

Location : Cebu City, Philippines
Frequent Destination
Arriving Cebu in June after 9 continuous months of backpacking Southeast Asia, I've returned to a place I keep coming back to - no matter if I thought I have seen the last of it after my last departure. I'd been here 5 months now. Cebu is special. Like Bangkok, Saigon, and Cambodia, it's a destination I will keep returning to. I am full of eager anticipation to what it offers next time around.
Jeanne
Yoga Teacher
With my deepening friendship with Jeanne, I find home at the Dragonfly Yoga Studio. It remains a privilege I am grateful for - specially with Jeanne's remark, "You are my house guest for life". That is both sweet and touching. She's not one to rave and banner-up the good she's done - and she's done a lot of good to a lot of people. I'm sure that even without my knowing it, she's behind some of the wonderful things that "spontaneously" happen my way. Some people are lucky because they win the lottery. Me? I'm lucky to be enjoying her friendship. I wonder what I have done to deserve such kindness.
Metz
A place is made colorful by the special people you cross paths with. Metz has been the surprise curve-ball that came my way. From a passing acquaintance, we have developed a comfort level with one another. As fiercely independent as we both are, we seem to complement each other like two sides of one coin (or so I would like to think). We're not yet into finishing each other's sentence, but I can take refuge in her orbit. Together, we discover places, events and things happening in and around Cebu. Of course, we also discover a lot about ourselves in the process. Let's just say with her around, Cebu gets to be more colorful. But just like everything else, this getting-to-know-you is a continuous work-in-progress.
Yoga
Cebu is a place where I deepen my yoga practice. I didn't know anyone when I first arrived here. But thanks to Jeanne and the strings she pulled for me, I met the yogis and yoginis within Cebu's yoga community. Through my repeat visits to Cebu, I have sojourned into teaching at various yoga studios, gyms and centers. Now, I keep Studio 108 as a mainstay with occasional guest-teaching at Love Yoga World and Asana + Movement. My yoga evolves, and so does my teaching. It has now become an amalgamation of yogic tradition, life experience and transformation - not exactly the beaten path most studios offer. It's conservative to say that my brand of yoga is not for everyone. Students should find the teacher they can resonate with - it doesn't have to be me.
Culinary Pursuits
I haven't had a kitchen since I chose to be homeless 5 years ago. With my stay in Cebu now, using Jeanne's kitchen, I seem to dabble back into my culinary pursuits - making homemade peanut butter using better ingredients (eg. using Anchor Butter instead of cheap cooking oil, honey instead of sugar, etc.), granola energy bars, barbeque sauce mix, crepe or french toast for breakfast, or even the Swiss Rosti with smoked salmon. Some of them have come out so good, I even got commissioned to make them in batches. As a cyber-monk, I blaze the trail with my laptop as my ammunition of choice. In the kitchen however, I come equipped with my spatula, whisk and grater.
Abundance
Unlike most of my travels where I hover just above the poverty level (still, by choice), Cebu offers abundance to a point money comes in to fill-in the gaps created by increased expenditure - in fine cafes, trendy restaurants and glitzy events. I remember in Vientiane, Laos, I salivated over roasted duck I could not afford - not even on a side-street. Here in Cebu, I remain amazed that I end up savoring privileged food in fine restaurants with well-heeled folks and wash it down with fine wine. I find myself participating in engaging events and meeting interestingly animated people along the way. For a guy with no money or connections, how is that even possible? But it happens...more frequently than what coincidental odds might dictate. Again, I feel the presence of this unseen hand that has always looked after my well-being, of course, as what Joe Cocker would say, "with a little help from my firends".
Ending Thoughts
It's good for me to think I'm on borrowed time in Cebu. This gives me a sense of urgency to do whatever I came here to accomplish. Honestly, I don't even know what it is, but I try to clear my table in the most expeditious way to make room for new possibilities. As I connect these dots, the big picture will. at some point, reveal itself. In the meantime, I remain thankful for all the benevolence of Cebu and from the kindness of the wonderful people she keeps.
--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit
|
Learn English
|
Travel like a Nomad
|
Donation Bank
Next story:
Pilipino Time
(Oct 30, 2015) I had a conversation with an educated upwardly mobile Filipina executive who heads a department for a multinational company. On the subject of being 'on time', she said a few things that underscored for me, just how deeply ingrained Pilipino time is, in our culture...more »»
Exploring Bohol with Metz
(Nov 28-30, 2015) After several failed attempts in the past to visit Bohol, it finally happened. Metz, together with the Qualfon crew, tagged me along for a long weekend road trip around Bohol that took us to the zipline of Danao, Chocolate Hills, the Tarsier sanctuary and the famous Alona Beach in Panglao...more »»
2015: A Year in Review
(Dec 31, 2015) From Luang Prabang in Laos at the start of 2015, it's been a year and I'm back in the Philippines after spending time in Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Singapore. I didn't think I'd be back again, but it is good to be back.....more »»
Blogs about Insight on Cebu
More on Cebu City:
Cebu City to Camotes Islands
Camotes Islands to Cebu City
Cebu City to Dumaguete by Boat
Cebu City to Dumaguete via Liloan (bus, boat, jeep, tricycle)
Cebu City to Tagbilaran, Bohol
Cebu City to Siquijor, via Tagbilaran
Sugbo Urban
There is only one bus plying this route - Sugbo Urban. Tourist class coach, a/c, comfortable, Sun-Fri (these dates keep changing). P420 for bus, P275 for ferry to Liloan. Leaves Cebu City (South Bus Terminal) at 8 pm (Sundays 1 am), heads south to Liloan (Santander), takes the ferry to Larena Port, Siquijor, docks around 5 am, makes a clockwise roundtrip around Siquijor Island - Larena, Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi (stops at Lazi market for breakfast and leaves 6:50 am), San Juan, Siquijor (arrives 8am, P50 from Lazi to Siquijor Poblacion) and catches the 1pm ferry at Larena Port for Liloan, Cebu and resumes its land route. Arrives Cebu City 10 pm.
Sugbo Urban is the cheapest and most convenient way because when it reaches Larena Port (Siquijor), it continues its trip around the island (clockwise) along the circumferential road, passing through - Enrique Villanueva, Maria, Lazi, San Juan, Siquijor...and back to Larena. It spares you the cost of hiring a tricycle or habal-habal which charges exhorbitant fares. Besides, it's a long trip to the other side of the island to be taking by tricycle.
More on Cebu Province:
»» back to Traveling
»» back to Lucid Thoughts
»» back to Homepage
ARCHIVE:
2023 |
JAN |
FEB |
MAR |
APR |
MAY |
1970 |
1973 |
1975 |
1976 |
1979 |
1981 |
2000 |
2001 |
2002 |
2003 |
2004 |
2005 |
2006 |
2007 |
2008 |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
ALL BLOGS