2013 Jan: Happy 6th!!! In Cebu....

Coaster Ride

Almost every year, we try to make a great deal on our anniversary. Well, we just want to do something special together, wherever and whatever it may be. Last year, we decided to just stay home and cooked something lavishing. A year before that (2011), we spent it in Puerto Princesa, Palawan (http://donandji.blogspot.com/2011/04/manila-puerto-nido-04-4th-anniversary.html). This year, we opted to spend it lazily in Cebu.

Day 1 / January 24: Hello B, Cebu!

At GV Tower Terrace

We arrived in Cebu via Zest Airlines. It was our first time to fly through the airline and it was A-OK, no hassles, no delays, and we arrived safe and sound. We booked earlier at GV Tower Hotels (http://www.gvhotels.com.ph/) for our first night. When we were still looking for a hotel, we came across a picture of the terrace of GV Tower, where Labsy became interested, so we decided to call and booked our stay in that hotel.

Simala Parish, Sibonga, Cebu

From Mactan Airport arrival area, we went up to the departure area so we can get a metered cab. We paid Php125 from airport to GV Tower. The guard told us to go to the seventh (7th) floor where the front desk is located. They gave us our room and paid for it right away. BTW, they also accepts credit cards.

Simala Parish, Sibonga, Cebu

We arrived early evening, and were hungry enough for some dinner. Before flying to Cebu, we made adobo to take with, so that became our instant dinner. Good thing we did, since we were kind of hungry already and tired to look for a place to eat. We rested for a while, perhaps due to the fact that we were nourished with food, we were a bit energized and wanted to take a walk along the streets of Cebu.

Simala Parish, Sibonga, Cebu

We went out of the hotel a little past 7PM, and we saw that we were just next to the University of Cebu. So we went towards the gate and then just went past by it and continued to stroll along the busy streets of the city of Cebu.

Simala Parish, Sibonga, Cebu

After about an hour of walking (HHWW), we felt tired enough and went back to the hotel. We bought some ice cream sticks and stayed in the hotel's terrace at the 7th floor, enjoying the wind and city view around us. After finishing our ice creams, we retired for the night and stayed in the room, and checking out maps through GPS (gaia) for our trip the following day.

Day 2 / January 25 : Happy 6th Anniversary!

Simala Parish, Sibonga, Cebu

We woke up early next morning and thanked god, we survived 6 years and are still in love. It's our 6th year anniversary. We then went down to the 7th floor to have breakfast. They have Php110 breakfast meals with coffee or juice. After a so-so breakfast, we went to their veranda/terrace, which Labsy was too kin of and stayed for a while taking some pictures as remembrances for the first morning of our 6th year together.

Simala Parish, Sibonga, Cebu

We planned to make this travel spiritually enriching, so we decided to visit the famous Simala Church in Sibonga, Cebu. Before we started our trip, we checked out from GV Tower Hotel and went to Crown Regency Hotels and Towers (http://www.crownregency.com/page/crown-regency-hotels-and-towers-cebu), where we booked to stay for our 2nd night. Since it was too early for check-in, we left our bags at their concierge. After settling our baggage, we went out and grab a cab bound to the South Provincial Bus Terminal, then we got into a non-aircon bus bound to Simala.

Simala Parish, Sibonga, Cebu

That morning was a bit cloudy and the wind was cold, so being inside a non-aircon bus for two (2) hours, was no problem. We paid only Php60 each for the ride and the conductor was helpful enough to tell us when to alight and what to do. We alighted at a corner where the conductor told us and took a single motorcycle (habal-habal) for Php20 each to the Simala Parish Church.

