Touring the Queen City with Cebu Trip

Inasmuch as I travel back and forth to Cebu every so often, and am very familiar with their food, I am admittedly ignorant about the culture and history of Cebu. So when Mr. S and my Make-up Artist friend Cay tagged along for Cebu's Sinulog festivities, I decided to tour them around town.

Not myself, exactly. I called Cebu Trip to take us around all the major destinations and touristy stops in Cebu city. I am, after all, a tourist myself.

EuroCruise 2010: Wine Tasting at Santo Winery, Santorini

After our walking trip to the town of Oia, our tour guide Arthur took us to Santo Winery for some Greek Wine tasting.

Located at the village of Pyrgos in Santorini, SantoWines sits at the edge of the Caldera. Hence, the awesome view!

I'm all for liquor consumption, and tasting the unique flavors of Santorini wine is more exciting because of the sulfur content in the soil due to the volcanic presence and the eruptions, giving their grape juice extra oomph.

Walking Carlos Celdran's Way

This week was ToT Tourguide Week. After the Holy week madness and much needed relaxation, it was back to more adventures in Manila to educate my US-born cousins of their own heritage aka Being "Pinoy". If you have relatives who live in the states and are first-gen Fil-American cousins, you know that self-identity is a major crux they have to deal with. Hell, even just 6 years of living in a foreign country makes you wonder if anyone else in the world understood what "being Filipino" meant.

So to acclimate my balikbayans (returning Filipinos) with their culture, as well as to brush up on my patriotism, I booked us on Carlos Celdran's Walk This Way tour of Historic Intramuros, better known as the Walled City of Manila back in the days.

The Best of Bohol

Finally after all the craziness that is life these past 2 weeks, I begin my tale that is my Bohol family trip. Bohol, the eponymous island known for the subliminal Chocolate Hills, is like the gift that keeps on giving. Not only are the hundreds of Kisses-like mountains a highlight, there are so many sights and activities for tourists local and foreign alike.

Bohol has been touted as the next best beach location next to Boracay, with Alona Beach as a baby version of White Beach. Located in the Visayas region, a plane ride from Manila takes you to Tagbilaran City, where the main tourist attractions lie. A 30 min. drive takes you to Panglao island where most of the beach resorts are.

(that would be me on the white sandy strip)

The sand is sugary white just like Bora, but with less bars and crazy Manila people who look like they're in Makati but in bikinis. Although we came during the habagat, or rainy season, its charm is still visible.

Of course, what would I do when placed on a beach, let alone clear blue water with beautiful visibility? Hello, I'll dive. The parentals, of course, did not realize my hidden agenda until I boarded the plane with my dive luggage in tow. I asked my friend, diving legend Gigi Santos, who is President GMA's dive instructor, for leads on who to trust in terms of diving; because the last thing I need is some seedy dive master who might try to sell me to the next fisherman.