Cebu in the Eyes of a True Blue Native

 In this blog, I'd been talking about places I have visited and explored so far. It's only proper that I should also blog about the city of my birth, Cebu. Yes, I am a true-blue, born and bred Cebuana.:-). I may be living in an adopted country for years but home will always be that small but thriving city in a narrow strip of island in the Central Visayas region of a country in Southeast Asia composed of 7,100 odd islands and islets; the Philippines.

As for geography,history, people and culture, that sort of information; I'll leave it to you to research as there are a lot of data available on the net. What I will be sharing in this topic are mostly random photos of familiar places as seen through the eyes of a true blue native, moi :-). 

The first thing that will greet any foreign visitors would be the heat and humidity; typically tropical. To cool you down, that's where those golden beaches come in. But Cebu offers more than just beaches; it has come a long way in the last ten or even five years. It has now become a business hub, as well as a leisure destination. It is also internationally accessible via Mactan-Cebu International Airport.

So, here is my Cebu in photos :-)

As seen from the Skywalk of
Crown Regency Hotel

Waterfront Hotel and the hills beyond

                   

In the centre is the distinctive architecture
of the Iglesia ni Cristo (Church of Christ) church

novelty souvenirs made of
coconut shells 

container vans in the port area,
Pier 4, North Reclamation Area  

motorbikes in the parking lot
of SM City Cebu
North Reclamation Area

Port Area as seen from Radisson Blu Hotel.
In the distance is the Marcelo Fernan Bridge



Marcelo Fernan Bride
connecting Lapu-Lapu City
and Cebu City 

Above and below:
Marcelo Fernan Bridge
from different perspectives

 Scene under the bridge: fishermen mending nets



Coastal town in the north

The grounds of Radisson Blu Hotel,
North Reclamation Area

Radisson Blu Hotel

Ayala Shopping Centre
Cebu Business Park
(also right top and bottom)  

corn fields in Northern Cebu



gardens of Nailon Beach Club



sun,sea and sky in the north

above and below:
by the pool, Nailon Beach Club 

above and right: low tide sunrise, Nailon, Bogo, Cebu 

Coastal town in the south,
 in the distance is the tiny island resort of Sumilon

devotees on pilgrimage at Simala Marian Pilgrim Centre
Sibonga, Cebu in the south

above and below:
beaches in the south

        

Bagacay Point Lighthouse,
Lilo-an, Cebu

And that is Cebu City in pictures as seen through the eyes of a true blue native. Thank you for viewing. This blog will be updated regularly, so keep posted. :-)

Singapore Revisited

In an earlier blog I talked about our visit to Ho Chi Minh City in November of 2011 (Saigon in My Mind). Before continuing on to the last leg of the journey back home; we spent a week in Singapore.

buildings in the financial district

city scape

I find Singapore to be clean and extremely organized. The traffic is consistently smooth- flowing. Despite the lack of space, there is still room for greenery and everything is allocated its own place. Stepping into its soil always feels like a homecoming to me, the reason being its close proximity to the city of my birth. I feel safe anywhere in its corner. It is a relatively safe place to be especially for tourists as the government enforces laws that are strictly observed. 

despite the lack of space
there is an allocated place
for everything including
 much needed greenery
and parks

beach, Sentosa Island

The above mentioned stop over was our fifth visit to the tiny state of which the last one was a couple of years previously. Within that short span of time there were already new structures sprouting; not surprising really as in each visit we always see some sort of construction going on. 

The Marina Bay Sands and the Helix Bridge are the most significant additions to its skyline and urban landscape. In spite of my fear of heights;I have to say the view from the observation deck of the Sky Park at Marina Bay Sands is awesome especially at night. 

The Helix bridge is a pedestrian walkway that is obviously shaped like a double Helix. 

There is also the uniquely designed ArtScience Museum. It is shaped like a lotus flower and is referred to as "The Welcoming Hand of Singapore". 

Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay Sands
from a different perspective

Above and below: the lotus shaped building

of the ArtScience Museum at Marina Bay Sands.

Each petal is likened to an outstretched finger.

SkyPark Observation Deck
at Marina Bay Sands

view from the SkyPark Observation Deck

at Marina Bay Sands

The Helix Bridge, a pedestrian walkway
designed like a double helix. 

an iconic image, the Merlion is a symbol
of Singapore

Singapore is not just about urban structures and skyscrapers. Worth exploring in the outskirts are nature and wildlife parks such as Jurong Bird Park for its colourful and exotic birds,Singapore Botanic Gardens for its varied collection of tropical orchids and flora, Singapore Zoo for its residents of wild animals and fauna from all over the world and Sentosa Island  with its beaches. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city centre ; these places are oasis of calm and relaxation.

beach at Sentosa Island

swans gliding serenely on a lake
at Singapore Botanic Gardens

 a water lily blooming in an
aquatic garden
at Marina Bay Sands

Blue and Yellow Macaw at
Jurong Bird Park

Toucan at Jurong Bird Park

Banana Blossom
at Singapore Botanic Gardens

Heliconia Bloom
at Singapore Botanic Gardens

Parrots at Jurong Bird Park

Jurong Bird Park

orchids at Singapore Botanic Gardens

Thank you for visiting my site. Feel free to drop by every now and then as new updates will be posted regularly.