great ordinary happenings

We arrived late afternoon of Saturday, thank God for the safe trip! Of course, there was internet connection in my eldest son’s residence where we stayed but I planned – and so I did – to refrain from competing for its use. I’m comfortable to blog where I am right now: at home!

It’s refreshing to have traveled back to a place which has long been a part of one’s life – and that’s how Cebu has been to our family, having stayed there for 18 long years! That’s in addition to having spent my college years there until graduation, and right after, being part of the faculty of the same school. Studying in the same engineering institution was also my hubby-to-be at that time. Also, all our five children studied in the same school. Ahhh so full of memories! The family has left the place for good for three years now.

The city has changed a lot for this relatively short span of time. The holding of the ASEAN Summit Conference for sure has contributed to this, as it can be seen in the night how important streets (most especially the ones used by the participants?) are lit up by road lamps lined on both sides – what a beautiful sight to behold! More night joints/establishments have sprouted up and many tourists are enjoying moving around. Cebu City updates are taken up by Cy, our daughter, who was with us (the Dad was the able driver ) She has also some pics of the beautiful scenery we enjoyed that Sunday we whiled away in a “rest house” by the Cebu-Mactan Channel with the sea already underneath it.

I should mention here the very thrilling trip we had in our coming home. We were supposed to wake up at 4:00am, to leave before 5:00am, to give enough travel time from our starting point in Lapu-lapu City, through Cebu City, to catch up the 7:30am trip of the barge at Toledo City. What happened was, we could not make it that early, instead, we left already 5:30am! After a fueling along the way, we arrived at the SCR (South Coastal Road) of the Cebu SRP (South Reclamation Project) to begin a real fast drive!

Note the time:
6:10am – started at the gate of the SCR
6:20am – left the SCR at Talisay City near its boundary with Minglanilla
6:30am – turned right at the Naga junction on its way through the mountains to Toledo 7:10am – arrived at the pier; thank God, the boat was still there!

Whew! What a thrill! We were able to make it through the SCR for only 10 minutes, and from Naga to Toledo City for only 40 minutes! Drag race, anyone? Cy is right, the Naga-Toledo road is now very much better (as it is now well-paved) than the old bumpy, dusty one it used to be. Or that could have been impossible. Congratulations to the Dad!

Did the thrill end there? Not yet. Upon arrival, when we thought we would hurriedly arrange the boarding of the van and buy our tickets, we were told we had to wait as the vehicles (it happened there were so many! 20+, including 4 Ceres passenger buses) would first be arranged, to see if ours could still be in. All the while (nay, since the race!), I was praying the rosary (Cy was just so tired as she slept very late preparing for the trip, so I left her sleeping).

Another grace to thank for – we were just on time to be the second to the last to be allowed to buy tickets, and the last to drive in to the barge for boarding!

Upon arriving at San Carlos City, we resumed our land trip. It’s good to be home!

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