Simala Parish, Sibonga, Cebu

When we reached the gate of the church, we were greeted by persistent children selling oils for 3 for Php50. To make them all stop, we bought a set from one of them and every time someone asks us, we have a set to show them that we already have one.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotels

So when we're finally able to get inside the property of the church, we were awed and amazed by what appeared in front of us. It was a large unfinished building, beautifully designed and remarkably creating a holy and solemn peace within every visiting parishioners & guests. I felt at ease, but wanted to tip-toe as we went inside the church building. We were in time for the 11AM mass, but we went straight to the holy statue of Mother Mary, although we can hear the mass celebration since we were basically just right at the side of the main mass hall.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotels

After kissing Mother Mary, we went back where we left our shoes (shoes are not allowed inside the hall going to the statue of Mary, so we left it near the entrance). But before getting our shoes, we read and checked out all the letters posted and hanged wheel chairs, wigs, etc. at the walls.

Ayala Mall

The letters tell heart warming stories of healed people, board passers, saying their thank yous and appreciation of Mary's intervention in their lives. It made us realized, that many believed and did not give up faith in God and Mary. Labsy and I were glad we spent our 6th year anniversary with the Lord, we were thankful and hopeful for more years together, more blessings, and possibly another chance to visit the place again.

Mooon Cafe, Ayala

It was past lunch time and we were already hungry. The motorcycle took us to the nearest karinderia from the main highway and we stayed for lunch. It was not so much, but it gave us enough energy for the rest of the afternoon.

Mooon Cafe, Ayala

On our way back to the main city of Cebu, we chose the van for Php80. The van driver took us back to the city, specifically at the One Citilink Terminal, where vans are authorized. Then we took a cab back to Crown Regency Hotels and Towers (http://www.crownregency.com/page/crown-regency-hotels-and-towers-cebu). We took our bag from the concierge and checked in at Tower 2. At first glance of our room from the door, we thought, it has the same size with the one we had in Boracay's Crown Regency Resort and Convention Center. But, as we went past the closet, we saw the whole size and what came into view was a den/sala of our own, a minibar, a refrigerator and a pool and city view.

Soup for the day, Mooon Cafe, Ayala

We loved the location of the hotel. It has a Starbucks coffee shop at the lobby, same street with some fast foods like Mc Donalds and walking distance with Robinsons Mall. Labsy and I both appreciated the flexibility of the location of the hotel.

Mooon Cafe, Ayala

We rested for a while and then went out for our anniversary dinner date. After searching and surfing for a good restaurant, Mooon Cafe appeared more often, so we decided to take dinner at their Ayala Terraces branch. We walked from the hotel to Robinsons Mall and asked the guard how to get to Ayala Terraces. He hailed us a cab and off we went to Ayala Terraces. When we arrived at Mooon Cafe, there were already some names in the waiting list, and we were peg at number 9. So, we thought, this restaurant must be good then, they have many patrons.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotels

After around 20 minutes waiting, they were able to get a table for us. We ordered their best seller grilled pork back ribs, gambas and their soup for the day. Labsy and I enjoyed our dinner and appreciated the cool and cozy ambiance of the restaurant. It was a good pick. We were actually considering the Blu Bar & Grill at Marco Polo, but Mooon Cafe seemed to be appreciated by more, so we picked the latter. Well, perhaps, next time, another place to discover again.

Date night ended with very satisfied palates and jam-packed tummy, thus we stayed in the mall for a leisure walk to ease the feeling of fullness, then went back to our hotel and watched TV as we eventually hit the sack.




Day 3 / January 26 : High!

Sto. Niño, Cebu

It was a Sunday and we hit the road early to be able to attend the 6am mass at Sto. Niño Church. We were a bit late though, but we attended anyway. I had one nice experience during the saying of "peace be with you" to other church goers. When I turned my back, I saw from about three (3) rows back, my high school teacher Mr. Llanes. It was nice seeing a familiar face in a not-so-familiar place, and someone dear that I haven't seen for a while. He's one of the teachers we loved to listen to. He always has this charming and convincing voice you cannot say no listening to. Oh well, those high school days... (reminiscing) :)

