I can hear the flight attendant announce "MABUHAY" which means welcome. We are finally here. After spending 19hr. in the plane it was nice to be on the ground again. I looked at my watch and it was 10:30 a.m., April 3. The temperature was 33 degrees. April marks the beginning of summer, it means it will be hot and dry for the next month (It's just what we wanted).

The house is 10 min from the airport. Planes fly low and buzz over roof tops. We will be staying with my brother's family for the next three and a half weeks. We arrived at the house, had lunch, showered, visited our relatives and gave them their presents (a must when visiting). Around 3:30 we headed for the beach -white sand with clear blue water and palm trees everywhere. We were both in awe. It was beautiful, and we both wanted to stay there forever. Chris and I were like kids, racing towards the water. There we spent the next hour and a half swimming and snorkeling.

Our typical day started at 7:30 a.m.. Breakfast is not your typical toast and coffee. Our table is filled with different Cebuano sweet delicacies, as well as rice, sausages, fish, juices and tropical fruits. Since I'm on vacation I'm eating a bit of everything. As for Chris he still trying to figure out what's what.

Our first week we visited a few churches and cathedrals. (90 percent of Filipinos are Roman Catholic). Statues of saints are found on every wall with a huge marble cross at the center of the altar. You can smell the sweet scent of the tropical flowers, which adorns the altar. There was no mass at the time but the church was full of people praying.

We've been driving around for the past few days and I noticed that everyone honks their horn, jay walks and that there are hardly any traffic lights. The streets have no lanes and no speed limits. And one more thing, no one wears a seatbelt. They didn't seem to be any rules. One time we were on the highway and someone was riding their bicycle on the shoulder of the road. Exhaust fumes mixed with heat made breathing difficult. Traffic is a big problem, the roads are so narrow and there are too many vehicles from cars, oil tankers, cyclist and bikers. (Drivers biggest nightmare -not a place for me to learn how to drive).

We packed our lunch and went island hopping. We rented a "banka", shaped like a canoe but 5 times the size with a canopy and an engine. It cost about $65 US for the whole day. There were at least 30 of us aboard mostly kids. It's not mandatory to have life jackets on board. And this one does not have any; at least I didn't see any. (I'm a little nervous). The scenery put me at ease however. The ocean had those peculiar shades of blue and green, how relaxing.

The following day we decided to go grocery shopping at the local market. It's 9:30 a.m. and it's already packed with vendors and shoppers. Haggling is very common here. You don't settle until you are satisfied with the price. You can buy a stereo system to live chickens, vegetables to fresh seafood (you get the picture). And across the market is a small computer center. It's full of kids chattin

Chris and a group of us went to have lunch in Mactan. It's located in the north part of the island. This place has a very interesting history. Mactan is where Portuguese explorer Magellan was killed by Filipino warrior Lapu-Lapu on April 15, 1521. Aside from its history Mactan is a place where fisherman sell their catch directly to the public. We selected the seafood we wanted, took it to a nearby restaurant where they asked us how we wanted it prepared. In a few short minutes it was returned to us sizzling hot and tasty. We had barbecued squid, fish soup, sushi, and lots of shrimp and shellfish.

On Good Friday, we witnessed a procession. Statues of saints are carried on carriages decorated with flowers and paraded around town. The people are behind it carrying candles singing. (A Spanish influenced tradition).

On Easter Sunday mass is at 4:30 a.m., why so early? Because Easter also means lets head for the beach. All families and friends gather to eat and enjoy the sand and sun. They have a saying there that " on Easter all roads leads to the beach." How true! The beach was packed.

I often enjoy my visit here in Cebu. Spending time and seeing my family and friends is worth the 19hr flight. It's one of those places that I will never get sick of visiting. The people are very nice and hospitable. Everything centres around the family and food. The country is beautiful and there are so many different things to do. As we are boarding our plane Chris and I are already planning and saving for our next visit.

Cebu is a beautiful island known throughout Asia for its white sand beaches. A place one never forgets. And for those of us who have visited know that every so often the sights and scents etched in my memory come to the surface and then I know it's time to return to the place I call home.