyle, and the tartanilla (horse-drawn wooden carriage). I took a closer look at them.

With friends, I took the tartanilla to get to the Tabo-an District. All the locals know this place: the dried fish industry location. If anybody wants a good deal, they come to this place. The sight of this dried fish market was surprising. It was rather neat for that kind of a place. But it was also quiet. It was so unlike the state of Carbon Market. It seemed to be left out, forgotten, and faraway from the populace. I just felt regretful with its state for it could have been a good tourist destination. So I left the place feeling that way.

Next stop: Mountain View Resort. Paul Jake Castillo's family own this place. Located in Busay, Cebu City, this park is actually constantly visited for a few hours by friends or co-workers who want to hang out, unwind, or have team-building activities. The place which is literally a mountain has awesome view around it as well as of the city below. I've been here more than three times to do the things I have just mentioned. But for the record, I went there again just to sleep overnight. That seems illogical in a way because where I live is very accessible to go home directly after visiting downtown. But just for a change, to feel what's it's like to be a visitor of my own city, I did try it with my friends. The management has developed this park fully into a resort. They built a swimming pool and affordable cottages (air-con and non-air-conditioned rooms) up up in the hill. That's the interesting part. You really have got to climb to be able to stay in your mountain nest. If you're unlucky, you get to climb more than a hundred steps to get to your room. Good thing I climbed less than that. But I still got those muscle and body aches the whole week after the climbing. That was the lesson of having no regular exercise. Going back to where I was, I felt that the place is really good for meditation. The cottages are built like a small green community on a hill. The other renters seemed just like our neighbors. They played cool music, they had BBQ outside, they were drinking, they were having fun. When these things are all over and it's quiet again, I felt this place is the best to have some real peace and quiet if Cebu beaches is not one's cup of tea, just like me. It really felt perfect for a group retreat or even individual meditation. It's also good for couples to date. My impression of this place had automatically changed. To me, it used to be just a park where we can take a lot of pictures and have fun. But then, it's a lot more than that.

Cebu has really cool places inside the city. Places that depict it's inner spirit. It's less costly than going away to other neighboring towns, and it makes you feel once more the depth of the soul of your city. One weekend is too short to totally see all that there is to see, but I'm glad I tried to see a few bits of it. I really took a look.

Last stop: Tops in Busay, Cebu City. So you thought I was done, but to fully live the one-day life as a tourist, we headed for Tops and have photo sessions there. This place has its best view of the city at night, and mostly visited by tourist after sunset, too. A mid-day visit is again unusual. It's a bit far, but worth a smile.

And this concludes my not-so-ordinary weekend. Right now, I'm just thinking of having another one once more. ☺ Before then, check out these captures from my worth the while weekend.