Have you ever tried neglecting something that you never thought was special? It is there but you never give some time to appreciate or even notice it because of the pressures and the stress that life is pushing unto you. Well, that’s what happens to me almost everyday. But, a few days ago, I was able to notice a beautiful scenery by traveling back in time.
How did I do it? Not by a time machine but through Ka Bino Guerero, a tourist guide who is still starting up his business.
We met up at 138 mall at 5:30pm, had a little orientation about what will happen during our walking tour. Ka Bino toured us, the Triennial Xchange Series 7 delegates, around Colon Street, Plaridel Streets, and other historical streets around Carbon Market.
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| Ka Bino with the Triennial Xchange delegates |
By standing on one place for minutes, you can slowly see the how silence of the streets turn into a feisty one. Noise increases, hues of lights becomes livelier, and there’s more influx of people.
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| the delicious, mouth watering fruits sold at Carbon Market |
Walking around these streets at night immerses you with the people from different walks of life, the businessmen, buyersm, beggars, and the like. Your senses will come alive too. You can see the dancing color of the lights in the stalls, hear the rhythm of the people’s steps and the jeepneys beeping. You can smell the mouth watering aroma of the special Cebuano delicacies, and can also observe the trading going on in different business establishments.
It’s like traveling back to the time before the Second World War when our country was not that influenced by other colonizers.
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| Carbon Market, a heart of business activity in Cebu City |
It was indeed an informative and eye-opening tour. I saw and acknowledged the Lu Ym buiding where the first revolving restaurant in Cebu City was built, but it was burned for some reasons. I had a chance to notice the Teatro Oriente, which I thought was just a movie house for bad rated films, but was one of the most visited movie houses before.
I came to know the first-3D movie house in Cebu, the Ultra Vistarama, wherein chairs shake at the climax of the film (that was according to Ka Bino). I also noticed the Vision Theatre. I never thought that it was the center of art during the old times because the building was not preserved and it looks like it’s privately owned. I really felt bad that the government has not done anything to preserve historical buildings such as these.
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| the once beautiful center of art, Vision Theatre |
We toured around Tabo sa Banay, wherein the cheapest fashion clothes are brought, and prices are negotiable. We went to Carbon Market; the rendezvous of the upland people and the downtown men.
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| Tabo sa Banay |
Sidewalk vendors are ubiquitous in Colon Street. These vendors know that selling in the streets are illegal but they don’t have a choice because it is one of, and sometimes their only, source of income.
Before we bid farewell, we ate dinner at Visayan Restaurant, a famous Chinese restaurant during old times, and is still visited by its customers.
I really had a nice time during the tour, and the feeling made me want to share the knowledge that I have learned to other people. I want to let the whole world know how rich the Filipino Culture is and tell them that traveling back in time is possible.
You can contact Ka Bino at 0919 380 5853.
credits to Vernon Joseph Go for the pictures. Visit his site at vernongo.com.
