I told myself that this blog would not be a travelogue this year, but instead will capture some of the everyday moments (and oddities) of living in Hong Kong. However, we’ve been back from summer break for a month – and have had plenty of activity – but I’ve yet to be inspired to write a blog post…until now. And guess what brought it on? You got it - traveling to somewhere OTHER than Hong Kong.
Last weekend was a four day holiday (the Autumn Moon festival, in case you missed it). Two nights before the holiday, Dave announced that he thought we should go somewhere. On Thursday morning, we had a trip planned to Cebu, Philippines (with incredibly cheap tickets)…and we were off on Saturday.
We went to Cebu for Easter in 2010 and stayed at the popular Shangri-La that’s not far from the airport. This time, we ventured further out, staying at a secluded beach resort that’s 90 minutes from the airport. We got to see more of daily life in the Philippines and got to take in the country’s natural beauty (the beach at the Shangri-La is man-made).
It was definitely the best beach place we’ve stayed. The water was crystal clear and there was amazing coral and aquatic life. We kayaked and Dave and Lydia snorkeled a bunch. The skies were majestic and day and night. It was a perfect weekend getaway. Here are some snapshots:
On our way back to the city on Monday, we made a stop at the Basilica of Santa Nino – a 16th century Catholic Church (unlike anywhere else we’ve visited in Asia, the Philippines is predominantly Catholic):
We also visited Magellan's Cross, a Christian cross planted by Portuguese and Spanish explorers as ordered by Ferdinand Magellan upon arriving in Cebu in April 1521.
It was definitely a busy and touristy place, although not for Westerners. It gave us another glimpse of what Filipino life is like (which I can describe in one word: hard).
Now we’re settled back into Hong Kong...and I’ve recommitted to blogging more regularly, travel or no travel!
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