The Fernan Bridge is spectacular at night as it is bathed in beautiful light, a fitting backdrop for lovers taking in the citylights.

Speak of Cebu and images of the Sto. Nino, the province’s patron, comes to mind. And so does the valiant Lapu-Lapu, sweet mangoes, the famous lechon, guitars and beaches. But it is more than that. Cebu is a special and beautiful place. It is also my home.

To any visitor either of the two bridges connecting the small and flat Mactan Is. with the main island of Cebu, provides a breathtaking look of the metropolis from an elevated position and thus a bird’s eye view of this booming and beautiful city in the south. The structures might not be as extensive and as tall as in Metro Manila, but this province can well hold its own.

Beautiful soft light early in the morning at the old bridge.

A fisherman showing scale as he is dwarfed by the massive Fernan Bridge just a few minutes after sunrise as a passenger ship is coming from the distance.

Mactan is where the export processing zone, the international airport and many world class resorts are located, and is the main gateway to this island province. Cebu on the other hand is where the food bowl is, the seat of political power and commerce and where the bulk of current infrastructure developments are in full swing.

These two important hubs are connected by the Old Cebu-Mactan Bridge and the newer one, Marcelo Fernan Bridge, named after the late senator and son of the province, are the vital links that connects these important hubs together.

The old bridge has been there since 1972. Prior to its building, a ferry used to ply the short channel. During the Marcos years, vehicles crossing used to pay toll but was abolished, I think, during the Cory years. I remember as a child passing below it’s steel trusses at the center was the highlight of any crossing.

For any old timer of Cebu, two things come to mind on this old structure: a) it was where Filipino action star Dante Varona was said to have jumped in one of his movies, and b) during the 80s, at the height of a typhoon, the aptly named Korean sea vessel Sangko Elegance’s (sangko in Cebuano means to hit the upper part or roof because of an object’s or person’s height) tall mast hit the bridge.

View of the Waterfront Hotel from the old bridge. Early morning mist hasn't yet fully lifted as the sun just woke from it's slumber.

Photo enthusiasts are often seen just before sunrise or evenings capturing those timeless moment.

The Fernan Bridge was built in 1999 and Cebuanos heaved a sigh of relief once it became operational as it greatly decongested the old structure. Just imagine the two hubs powering the provincial economy connected by an aging bridge that is no longer as relevant as before because of its narrow lanes.

The newer one is multilane and an architecturally beautiful suspension bridge. Its massive and imposing but at the same time, graceful and elegant and hasn’t been rivaled anywhere else in the country.

A rare view from the top offers scenes like this passenger ferry as it passes under the old bridge.

The bridges are not only for vehicles. The two are beautiful and accessible tourist spots that are only frequented by the locals. These are places that afford one to have a stunning and closer view of both sides of the channel, a perfect alternative to the often out of the way and inconvenient Tops at the hinterlands of Cebu. Here, you just hop on a taxi or jeepney to reach the bridges than taking a private car, 4×4 recommended, in order to reach the latter and pay a high entrance fee. Here, it’s free.

The rocks at the base of Fernan Bridge offers locals perfect seats to enjoy the citylights.

The best times to be in these areas are early in the morning, just before sunrise and during evenings. The old bridge provides a stunning sunrise scene as the sun awakens from it’s slumber and slowly climbing from the horizon with the Fernan Bridge providing a perfect backdrop with coming passenger ships from the different provinces. As the sun starts to shine more and more, turn 180 degrees and see the city’s mist and fog starting to lift. Alternatively, the viewing deck high at the Fernan Bridge unfurls visual surprises but you have to leave your vehicle below.

Love and romance find expressed in one of the massive pillars of the Fernan Bridge where the viewing deck is. During nights, it becomes a rendezvous point for lovers whispering sweet nothings and promises of eternal love.

As evening comes, head on below the Fernan Bridge. The base at the Mactan Island side is more accessible and developed into a park that visitors come here to just enjoy the spectacular city lights. It’s clean and the sight of massive pillars is just breathtaking. It’s also a popular venue for many local photo enthusiasts who converge here as well as staging area for many nuptial portraits with the well lighted bridges and city as their backdrop.

The big cross or "dako nga krus" at the center of the Talisay Cemetery is aglow with fire from candles as cemetery visitors light and pray.

