While in the Cebu Marina we decided to visit most of the major tourist sites in and around Cebu City and Mactan Is.
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| Sunday at the Bascilica |
This included the magnificent Bascilica Minore del Santo Nino which was built in 1565. It has a checkered history as it burnt down 3 times before being rebuilt in it’s present form in 1737. It houses the much revered statuette of the Santo Nino. This image of Jesus as a child is said to have been given to King Humabon of Cebu and his family by the Magellan Expedition in 1521 when they and 800 of their subjects were baptised. It is the oldest religious relic in the country and is the subject of intense devotion and Religious Pilgrimages throughout the Visayas.
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| Magellan's Cross |
Nearby, a replica of Magellan’s Cross is housed in a stone rotunda which was built in 1841. This large wooden crucifix contains a few splinters from the original cross which Magellan planted on the shores of Cebu in 1521. There is a beautiful painting on the ceiling of the Magellan Expedition erecting the cross.
Fort San Pedro, the oldest Fort in the country, was also built in 1565 by Miguel Legazpi mainly to protect the Spanish Expedition and the city from invaders It has a beautiful well maintained walled gardens but the Fort itself crumbling away. The Fort has an interesting past as it once severed as a garrison, a rebel stronghold, a prison camp and a city zoo!
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| Fort San Pedro |
The Carbon Markets in the City were a sight to behold, but beware of your wallet! Like most outdoor markets it's a cacophony of activity, noise, aromas, pollution, chaos and people!
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| The Carbon Markets. Note the Wires!! |
We also visited the Punta Engano Peninsular and the Lapu Lapu Memorial Park on Mactan Is. This is where, in 1521 Magellan was fatally wounded with a spear and poisoned arrow while making his last stand against Chief Lapu Lapu in a ferocious battle. Magellan had befriended most of the other warrior chiefs but underestimated how well Lapu Lapu and his men would defend their island!
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| The Chieftan Lapu Lapu |
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| Magellan's Memorial |
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