Welcome to Cebu (Philippines -an archiepelago of over 7,000 islands)
Let me take you for a tour!!!
| For those who've
been following my blog on a Sailing trip from Vancouver to
Alaska, here is a bit of where it all started. I come
from the island of Cebu. In my youth, I've travelled by
boat to the different islands of the Philippines including
Leyte, Luzon and many unnamed small islets. My husband came from the island of
Grenada. In his youth, he's been to several islands in the
Caribbean, including Antigua, Trinidad, Grenada. Today, as a couple, the two of us continue our sailing adventures exploring the British Columbia coast every summer. We made a 3-month trip by sailboat from Vancouver to Alaska, and still dream to make a trip from Vancouver to Mexico. |
To go directly to the Sailing to
Alaska blog, click the icon below.
|
| Posted January 22, 2009 Part of the fascination towards blogs has always been with the author. Who is the author? What is his/her background? What propels the writing? What angle or perspective does he/she have? Here's some entertaining information about where I come from. Cebu, Philippines, where the Portuguese Maritime explorer Ferdinand Magellan first landed in 1521, below is a quick retelling of our history in song (English) or Pinglish. For those unfamiliar with the history, Ferdinand Magellan was killed in the Battle of Mactan by Lapulapu, a Philippines' native who became the country's first national hero for resisting foreign rule. ENJOY! |
|
 The
story of Cebu began when Ferdinand Magellan, the Portuguese
maritime explorer, and the
first European to lead an expedition across the Pacific Ocean
landed in Mactan, Cebu.
Under the service of the Spanish Crown, his primary mission was
to find a westward route to the Spice Islands of Indonesia, and
to spread Christianity.Magellan was the first man in history who has successfully circumnavigated the globe, but he did not complete the voyage, because he was killed in April 27, 1521 during the Battle of Mactan. Lapulapu, the tribal chief who killed him became Philippine's first national hero, for defending the island territory. At the time of Magellan's landing, the archipelago of the Philippines, was unknown to the western world, even though Chinese and Arab traders had long established commerce within the archipelago centuries earlier. With Magellan's discovery, Philippines became a Spanish colony for the next 400 years and an American colony for another 50 years before it gained its independence in 1946. The site where Magellan planted his CROSS is now enshrined and marked as a tourist attraction. Magellan was successful in establishing Christianity in the Philipppines, which is now predominantly Christian Catholic. See the historical enactment of Magellan's landing in Mactan, Cebu on the Youtube video below: |
 |
|
 Today, Cebu is the site of Sinulog Festival, in celebration of the patron saint, Santo Nino. With beautiful beaches, friendly people, inexpensive hotels, it is easy to understand why Cebu is a great tourist attraction. |
|
Philippines is a melting
pot of different cultures. Its basic stock of Malay and
Indonesian heritage, mingled with Spanish conquistadors, American
soldiers, Chinese, Indian and Arab traders produced a race of
beautiful men and women. Here is a welcome message from the Mayor of Cebu: |
|
