A Day Between Stone Walls and Sacred Spaces

It’s our Day 2 in Cebu, and since we only had a few days in the city, every moment already felt extra special. Our main goal for this trip was really just to attend Sinulog. My first one ever, and @gabbiebi’s too.

We woke up to a home-cooked breakfast @indayclara prepared for us. Salad, eggs, and sweet ripe mangoes. I don’t eat scrambled eggs, so when she made sunny-side ups, I was sooo happy. While having our breakfast, we talked about everything under the sun. It felt comforting knowing we didn’t have to rush anywhere yet.

Since it was just Gabbie and me for the day (Clara had to go to the gym), we planned to head out, explore a bit more of Cebu City and look for pasalubong to bring back to Manila.

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Lunch at The Daily Grind

By the time we stepped out, it was already almost lunchtime. We walked to The Daily Grind, a café near Clara’s place, and ordered Beef Tapa and Tocino.

While we were eating, I spotted Clara walking back from the gym. I asked her if she’d already eaten lunch because we were still nearby. She thought we were already out exploring, but nope, we were literally just around the corner eating lunch 😂

We told her our plan to buy pasalubong, and Gabbie mentioned wanting a small Sto. Niño to bring home. At first, we thought of just booking a Grab to roam around the city, but Clara warned us that some roads might already be closed because of Sinulog preparations. She offered to tour us around and help us with everything. Best host and tour guide ever! Thank you, Clara! 💛

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From The Daily Grind, we took a taxi to Fort San Pedro, right by Plaza Independencia. Clara suggested that since we were already buying pasalubong, we might as well visit nearby tourist spots too.

Fort San Pedro is known as the oldest triangular fortress in the Philippines and one of the best preserved. Its two sides face the sea, while one faces inland. If I remembered it clearly, we paid ₱30 ($0.51) upon entering, and right at the entrance, there were photos and notes explaining the fort’s history.

_{outside Fort San Pedro}

_{picture of Ferdinand Magellan upon entering the Fort San Pedro}

Fort San Pedro is small but it carried so much history. It was built to protect Spanish troops from pirate invasions, then it lived many lives. During the American colonization, it served as a military installation, and during World War II, it became a Japanese prison camp. Now, it operates as a museum and historical park.

The fort itself is quite small. You’ll immediately see a mini-gallery with paintings and artifacts. There’s also a photo-op with Lapu-Lapu.

There are also small stalls selling food and drinks if you need a quick break.

We walked around the entire fort pretty quickly since it’s only about 2,025 square meters, but it was still worth the visit.

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Faith & Candles

After Fort San Pedro, our next stop was the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu, because Gabbie wanted to buy a small Sto. Niño to bring home. The area was already packed with people because there's an ongoing mass.

_{while we're walking to Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu}

Unfortunately, we were wearing shorts, so we weren’t able to go inside the church. We stood outside, listening. A lot of people did the same.

Just a few steps away is Magellan’s Cross, one of Cebu’s most important historical landmarks. This is where Ferdinand Magellan planted the cross in 1521, marking the arrival of Christianity in the Philippines.

_{Magellan's Cross}

Inside, the area was filled with candles. Devotees throw unlit candles at the base of the cross after praying. Each candle color carries a meaning: pink for happiness, green for success, yellow for health and peace, blue for devotion to Mother Mary, and red for devotion to the Sto. Niño.

_{Magellan's cross and the unlit candles}

After saying our prayers, we stayed for a while to listen to the mass. Seeing people raise their Sto. Niños, praying and singing together was something I can’t fully describe. It felt solemn, emotional, and beautiful all at once.

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Market & A Much-Needed Break

Next, we walked to Carbon Market to buy pasalubong. Sadly, I wasn’t able to take photos because we were too busy bargaining 😂

_{University of San Carlos}

From there, we continued walking going to University of San Carlos. We thought of riding a jeepney but with road closures due to Sinulog preparations, walking felt like the better option.

_{while walking, we met kuya and his dog, all dressed up, ready for Sinulog!}

_{we asked for a picture!}

Once we reached the area, we decided to rest and grab snacks at Sebu Cha Café. We ordered some food and milk tea, and thank goodness there was air-conditioning upstairs. They also had Wi-Fi, which made the break even better. We ended up meeting Clara’s sister-in-law, and found out she and Clara’s brother manage the café.

After resting and refueling, we decided to head home and wait for @ybanezkim26, so we could all have dinner together before Sinulog the next day.

We rode a jeepney going back to Clara's place and Clara taught me how to pay the fare in Bisaya! A small thing, but it made me feel a little less like a tourist 😁

I appreciate you reading this all the way through 💖 Thanks for your time!

More of our Cebu City adventures soon! 😊

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That's it for my #WednesdayWalk, an initiative of @tattoodjay.

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Where to next? Stick around and find out!

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Curious where my feet (and mind) wandered? Check out my other Wednesday Walks:

• A Walk With The Thunders
• The City and Sleeping Cats
• A Walk in Search of Swings
• Our Hamilton Dream Comes to Life: A Walk to Get Our Physical Tickets
• A Nostalgic Visit to My Alma Mater
• Holiday Vibes at Luna Town Plaza | Exploring Luna, La Union
• A Visit To The Nearby Beach | Pebble Beach
• Sunset, Coffee Sips, Serenade, And A Whole Lot Of Walking In The City

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_{All images and videos are mine unless otherwise stated.
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