All Soul’s Day, undas in Filipino and kalag-kalag in Cebuano is at hand and what better way to be in the mood than a four-part series about cemeteries and the age old practice of Filipinos to honor their dead. Part 1 Part 2 Part3 Part 4.

My niece Enicka is set for the cemetery where family and relatives will gather.

All Soul’s Day is anticipated on 1 November. While many already visit their dead during the day, it is during the night that this traditional event gets spectacular as the light of a thousand candles and bulbs make cemeteries luminous and dazzling. Add the multitude of people and it becomes a truly memorable event.

A candle is lighted near the door of houses in Talisay City.

As twilight signals the end of day and start of night, my family is all set for the cemetery to spend a few hours there. At the back of the multicab (left), several bouquets intended for the different tombs were already assembled; a rolled mat that will be placed on top of the tomb; several food containers for bam-i, a Cebuano dry noodle dish, empanada, suman (steamed sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves), slices of bread and several bottles of water. Paper plates, disposable spoon, fork and plastic cups as well as a cooler for liters of Coke, complete the set.

Before we leave for the cemetery, a candle is then lighted at the doorstep or at the entrance of the house. Cebuanos believe that during this night, departed family members visit us and these candles light the way for them. As one travels to the cemetery, this is a common sight in many houses.

A busy path where the living and dead crowd.

A boy playing at the "dako nga krus"

Its chaotic. People are streaming in and out of a narrow road leading to the cemetery. Several vendors lining the sides add to the congestion as they are hawking their food ranging from steaming and fluffy white and violet bibingka, lechon (roast pig), several viands and puso (”hanging” rice).

There are rows of flowers placed inside cans or glass containers as well as different forms, colors and sizes of candles at one side and at the other, ukay ukay (used clothes), halloween related trinkets, fastfood and Chinese made toys. Its humid and hot and as one navigates through the maze of bodies, one can get wet with perspiration.

As one nears the mouth of the cemetery, the crowd gets denser and its hard to move except for a few small steps. People are shoulder to shoulder and there’s no angry outbursts except for a few calls to stop pushing and shoving.

Niche and tomb at the cemetery

Once one get’s past the cemetery entrance, a wonderful sight unfolds. Whitewashed tombs and crypts decorated with flowers are aglow with the pale golden light of candles. Hundreds of people are moving around that they all become a blur of streaming lines. Tall bamboo poles rise from the ground with lighted incandescent bulbs dangling midway and its top end electric cables connect from one pole to another.

Whiling away time at the cemetery by playing rounds of card games.

Raised tombs become temporary tables for food, a round of card games or as seats where jokes are told or songs belted out. However small the space, families crowd and just gossip or talk unmindful of the passersby.

A lady with her dead fenced from the outside. It's her small private space where time is whiled away with SMS.

Check the slideshow at Pinoycentric.com

All around is a cacophony of voices, laughter, plucking of guitars and the occasional karaoke. The air reeks of burnt candles and taste the cool and salty breeze from the sea which is just beside the cemetery.

It is a magical, memorable and a luminous night at the Talisay City cemetery.

Day time at the Calamba Cemetery and people are already streaming in that it can become chaotic and lively. Here, visitors offer prayers, candles and flowers to their departed.

All Soul’s Day, undas in Filipino and kalag-kalag in Cebuano is at hand and what better way to be in the mood than a four-part series about cemeteries and the age old practice of Filipinos to honor their dead. Part 1 Part 2 Part3 Part 4.

While some are making last minute travel back to their home province (or probably vacationing at the beach), the first day of November sees cemeteries across the country already abuzz with visitors. In Cebu City, the Calamba Cemetery is one of the biggest in the province and also an opportunity to soak in this time honored tradition.

At the entrance, ambulant vendors are already calling out customers to buy their wares of overpriced candles, flowers, bottles of mineral water or, if you have your own car, bugging you to take their parking space before another will get it. These can be convenient, however for some especially those who haven’t been to the flower markets.

Candles and bouquets greet the cemetery visitor at the entrance. These are sold by enterprising vendors that make it convenient for the people who doesn't have time to go to the flower market.

"Palina Boys" of Calamba Cemetery collects P1 for every pass.

