Strolling in the Heart of Cebu City

Happy Wednesday Hivers!

I was away from home for more than a year because I was contented with my life in Dumaguete. As I am getting older, all I want is a laid-back place, and I found that place in Dumaguete. However, three days ago, I went home and visited my family because it had been a while since I was away from them.

One of my practices when I return home is to visit Sto. Nino Church and offer a prayer. Most Cebuanos have this practice, especially those who come from abroad. So, two days ago, my niece and I decided to meet at Sto. Church after work. We both arrived at the church around 5 in the afternoon.

There were only a few people around since it was Monday, and I was grateful as it was not crowded. I had never experienced visiting this place without seeing tourists. Since this is one of the most visited spots in Cebu, you will never fail to see a foreigner. When you visit Cebu, never miss visiting this place as it is one of the most historical places.

After we offered a prayer, we both agreed to stroll around. We headed to the coastal area, and a few meters away from the church, we saw a chapel - the Sto. Nino Chapel. It is erected at the Senior Citizen's Park, and the church structure is quite unique as it has a modern style. If I had not seen a huge statue of Sto. Nino, I would have never thought that this building is a church.

I was amazed by its structure, and a question kept playing on my mind: How did they come up with that idea? It was bizarre. And a few minutes later, the answer was presented right in front of me on the display board. It said that the rounded arching shape of the chapel is inspired by the crown and cape of the Sto. Nino, as well as the fluid motion of the Sinulog dance - the "sulog" or water current. After reading it, I admired the people behind it for the brilliant idea.

The Sto. Nino Chapel is even more spectacular at night because of the government-owned building behind it, which is covered with lights.

There were also food kiosks beside the Sto. Nino Chapel.

Right in front of the Senior Citizen's Park is a Puso Village. "Puso," when translated into English, means "hanging rice." This is one of Carbon's developments. If you're curious about Carbon, it is a place where fresh produce is displayed and sold at a cheaper price compared to other stores in Cebu. Aside from fresh produce, there are also a wide variety of other products available in the area. If you don't know what puso is, it's rice wrapped with young coconut leaves.

We hiked farther, and I was amazed when I saw a building tied up with a red ribbon. This is one of the oldest buildings in the area. I often saw this building when I was still working in Cebu, but what surprised me was the red ribbon. It was like a Christmas present wrapped with love.

My niece told me that this building caught the attention of motorists last Christmas. It was filled with Christmas trees and lights, and crowds flocked to the area to take photos.

The color of the sky that day was spectacular. Although I haven't seen the building covered in Christmas lights, I was able to see it with a beautiful view of the sky. The sky and the ancient building looked stunning.

Did we go home after?

Not yet. We hiked farther and crossed the highway. We went to the coastal side. Although the place was crowded but it is ok though since it was slightly windy and you can breath enough air but I can't say it is fresh since it is located in the middle of the city.

Many students from different universities flocked to the area. It seems that this is their go-to place during their vacant time because the ambiance is so relaxing, and you can have a nice view of the longest sea-crossing bridge in the Philippines, the Cebu-Cordova Link Expressway, or more popularly known as CCLEX.

After a few minutes of staying in the area, we decided to have dinner. We were starving after around 2.5 hours of strolling around the city. I was grateful that we came up with the idea of strolling around, as I was able to see what's new in the place.

Thank you for reading and see you on my next blog. Cheers!

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Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.

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