Two tricycle rides, two taxi rides, three jeepney rides, one V-hire ride, one multicab ride -the stuff this adventure is made of. But wait, there's more:
We began the adventure on foot headed west in a dirt road and ended it in a tricycle in the same dirt road. It's the 'TO' between the first "Dirt Road" and the final "Dirt Road" that made up the unplanned, spontaneous adventure -my initial reaction to which was that of I'm-not-really-that-excited-about-this-at-all.
April 23, 2015. Andre was a full daylight delayed in arriving after having to finish the last of his final exams for the year, his last pre-thesis year in college. Do you know what this means for me? Less tuition fees to pay!
Check out his post:
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| Andre's FB post |
I know Andre. His sense of adventure isn't actually being holed-up in a resort taking and being asked to take selfies. He's travelled 'alone' (sans family) with his friends in Europe, Singapore and just recently in Sagada, Mt. Province. The last time he was in this city, Andre was half his age now.
Early that morning after his arrival the night before, he said he wanted to see how much those places we've visited then have changed. I haven't opened my laptop in the past 24 hours. Going with Andre means I won't be able to do so for another full daylight. Hmmm, the unknown in this adventure has its ways of making me want to go.
So G!
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| Begin: The Dirt Road |
To the dirt road! This is a 1.3km, 35ºC dusty walk to the highway where we can pick up a higher form of transportation - a tricycle ride to where the V-Ride (Express Van) terminal is. Express Vans take you to different parts of Metro Cebu the tricycle driver assures us. Our first destination was Ayala Center. Upon reaching the terminal and having taken his P50, our driver spoke to the guards who informed him in Greek that none of the vans can take us to where we first wanted to go. Even if this form of transport wasn't in our mental list, taxi was the next best option. But since there were no taxis in sight, the red-faced driver with a lop-sided Elvis Presley grin on his face redeemed himself by offering us a free ride to where we can hail one. Hailed one we did.
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| Taxi ride to Ayala Center |
From Mactan island, our taxi headed farther northwest to the bigger main island of Cebu, the location of our first destination, Ayala Center.
The Ayala Terraces
In 2006 when we last visited Cebu as a family, there was no Terraces yet. It was built late 2008 transforming what was once a static lagoon to a dynamic food and beverage strip highlighted by a well-landscaped garden in the middle, an Ayala signature. The Terraces is the first big change that Andre wanted to see. He didn't get disappointed.
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| The Terraces (pic credit: Andre) |
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| Jeepney ride to the Cathedral |
After a few snapshots, look to the left and look to the right, I approached a guard to ask how to get to our next destination:
Unsa un nacu pag agtu anang Basilica de Sto. Nino?
Using his stock knowledge of Tagalog and hand gestures that could rival a Sicilian, we were directed towards the jeepney terminal within the mall grounds. That day being a Friday, we were told roads leading to the Basilica were closed. Good thing, a good lady in the same jeepney ride walked with us towards the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral -the first of three stops in the area.
The Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral
This visit to the Cathedral is a first for both Andre and me. I don't remember being here before. Yeah, could be memory gap -Andre was born by c-section, so there.
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| Inside Cebu Cathedral |
Although just a few strides away from the Basilica, not too many people flock to this holy place. Perhaps the other places offer more miracles than this Cathedral. Or simply, 16th century trumps 17th century relic anytime. Oh Filipino spirituality I love.
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| Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral |
We took those few strides to where people swear miracles abound. By this time, I was in a lookout for a store where I can buy band-aids for the my blistered toes developed after about 8980 steps of walking starting from that dirt road. Dang crocs -wrong footwear. We didn't find any band-aid store between the Cathedral and the Basilica. But you know what? I managed to tread upon my son's heels. A miracle!
As we entered the plaza, the final blessing of a Holy Mass celebrated in open air was just about to be given. I took off my cap and we joined hundreds of pilgrims as we bowed our heads down to receive the blessing. This was another miracle for me. I go to mass daily even when I travel. There are only a few days in a year that I do miss. This was one of those days. Still, God wanted to bless me the same way He blesses me everyday in the holy sacrifice of the mass.
