A day may not be enough to roam around the island, so if you are to go, make sure that your itinerary is well prepared and not to waste your precious time to be spent in one of the country’s oldest city.

Here are few of the where-to-gos in the beautiful island of Cebu that surely you don’t want to miss.

ONE OF THE OLDEST?

Who’s not aware of the Magellan’s Expedition during the 1500s. If so you are, you might not be a Filipino. In 1521, Ferdinand Magellan arrived in Cebu Philippines, and ordered to plant a Christian Cross in the city. And so the cross was named after him and called Magellan’s Cross. Located in front of Cebu City hall, an easy to find place that gives you a feeling of time travelling to the past as you enter the chapel that covers one of the oldest symbol of Christianity in the country.

Not far from the Magellan’s Cross is the Fort San Pedro. It serves as a military defense structure made during the Spanish times in the city under the Spanish Government. Inside are some weapons used by our heroes during the revolution. Communication letters made by the KKK members can also be found preserved inside the old fort.

CHINA INSIDE THE CITY

A less than an hour cab ride from the city hall or fort San Pedro can take you China. A Taoist temple, inside Beverly Hills Subdivision in Cebu City is open to worshipers and non-worshipers. The temple was built in 1972, with an elevation of 300 meters above sea level. With its entrance being a replica of The Great Wall of China, make sure you’re not going to miss this place.

THE CITY’S HEAVEN

Situated 650 meters above sea level, Cebu TOPS offers a breath taking view of the whole city, Mactan Island, and the islands that surrounds Cebu. For PHP100.00, you may stay in TOPS anytime. You may bring in foods, and picnic accessories. Foods and beverages however are available in the stores inside, and seats made of concrete are offered to everyone.

BRING HOME SOME FOR THE BACONS!

Aside from the stores at the tourist spots, a market namely Taboan, is also a place where you can buy the city’s special products and souvenirs. From T-shirts, guitars, mango juices, dried fruits, to variety of dried sea foods of which Cebu is also known. And don’t forget to buy the famous otap so you will have something to eat when you are about to tell your friends something about your journey in the country’s one of the oldest city.

]]> http://rockandwood.wordpress.com/2011/12/31/plete-palihug/feed/ 0 rockandwood Magellan's Cross Fort San Pedro Taoist Temple 1 Taoist Temple 2 Taoist Temple 3 Taoist Temple 4 Tops 1 Tops 2 Taboan 1 Taboan 2 Taboan 3 http://rockandwood.wordpress.com/2011/03/27/3-over-30/ http://rockandwood.wordpress.com/2011/03/27/3-over-30/#comments Sun, 27 Mar 2011 01:41:47 +0000 Buck abella http://rockandwood.wordpress.com/?p=290 ]]> It’s March 27, 2011 when my hand phone alarmed at 4:00AM. Grabbed my pack and headed to a place which I am observing for quite some time to capture the sunrise.  A 30 minute motor bike ride brought me to Taytay-Bicutan C6 road, Taguig area, Philippines . Have been cycling here for more than a year now, but it was just two weeks ago when I noticed the beauty of the place.  With the presence of boats, small rivers, hills and the great Laguna de Bay, it really seem so nice to do photo shooting.

At 4:30AM, the sky is still dark. If you are to go to this place, do not expect not to have company since the place is also a site for jogging and lots of people are already here at this time during weekends. And more than the people are the mosquitoes on the grass lands, not just with you but will bite you all the time. My mistake that I am only wearing shirt and shorts and it took me more time slapping these mosquitoes than setting up my camera.

Started shooting around five, I only got 3 out of my 30..

These are fishermen’s boats. Early in the morning they are out to go fishing at Laguna de Bay.

This is a fisherman’s house located beside the river

This last one is an old church in Taguig, along the way going to Tipas if your are from Pateros.

The mountain in the upper right is Mount Maculot located in Cuenca Batangas.

Seems like we’re doing a DO-IT-YOURSELF pre-nuptial photography haha.