More vendors, this time stalls, line at the sides of the colonial era entrance arch with its creepy skull and crossbones medallion relief overhead. People are now streaming in in big numbers, and as the day progress, it can be a very humid and chaotic beeline at both directions. Once inside, you get to glimpse the Spanish colonial period cemetery chapel built in 1863 with its stylized relief of a crowned skeleton holding a staff and an hourglass.

As you pass the narrow path straight, your eyes start to sting as smoke intentionally lit by boys fill the air. These are done by what I call the palina boys, enterprising youths who collect a peso for each individual who pass above these. In Cebuano cemetery tradition, passing over smoke as one goes out of the cemetery ensures that the spirits would not follow you to your homes where they might bring sickness or even death to a loved one. In 2006, cemetery administrators banned this practice inside.

A man does some finishing touches to spruce up a niche in preparation for visitors who will be visiting the grave.

As one wanders around the cemetery, one can’t help but notice last minute retouches done on the tombs and niches. Men on ladders are busy sprucing up the upper levels, putting on a fresh coat of paint or installing a temporary electric bulb connection for the night. Below, families or individuals are silently mumbling their prayers, lighting candles and offering flowers and at the same time, admonishing teenage boys against stealing still lighted candles left by the visitor that they will gather for its wax.

Food offerings for the dead: fruits, rice, viand and a bottle of water are carefully placed infront of a niche.

One find that amazed me was this family who offered food and water to their departed. It’s already rare for this kind of thing to be seen and here it is, at one part of the cemetery. This is a traditional practice of honoring the dead and are more common in the rural areas. One requirement for this is that the food should be cooked unsalted. In some instances, a ritual offering of betel nut and areca with lime, duhat rolled leaves and strips of tobacco are put on a platter for the spirit to “taste”.

At a designated spot, people gather to light candles, offer flowers and prayers for dead family and friends instead of lighting and giving each and everyone. A more economical solution.

Check the slideshow at Pinoycentric.com

At one central part in Calamba Cemetry is a huge cross where visitors can offer their prayers, flowers and candles. Really, it’s more economical and convenient for them than to visit the maze of niches, tombs and plots that, over time, they have forgotten where their dead friends or distant kin have been entombed.

A street near Carbon market is closed to traffic for flower vendors to spread their wares.

All Soul’s Day is just around the corner and what better way to anticipate it than a three-part series about cemeteries and the age old practice of Filipinos to honor their dead. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4.

Honoring one’s dead is an age old tradition among Asians. In the Philippines, it is the deep reverence and respect for ancestors that define one of Catholicism’s celebrations, All Souls’ Day marked every 2 November. In Filipino, it is called Undas and in Cebuano it is Kalag-kalag. Like Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) sans the pageantry, it’s a very festive occassion. The entire country seems to be in a mass exodus as those in the cities troop to terminals to catch their plane, bus or boat ride to the home province.

Vendors laying down their flowers. A part of the street was closed for them.

Expectedly, flower markets are thriving and making a killing. A bundle can double or triple their actual ordinary price but it really depends on the day. The closer it is to the first two days of November, the higher the price and drastically plunge right after. Candles are in great demand and in the provinces, native food delicacies and pansit (noodles) seem to be the staple paired with liters of cold softdrinks.

A flower vendor up in the hinterlands of Cebu, specifically Cantipla, along the Cebu Transcentral Highway packs a bundle. The area is located at the highest portion of the province where the cut flower industry thrives. It is also considered the vegetable bowl of the island.

In Cebu, while many places becomes virtual flower markets, there are two major points where these blooms can be purchased. The hinterlands of Cebu City stretching from Busay to Cantipla, where the highest point of the province is located is considered the vegetable bowl and cut-flower industry stronghold. If you want cheaper bundles, this is the place to go. Of course, the cheapest ones are those direct from the farms but you will have to drive through narrow roads. A good 4×4 vehicle is advisable. For slightly higher priced items, those directly at the side of the highway are still good buys.

Going up to this area is also a good place to see, a whole different world from the city. The air is cool, farm products are cheap and in some portions, affords the visitor gorgeous views of the metropolis and the surrounding hills. The famous Tops is just a small part of it.

Infront of USJR, a university, buyers and sellers alike haggle for the best price.

Buying at Carbon Market can get to be a rush sometimes.

