Coincidentally, Ironman Triathlon was happening in Cebu when we were there on holiday in August. This was unexpected. Due to the triathlon, there were many roadblocks in Cebu. On the third day of our trip, the road to the hotel was closed till 3pm. The only way out was to take a free boat ride to another jetty near Shangri-La Resort. However, we didn't book a private van with the hotel to bring us out of the area. We were stranded at the jetty, while we were trying to get a grab.

However, one of our friends managed to negotiate with a local who was driving a jeepney. A jeepney is the most popular means of public transportation in the Philippines. They are known for their crowded seating and loud decorations. The driver took us to a local "mall", Shangs Island Town Centre, which consisted of a supermarket, a Korean BBQ restaurant and some random shops. Thankfully, there was a spa, Gold Moon Spa, nearby. Some of us decided to go for a massage. The massage was average. Honestly, it can't be compared to Thai Massage.

We tried to call for Grab after the massage, and we were trying our luck to see if we would be able to get into the town area. Thankfully, the roads were opened again, and we went to Ayala Centre Cebu, one of the biggest shopping malls in Cebu. It's definitely one of the upscaled malls, as it had shops like H&M, Levis, Mango and etc. We had an early dinner at Gerry's Grill and did some window shopping.

After that, we went to Sugbo Mercado, a night market in Cebu. There was a lot of food available there. I would recommend that you go to the night market to try the food. As I ate a little too much Lechon, I was too full to try any food in the night market.

There were some restaurants around the night market as well. I was very much impressed by the architect of The Pyramid. The building looked like it was glowing in the dark. It's a very Instagram-able place. There were many dinners. If you would like to try the food there, go early or make a reservation.

In the end, we were chilling at Baguio Craft Brewery. We ordered some of their draft beer. Their fruit series was the best. Other than that, the live band was excellent. However, you may wish to bring mosquito repellent along. I got bitten a few times when I was sitting in a corner while sipping a beer.

That was pretty much how we spent our third day in Cebu. Plans were disrupted. Just going with the flow but we managed to get out of the hotel and had some fun.

Here’s a short vlog that summed up that day.

x, Esther

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