Wrapping up "February Surprise" with Cebu-Siquijor Getaway

It took me a while to write this, for I've been denying the whole ordeal that one by one my close friends are leaving. Although I'm starting to get the hang of being left behind, but this time she's a dear love-hate friend of mine- TANTAN and this parting is something raw to me.

AirAsia have seats on sale to Cebu, and 11 of us immediately signed in! And we remember our Siquijor getaway plan during the last dinner out we had at Circa 1850. So, we are officially bound for Siquijor via Cebu! Although February was a rather hectic month for most of us (especially me), we still managed to crouch this much needed breather. The destination is the "Island of Fire" (Isla del Fuego)- Siquijor. Well, the island is not entirely foreign for all of us because Nina regularly visits her relatives in the island, and much to our surprise, their family is prominent in island province where we get free passes just because we are their family's guest (and we superliked the perks).

Back at work, Everybody have already said their goodbyes to Tantan. I haven't yet, not now but soon I will, I will really have to (or maybe I don't have to just- 'til we meet again). Oh! How I hate goodbyes! I joke around the "goodbye" (I jokingly challenged everybody to make #babyeTANTANbabye trend in social media), but still its a bitter reality that we all have to say goodbye. Someone will have to do it first; if not now, soon.

There were changes to the previous booking that we had in AirAsia that we are leaving for Cebu 2 hours earlier due to operational requirements (what?!? but whatever that is I have learned a little lesson not to book future flights with Airasia). The changes means that we either lose the seat or leave early for work, and we can't lose that seat! We have to make it to that flight! With some wooing and some eye-twinkling, we managed to get our Supervisor's permission for an early out with of course the support from the entire OR (because we are banking on the story that this is Tantan's despidida, although partly but not entirely).

It's just Thursday, and flyday is a little early for us. I have imagined this day that I will be rushing to check in counters, walking long distances between terminals with heavy bags, so I decided that it's a sneaker-and-square-shorts kinda airport travel. 

But we managed to arrive in Cebu smoothly, and so this is what my shirt screams of- ADVENTURE TIME! But not yet, we still have to look for that place we intend to stay. And have I emphasized it correctly? we still have to look... good thing I'm with this comfortable walking shoes because the walking never stopped even after settling in the place for we still have to look for the famed Casa Verde of Cebu famous for its Baby Back Ribs, we walked many many blocks.

Although we were so famished (while looking and walking for Casa Verde, and some sightseeing), we were still able to have groufies taken in One Mango, and we don't look like we are! right? (just look at that I-don't-know-I-am-being-photographed pose there).

And the walking never stopped, until we found the place, Alas! Watta relief!

And what to order was an easy question, we ALL ordered the same- Baby Back Ribs. We wanted to try something new, but we can no longer think of anything else other that filling our stomach with whatever there is (that we almost forgot to take pictures with the food. So, we had this picture taken while we were eating (just that brink pause then back devouring the food again).

After the meal, everybody's excited to stroll Cebu and perhaps do some extreme adventure with Sky Experience. I hesitated joining the group. First, because I tried it before with my ex and it may bring memories back. Then second, is I am not sure if I can trust myself again to do it. Instead of doing that I can opt to save the money and buy myself new 21Men clothes (hahaha... which I will do of course before heading back to CDO). But the exuberance of my friends pushed me to join the fun. I went skywalking for the second time on the country's first Skywalk Extreme around the outer rim of the 37th floor of 40-storey high Crown Regency Hotel and Towers (the tallest hotel tower in PH) with my friends. I made new memories out of the same experience. 

And we all conquered the fear. We were all given a certificate of bravery! Thank God! 

The view above is so picturesque that everybody is busy taking selfies, striking poses and capturing sights, the place made me feel so alone in the midst of the crowd making me like a "stranger in my own life" (Sheryl Crow's Everyday is a Winding Road). The place has that romantic feel that you would want someone else's fingers between yours. I miss him but I don't want him to be that person to fill my longing now. The world has that all kinds of love. He maybe my first love, and for awhile I thought he is my only, my greatest love. But there all kinds of love in this world but never the same twice (F. Scott Fitzgerald), and I'm just too excited for the next love, for another love, maybe this time real and forever love, and I will never have to look for another kind of love again, ever!