After hours of taking pictures, I remember a place of which there is huge cathedral named Saint Martin de Tours. The place is Taal batangas. Checking my phone map, Taal is located at the opposite side of Tagaytay where we need to ride around the famous Taal Lake. I have been to that place many times but I cannot recognize the routes anymore since it has been years ago when i was working part time as a Tour Facilitator. Got nothing to do but to follow the map on my phone. By around 11am, we have decided to ride our truck and head to the cathedral. The roads going down has lots of zigzag and really not advisable to drive very fast. An hour later, were already on the place called Talisay batangas. Looking at the map, Taal is very near to Talisay, but unfornuately, no road is connected to Taal from the place.   Can’t do anything but to ask local people which way to take, and as we get informed, we still have to drive around two hours to reach the place. So we go ahead since its already 12 noon and we are starving already. Stopped at a food house, and grabbed the chance not to miss the famous Lomi of Batangas. Lomi is basically a noodle dish with a very thick soup. While eating, I had a chance of charging my phone and was able to look again at the map to see our location and roads we have to take. As I see where we are, was surprised that we really are about to go around the lake.

It was in Tanawan where we had our lunch break, around 1PM, we have resumed traveling and drive along the roads of the places Lipa, Ibaan, Bauan, and Cuenca. We are even been able to see Mount Maculot. Two hours later, finally were already on the place were heading. It is very cloudy on the place and its raining a little bit,which I do not know how to deal with this weather when taking pictures. I just did what I can.

Basilica de San Martin de Tours in Taal is the largest church in Asia, standing 96 meters long and 45 meters wide. The Augustinian Missionaries started construction in 1756, but it was destroyed when Taal volcano erupted in 1754.Today only the ruins of the walls of the original church is now left standing.It took a century for the church to achieve its present form. St. Martin of Toursis the patron of Taal, whose feast is celebrated every November 11.

Stepping inside the church is like entering a time machine. The architecture inside is revealing the Catholic culture during the Spanish era.

The existence of the pulpit is a proof of its oldness. It is where the priests stand as they read gospels. Standing at the pulpit allows the voice of the speaker to be heard loud and clear during those times, since microphones and loud speakers are not yet available.

Roaming around the church, you can see old houses and, are you going to believe me if i say there is already a 7-11 store during the Spanish times?

After shooting at the Taal, we headed our way back to Tagaytay and it only took us an hour. Thanks to my phone, it never gets me lost but it always showing me the long way to my destination. Last 2009, when we are to climb Mount Pulag at Benguet, instead of 2 hours from Baguio, we made it for 8 hours driving on a very long road.

Minutes before Tagaytay, we have seen a cute place beside the road intended for kids’ fun.

From Tagaytay, since very tired, we have ridden straight down to Sta. Rosa Laguna. Had a dinner and at 9:30PM, were home already. Many thanks to my baby and I love her so much. If she’s not around,I will not be able to capture these pictures, cause no one’s gonna hold the umbrella for me.

Taken from Mt. Tapulao Iba Zambales. Pines are on cliffs and the

manipulated looking background (but it is not) is a side of another mountain.

This one is taken at Manila American Cemetery located at Fort Bonifacio, Taguiug Philippines.

This is the dome of Manila Cathedral inside the walls of Intramuros, Manila Philippines.

This one is also taken at the Manila American Cemetery.

This picture of a butterfly is taken at a small butterfly sanctuary inside the Rainforest Park at Pasig City.

Taken while taking a break during a long drive from Zambales, Philippines. This is a highway located in Lubao Pampanga.

Having breakfast on a mountain summit while taking photographs, this was taken at the summit

of the Mt. Guiting Guiting located at Romblon Philippines.

This last one was also taken at the American Cemetery. Zoning is applied to this photo (thanks to Engr. Rommel Marinay

of http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000335187065 for sharing the knowledge).

Through zoning, maximum details of objects in different lighting conditions are achieved.

