After being in a smaller city for so long, I felt like a country girl experiencing the metropolis for the first time. I guess I've also spent most of my life in a smaller city mostly made up of suburbia. It was more exciting than I thought it would be mostly because the place was bigger than I ever thought. All I knew was that the city was on a smaller island and there were more tourists and resorts. I had no idea the whole place was actually more than a few densely populated 'cities' side by side.
I'm glad also that I didn't do much research before I went. It was a very spontaneous trip, with only 1 page worth of notes to prep myself for. One rainy day I simply voiced my thoughts to my Mum and everyone there that I wanted to visit Cebu. Main reason was my Mum had experiences there and her stories are always interesting. Another important reason is her mum, my Lola, originated from there. And me always hungry for family history like I am for old or vintage things, just wanted to walk in the place and get a feel for the place.
So I voiced my thoughts and my Mum told me how to get there like it was no big deal. My sister etc actually went before me so they could trip around other places first. I went a week later so I could help my Mum with some things first. But I still didn't do much research. I didn't even know completely the details of getting there, and my Mum just let me put my trust into the casualness of wonderful Philippines transportation. And meeting up with the other didn't go quite as planned. I deeeesperately wanted to take the boat, but I couldn't get enough information and so ended up flying.
The experience of getting there I think was also more interesting than I thought it would be. I woke up early, missed the first schedule, got really sick, got candy from a stranger haha, ate alone and TOOK ONLY ONE BITE of DELICIOUSSS FRIED CHICKEN :((((. I went over mountains and farms, and saw so many little villages and trees I've never seen before, tried to navigate myself in a town I knew nothing about. I didn't even know how to say the name properly. Talked to some old high rich ladies and plasticlovers, and attempted going into a roof because I saw a rusty old ladder and was tempted. After I met up with the rest we found a hotel, where the receptionist ended up taking us to another location closeby, and it felt like we were the only guests there. But even though it was a town we didn't know anything about, we still kind of felt at home and were able to easily find food and go shopping etc.
After a one hour flight we went straight to shopping again haha! Then we looked for good affordable accomodation. The downside to not planning a trip; it becomes more expensive and a little rougher, but still this keeps it interesting. We looked at a small hotel that was fancy inside but somehow dodgy on the outside. We took a crazy taxi drive that gave me a feel for how big the place was, because the driver was really fast on a straight road, and it still took a while to get to out destination. He told us interesting stories about the hotels, and it's owners and all the bloody drama around it. For the whole ride I was nervous as fuck and hoping my paranoid thoughts wouldn't become true. But we got to the hotel and it was awesome! It was kinds funny we stepped out and there was a late night starbucks right there.
The hotel was one of those fancy 4-5 stars that you know still has shady shit going on. But anyways, on to our favourite thing. We saw the price and decided no, but we still were shown the best and highest room, and told all the fancy features which were actually more interesting than most nice hotels I've been in. So we moved on. I checked out the streets and it was more interesting than I thought, like more lively (first paragraph). We ended up in some dark honestly shady industrial area. We walked into 'hourly' motels, and even though we figured it out eventually, we still checked out the rooms hahaha!!!. We then decided to go to 'that nicer looking high building over there', and actually found decent accommodation, right across from more 'hourly' motels, and 'clubs'.
This first night we just chilled and crashed. The next day I got up earlier than the rest like usual and checked out the close 'view' across the road. Again, interesting, but the whole picture including the horizon was actually quite beautiful. The hotel was a bit empty so I decided to 'tour' it alone. I walked up all the steps to the top, and went in some rooms I probably shouldn't have. Something inside me was sooo happy and satisfied. The hotel was quiet, with the city hum in the distance, the industrial views, the early morning sun and cool air. I got so excited I walked around more, found a window and clumb out onto a warehouse roof and saw the city sprawling along with the mountains to the horizon. Then I got back in and sung my heart out in an empty function room with old windows framing the view of shipping docks and the sea.
Anyways I was there for like 4 days, I forgot. Different hotel every night.
On the second last night we were supposed to leave but the plane cost half price if it wasn't last minute, so we bought tickets for the next day and stayed an extra night.
I ended up typing more than I planned to, but I think I'll even add extra later. Right now I'm distracted and need to do something else omg.
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