The sea, in all its emerald glory, opened the ninth hour of our stay on Mactan island. The sun was in full blast, with only a few puffs of cloud to contend with. And the water, oh my goodness, the water. It was indescribably clear and vivid, mercurial even! I wanted to jump in, but my doctor’s advice regarding my eardrums stopped me from doing so.

CEBU FROM THE PLANE WINDOW

Cebu became our jump-off point for our two-month Asean Summer Loop tour after being forced to, due to lack of flights from Manila to Kuala Lumpur via the AirAsia Asean Pass. So there was our plane, landing at Lapu Lapu City’s tarmac close to midnight.

► CHECK OUT: CEBU TRAVEL GUIDE

Hefting a ton worth of camera equipment and a week’s worth of clothes while traveling is a big pain in the back. The Cebu to Iligan ferry is still hours away and to while away the time while in Cebu, I decided to visit the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary off the eastern coast of Lapu-Lapu City. Without a choice, I hauled my gigantic backpack along for the ride.

►BOOK TRANSPORTATION FROM CEBU TO ILIGAN

Getting to Olango Island is fairly easy, but having a mammoth bag demanded quite a bit out of me. Coming from the Mactan Shrine, I boarded a jeep (₱8.00) that brought me to Movenpick Resort where the outrigger boats that transfer passengers to Olango Island (₱15.00) is located.

►CHECK FOR AFFORDABLE RESORTS IN CEBU

Lapu-Lapu’s twenty-foot bronze statue rise gracefully above the gumamela thicket circling Cebu’s famous shrine like the hero that Filipinos revere him to be. It was the first day of my jaunt to Iligan City through Cebu and I thought about visiting a few of the city’s landmarks before continuing my journey to Mindanao that night.

►SEE: ILIGAN TRAVEL GUIDE

The Lapu-Lapu Shrine at Lapu-Lapu City is erected to commemorate the famous 1521 Battle of Mactan where Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan is slain by the island’s chieftain, Datu Lapu-Lapu. The shrine is erected along the coastal area of Punta Engaño where the actual conflict is believed to have occurred.

►CHECK FOR AFFORDABLE HOTELS IN CEBU

A lip-smacking, skin-crackling, heart attack-inducing bite of crispy lechon skin is what I craved for the second time I touched down in Cebu. I remember the first time I set foot in the city some months before this trip and not being able to have a taste of what Anthony Bourdain called the best pig ever. Yes, I’m talking about Zubuchon.

Iligan City is actually where I was heading to, it just so happened that a ticket to CDO costs so much. Checking the airline deals online, I found bookings to Cebu via Tigerair Philippines to be the cheapest. So book for Cebu I did. Well, it was also in part due to lechons, I have to admit.

►SEE: ILIGAN TRAVEL GUIDE

Pangs of hunger rumbled through our stomachs as we came out from Mactan Internation Airport. While waiting for the yellow multicab that transfers passengers from the airport to the highway, we met a friendly Cebuana who recommended a place where we can get a hot meal in Cebu without breaking the bank; she said there’s a nearby dimsum house that serves really excellent Chinese; Harbour City Dimsum.

Ten minutes later, we were checking the food strip along Mactan Marina Mall. We entered Mactan’s Harbour City Dimsum and were greeted by a modern looking restaurant; clean-lined wood panels, curving white ceiling, chic white and red furnishing. Dragons and Chinese junks decorate the wall of the place, reminding us that it is still after all a Chinese restaurant.

I touched ground at Mactan, Cebu at six in the morning. I haven’t slept since the previous day and my last meal was the midnight before. I threw my megaton backpack inside a yellow cab and proceeded to Zubuchon.

The first thing one should do while in Cebu is eat a crispy lechon baboy; all else is secondary.

               ON THE ROAD: 15-DAY VISAYAS & MINDANAO SERIES POSTCARD SUMMARY
               LECHON DE CEBU | OZAMIZ-ILIGAN-OZAMIZ | SUN FINALLY AT LANAO DEL NORTE | WATERFALLING 101 AT ILIGAN
               THE COLORS OF DIYANDI FESTIVAL | TREK JUMP SWIM | FAREWELL ILIGAN CITY | BREAKDOWN | BACK ON TRACK
               SUNSET SUPPOSEDLY | BIRI ROCKS! | DAWN TO DUSK AT BIRI ISLAND | ALMOST HOME