The second major flower market is found in the old part of Cebu City, Carbon Market, just infront of the University of San Jose Recoletos. This was a spacious plaza near a cuartel during the Spanish colonial period but now, it has become a thriving marketplace and is considered to be a bargain center. Native products like basketry and other weaves can be found here as well as bootleg items from DVDs to clothes.

On ordinary days, one can buy flowers here but as 2 November approaches, it becomes a very lively place. Portions of the streets are closed off as buyers descend to inspect, haggle and purchase by the dozen.

When compared to the price from the farms, the cost is double here but still lesser than in other areas. One thing that makes this place worth a visit is that it’s accessible and several jeepneys pass by here, a better alternative to the flower farms.

A male flower vendor prepares a bouquet, usually by the dozen, at the streetside Carbon market.

Check the slideshow at Pinoycentric.com

Flower varietes are many but usually consists of roses, orchids, daisies, mums, chrysanthemums among others. If you’re looking for tulips or other temperate species, it’s not here. You have to get these at specialty flower shops around the city.

Like in most public markets, just secure your valuable things and cash as sticky fingers loiter around.

A crowned Death carrying a staff and an hourglass is carved on the pediment of the Calamba (Cebu City) cemetery chapel

All Soul’s Day is just around the corner and what better way to anticipate it but a three-part series about cemeteries and the age old practice of Filipinos to honor their dead, specifically here in Cebu. Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4. This post first came out in simbahan.net.

Cebu doesn’t have the impressive colonial era cemeteries of Iloilo. There’s no ornate polygonal cemetery chapels like that of San Joaquin, Cabatuan and Janiuay. However, it does have its own camposanto capillas that would also delight lovers of these heritage structures.

Skull and crossbones medallion at facade of Calamba cemetery entrance arch

A skeleton with staff and what looks like an hourglass found at the top of the Boljoon cemetery arch

Another skeleton with staff and hourglass at the mortuary chapel of Oslob

Skull with wings and other symbols at the top of the mortuary chapel entrance in Argao

Having gone around these areas for a few years now, I can’t help but notice the carved relieves of skull and cross bones lining the walls or skeletons, perhaps representing Death, carrying a staff and an hourglass decorating the pediment of the cemetery chapel. These two are quite common.

Finial of Oslob cemetery arch with the inscribed date 1870

Check the slideshow at Pinoycentric.com

These cemeteries were built in the 19th century and those that are featured here are found in Cebu City (Calamba) and in the southern towns of Oslob and Boljoon which were under the Augustinian Order. In the north, I haven’t found these yet except remnants of walls. There are also relieves found in a few other towns but usually these are just skull and cross bones.

Unfortunately, like the fortifications that still exists in this island province, these are in bad condition and are in danger of crumbling to oblivion.

The image of the Sto. Nino, Cebu's icon, is painted on a bilao as part of a prop during a Sinulog performance

Speak of Cebu and images of the Sto. Nino, Cebu’s patron, comes to mind. And so does the valiant Lapu-Lapu, sweet mangoes, guitars and beaches. But it is more than that. Cebu is my home.

I’ve been thinking about doing this series for quite a time and so, with the end of the Cuyo Loop and as a fitting segue from my short sojourn in Masbate, I might as well feature my home province as seen from the perspective of a native son. Ahem. That might be a tall order but I’ll try. “I will stir clear of clichés… and trite writeups that has plagued us all these years.”

I promise, no dried fish market in Taboan. No guitars. No mangoes. No Malapascua and other known beaches that have been hogging other blogs and websites. And most of all, not another Taoist Temple done to death. I will stir clear of clichés, hackneyed features and trite writeups that has plagued us all these years. This will be the other Cebu beyond the tourist traps.

Detail of a minibus that is more like a hybrid between a bus and a colorful jeepney that is found only in Cebu.

The name Cebu is the hispanized version of the original Sugbo that some historians say has its etymology to the vernacular meaning shallow water. During the Spanish colonial period, it has been identified in maps as Zebu.

It’s history goes back to pre Spanish times but archaeologists have only started to appreciate it better now with several excavations undertaken like those in Boljoon and quite recently, at the Plaza Independencia where the discovery of a gold death mask marks the second site it’s been found in the country.

The island province is rich in history and culture and friendly people that some say are hard to please. It is the regional center in the Visayas and second only to Metro Manila as a commercial hub. It has a lot more to offer with many not too known aspects that I will try to feature.

