Basking under artificial light

Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort is not really my typical beach haven compared to other beaches I’ve been to in the north. Crablets seemed to have invaded their artificial shorelines and made walking around the beach area on barefoot quite uncomfortable. Either I might crush one of these creatures or I risk losing a toe. My feet simply missed those smooth white sands that define most of the beaches in Luzon.

Allegro Restaurant at night

But Maribago’s facilities and the hospitality of people made up for what is lacking. After dinner, we went around the beach and saw how lovely the place was at night. The lights made the entire beach landscape appear more like a fantasy island than a resort. We went to The Cove, a bar and restaurant that allows you to choose from a selection of live fishes, seafood and appetizer recipes and drinks.

The way to The Cove

And there’s this cold sea breeze blowing from the north. So we got out frolicking along the shore in our rubber shoes.

Cebu guitars

We spotted a souvenir shop and a guitar store near Mactan Shrine after a heavy sutukil lunch. The souvenir shops in the area do not offer that much except for cute wooden key chains I bought at P15 each and Cebu shirts at P70. Locals peddled their dried mangoes and otap to tourists. But these varieties can also be found at any SM Mall or fast food joint where some kids approach dining customers with a letter from vague organizations and sell dried mangoes at absurd prices.

Somehow these pasalubong top guns have lost their magic leaving the Cebu guitar the sole pride of the island.

Tuning up a mahogany guitar

We passed by a guitar store and the colorful displays attracted us inside. Manong, the storekeeper who has been in the industry long before the invasion of remote control helicopters, played a couple of tunes on at least three units. His highly recommended piece was the mahogany guitar. To demonstrate the strength of mahogany guitars, he hit the cemented floor with one. Crazy, ‘no? But that demo certainly proved the point. The strength of Cebu guitars lies in quality materials and workmanship. Mayan finally decided to buy herself a small but nice mahogany guitar for only P1,000. Someday it might just come in handy.

It was our second day at Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort after a long night spent on the slopes of Mountain View with Cat and her friends. We were up as early as seven in the morning to catch the sunrise at the beach. I remember reading somewhere that morning is one of the best parts of the day to get your camera working and take those nice picturesque shots.

I was still in my jammies when my friend and I headed down the beach. The resort was quiet and still like a drug treatment and recreation center for recuperating alcoholics (hehe). We passed by Allegro Restaurant where we were greeted by an ongoing buffet breakfast and cottages along the beach occupied by tourists. Koreans taking their holidays on this part of Mactan Island were still in their beds, probably exhausted from days spent on too much swimming.

Maribago beach looked artificial to me. I think this part of the resort was a reclaimed land, and the sand, as they say, could have been imported from neighboring Bohol. Crabs were crawling up to the shores and starfishes abound. At a certain distance was the sea, or maybe part of the Magellan Strait that separates Mactan Island from Cebu proper. A couple of resorts, and perhaps a drug treatment center, populate the Maribago shorelines.

Cebu is not exactly known for nice beaches but mangoes, otap, lechon and the population’s love for music.

Where we stayed

I know this sounds crazy but one thing I really loved about this four-day getaway at Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort is getting long hours of sleep. I have been deprived of precious hours of sleep for many days with a lot of things cluttering my brain. If you live in Manila all your life, you know what it is like. Quiet time and counting sheeps are luxuries not all can afford.

Our room

Retreating to a place like Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort helped me see things in their proper perspectives. It soothes the troubled soul, calms the mind and reminds me that I won’t live forever in this plump body only the best diet pill can trim down. It’s a voice telling me to enjoy life as it comes, and go to places I have never been before the age of arthritis comes in. There’s no need to wait for heaven when you can actually have it, even a grain of it, on earth.

My friend, Mayan, and I took an early 7am flight to Cebu last Saturday via Philippine Airlines. The trip has been book more than a month earlier through a PALakbayan promo. It cost us around P8,000 per head but it already includes round-trip fare and a four-day stay in Maribago Bluewater Beach Resort where we were treated like princesses. One can always find a best buy at www.bestbuy.com but it is not often you stumble upon good deals. So plan your trips ahead.

We arrived at Mactan International Airport at almost half past eight where the resort car was already waiting for us. From the airport, it took us 15 minutes to reach Maribago Blue Water Beach Resort. We checked in at around 9am. While waiting for our room to be fixed, we went to the business center where they offer free internet access.

I saw my Cebuana friend, Cat, online at Yahoo Messenger and surprised her with the news that I was in town with a friend. We were lucky to have her fit us in her already busy weekend schedule. We had dinner that same day which ended up on a road trip with her cousin to Mountain View in Cebu City, gate-crashing their evening picnic party and sampling a glass of Amarula.

Maribago Beach Resort in Cebu

Travel Light goes to Cebu this September!

My friend, Mayan, invited me to her trip down south. I haven’t been to her native town in Naga City because I kept postponing the trip for last five years (I think). I guess changing the destination from Bicol to Cebu does wonders. Last week, she already booked my plane and accomodation for 3 days at Maribago Beach Resort in Cebu. I don’t know where that place is but I think it’s cozy, lovely and quiet just by looking at the blue-sky-coconut-trees shot above. It’s like having one of those Vegas vacations already except for the beach.

This is how MY itinerary would be like:

Day One

• Departure at 7:30 a.m.
• Breakfast on board Cebu Pacific (Magic Flakes for sure)
• Arrival at 9:00 a.m.
• Resort taxi service will pick us up at Mactan
• Unpack
• Set up Mayan’s laptop, check wi-fi
• Lunch
• Sleep
• Merienda
• See a trade show
• Dinner
• Back to resort
• Read a book
• Sleep

Day Two onwards

• Internet
• Breakfast
• Leave resort
• Explore the city
• Lunch
• Explore the city
• Merienda
• Back to resort
• Maybe swim
• Sleep

Aside from clothing, I’ll bring with me a good book, DVDs and my old reliable Sony digicam. Mayan is bringing her laptop which is excellent for my mental health. I might also drop by the cemetery to visit dad. I will need a good map, or maybe a guide.