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| Basilica de Sto. Nino |
We went inside and as I always do when entering a church, I recited the Magnificat in Latin:
Magnificat anima mea Dominum
Et exultavit spiritus meus in Deo salutari meo...
A tourist's trip to Cebu ain't complete without a visit to one of the most important monuments in the history of Philippine Christianization, the Magellan's Cross, literally a crossing away from the Basilica. Planted allegedly by Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, the Cross attracts hundreds, perhaps thousands everyday. I noticed that there were pilgrims who with stretched arms touch the base of the Cross and murmur prayers. I did the same not to ask for miracles or favors but to unite myself to the spirituality of those who do. Told you, Filipino spirituality -I love.
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| Magellan's Cross |
With blistered toes and hungry tummies, we thought it was time to grab a taste of Cebu street food. So we asked kuya guard in the pharmacy (finally!) where the best place to satisfy our palates is to be found. He pointed to this place:
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| Cebu McStreet Food |
I got a chance to band-aid my blisters while inside the air-conditioned street food place. Although a bit disappointed with the street food that tastes no different from the drive-thru food in Quezon City, we filled our bodies with enough BTUs to last us till the next
sutukil we find along the way. Up next is a new chapel built in honor of the newest-declared Filipino saint, Pedro Calungsod. We asked no less than 5 people how to get to the South Road Properties (SRP), we got no less than 5 different answers only to find out that a taxicab is the only public transport that could bring us there.
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| Taxi ride to SRP and back |
Chapel of St. Pedro Calungsod
The chapel is a sight to behold. This Philstar article best described what we saw:
The church has 100 walls, each with a unique height and width so that they seem almost like people. No one is the same (sic) and yet they are all connected in the fact that they exist together as a cluster. The walls come together to form a kind of congregation, and within it are auxillary spaces for a baptistry, an adoration chapel, prayer niches, the sacristy, fourteen stations of the cross, and even a quiet room for children. -www.philstar.com
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| St. Pedro Calungsod Chapel |
Inside the chapel, after my usual recitation of the Magnificat, I walked closer to the altar in the hope that the good saint gives us a glorious welcome, you know, fireworks or something. But when I got near the altar, there came no thunders and lightning, no fire and rain. But I am comforted by my belief that not all miracles are seen or heard or felt. Faith tells me they just are. This I believe.
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| Inside St. Pedro Calungsod Chapel |
The cab driver took us back to earth near the Basilica where we can take another jeepney ride to the next point in this day-long adventure, SM City.
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| Jeepney ride to SM City Cebu |
SM was added to the itinerary because of an errand we were called to do. While at it, Andre bought 2 tall glasses of fresh buko juice which I sipped throughout the next leg which is a V-Hire ride to a stopover where we can get another ride to get to the Lapu-lapu Shrine. We were first in line to the next dispatch that gave us "dibs" to the 2 front seats. Andre offered me a fist pump and declared, "Dad... adventure!" Easily, one of the most beautiful father and son moments of this trip.
The next ride in a multicab brought us to our final adventure point, the Lapu-lapu (Mactan) shrine.
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| The Penultimate Leg |
The Mactan Shrine
We've been here before. Andre remembered me telling him that it was a fish that caused the death of Magellan. This picture tells that story:
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| Magellan looks down at the fish |
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| At the Lapu-lapu Shrine |
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| Lapu-lapu Monument |
The images captured in this whole adventure only serve as backdrops to the insights gained in every ride and in every stop. Add to that the miracles that came without being noticed.
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| The Final Leg |
One last jeepney ride and the final tricycle ride in that dirt road where we started brought us back to the resort. In the tradition of Amazing race, we ran from the gate towards the finish line, our room. Panting with a victorious grin on his face, Andre pronounced, "Adventure done!" We high-fived!
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| End: The Dirt Road |
In my mind, father and son adventure didn't end that day. It continues along the grind of everyday life.
I'll look forward to the next time we drop everything and run straight to a crooked dirt road...
