Our Chaotic Family Trip to Cebu: A Weekly Diary
Our wild and crazy family trip is finally over! Let's dive into this weekly diary entry.
This time, our family vacation was to Cebu!
As soon as we arrived, we checked my parents into the resort because I am a Korean who like efficiency!
Then we applied for an early morning tour to make the most of our time.
Tour, let's go as soon as we arrive!
The driver was a friendly-looking middle-aged man.
Since it was an early morning departure, he even offered us blankets to sleep.
I thought, 'Oh, how sweet,' haha.
So, I closed my eyes to get some sleep.
And then...
The van carrying us suddenly roared to life and started speeding at an unbelievable pace.
Vrooooom~!!!!!
Did he have some kind of condition where he couldn't stand anything blocking his view?
He started lane-splitting through all the cars in front of us.
The driver's personal Street F1 race had begun!
We, who were toughened up by the infamous Busan taxi public transportation...
From that moment on, sleep was out of the question.
I was watching carefully, afraid I'd fall asleep forever under the blanket.
Despite it all, he avoided every stray dog and chicken in the road.
It was almost awe-inspiring...
According to Google Maps, it was a 4-hour drive, but we arrived in just 2 hours and 40 minutes!
Having risked our lives, we arrived in Oslob. What did we do there?
We took a small boat out and fulfilled one of my bucket list items:
Meeting whale sharks!
Swimming in the middle of the ocean and seeing such a massive creature right in front of my eyes was both amazing and strangely moving.
I somehow managed to take a photo with one.
It was harder than I thought to time the diving and photo-taking.
Gomu Gomu ~
Then, we went to Napaling Beach and saw tons of turtles and sardine swarms before passing out in the car.
Thanks to the lane-splitting skills of the Philippine Brad Pitt, we arrived back at our accommodation at 2 PM, while other tours were scheduled to arrive at 5 PM.
My arms and back were completely burnt.
Things you do when you travel:
Use as many towels as you want.
Make an ice cream with a body towel.
While walking down the street after leaving the resort, I saw a middle-aged Philippine Cha Eun-woo.
The Cha Eun-woo of 30 years from now.
What We Ate
I went to a mart near our accommodation and got a freshly made coconut shake from the food court.
It was sweet and creamy, quite delicious.
My picky younger sibling made a fuss about not wanting to try it, but after one sip, they bought two more in the largest size.
I fell in love with the Philippine BBQ and ate it every night.
It wasn't exactly bulgogi sauce, but it was sweet, savory, and had a smoky flavor – quite addictive!
I think I'll crave it sometime.
It was my mom's birthday, so we bought a cake and had a birthday party.
This purple cake is Ube cake!!
Ube is like taro or Korean sweet potato, and it's often used in Philippine desserts because of its sweet and savory aroma.
Especially Ube ice cream!
If you go to the Philippines, you have to try it.
Don't come back to Korea without trying it! T_T
Philippine sexy food, Halo-halo.
It's milk shaved ice topped with Ube ice cream, flan (like pudding), coconut, and grain toppings. So delicious! T_T
Halo-halo is a beautiful food.
It's also commonly sold in restaurants and fast-food chains (like Chowking), so it's fun to compare different versions.
I was hooked and ordered it everywhere I saw it.
You can't miss out on opportunities when traveling.
Next time I go to the Philippines, I want to go on a Halo-halo-themed food tour!
Jollibee, a famous Philippine chain.
It's famous for its chicken dishes.
I've always liked Piccolo from Dragon Ball, so I was drawn to the Jollibee antenna headband.
I went to eat late-night snacks and ordered the kids' meal.
When hairy adults buy the kids' meal, the staff kept asking if we were sure we ordered it.
It was a little embarrassing...
But that antenna is the point! I wish they had made it bigger.
Jollibee chicken and rice with extra gravy is a must.
There was a beach in front of the resort, so I woke up at 6 AM and ran straight into the water for a swim.
G-orgeous view ????
Wow, crystal clear! The water was so clear that my mind and body felt refreshed.
You could see the fish from above.
It felt like I became a cat watching an aquarium, floating around.
I floated around like this wearing snorkeling goggles.
I don't know what I was hoping to gain, but I went out in my swimsuit with a blurry mind.
In the end, my back got completely burned, and my mom scolded me and beat my back.
From the next day, I wore my mom's rash guard.
Even worse, only the parts where I sprayed sunscreen didn't get burned, so I had a dotted pattern...lol
Apply sunscreen evenly, guys....
Bohol Hopping Tour
I took a boat from Cebu to Bohol.
They said you have to go on a hopping tour when you come to the Philippines, so I booked one...
On the morning of the tour...
I whined, 'Can't we just rest at the hotel?' and dragged my total 'P' family out.
To all the 'J's who have passed me by, is this how you felt? I apologize.
When we went out on a boat like this, we encountered a pod of dolphins!!!!! ????
It was my first time seeing dolphins this close.
I took photos like an 8-ton truck with broken steering, about to crash into the dolphins.
Hehet, I'm a dolphin psycho!!!!
We arrived at a place called Balicasag.
Since snorkeling can be dangerous, each team gets a guide.
After seeing my physique built up from my YMCA baby sports days, he must have sensed something because he suddenly started challenging only me to diving.
To meet his expectations, I flapped around and stirred up a fuss, swallowing a lot of saltwater.
Hmph
There are so many turtles here that people call it 'dog-turtle' because there are more turtles than dogs.
So, meeting a turtle by chance is totally possible????
I was floating around, spying on the turtles, when suddenly one pooped right in front of me...
Was it an expression of affection? Like, 'You're mine'?
We swam around and played, and in the end, we played drinking games on the boat with the guides.
I ended up so exhausted that I passed out in my room.
We played drinking games with this.
The taste was surprisingly smooth considering the alcohol content, so I bought some at the mart.
Apparently, it's a rum that locals in the Cebu area enjoy drinking.
Other Scenery Pictures
Cebu Bohol
These are goods made from the famous Bohol tarsier. I took a picture because it was creepy and funny to see only the eyeballs like that.
Jesus sealed on a stick.
When you get in a car, the drivers customize these sticks and put Jesus on them.
I liked it so much that I wanted to take it.
I found a grandma selling seashells while walking along Alona Beach. so beautiful!!
As a trash collector in my room, I couldn't resist.
I was possessed by Bonobono and bought it!!!
Like this, another pretty piece of trash has been added to my room ^_^
Tanning Kitty who traveled with me this time.
Tanning Mamel.
Tanning Cinnamoroll.
I worked hard to put them on top of every drink and take pictures.
But it was surprisingly hard to get the level right. I dropped them in the water while putting them on the cup lol
Suddenly, it rained and a rainbow appeared????
Then, it cleared up like this again.
It's like my mental state.
Is this Busan here??
I took a photo of a bridge that looked like Gwangandaegyo.
I always swear I'll never go again, but I stubbornly ended up coming on another family trip... A chaotic ending.
Everyone, have a good remaining holiday and let's walk together towards the inferno of November, a wasteland of holidays. ????♂️
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