To continue my story on my Cebu trip last month of January, I arrived at the Iloilo airport quite a few hours early and so I went to grab my breakfast at the hidden food shop behind the Pasalubong centers on the second floor. I stayed for about 30 minutes more after eating while checking on my social media and the current time. I then went to the final scanning and inspection area and to the waiting area that is near Gate 6, our assigned boarding gate. One good thing for first trips is that they are mostly on time so I was already expecting the plane to be on standby. It was still to arrive from Cebu at that time though but it was on schedule and landed just 30 minutes before our boarding time.

It was time to board and I noticed there was a sudden surge of passengers that were also waiting from the far-located chairs. I did not need to rush through to get in line. I was then seated near the side window aisle so I get the chance to see the sunrise on take off. I was too sleepy that time though so I just opted to sleep through the short flight.

The plane landed at around 7:30AM and 20 minutes later I was immediately rushing to the parking area where the MyBus terminal is located. I planned to take this transport to experience how efficient and less costly it is than taking the taxi, based on the blogs I’ve read. Besides, it was too early for the check-in at the hostel and so I planned that morning to go visit the Temple of Leah. The MyBus point-to-point route was from the airport up to SM City Cebu. The fare was only costed at P40.

The features inside the bus look so modern and similar to the buses in Hong Kong though it has no second floor of seating. There were areas where you can place your luggage and seats for the PWD and elderly. The whole trip only took about 30 minutes though there were a few heavy traffic areas along the way.

From there, you can also take their next bus to SM Seaside or to Talisay City (I think). There were other routes available but I could not remember all the specific directions. I just wish we can also have this public transport option here in Iloilo City.

From SM City, I boarded a city jeep that will take me to JY Square in Lahug as that I where most of the single motor or habal-habal are located that can take me to the temple.

To be continued…

I have been yearning to come back to Cebu this 2019 and it became a reality with my trip last weekend. I had been fond of visiting the city every year during the Regionals and for other Magic: the Gathering-related activities. Those trips were more of playing the game than seeing the world per se. This time, I have thought to be more of a tourist visiting the city.

The January trip was mainly unplanned because our officemates were looking for cheap promo flights for various Philippine destinations. We looked at the trips to Clark, Cebu, Palawan, and Cagayan de Oro to see which ones would be cheaper to have with the group.

I initially checked on the Cebu fares and found it to be on the P100 base fare, I just then chose one weekend that is available by schedule and booked on the dates January 11th to 13th, 2019. That I, later on, found out to be one week before the Sinulog festival. I then suggested the dates to my officemates and they were to double-check their availability on those dates first. It saddened me coz I thought that it was supposed to be a group trip. It ended up being a solo trip but I didn’t really mind coz I would be in control of my time.

Come weeks before January, I have been checking blog posts and YouTube videos on the scenes and activities that can be done in Cebu City. There were a lot of options and tourist spots mentioned but I jotted down those that can be viable within the schedule of my Friday arrival and after check-in at the hostel. The main tourist spot that I first added to my list was the Temple of Leah and I had read about how to access the site using various modes of transportation and the spots to take pictures. Maybe I will detail my experience there in a separate blog post.

Next up was to visit the Magic store named Magus Games which is just a few blocks from my hostel though I needed one ride to get there. I also wanted to see their Magic community there and also check some of the products that are for sale. The popular game store before was Neutral Grounds Cebu which was located on the second floor of JY Square Mall in Lahug. Unfortunately, the owner Rod had to close its doors last year finally.

Another added spot for me to visit was the Magellan’s Cross and the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu. The locations were also one jeepney ride away and Google maps for assistance.

One thing that I usually do when I visit the city is to check the transportation options and choose one that is the cheapest. Good thing there are blogs detailing these topics so it was just easy to read and note. Going to Cebu city from the Mactan airport has this public transport called My Bus and the fare is very much cheaper than taking a taxi. Their terminal is just near the arrival area and their point-to-point destination is from the airport to SM City Cebu. Since I will be only bringing my backpack, I opted to take the bus and have personal experience and I hope this can be a transportation option soon at Iloilo International Airport.

Day One – Iloilo to Cebu

Days before my travel, I was somewhat feeling sickly because of the weather and having a few asthma attacks. It was just a gloomy feeling but I decided to take my initial meds and took some rest to regain myself. The clothes and other things weren’t packed until the night before and I took an early out so I would have enough time to check on the other stuff needed for the trip. I borrowed one Standard deck from my teammate Ace just in case there is a Friday Night Magic event that I can join.

My flight schedule was 6:30 in the morning so I needed to sleep early. Unfortunately, my brain decided to just give me more thought and so I finally got to sleep around 11:00pm. Good thing I just left the room light on and my phone’s alarms to wake me up at 2:00am. I woke up minutes before my alarm clock time, checked my emails, and made some coffee to stir up my vibes. My actual meal would just be at the airport so I prepared my stuff, double-checked my things, and bathed. I left the boarding house around 3:30 am, and since I had already checked in, it was not a rush to go to the airport. One cab and van ride later, I arrived at the airport at 4:30 am. It was time for that Silog breakfast.

To be continued…

*header pic from Getty Images.