Current mood:	cheerful
Entry tags:	balloons, beach, cebu, lapulapu, magellan's cross, santo niño, shangri-la mactan

Cebu (an exception); November 2006
I know I'm posting an exception so soon, but I've been looking for a perfect outlet to post pictures from my trip to Cebu last year. It was the first time I'd been there, and I was really excited to explore - which is why I twisted my dad's arm to set up a city tour for the entire family, even if they'd already been there before.


Magellan's Cross, said to be the "most famous" landmark in Cebu. Check out the red balloons and the paintings of the conquistador & the Filipinos on the ceiling.




The cross was inside this kind of cage, with black gates all around (and the aforementioned mural on the ceiling).



These ladies make a living by praying for people. In the picture, they are doing a prayer-dance-chant for my mom. It made the hairs on my arms rise. I'm guessing this is yet another example of an ancient Filipino "animist" practice mixed with Catholicism.




La basilica de Santo Niño.




My mom, the ever-ready museum docent, would probably remark on the "Oriental" eyes, in contrast to the otherwise Hispanic features of the saint on the carving. She says it was the only way the Chinese woodcarvers could get back at the Spanish people who discriminated against them AND who ordered the carvings from them.




The painted ceiling of the basilica.




Would you like to buy a plastic-wrapped Santo Niño? The basilica store sold Santo Niños, herbal drinks, wooden bracelets with religious paintings (lovely!), and best of all, human size Santo Niño costumes.




Balloon vendors. My dad told me that when he was growing up, after church on Sunday morning the plaza would be filled with balloon vendors and children tugging on their mothers' skirts. You don't see these in Manila very often anymore.




I don't think they had Power Ranger balloons back in those days.




Rows upon rows of candles.




Here are mine.




We then went to a mountain viewing spot where we could see the entire city.




Cebu City.




The viewing place was empty, since most tourists come for the view and the free-flowing beer at night.




My family and I rang the bell for peace.








We went to the site of the Battle of Mactan, where Lapulapu and his men fought Ferdinand Magellan (aka Fernando Magallanes) and his dudes. Magellan eventually got fatally shot in the leg by an arrow, and his men had to sail back to Spain without him.








Lapulapu.




The Shangri-La Mactan Resort is HEAVEN ON EARTH.



The entire family, with the exception of my then-five year old sister, had spa treatments. This is my brother, in his non-animal-derived faux cashmere robe. The fantastic spa claims to be the biggest in the world.




We felt very peaceful and shanti (Music and Lyrics reference, sorry) afterwards.




I went for a walk on the beach the next morning. It was lovely.