While the wheels of the truck are spinning on the road, we have seen something glowing beside the street. Not to waste time, we parked near the glowing objects and take pictures of it. The objects seemed to be alien plants that grew beside a street at Fort Bonifacio.

Shooting for the object for around 30 minutes, a roaming security guard of Global City noticed us, approached and asked for a permit. Since we do not have any, he asked us to stop. But we do asked him if we can take for a last one, good thing he agreed. According to him, these objects are solar panels. If it is so, I think the energy during day time are being stored in a battery, and that stored energy are utilized being the source of electricity to light up these objects at night. A good way for these things not to stop glowing, as long as the sun shines in the morning.

Done with the alien, for the nth time, we went to Bonifacio High Street get some pictures. Still I don’t get anything good. Just to have something, I did took a picture of Erlyn while shooting.

Get tired at around 10PM. Took a drink at Friday’s, since there were no other place because other shops were already closed. Oh my, the bill is so expensive. Already enough to make five person get drunk over the night.

Finished by 11:30 PM, we drove back to our homes. And as soon as the last minute of 2010 arrives, I have taken the chance of getting photos of fireworks. Not so good but at least I do have some.

As the glowing fireworks in the sky has stopped, and so taking pictures I did. Minutes after I fell asleep, the new year 2011 said here I come!

Here are some pictures with low saturation. Taken at Mindoro, Philippines, December 18, 2010 during the Rommel – Marianne wedding.

Really lowering the saturation does have good effect. Pictures are having more stories and emotions by doing so.

December 27, 2010, I got this feeling of pressing a shutter release button but I am not thinking of low saturated photographs. It really seemed very different and I knew it, I’m wanting colors. Holding my camera at 1PM, I started taking photographs inside our house, and saw myself playing with colors.

Since colorful things in our house are very few, I took a walk at Bonifacio High Street at the Fort Global City. It is more than a lot of colorful things there, but I got less than few. So few that I only got these two. Sad isn’t it?

And the worse thing about these last two photographs is, the two flowers were just the same of kind. What a shame, it almost doesn’t make sense having two photos of it. Newbie I am! Still, I am hoping that I will better someday.

Whew! I feel very tired during that day. Even though I am taking photographs for months now, still I’m finding it hard. Not because of camera settings, but of the objects that you are about to take photos. The way of how are you going to put the object inside the picture is the most difficult thing to do, the so called composition.

Oh, it doesn’t seem that the writings are about colors. But I want colors, and so the pictures do have!

To avoid obstructions, I went up on the roof deck. It is already 12 midnight when I have started shooting. Connected my lens, 18-55mm the widest available.

So sad, I cannot put the clouds on the frame. To be able to. I will be needing a wider lens of which I do not have. So I just took a picture of the moon using a telezoom and got this one.

I have tried taking pictures of buildings at The Fort many times on our roof deck. And once again, I did that night. Below is the view of The Fort from our roof deck.

The view isn’t that nice at all, but because of the shooting star that went inside the frame, it does add a little point.

I am owning my camera for almost two years now. But I only knew how to use it properly last February with the help of Tem Malate(http://www.facebook.com/RonaldMalate) introduced by Wilson Bron (http://www.facebook.com/wilson.bron). Many thanks to both of them. Cheers!

Also for Engr. Rommel Marinay (http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000335187065) for the tips and tricks and the kagibunshin technique.

Below are two another pictures taken with the use of telezoom lens. These buildings are located around 4-5km from our house.

A tower crane on top of the building. Still being used at midnight times.

Just a building

It really is nice to do night shooting. Especially when the moon is around and full. To make it more detailed, one must have longer lens which definitely cost a lot. But there are times that the moon is appearing large even with the naked eye. It is at early night when the moon has just rise from east(is it really at the east). O well I guess I should try. See you again full moon next month..

Got so few pictures during that trip. But even though it’ll be so many, none of those can tell how happy I am that moment. Irie!