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Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:32 am
by Lachlan
Hi All

We've just come back from our family summer hols. We went to the Philippines, but instead of my wife's stomping ground of Manila/Cavite etc, this time we went off to Cebu, a large island half-way down the archipelago. We had a good time and the weather was mixed, raining at least once a day, but hey - I live in Oman, not known for high rainfall, so a bit of wet works for me ! Cebu was the first part of the Phils to be landed on by the Spanish, indeed Ferdinand Magellan was the first there in 1521. He was later killed by a local king, Lapu-Lapu. Cebu City boasts Colon Street, the oldest street in the Phils. Cebu also has various 16th Century Spanish churches and forts.

Here's a few of the pix we took during the holiday. I hope they're not boring !

Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:48 am
by Lachlan
Basilica de Santo Nino, just north of Cebu City. A popular pilgrimage site for Filipinos.

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Part of the ceiling of the basilica

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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:54 am
by Lachlan
Shoes off if you want to queue along the corridors and up the windy stairs to see and touch the statue of the Santo Nino, as my wife did. She got me envigled and I'm not even a Catholic ! :D

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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:55 am
by Lachlan
Cute wee cherub playing the flute outside this catholic basilica. Did the sculptor have a sense of humour or what ?

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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 6:59 am
by Lachlan
At the crocodile reserve outside the city. The Philippines is natural home to freshwater and saltwater crocs and just this week, one of the world's largest saltwater crocs was captured alive in one of the Philippine islands. There is even a larger one in the same stretch of water. This chap in the photo is a freshwater croc.

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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:06 am
by Lachlan
On top of Cebu City's 2 highest tower buildings, they have strung up a zipline high above the city streets. They also built this rooftop ride along the very perimeter edge of the tower which can be tilted to nearly 45 degrees, suspended high above the streets. The passengers can alter the angle of tilt. Lach and Hazel had a go on it and Lach tilted it full, much to Hazel's surprise !

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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:10 am
by Lachlan
Magellan's Cross. The cross is now in a protective casing, but the original inside was carried by Ferdinand Magellan and his party when they were the first Westerners to land in the Philippines in 1521. He was later killed in battle by local King Lapu-Lapu

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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:14 am
by Lachlan
One of Cebu's very nice resorts, Plantation Bay, on Mactan island. We didn't stay here as we were booked into a garden hotel in the city, but we did a recce. We hope to stay here next visit, hopefully Feb 2012

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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:19 am
by Lachlan
Sorry the photos are sometime chopped by the website ! I am using 700 wide pixels but sometimes doesn't load well, even though limit is 800 pixels.

Another view of Plantation Bay. It has many seawater lagoons and pools

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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:21 am
by Lachlan
Swim-up bar in one of the lagoons

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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:23 am
by Lachlan
Another view of some of the resort accommodation and sand-beached lagoons

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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:29 am
by Lachlan
On the island of Bohol, about 2 hours from Cebu on a fast-cat ferry, there are more old Spanish churches. The buttress on this old church bears generations of natural mould and rain-stained markings on the buttress wall behind us. If you look closely, you may see a face. Strangley, it resembles the photos of the old priest of the church who lived here in the 19th Century. Revered among the locals, this image on the wall is seen as a form of miracle. The worthies in this photo are a local friend Joy, niece Arlin, my wife Jasmin, daughter Hazel and me :D

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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:31 am
by Lachlan
While in Bohol, we went for a river trip on a floating restaurant on the Loboc river.

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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:34 am
by Lachlan
It may look like a scene from the Apocalypse Now movie, but this is further up the Loboc river.



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Re: Holiday Pix

PostPosted: Wed Sep 07, 2011 7:36 am
by Lachlan
Still further up the river. After all the dried up scenery of Oman, I love to see lots of greenery ! :D

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