This is Cebu. Sugbo kini!

Masbate is known for its ranches and every year, it has its Rodeo Masbateño, the province's top tourist drawer. It has also powerful families who slug bloody jousts come election time.

After five hours at sea and with my senses barraged with stunning seascapes off Ticao, I finally arrived in Masbate City from Pilar, Sorsogon. Its terra firma and its the first time that I’ve been here. What can I expect? Are there old churches or houses that I can visit? Colonial era fortifications and other tourist spots? With just nine hours before I leave for Cebu, I cannot really go beyond the city limits.

The island province is located between Bicol and the Visayan islands of Leyte, Cebu, Negros and Panay. It is nearer to Samar and it’s two main islands are Burias and Ticao with several islets strewn in its seas.

During the Spanish colonial era, it was conveniently in the eastern route of the Manila - Acapulco galleons and had been a supply area just before these trading vessels head out into the Pacific. At the height of the Muslim slave and piratical raidings, Burias and parts of Masbate became a base for these fishers of men where they launched periodic incursions in Bicol and the Visayas.

Finally, the pumpboat that brought me from Pilar, Sorsogon finally docks at the Masbate City pier. Almost five hours after.

Even during Spanish times, the forests of this province have already been exploited. Among them as source of wood in the construction of the galleons. Logging has continued into modern times. Then as now, it has the same situation as Cebu: heavily deforested with precariously small patches of forests left.

Because of the wide expanse of cleared lands, ranching is widely practiced. Every year, sometime around April, Rodeo Masbateño is the main crowd drawer. There is another aspect that this province is known for: a notoriously dirty political atmosphere that it has one of the bloodiest come election season.

Villa Bayot, an ancestral house at the city center.

Detail of sliding windows of Villa Bayot. Translucent capiz shells form the square grids.

I was a bit disappointed, really. While asking at the tourism center at the provincial capitol, I was told that there are only two Spanish colonial era churches left: San Pascual and San Jacinto. Both are in the islands of Burias and Ticao respectively. The woman who attended to me didn’t know of any existing fortifications, even if its in bad condition. I have heard some accounts, though, that there are some caves in the island that have altars made by people who retreated into the interior when the slave raiders came ashore.

As for ancestral houses, there are only a handful of which, Villa Bayot, built in the 1880s is prominently located at the town center near the pier. Unfortunately, when I asked permission to look inside, I was told that the matriarch is not feeling well and can’t receive visitors. Like the old rich in other towns, they are also caretakers of Lenten images that have pilgrims’ following.

Like in many other cities in the country, these stilt houses rising from the sea can be seen near the pier.

Tourist areas like beaches are present but these are beyond the city limits. With no other thing to do or visit, I spent some time sitting at the park. It’s a wide area near the capitol with tall trees and benches underneath. Just breezy and refreshing. Later in the afternoon, I killed time at an internet cafe before heading to the pier.

Already in the passenger boat and ready to sail for Cebu in the evening.

It’s already evening and I was aboard the Trans Asia passenger ship. For a tourist accommodation (airconditioned with comfy double decks but crowded, set inside a small area) the ticket is quite steep: just a few pesos short of P900. In a few hours, I will finally be home in Cebu.

Was the trip worth the extended travel time? Of course. As always, its an opportunity to discover new places and enrich one’s experiences.

A man and a boy enjoying the wide expanse of sea and sky littered with virginal islets

A crack in one of the cliffs may be another cave

Traversing the sea between Pilar, Sorsogon and Masbate on a pumpboat instead of a fastcraft has its own rewards: on a fine day, the rugged coastlines of Ticao and its many islets offer clear views of stunning visuals. Wild seascapes that just overwhelm the senses.

Soaring and sharp ridges dotted with vegetation clinging on the sheer rockface can give a sense of awe. A pale yellow limestone cliff rising up from the waters is a wonder. There are several cracks on these rock walls and many caves can be seen, its gaping maw sending a spine tingling sensation of the hidden creatures, real or imagined, that it might harbor.

Hidden coves tempt a would be sun worshipper to spend a few hours in its white sandy beach accessible only through a motorized banca and give a sense of privacy to the visitor. And what about the wide expanse of blue sea and sky strewn with virginal islets that form a jaw-dropping scenery that stuns the senses? Smell and taste the saltiness of the air. Feast at the visual splendor. Hear the waves lapping wildly at the sandy shore or waves crashing and breaking on a rock. Feel the fresh and clean air touching your entire being and imprinting on your mind forever.

