I went to Cebu!

Hey Blog!

I know I said I was going to write about some things in Singapore, but since I’m on my way back from the Philippines I think it’s better if I write about this trip since it’s fresh. Long story short, I think this trip was one of my top favorites out of all my IBEA trips. As I've said, it’s hard to compare and I don’t really like using the word “favorite” for the different spots I go, but it was an all around amazing time. I was with three of my close girl friends in my cohort and we stayed in Moalboal on Cebu island. It was such a local experience for the majority of the trip, which we all agreed made it so much more fun. In some countries it’s really hard to get out of the touristy places that are crowded with so many people, but in this part of the Philippines we barely saw foreigners until our last night there. We got to see their real lives, talk to locals, use local transportation (only tuk tuks and motorcycles in Moalboal unless you organize a driver ahead of time), and eat food made there. There’s dogs, ducks, goats, cows, cats, chickens, and lizards everywhere, and there’s also the prettiest water and sunsets I’ve ever seen in my life. 

Our travel there was pretty long because we had a layover in Manila, and then our second flight got us to Cebu. We left from Singapore in the middle of the night, so we went almost 2 days with no sleep. When we arrived at our hostel, we took a tuk tuk ride to “white beach” and then got taken on motor bikes home which was definitely an exhilarating experience zooming around the Philippines at night on their motorbikes.

Me getting into our ride on day 2!

View from dinner

During our drive to Cebu City

On our first full day we woke up at 3:30 and saw the sunrise, swam with whale sharks, had a local lunch by the water, got boated to an island that was basically untouched, and hiked to a waterfall area. This day was probably the most “touristy” we had, but it was still authentic and not very commercialized. Swimming with the whale sharks was a crazy experience and probably one of the coolest things I’ve gotten to do. We were taken on a bamboo boat far from the shore, and the whale sharks were all around us. We got to film some of it with a go pro!! 

Waterfall hike!

On the next day, we found a cool area and got a tuk tuk ride to the water where we then got on a boat with two Filipinos who took us “island hopping.” The best part was that it was just us and them on their own boat, and we got to snorkel, swim with sardines (kind of freaky), and also see two sea turtles!! After that, we got some food and got to try their massage services for a really cheap price. We explored a lot and ended the night at the pool. **Also Tessa and I did an outside workout which was probably the hottest workout I've ever done, but I needed to keep it up because my half marathon is in a week!!

One of our boats

Snorkel trip :) Loved traveling with this group!!!!!!

On day three, we had the morning in Moalboal, and then headed to a super local beach area on the way to Cebu City. We spent time at that beach for a few hours and were the only tourists there. They played music and there were so many locals hanging out and having fun. It was a vibe to be there and watch. Our driver had suggested this beach as it was clean, tucked away, with a pretty view of the mountains in the back. After that, we experienced a pretty chaotic ride to Cebu City (almost 3 hours in the car) through so many different areas. There’s not really rules driving, and drivers basically honk for every reason imaginable, but mostly to let someone know that they're about to pass them. The driving style made me nervous for about an hour on my Bali trip, but after that I didn’t feel phased by it anymore- you just have to trust the driver and have fun people watching. We went through insanely crowded areas and finally arrived at our last hostel. We got a big dinner there which was needed from the busy day, and we then hung out in the upstairs area of the hostel. We sang and danced for hours with locals and other travelers from all over the world. This was definitely a core memory and I felt like I was in the Mamma Mia movies. Everyone was so outgoing and fun, and we had good conversations with a lot of them. 

The view from the back of a tuk tuk

The next morning (today) we got up early again to head to the airport. Feeling super sad that the trip is over but I loved the Philippines so much that I know this will be a spot that I go back to (and I want to hit other islands too). We have the same two flights back to Singapore, so I’m currently writing this on my first flight to Manila. Once we get to Manila, my friend and I have a 7 hour layover until our flight to Singapore, so her and I are planning to use that time to work on consulting. I have some work to catch up on before my team meeting tomorrow, and our big client meeting on Tuesday, and also some random things to get done. Back to reality. Overall, I can’t emphasize ENOUGH how happy I was there and how cool the whole experience was.

As an American, we’re spoiled which makes us take for granted a lot, and makes us have a lack of appreciation for simple things that we have. It’s humbling to visit places like the Philippines and see the reality that a lot of people face- it's really valuable. Your language is not the only language, neither is your religion, or your lifestyle- and it's also not the “right” way. Everyone comes from different backgrounds and (my take is) we need to get out of looking solely in our own “bubbles” that we live in. Although travel and firsthand exposure to these things is something I’ve been fortunate enough to have with this program, I think anyone can work to recognize these things through practicing mindfulness. We all think we’re open minded- but in reality we aren’t. We are very consumed in the way that we do things, and we are honestly self obsessed thinking that our problems and our worlds are the most important things. It’s refreshing to get perspective and realize that the small things stressing me out are honestly insignificant, and our time on this planet goes by so fast. When there’s people without shoes, sleeping on wooden planks, kids without any opportunity to go to school, and people working to just get food everyday, it’s a good reality check. I want to be remembered for my outlook on life and the way I treat people over the things that I accomplish, and especially what I have. So, to sum it up, I think the most important thing that travel has given me is perspective. 

Just a cool street

To end the blog, I wanted to give a quick shoutout to my dad/best friend because it’s his birthday today!!! I think one of the hardest parts about study abroad is being far for family celebrations and milestones. My sister’s birthday is coming up too, so I’m sad to miss both of theirs. But I'll be back soon to celebrate them!!

I appreciate you so much for reading!!!

With love, <3

Brigitte