Cebu, we hardly knew ye

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We had to get to Cebu.  We didn't know why, but once we set our minds to the idea of going there, there was no denying us.  We bought some tickets, headed to the airport, talked to a few folks about where else to visit in the Phillipines, and before we knew it, we were there.  With no idea of where to go, where to stay, what to do, or how to do it.  So we did what any rational people would do in that situation:  booked a room at the fancy Hilton resort, laid back, and had the staff sort us out.

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Cebu city is sort of a mix between Manila and a lazy beach island like Ko Phi Phi.  It's got the big city elements:  the markets, the pollution, the hookers.  But it also has a more laid back feel, with fewer cars and motorbikes, and more palm trees and beaches close by.  We barely found any of this out though, since we spent a good bit of our time at stupid guitar factoires with some tour guide woman that Vincent from the Hilton set us up with.  She didn't ask for money or anything.  She just bothered us.

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Another thing we did in Cebu was go to the mall.  A giant mall.  Actually we also went to a truly massive mall in Manila as well, one of the biggest in the world.  They have good malls here in the Philippines.  Hmmm...what else....we saw some cross that Magellan supposedly planted in Cebu, but it was encased in another cross, so there is no real way to know if the first cross even existed.  Some historians also doubt that Magellan ever circumnavigated the globe, anyway.  We also had some hilarious taxi rides, including one where Tup convinced the driver to let him roll down all the windows and blast the stereo, with the agreement that Tup would pay the 500 peso fine that the taxi driver was sure he'd get.  We went to a lame casino and played some video roulette, won $12,000, then lost it all on slots.

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But the most important thing we did in Cebu was to figure out how to get to and from Camiguin island.  This is considered to be one of the most beautiful islands in the Phillipines, which is fine for your typical tourist.  But we wanted to go there for one reason:  Fiesta!!!!!  That's right, the famous "Lanzones Festival" was being held the very next days in Camiguin, and we needed to be there.  Check back later for some pictures, although I don't know what they'll be of.