<h1> Are You Cebuano Enough? </h1>

So you have this "I ♥ Cebu" tee. You've eaten dried mangoes and visited the Magellan's Cross a million times. But did you know in exactly which places in Cebu you can see Rizal's clothings or the original KKK flag? Perhaps you did. But for me, I've only learned it last May 25, 2012.

My journey for the Gabii sa Kabilin started at around 7:00 PM due to some work in the office that just can't be left behind. (I hope next year they can do it in a weekend so I can have more time, but oh well.) I met up with three of my friends and we started out in the museum at the University of San Carlos. It was astonishing to see some Japanese ceramic displays as well  as preserved animals and ancient gadgets such as the spear, bolos, bows and arrows. It was also my first time to see a burial jar which I've only seen in text books.

After that, we had to ride a jeep going to the Cathedral church since there was no bus for us to ride. We had to walk a bit under the rain in going to the Cathedral museum since the jeepney driver said they can't go in further since the road was blocked. 

Upon seeing the museum and the Cathedral church in dim lights, the whole place seemed magical and almost like a free teleport ride to the historical times. With a traditional percussion band playing in the background, the historical ambiance was complete.

We went inside and saw ancient statues of saints but couldn't take take pictures since we were informed beforehand that it's not allowed. Perhaps it will ruin the statues. After the tour in the Cathedral museum, we moved on to the USPF museum.

What greeted us were three beautiful ladies in long gowns. We went further inside the museum and saw the original KKK flag. We were allowed to take a pic as long as we turned off the flash.

Further on, the ambiance was really merry as we saw people sitting and facing the stage with some cultural dancers. It was a really lively performance and again, I felt I was teleported back to a time when people enjoyed performances such as these during barrio fiestas instead of  those noisy and wild concerts.

We then went inside the Rizaliana museum where we saw some remnants of Rizal's clothings, as well as letters to Rizal from Josephine Bracken. After a while, we just went out since the guard suddenly asked us if we were already done. We then felt quite lost since we dunno where to go next. Fortunately, the people assigned there were very accommodating and very helpful in giving us directions towards Parian, which was just very near. Honestly, I'm not all too familiar in the Cebu City routes.

As we were nearing Parian, the atmosphere was lively since there were so many people. They were listening to someone explaining the history of the place. We then approached this big obelisk at the center of the road and came up on this QR code with some trivia about Colon street. I personally think that this is a good innovation on learning more about the historical sites of Cebu especially with the growing trend of smart phones and tablets.

We passed by the gigantic Heritage of Cebu Monument and then proceeded to the Yap Sandiego ancestral house. 

I was both amazed and in awe as I saw this really old house which is around 300 years old. I never thought I could actually see such a well-preserved antique house still standing amidst the fast-paced development of Cebu. We went inside and it was both exhilarating and exciting to step on the creaking stairs and wooden floors, with ushers dressed in traditional Filipino costumes. We were even greeted by Ofelia Sandiego who made us feel welcome in this house. There were even song and dance performances being done inside and outside the house.

We were fortunate enough to see two of the Sandiego dancers doing a fiery fire dance. It was my first time to see an actual dance and it was simply mesmerizing.

Since we were already running out of time, we decided to end our journey with a tartanilla ride. Again, another first time for me. It was exciting and it felt really good that for a change I was riding a tartanilla instead of a jeepney on an almost deserted street, with the air so cold. The ride was quite a bit short but it was still worth it. I just felt pity when I saw some horses with foams of saliva forming in their mouths. Perhaps they were too thirsty after a long day, I wouldn't know. 

Yes six hours was just really too short considering all the traveling that needs to be done during museum hopping. So next year, most probably I'll target those places I wasn't able to visit this year and plan my route very well. More places, more time, more fun. I'm expecting these things in the next year of the Gabii sa Kabilin.

Nevertheless, the whole experience made me feel more proud that I am a Cebuano. I think that living in this beautiful island will never be complete unless I am able to explore its beautiful history and heritage. I am thankful for all the people who are dedicated in preserving these ancestral inheritance for the future generations to see. I think that this makes one feel more worthy to wear the "I ♥ Cebu" tee.

This is an official entry to the 2012 Gabii sa Kabilin Blogging Contest.