Rizal Boulevard and Kamalig

Afternoon in Dumaguete is best spent strolling along Rizal Boulevard. I love this place so much that I thought, hmmm.. I could retire here. Could die here even. :) Cebu City in my opinion could need a clean promenade facing the Mactan channel with a park loaded with big trees and restaurants nearby. I once saw a huge billboard in the old bridge advertising Mayor Radaza’s grand plans of such promenade BEFORE the election but as what Bisayan would call it, “Char Char ra!” (Just Bullshit).

Anyway, one downside about Rizal Boulevard is that men tend to just stand at the side of the promenade, face the sea and PEE! That’s just gross.

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After our walk, its dinnertime and for our last night in Dumaguete, we dined at Kamalig which is just a walking distance from Harold’s Mansion. I was craving for fish but Bangus (milkfish), Philippine’s National fish was just too big for me that I asked to share it with one of the girls and we split the cost of the fish of course. I also have acquired a new favorite dish when I ordered Itlog na maalat (Salted Egg) and this is served with tomatoes and onions.  I find it appetizingly delicious that I was able to finish all of my rice.

All in all, my dinner at Kamalig cost me 45 pesos on Salted egg, 49 pesos on half-priced Bangus, 50 pesos on mango shake and 20 pesos on plain rice for a grand total of 164 pesos.  A bit expensive for my normal budget but well, I’m on a holiday and I could afford it.

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Eat All You Can at Grand Majestic Restaurant Cebu

In advance celebration of our friend’s birthday, we got a FREE LUNCH treat at Grand Majestic Restaurant which is located in Grand Convention Center, a walking distance from Ayala Center Cebu. Eating at an Eat All You Can Restaurant is one of these girls’ favorite activity so please don’t be deceived by the fact that their gender is FEMALE.  They will probably bankrupt their date with their huge appetite for food.

After a few minutes of eating, I was already full but these girls just kept going to the buffet table for more.

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In spite of the warning sign being placed on all the tables about being charged double for left overs or food sharing, the women weren’t afraid of filling up their plate at all. And yes, these girls did have some left overs but we weren’t charged at all contrary to the restaurant’s promise .

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Grand Majestic usually boast serving Peking Duck but we had a Lechon Kawali feast at that time and the rest are mostly Chinese foods. All the foods served were very delicious that friends made plans to come back again.

Eat all You Can LUNCH buffet cost 375 pesos per head excluding drinks. Dinner cost 475 pesos per head if I’m not mistaken.

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Earthquake sa Cebu

The floor was shaking and the glass along the wall was rattling.. I looked at my seatmate. We were all frozen. Then someone shouted: DOWNNNNN…

As seatmate and I scrambled fast to get under the table, something hit me on my head. I thought the roof was falling down. It turned out to be my earphone…

While under the table, my heart was beating so fast. I thought of the possibility of dying any second and I was like “Oh wow, no jerjer (sex) forever and ever? I can’t die just yet”. :)

When the walls finally stopped rattling, again someone screamed: OUT!!!

While some co-workers were busy getting their purses to bring with them, I just bolt heading for the door. I have never run so fast in my life. I run for safety. I run for the possibility of future jerjer. :)

Metro Ferry – 2 Pesos Fare Increase

This is not exactly news to the regular commuters of Cebu Pier 3 to Opon, Mactan island and vice versa but yes, Metro Ferry has a nice Happy New Year gift to its passengers – a 2 pesos fare increase. Please don’t forget terminal fee of 1 peso. Philippines is famous for terminal fees.

The traveling public has been deeply inconvenienced about this ill-planned jeepney routes between Cebu City, Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City that causes huge traffic and long reroutes. The fact that jeepneys can’t cross boundaries anymore between cities doesn’t help either. People who planned this jeepney routes probably have NEVER taken a jeepney to work so they don’t feel the aggravation that ruined our mood at the start and end of our day from Monday to Saturday.  I want TRAINS baby, yeah!

So if you want to avoid all that jeepney trouble, ferry is a good option if you don’t mind the queues, signing up your name on a manifest for the 15-minute ferry ride and of course waiting for the ferry to make its grand entrance.

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Can I take a ferry to get to the airport? I’ve been asked this several times and my answer would be, “it depends”. If you expect to arrive in Opon, Mactan and able to get a jeepney right away that will take you to the airport then you are wrong. You need to walk several meters which might be a problem if you aren’t traveling light and ask people for the jeepney that will take you to Marina Mall. From Manila Mall, ask people for Save More where the terminal for yellow cab is located that will take you to the airport for only 7.50 pesos.

Bon Voyage!

Retire by the Sea – SeaFront Property For Sale

How would you like to retire by the beach someday where you wake up to a nice view of sunrise and the sound of the sea lulling you to sleep at night?

If yes, you might want to invest in this property located in Catmon, a small town about 1.5 hours bus ride away from Cebu, Philipines. It’s an 800 square meter seafront land, has 4 nice houses, 1 not so nice house and 1 unfinished house. It also has a swimming pool which needs thorough cleaning at the moment.

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The 4 finished Houses

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Looking out to the sea

Current price is set at 10 Million pesos (about 167,000 EURO / 222,222 USD) and considering that price tag in Cebu market for seafront property is around 10,000 pesos PER SQUARE METER, I’d say that this is a very good price already.

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The pool

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Even the ant likes the place a lot

I’ve had a few people who wanted to look at it already but then again, nothing is really settled if contract has not been signed yet. So for inquiries, please feel free to contact me.

Direct buyers only.  Please note that per Philippine law, foreigners cannot own this property so you’ll have to have a Filipino connection like a Filipino wife perhaps.  Someone that you can trust with your life.