On our way back to Cebu, we stopped by the town of Carcar where we first visited the Carcar Dispensary. Today, it's a small museum that's open to the public.
Don Mariano was a really prominent figure in Carcar's history. He was the first mayor of Carcar and was then named the "Father of Carcar"
One of the best examples of American architecture in the Philippines.
From the balcony on the second floor you could see the P. Del Corro Building which is another lovely old building. We didn't go in though.
Most colorful glass windows I've seen on an old Filipino home.
Next was the Church of St. Catherine de Alexandria which was still being restored.
We went in through the side and took a quick walk around.
Beautiful ceiling ornaments.
This old school is one of the first examples of Gabaldon architecture in the Philippines. We didn't take it up in school so I don't really know what made it Gabaldon.
The monument of Leon Kilat who was another historical figure in Carcar. He said Cebu in the revolt against the Spanish regime.
Then we proceeded to take a walk around the neighborhood of old houses. This mint green one is the famous Mercado Mansion! :)
Next is Dakong Balay.
We got to go inside and look around.
It's almost haunting but oddly comforting.
More old houses.
Afterwards, we went on back to Cebu to cap off the long day.
We stopped by the Basilica de Santo Nino once we got back to Cebu.
The last time I was here, the facade was still being repaired from the big earthquake. It was actually pretty cool visiting this place around sunset.
Sad blurry shot. My Fujifilm X-A2 gave out on me during Carcar so my photos here are particularly grainy or blurry.
The small area at the end is where the Santo Nino is kept.
We joined the queue to the Santo Nino and waited around 30 minutes. It was pretty surreal seeing people pray in different ways to the Santo Nino.
We went to dinner afterwards and ended the day since we had an early ferry ride to Bohol the next day. Stay tuned for more of my Cebu-Bohol travel series! :)
Philippines is my list of countries to visit and reading your review makes me want to plan a trip really soon. I love old architecture. There is so much of culture and feel in such buildings and places.
ReplyDeleteIs this an organized tour of historical places in Cebu? These places are not typical tourist sites, and I am very intrigued on how to join one of these tours.
ReplyDeleteYes this trip was organized by my college but we used Explore8 as our travel agency. You can contact them through Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/explore8/
DeleteTotally adore these old houses. There's a feel of our fore fathers that I get in such places. Bte that pic of ur shadow against the colorful window is juat spectacular!!
ReplyDeleteIt is highly important to visit places of historic value like this. Though, it might seem old in this 21st century of ours but the value can't be underestimated. Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteHad I known that there is such beauty in Car-car, me and my friends would have visited them. My experience in Car-car was not that great. We just went there to buy chicharon and then waited for a Cebu bus to pass by. It took us more than an hour to catch a ride and it's under scorching heat. :(
ReplyDeleteWill be seeing friends in Cebu next month, So excited! :D
ReplyDeleteOld houses give me the creeps but fascinates me at the same time. Cebu is the perfect place to tour houses that would take you back in time. It's amazing!
ReplyDeleteWow, Santo Nino is beautiful. I could feel and see the vibes! It's so cool! It might be a quick walkthrough but definitely a meaningful one!
ReplyDeleteHappy small city with heritage! I loved the pics.
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