Biking In Cebu

From Hong Kong we flew to Cebu, which is a major port in the Philippines. It is the location of Bigfoot's film school. It is famous for the spot where Magellan, nearing the finish of his circumnavigation of the globe, was killed. He was killed by a tribe led by Lapu Lapu, for whom the city is named. Magellan was killed in 1521; in the 1800s Spain, which still owned the Philippines, erected a monument. After the Philippines were freed from the Spanish (courtesy of Uncle Sam), the Philippinos erected a statue of Lapu Lapu, right next to Magellan's monument!

The contrast between Hong Kong and Lapu Lapu is staggering. Hong Kong is fabulously wealthy; the poverty of Cebu was evident, but the people warm and friendly ... and they love Americans.

Showing us that she is quite at home in Cebu, Ashley asked if we'd like to "bike" up a small mountain. We put on our athletic gear looking forward to the workout. Wrong! She took us to a corner of town where she rented motorcycle taxis for us - and off we went. We really appreciated her taking time from her Sunday, which is her only day off each week. She was a great hostess. We would have been overwhelmed by the "taxi" drivers with no idea where to go nor how much to pay, if it weren't for her and her boyfriend, J.P.