And we're off on Cebu Pacific! Katherine found entertainment right away even without the on-board games..
And here's the big guy in his very own seat. He thought the buckle was the neatest thing and kept flipping it up. The tray was a pretty neat toy as well.
After
a long day of getting up at 4:30, flying south and then waiting in the lobby
for 3 1/2 hours for a room to open, Jonathon was more than ready for a long
long nap on our ultra cozy bed. 
There wasn't enough space in the "suite" part of the room for another cot bed, so Nicholas had the loveseat all to himself. He fit perfectly, even if he did fall out once each night.
And
so our Saturday began with a rental van and tour guide driver at the Taoist
Temple in where else, Barangay Beverly Hills.
Read more Here.
The ceiling in the temple. Stunning, isn't it? We explained the use of the kidney shaped wooden blocks and the incense to the girls, but disappointed them in not giving them a go. We did however allow each of the kids to light an incense stick and place it in the ashes urn.
The man holding Jonathon was our tour guide and driver, Litoy. He was great with the kids, grabbing hands, picking them up and generally watching out for them. We couldn't understand half of what he said, and he couldn't answer a bunch of our questions, but he was a happy guy and very pleasant.
The dragons. Aren't they amazing?
A
closer look at the dragon. It almost looks like he's chuckling.
Sadly, I know nothing about Taoism, so he might actually be smiling.
After the Temple, we were off to Guadalupe cave and shrine. Our guide warned us it would be a long walk so we steeled ourselves. We drove off a real road down a soggy dirt drive and prepared to begin our trek, when we were told by locals that a new road had been built. These are some of our guide's friends who would help us find the way.
On our drive through the village, Ian took some snaps out the window.
Laundry day.
Up hill, over dale and around twisty single lane roads over ridges, we made it to the shrine! This part was just erected in 1996. The cave is off to the right of the middle. Why is this place special? There was this relic of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Spain. Someone made a copy of that relic and brought it to Cebu. Then there were problems (again) between the Spanish and locals and one guy decided to hide the relic to save it from being destroyed. It was put in the cave and forgotten. Long time later, a wild chicken hunter discovered the cave and the relic hidden within. There you go.
Painted
in a nook outside the cave, you can see a depiction of the crucifixion.
We all need reminders sometimes.
As
we came upon it around 9 a.m., locals were congregating for Mass so sadly,
no interior photos. But the cave was large enough for over 30 people.
Nicholas's hero, because he had a REALLY BIG sword.
A tribute to LapuLapu. More on him later.
On so many postcards, Magellan's cross.
Well, OK, what you see isn't the real cross, but it's inside there somewhere.
But you know what happened to Magellan here, right?
Part of the ceiling painting. Magellan, we guess, is the guy behind the priest with all the cute rufflies.
Aw, aren't they cute. See the guitars in the back? Cebu is known for handmade guitars and yes, we came home with one.
Off to Fort San Pedro, the oldest fortress in the Philippines.
A
family photo! Right across from this wall was a small museum with bits
found within the fort as well as parts of the galleon San Diego. The
museum caretaker was just thrilled to have us there, I don't know that many
visitors stop in. As we looked in every case, he discussed the items
as best he knew how and a few of the pieces were really remarkableRead more Here
An even grander statue of LapuLapu.
The painting from the LapuLapu Shrine depicting the Muslim warrior battling back the Portugese. Looks like he's getting the final word on Magellan's religious conversion attempts.
Nicholas gives a thumbs up to the guy with the cool sword.
OK, so Magellan arrived in Cebu and planted his cross.As all good explorers, he started spreading his religion to perfectly content indigenous peoples. Then as now, Mindanao (the area immediately below Cebu) was Muslim and uninterested in being converted. Magellan was all righteous about claiming this land on his trip round the world but he didn't count on the local warriors with a different plan in mind. Led by LapuLapu, the local tribes fought back and Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan on Mactan Island. Read more Here.
Why aren't we taught this stuff in history class?
Right next door was lunch in the swanky Manna Sutukil. I got such a kick over the sanitation department. There was no menu in the traditional sense but the pictures on the wall let you know what they would prepare. And once you decided on your meal, you had the opportunity to literally pick from the table the creatures cooked for you.
A closer look at your options. Squid, crabs as big as pie plates, all sorts of fish I couldn't identify and everything in between. We ordered prawns and a big plate of calamari.
While waiting for our meal, a harpist came by the table and played a few pieces. Notice his nails as those are what he used to play.
Also, take a look at the walls and ceiling. This was a common sight along the roads as folks build their homes with woven walls.
Katherine with what looks like a mangrove swamp behind her.
Nicholas taking in the landscape. On a rattan circle is a piece of banana leaf which would serve as his plate.
Last stop was a place in Mountain View Park called, The Top. The highest peak in Cebu. That white building that looks a bit like a castle was our hotel. The island across the way is Mactan Island with LapuLapu City. Why is the photo so hazy? We were in a thin cloud at the time.
Nicholas fell asleep on the way to The Top, so Ian sat and took in the quiet while he snoozed.
A view out the side of the mountain.
And an ice cream break for all.....
...before heading back to the hotel for a quick swim, some dinner and sleep.
The
flight back was much much quieter. Since he hadn't had a nap and our
flight was at 3, he slept until we landed.
Nicholas was all done behaving.
The girls each got a fan
And Katherine shows off the pencil holder she won during the second round of Cebu Pacific in flight games.