Sto. Niño, Cebu

After the mass, me, Labsy and Sir Llanes went near the presiding priest to be blessed and then said our goodbyes. He said he's got to do his novena before leaving and his flight was later that morning. While Labsy and I was going to visit and kiss Sto. Niño before going back to the hotel.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotels

When we came back to the hotel, we prepared for a morning swim at their pools. The hotel has two regular pools at the 9th floor, one rectangular shaped, which has equal depth, while the other is shaped like amoeba (that was what came to mind, sorry), which center part was the deepest part, although it was not really deep, since I was still able to managed it in tip-toe.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotels

Other than the two regular pools, they also have this pool with body massage facilities installed. It was ticklish, yet it felt so relaxing. That same pool also has two mini showers that drops water hysterically satisfying your back. Perfect for back massage.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotels

Another facility in that same roof top was a jacuzzi, which can fit around 6 or 8 people. A group of friends were hanging out that morning, enjoying their conversation while in the jacuzzi and the city view that's just beside them.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotels

We tried all three locations except for the jacuzzi since we don't want to disturb the group occupying most of the facility, that would be unlikely. So after the outdoor pools, we went to the 17th floor to try their indoor pool. It was like a big massage pool, with a panoramic view of the city. It was relaxing and stress relieving. We stayed there for a while, went at the terrace beside the pool and ordered some drinks.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotels

After exploring the pool facilities of the hotel, we went back to our room and made tuna sandwich for snack. We rested for a while then prepared for another breath taking adventure, the edge coaster.

The same hotel is offering the Cebu adventure seeker residents and guests a chance to do skywalks and ride the edge coaster. I was able to do the skywalk with Rommel and Tess way back Dec 2010 (http://donandji.blogspot.com/2011/02/2010-spillover-09-cebu-licious.html), so this time, ride the edge coaster with Labsy.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotels

We then went to the 19th floor to purchase tickets. We bought the Php800 package which included a choice of either edge coaster or skywalk, 4D movie and a buffet lunch. Since it was almost 12NN, we decided to grab the lunch first. We went to the 18th floor at Wang Shan Lo Restaurant and feasted on the variety of very delightful, delicious and appetizing choices of delicacies.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotels

Our lunch lasted for almost an hour. I tried to have a little of each delicacy so I can taste them all, but I couldn't cover everything. There were just too many for me. I was also very excited with their desserts but I can only have as much as I can managed. After trying to squeeze everything in and trying to find more room for more food but couldn't, we gave up and called it enough. Remembering now, I'd love to have another try. :))

Wang Shan Lo Buffet

After lunch, since it was almost 1PM, we took our bags and headed to the front desk to check out. Then we left our bags at the concierge while we went back to the 19th floor to await another chance of adventure.

Wang Shan Desserts

We then went to the 37th floor to get us prep for the edge coaster ride. We were asked to get settled at the coaster and were given a quick orientation in how to manage the ride. Then we finally said "go for it!". So the operator started to get the thing going and then it started to tilt and I started hearing myself screaming.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotels

The operator told us that they will tilt the coaster and after 5 seconds, we will be able to control it. So, I counted and my count reached 15 seconds and I thought why wasn't the coaster back to its normal position, and Labsy thought maybe because we'll be the one to do that then, and he did. Labsy untilt the coaster and we're back to normal position. Since Labsy can now control the coaster, we had fun time tilting and untilting the coaster as we pleased.

Crown Regency Suites & Residences

When I was already having fun, after a few scary moments, it was over. Well, I thought, there will always be another time. Perhaps we'll do another adventure the next time we visit Cebu's Crown Regency Tower, 'cause they've got some more to offer. So we stayed for a few more minutes, took out a couple of Php10 coins and used them to see some parts of the city closer through the telescopes at the viewing deck.

