A nice weekend in Cebu

Hello everyone,

The picture you see here is from the top of the Marco Polo Hotel in Cebu. Cebu City's only 5 star hotel. We visited the Blu Bar for dinner on Saturday August 22. We had reservations to eat on the roof top (Penthouse) patio but the weather was not predicted to be very good so we were transferred inside to the Continental Dinning Room.



The View of the City is beautiful and the evening was so clear that we could see forever.

Dinner was nice, a little slow on the service as thier system went down when we needed the bill but there were a few mentionable items.

The Blu bar finished second in an international drink competition. Their drink is called "Tropical (something)" and looks kida like a mojito but has pinapple juice, what looks like cilantro, a large number of alcohols & tabasco sauce. It was AWESOME & not just because i enjoy an occasional drink, but because it was actually good and it comes with a cherry & pinapple slice - nice!

Also, as an appetizer, the chef sent us watermelon with goat cheese on top & caviar. It was a very unique idea. I was being polite & tried although not everyone was even able to try it. The melon was nice, the cheese was stinky & the caviar was salty. Not my favortive but it was a nice gesture & I am sure it was expensive & meant well. The meal was nice & we headed home for bed as the next day held plans to visit the beach.

We visited Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort the next day. I am sure they are online & worth looking at the pictures. The rooms are little 4-plex huts that walk right out onto the beach, hence they have little foot wash jars outside the doors so you can wash your feet & try to leave the sand on the beach; good luck.

1000 Peso's gets you admition to the resort for the day & 700 pesos in credit for food or beverage, so it costs $7.50 to use their facility all day - someone commented we could not get into the local pool for that cheap. This is the view from the beach accross the bay to the island. Occasionally the tide goes out so far that you can walk to the island without getting wet.

I heard a comment from someone: "If you can get past the fake 'tropical' feel & palm trees, it feels like a real beach." We all laughed; since when do Edmontonians get to go the beach on the ocean 30 minutes away! It was beautiful & i got sunburnt - suprise, i am see through.

For lunch we visited the live seafood restaurant where you can pick you lunch from the tank; it has been there for only an hour or so as we watched the fisherman haggle over prices as they sailed right up to the restaurant to sell their goods. Very cool, and funny.

This picture is from off the side of the restaurant, the water is soooooo blue/green & you can see the scuba divers searching for small shell fish to sell right beside you.



So to cap off the day 3 off us went parasailing, something i have always wanted to do & will be sure to do again. What a cool experience. Here is me taking off. You sit on the back of the boat connected to the chute & when they let out the slack you lift up.



They took us up to 150 meters above the water. The view was brilliant and all you here is the wind & the motor of the boat; and some loud echoing from the shore.

The feeling is so peaceful & so relaxing. They "dipped" us into the water on the way down so you got a feel for that too & it was cool to sort of float over the water with your feet in & then go back up into the air. I told David, if we have the chance, we should go again together. They do tandem as well.


After this full day it was aftersun lotion & sleep until work on Monday.


I move to nights here on August 27th & look forward to being on the same schedule as most people so i have someone to have dinner with & to chat with. Things are good, i am super busy & the class is going quite well - 94% average on their midterm.


Hi to all, enjoy what little good weather Edmonton is getting. Send me an email if you are bored or leave a comment here.


Hope fringe ended well.

Love


Me - Herb - Adam

Also, if any Charlie Brown folks are ready, i showed Veronica's photo of everyone & they loved it. Peter was by far their favorite as he is Philippino, but they were actually more excited by seeing me in a silly outfit.

Tomorrow i am bringing in the music for them to listen to as they love music and they all sing, all the time & are quite good.