day 2--traversing cebu island

we awoke on day 2 to this: grey, overcast cebu city, humid and allegedly warm, but the dampness from the drizzle made it almost cool. though it had escaped us both that the date was december 25th, the constant "merry christmas" greetings by hotel staff, tour guides, pedestrians, beggar children, fellow passersby, and animals roaming the streets in search of food never gave us a chance to make this oversight again.

we ate breakfast amidst this chorus and then departed at 10:00a on our 100-km, 3-hour drive to the southwest shores of cebu island.

the trip was amazingly outlandish,

wonderfully colourful,

and remindful to us that this country was a tropical asian island where coconut trees swayed in blissful harmony with the rice paddies in which they often were found.

the small towns and cities were eventful, crowded, fields of activity,

eccentricity,

old and garish-coloured architecture,

mountains,

and grey clouds reflecting rainbow gravy covered beneath.














finally, we arrived at the edge of the mainland island for a short trip across waves of infinite marine harmony on a small dinghy to our badian island destination.

before lunch, i was doing cartwheels in stoned pancake anti-batter

~~

the day itself became one of dodging raindrops (or accepting them willingly and graciously into our hair, clothes, skin, eyes, ears, and shoes) and enjoying the festiveness with which filipinos embrace christmas. everywhere we went, there was a "merry christmas" to buss our cheeks.

~~

it was also one of eating the great food of the island. we lunched and had a christmas dinner of such scrumptiaties as shrimp-stuffed pork, seafood soup, prawns in coconut sauce, cauliflower soup, chicken in peanut sauce, carafes of italian white table wine, and more. our dinner, in particular, was notable because it was a great christmas buffet while we were entertained by a five-man local band singing yesteryear pop, seasonal christmas, and timeless caribbean tropical delights.