we went to Mactan island last friday, april 25, 2003 and stayed there until Sunday, april 27, 2003.
{april 25, 2003 friday}
i woke up at around 3:45 am because ms. tata, her sister and her fiancé will fetch me at 5:00 am that morning. I took my usual routine every morning (like taking a bath, brushing my teeth and arranging the things that I needed to bring) only this time, it is MUCH too early compared to my usual ones.
we reached the airport at exactly 6:00 am for our 7:00 flight. although a number of people are wearing mask for protection against SARS, people there are not as paranoid as I’ve expected them to be.
when we went inside the plane i noticed that it was just like a bus, only it doesn’t smell like one. and as we prepare for take off, i again felt the excitement that was stalled by my worries about SARS.
and as we soar above the clouds i realized that your perspective would change when you’re on top of it. on the ground you will only see high rising buildings & large volumes of vehicle. but when you’re on the top, you will see the creation of God and how He had planned it very carefully. He put the clouds in between the sun and the earth to give us some shade and shower us with water when the sun is too hot for us. but he never removes or covers the light in order for us to still see though the shadow.
after an hour we landed safely (thank God!) on the runways of Mactan Airport.
the airport was still 15 min away from Costabella Tropical Beach Resort where we planned to stay for the next 3 days.
when we reached the place we immediately set up our things and went to work. at around 12:00 mid night i eagerly lay me back on the bed and took a good night sleep for the next day’s tour of the city.
~~~
{april 26, 2003 saturday}
we had our breakfast as early as 8:00 am. then at around 9:30 am we (ms. tata, manay, ms. malou & me) were fetched by mr. dindo, one of the SBEP alumni, and gave us a tour of the city. We went around the place and stopped by Mactan Shrine and Shangri La Mactan (it’s really a place to be).
we went back again at the resort for the afternoon class. i readily look forward for the evening activity where mr. dindo promised to bring us to Cebu City.
***
that night, not a drop of rain was felt. It was like a million stars were thrown above the sky to watch over us.
while we’re having dinner students from Glaxo-Smith Kline eagerly shared ghost stories with us. but we had to cut them short because of the previously planned trip to the city.
from Mactan we crossed the bridge to be able to go to Cebu City. later, i learned that it was the only link by land that connected the two islands.
we visited TOP, where it was considered as the highest peak in Cebu City. it was a very simple place. you can only sense that there are a few benches around the place for stargazers. there, you’ll be able to see the whole of Cebu. it was like you’re watching a million fireflies dancing in front of you. and after staring at it for a few minutes you will realized that those lights did not come from fireflies after all but from the lights emitted by the buildings, houses and vehicles.
perspective really depends on where you stand.
on our way down we decided to take a cup of coffee first before we go home. we visited Bo’s Coffee Shop where the ambiance and the taste of coffee is nearing that of Starbucks only Bo’s coffee is much cheaper.
~~~
{april 27, 2003 sunday}
the next day was intended for work and checking out of the resort/hotel. we landed safely (again :) at around 6:20 pm and quickly went home to lie down on my bed, hug my pillow and sleep aware that i am home and nothing can make me feel better.