Crown Regency Suites & Residences

After that thrill experience, Labsy and I went down at the lobby and got our bags and get ready for another hotel hop. For our last night in Cebu, we wanted to stay in a hotel nearer to the airport, so we chose Crown Regency Suites and Residences (http://crownregency.com/page/crown-regency-suites-and-residences-mactan) in Mactan. It was not your usual hotel. It was built like your little house. Inside your room is your own mini sala, mini den, and kitchen. Moreover, the kitchen was full. We had our own toaster, rice cooker, microwave oven and stoves. And of course the refrigerator is very much available as well.

Crown Regency Suites & Residences

Our hotel has it's own mini grocery, more like a 24/7 convenience store. So if we feel like having some snacks, we can just buy some delicious bread, some juice, softdrinks and/or coffee from the store and bring it up to our room. Then we can put the bread in for a quick & easy toast, drinks goes to the fridge and the coffee will wait for the electric kettle to do it's job, and wallah, we've got some cool, not so expensive snacks. And that's exactly what we did!

Zubu Chon, Mactan

After having snacks and rested for a while, we thought of going out for dinner. After searching for a good place to dine, we ended at Zubuchon. I've always been curious as to, how extraordinary delicious really is lechon Cebu. So, we entered the place and ordered a Zubuchon and dinuguan w/ Zubuchon. Both were delicious but oddly disappointing.

Zubu Chon, Mactan

Well, when I said oddly disappointing, I didn't mean that it wasn't something to look forward to. It was, but, for me, I can say that it wasn't so extra ordinary, and I've tasted another somewhere better, or perhaps I was expecting too much, because of the huge popularity of lechon Cebu. And of course, that's just me, and I'm not a food expert, I just appreciate what my taste buds love most, which doesn't necessarily mean what everyone else's does.

Zubu Chon, Mactan

But before I forget, what I personally appreciated more was the 3-citrus iced tea we ordered. It was perfect! A perfect blend of tastes, with an exact mixture of fruit like provoking sourness, yet balanced with an overly appealing sweetness, that I haven't had the opportunity to have from any place I could remember. Now I miss it! :(

Zubu Chon, Mactan

After being able to finally experience lechon Cebu through ZubuChon, we went back to our hotel and called it a night. We stopped by the grocery to buy some new bread for snacks later and perhaps for our breakfast the next morning. We loved the idea of toasting bread in our own room, have coffee by the terrace and have a great morning. And that's exactly how I remember it.

Crown Regency Suites & Residences

Morning came and we did our toasts and coffee and prep for a morning swim at the hotel's pool. The pool was inviting and so we enjoyed it for a few minutes. We didn't stay long because we became uncomfortable with the group of guests/students who arrived at the pool side. They weren't doing anything wrong though, it was just not so comfy swimming wihile they're around. It felt like I'm a gold fish in an aquarium. Hehe. Silly me!

Crown Regency Suites & Residences

We went back to our room, rested for a while, and prepared our things. We were checking out at noon and will go straight to the airport for our flight at 4PM back to Davao. And at that very moment, I was missing home already... ;)

Crown Regency Suites & Residences

While waiting for clearance to check out, we talked about going for a cup of coffee at the Best Brew, located just adjacent of the hotel's lobby, but, we decided not to and to have lunch at the airport instead.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotels

We arrived a little past 1PM at the airport. We checked our bags in by 2PM and then went to grab some lunch. After lunch, we still had time to check out the stores in the airport and play with our gadgets while waiting for boarding, and then, we were on our way back home.

Crown Regency Towers & Hotel

It's always a feeling of restart and upgrade, in reaching every anniversary. I always feel like having a reboot of our togetherness, after a grand upgrade on my memories and storage with additional chips for stacking and queuing of years of sharing adventures of life and love. I sounded like an electronic device, but it feels like it. Which also entails that this, us, now, is more valuable than ever, and just suited to be taken cared for more, regularly update and maintain intact and all systems working, protected and loved.

So let's keep the fire burning, water freezing and music lingering... Let's celebrate life and love...

Other info you might be interested: