It was a challenging weekend – three consecutive mornings spent in three different airports, in three different cities. This is the upside and the downside of business trips. They come for free but expect less or no sightseeing in the itinerary.
I was going back to two southern cities — Cebu and Cagayan de Oro — and it’s a challenge to write something new when I have little time to explore these cities more.
On a Friday dusk, I was already at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminal 3 for a domestic flight. With a senior officemate and her son, we headed to Cebu for a press conference.
Upon arrival, we went straight to the Cebu City Sports Club, which was within the Cebu Business Park. The club was spacious, with various function rooms, a café that could compete with hotels, overlooking an enticing pool area. Although some parts were under renovation, the club still had enough space for their waiting area in the lobby. I haven’t explored the club much but I would love to go back there someday and see what else it can offer.
Right after the press launch, we crossed Ayala Center and walked towards our hotel, the Diamond Suites and Residences found at the corner of Escario and Apitong Streets.
The 102-room hotel has a small lobby and restaurant but enough to accommodate their guests. There were also function rooms for meetings. My twin-bed room was spacious, though no view from the window. There was free internet connection but for some reason, I couldn’t get through it, so the hotel staff graciously connected me to a LAN. The toilet and bathroom were clean and modern. Overall, Diamond Suites and Residences is a comfortable option to stay for a night.
A stone’s throw away from Ayala Center Cebu, I kept on walking back and forth between the mall and the hotel, shopping, meeting friends, and dining at the mall. My last trip to Cebu was two years ago but I haven’t been to this mall for quite some time. It has improved a lot, with terraces, gardens and new shops; providing a great indoor-outdoor experience for mall goers.
The day after, we flew to Cagayan de Oro for a supposed agreement signing. The flight was smooth with the good weather, giving us a beautiful view of Camiguin island. Our COO, who picked us up at the airport, toured us to our new housing site in Indahag. It was quite a distance from the main city but the location was on a higher ground with an overlooking view of the rest of CDO.
We were billeted at Prawn House and Restaurant, a small inn just behind the SM Mall and near our Calaanan site. What used to have only one quadruplex had several houses upon our return. Not only that, there were also several volunteers working in the area when we came back.
The afternoon was spent in a meeting at the Xavier University and touring the campus grounds. It was a cool university at the center of the city. A step beyond its gates was already the famed Divisoria, which consisted of stalls and street food. The downtown area had narrow streets which were vulnerable to traffic.
The day after, we were on our way back to Manila. But the weekend wasn’t over. I met up with my fellow finalists in the Medblog Contest of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Nellie Huang, with her husband Alberto Molero, of Wild Junket, arrived in the Philippines and I met up with them at the Manila Hotel. While waiting with contest winner Ivan Henares of Ivan About Town, we chatted under the bright chandeliers of the hotel’s expansive lobby.
We had a late dinner at Dampa along Macapagal Highway wherein we bought fresh seafood at the market and had them cooked the way we wanted them cooked at a nearby restaurant. The food was pretty expensive but the night was saved by great company and the filling dinner, especially the adobong pusit (marinated squid cooked in fish sauce and vinegar).
The weekend came by fast and before I knew it, the trip was over. Days cooped in my cubicle awaited me as another week unfold.