Driving Along Cebu's SRP Road -- Photos

Taken near the midtown cebu intersection

Max speed 60kph?

The SRP near midtown Cebu

Driving Along Cebu’s SRP Road

This has been my longest stay in Cebu after 10 years of living in Manila. It’s been quite an experience for me, re-discovering my home island and appreciating its beauty now that I’m older (ehem) and wiser. We’ve lived in Talisay City since 1985. It wasn’t a city back then and I remembered my friends in high school not wanting to visit me at home because it was too far! As Cebu province and Cebu City progressed, the traffic congestion from Cebu City to Talisay could sometimes take more than an hour. Mind you, in Cebu where anywhere is 30 mins away, that’s totally far! And if you drive, good-luck! Because, its not just the volume of traffic you have to deal with but buses, motorcycles, v-hires, everything goes along N. Bacalso Ave, the only road that leads to the south of Cebu.

Now with the SRP (South Reclamation Project) Road, from the Carmen node (Talisay City portion of the SRP), my parents place is only a good 15min away from Cebu City! Amazing and you can run at more than 80kph! It’s really fast and it has changed the way we in Talisay City live. We can easily go home, have lunch and siesta, and be ready to “gimik”. That’s the beauty of Cebu, island lifestyle in a highly urban city.

In my early morning drive, I really love seeing the sun rising above the serene waters and birds flying about ... the Spanish looking building (relic) at Kawit Island really reminds you of Cebu’s rich history. And as you reach the midtown (mid-section of Cebu City), the City Gov’t has constructed a sort of viewing area with benches that one can drive through from the South going into Cebu City. My husband and I stopped by one lazy Sunday afternoon and just sat there mesmerized by the sea and the calm surrounding. Truly priceless considering its free!

And as the sun sets or in Cebuano we call it “kilum-kilum”, your drive will be transformed to that of seeing a city coming to life with lights lining up the city mountain slopes --- these are the lights coming from the private subdivisions and residential areas being developed by local and Manila-based real estate companies. Truly Cebu has attracted a lot of people coming from it’s neighbouring islands to settle in its sunny and bustling metropolis.

I promised myself I would take time to document the SRP as I see it now and share it with people who have been to Cebu, or are planning to visit or are like me, who have left the Queen City and re-discovering its beauty and charm. I will post my pics, and even if there might be other blogs who have published their stories about the SRP, mine is from the eyes of someone who has left and seen it with new eyes! Will post it before I fly back to Manila. Hope it will inspire people to come and visit Cebu.

Mrs Jane B.

Hanging Out in Cebu at the Prana Medi Spa, Club Ultima

I’ve written about my spa experience in Manila, and after being in Cebu for a time, I wanted to check out the spa scene in the Queen City of the South. Of course, there are a lot of spa’s in the city (you can have a 30 min foot massage for P50 at Thewi – near Dunkin Donuts at Fuente O), but I wanted to go to destination spas, pampering spas. I remembered my friend a couple of months ago showing me PRANA at the Club Ultima. The spa boasts of its wide array of spa services from foot, to body wraps, to facial treatments and even to its non-invasive slimming treatments! You have to check out their service menu as they have quite a lot to offer.

Being a Cebuano at heart, I wanted to try what Cebu can offer and with the booming spa business all over the country that is not only attracting the locals but foreign visitors as well – I’ve nothing to lose. So, off we went. I really suggest that one calls in first for appointment to make sure you have a ready therapist and have the courtesy to call as well if you’re running late. PRANA has high weekend traffic so if you’re late by 15min, you may have to re-sked within the day.

The spa is located at the 16th floor of the Crown Regency Hotel near Robinsons Cebu Fuente O. Upon entering the reception, you will be greeted by fushia clad women who will facilitate preparing you for the treatment. The receptionist gave us our locker and service no. The reception wasn’t that efficient and was a bit noisy for a spa – too many greeters, I think. My sis and I went to the locker rooms and prepared to go to the steam room prior to our full body massage treatment. A lady assisted us right away and ushered us into the steam room, which was huge and could possibly accommodate 25 ladies. Thing was since no one was using it, the room wasn’t heated up as desired ... so we decided to leave and switch to the dry sauna instead. And boy, the sauna was great! Well, very hot but relaxing! We had customary cold drinks and cold towels inside the sauna room.

Then we were ready for our Swedish massage! The strokes used by the therapist were really relaxing though more kneading-to-rolling strokes would have made the whole massage more fluid and would lull you to deeper sleep! He he he! After an hour, I felt refreshed and ready to go to Ayala Mall to meet up with my high school gal pals! I’ve always written how happy I am with the Suriya Spa – massage service and all, but from a scale of 1-10, Prana is a 7 at the right price! The spa could have improved their ambience with more aromatherapy within the spa lounge area and more relaxing music.

I still have 3 more weeks to go before going back to Manila, I’d probably have to try their SPA JET and Oxyjet facial treatments soon. Or I can hunt again for other spas in the Metro, too bad my hubby and his friends closed down their own medi spa in Cebu -- seems the spa scene is truly booming here!

Mrs Jane B.