Then the humming sound of the motor driving the pumpboat shatters your imagination and bring you back to reality as the vessel approaches the urban landscape of Masbate City.

Stunning seascapes greet the traveler as one journeys between Pilar and Masbate. The massive island at the background is Ticao.

The yellowish limestone face contrasts greatly with the vegetation at the background.

Just one of several caves that can be found

Cycads and other vegetation grows at a very steep incline, almost 90 degrees off a rock face

A secluded white sand beach in one of the islets that dot the sea.

The M/B Gloria 8 already loaded with passengers even before the sun has risen.

“…in a crowded public transport, once you leave your seat, another person is just too eager to take your place…” Masbate has been a total unknown to me. The closest that I have anything to do with the island was that I had a classmate back in high school who was from that place. So when an opportunity to go home early this year presented itself to me, I grabbed at the chance to visit this place*.

Instead of hopping on a plane and get home via the shortest way, I decided to take the Pilar (Sorsogon) - Masbate - Cebu route. The Matnog - Allen trip via Samar and Leyte is also another possibility but I’ve already passed there before. Of course, its an opportunity to mark off the white areas in my travel history and go the longer way which I always like.

Just before the break of dawn, these pumpboats are already teeming with passengers bound for Masbate

A night’s bus trip from the Philtranco Pasay terminal starts my journey to Pilar Sorsogon. As there’s always the possibility that seats might not be available if one just goes there at a whim, it is advisable to get the ticket a few days before. If it’s not passenger season, earlier in the day of the trip itself is okay. It cost me P800 for a 12 hour bus ride to the Sorsogon wharf.

A passenger walks a series of wooden pathways, crossing another boat to board her vessel. A man assists her as the planks can get wobbly at times.

Like all my bus trips before, I wasn’t able to sleep well due to the constant stops, bumps and outside noise that when I got down in Pilar, Sorsogon a little past 4 AM, I was still sleepy. The town, by the way, is just next to Donsol, whale watching capital of the country. When I reached the port, I was taken aback that even at this early, the various pumpboats and fast seacrafts were already crowded. Alas, the tickets for the latter were already sold out and the next trip is still four hours away.

A man found a seat atop the vessel while other boats are starting to sail to other islands near Masbate

Inside the vessel, its a crowded place where people compete with their things. It does shelter one from the heat of the sun and a little bit comfortable.

I opted to take the slower but cheaper pumpboats. I reasoned that despite the inconvenience and long travel time, it affords me a better view of the sea. Fastcrafts on the other hand traverse the Pilar - Masbate route in two hours compared to the minimum five when taking the former costing a few pesos below P200.

Pilar is one of the vital piers in Bicol that serves primarily the outlying areas. It is an important gateway to Masbate and destinations at the other two major islands as well as various islets. Coming from Manila, one can also take the ship direct to the island province.

At the forward part of the ship, the cargo hull is where most baggages are put

The vessel that I was to take was almost full when I arrived at the assigned boat. Inside, no seats were available as it was really crowded. I did find one at the exposed top where several plastic chairs were set up. Fortunately, the weather was good as any kind of precipitation can be a disaster. The elevated position also shielded the passengers from the occasional sea spray.

One of the disadvantages of a crowded public transport is that once you leave your seat, another person is just too eager to take your place even if your things are there. In my case, I was walking around the vessel to take photos of the seascapes that when I returned, a woman was sheepishly smiling at me. Well, I just let it pass and went to another area where I had a more spectacular view of the sea and islands. By 9 AM, I started to feel the heat of the sun beating down on me.

A man stands authoritatively while scanning the horizon in the direction of Masbate Is. which is still several hours away.

After taking more than a hundred shots, the scenery just becomes boring especially if the sun is already way up and becoming hot. The quality of light is already not good that later, instead of taking photos of islands, I trained my lens on the people who were at first conscious but later eased up.

A man seated at one of the wooden benches inside the vessel

Boat trips like these can be taxing and uncomfortable but for the jaded adventurer, the scenery is rewarding and eases all inconveniences. Travel time might be long but its way cheaper.

*Nina’s post on Donsol included important information for an alternate route to Cebu.