It took 24 hours to take two flights from Vietnam to the island of Cebu in the Philippines. Total flight time: 4 hours. Total time in Manila Airport and a god-awful ‘hotel’ for some rest: 20 hours. This was due to Air Asia cancelling one fight and delaying another.
You can’t put a price on good sleep, but the only option I had was offered by a middle-aged woman wearing a suffocating amount of cheap perfume. It seemed there was only one airport hotel that would accept a 4am check-in and let you sleep/rest until evening time, so I took it.
The ‘lobby’ smelled strongly of urine. A sniffly young woman who was not friendly, asked for non-refundable cash and presented a page of terms and conditions. The room was tiny, with an aircon that sounded like a lawnmower. I would have to switch it off in 32-degree heat in order to catch some winks. It would just be the sounds of endless aircraft disturbing any REM cycles. Total cost: 3,000 Pesos.
It felt like I had lost an entire day, but I finally made it to my first island (out of over 7,000) – Cebu! I took a 30-minute walk in the balmy evening air after checking into Cozy Inn to get an initial feel. It felt a lot like Indonesia – more old-school than Thailand and Vietnam, with no flashy lights or automated doors, but poorly-lit streets with rubble and holes in the sidewalks, and many stray cats and dogs.
Cebu City & Fort San Pedro
After a good night’s sleep at Cozy Inn, I ventured out towards the nearby attractions. One that could not be missed was Fort San Pedro – the smallest yet oldest fort in the whole of the Philippines. A cheap entrance fee included a free 30-minute tour by a painfully pretty young local.
Basically, some Spanish assholes led by Ferdinand Magellan came over in the 1500’s and decided they were keen on the local sugar and spice and all things nice. Trade was civil at first: these highly-valued goods in exchange for pieces of wood shaped like crosses and books that the natives couldn’t read.
But the Spaniards wanted more, so established this fort, took slaves, and raped their way to securing a post, until the Japanese invaded and took control for three years. This saw the Americans come next during WW2. Across the street is the National Museum of the Philippines, where there is a huge painting of the local natives eventually putting an end to Ferdinand Magellan.
Today, the Philippines is around 95% Catholic thanks to the naughty Spanish. There are Jesus shrines and churches all over. Interestingly, statues and monuments to Ferdinand Magellan still stand – likely unharmed to thank the man for bringing Christianity to the country. Magellan’s Cross is a major attraction in Cebu City and is as pristine as a peacock.
In my experience, Thailand and Vietnam felt like pure luxury in comparison to the Philippines. I definitely got far less bang for my Peso. On the plus side, the Air Quality Index was good and green for the first time in 4 months of traveling! I choke to think how it was red and hazardous back in Hanoi…
I would spend 6 weeks in the Philippines, so there would no doubt be lots more to see and experience!
Next: Philippines #2: A Cabin in the Woods in Barili
Previously: Hue Days in Central Vietnam
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