First Night in Cebu City Felt Like Home | TOPS Cebu City

It's our first night in Cebu. It was Friday night. I hadn’t really slept much. Just a quick nap on the one-hour flight from Manila. Still, the excitement of being in a new city with Gabbie, together with Clara and Kim kept me going.

After dropping by SM City Cebu, we went to @indayclara’s place to freshen up and settle our things before heading out for dinner. Clara was such a wonderful host right from the start. She made sure we were comfortable, gave us tips about the area, gave me a spare key, and even reminded me to bring a jacket for the chilly night ahead at TOPS. Her thoughtfulness really made me feel at home.

That evening, we were supposed to meet @ybanezkim26. I wasn’t sure if it would push through since Clara mentioned he also had work that night. I had work too, but I made sure to finish my tasks before the trip so I could make the most of my stay in Cebu. I only needed to upload a few articles after dinner, so I didn’t mind going out at all.

To my surprise, just as we were about to leave, Kim arrived with his backpack. I assumed he’d be balancing work while joining us, which made me appreciate his presence even more. He could’ve waited until the next day, but he still showed up despite having work to do. That meant a lot.

I’d been looking forward to finally meeting him after all our Hive PH Discord and Hive interactions, and seeing him in person made me genuinely happy! It’s always different when you finally meet someone face-to-face, yknow!

Our plan that night was to go to TOPS. TOPS is one of the iconic places in Cebu City where you can see the whole city in its magnificence. Clara reminded me to bring a jacket since it gets chilly on the mountaintop, and I was grateful for that because I easily get cold.

We started walking around Clara’s neighborhood near IT Park, which was filled with cafes and restaurants, before lining up for the bus to TOPS. I tried to familiarize myself with the neighborhood in case I needed to get around on my own.

When we reached the bus stop, there was already a queue. Clara and Kim, being the most considerate tour guides, suggested that we explore Sugbo Mercado while waiting. It was perfect since we were also thirsty. Kim grabbed some takoyaki while the rest of us looked for drinks. By the time we returned, we're the next ones to ride the bus. But before we could get in, the conductor told us that food and drinks weren’t allowed inside. We had to hurry and finish everything right there 😂

When we entered the bus, we prepared our fares. I don’t quite remember how much it was, but the fee already included our entrance tickets to TOPS.

The ride up reminded me of going to Baguio because of the roads and cool mountain air. As soon as we got off the bus, I felt the cold breeze. It was January, so the chill was already there, and being on a mountaintop made it even more refreshing.

We showed our tickets at the entrance and went in. The place was crowded, probably because it was Sinulog season and there were many tourists in Cebu. Still, the view was amazing. It was breathtaking to see Cebu City from above at night. I couldn’t help but imagine how stunning it must look during sunset.

_{view from the TOPS}

After taking pictures, we started looking for a restaurant or café where we could have dinner and hopefully find WiFi for Kim since he was working. Unfortunately, none of the places there had WiFi, and the signal was pretty weak too. I couldn’t even connect properly to my mobile data.

We ended up at Queens Pizza for dinner since most of the restaurants were full, and luckily they still had a table for us. We ordered pizza, spaghetti, and soup.

Then, we moved to 10 Dove Street Confectionery for coffee. The place offered so many pastries and drinks, but since we’d just eaten, we skipped the pastries and only got coffee. Kim and Clara found us a nice spot upstairs. At first, we stayed indoors, but later decided to move outside because the view was better there.

_{10 Dove Street Confectionery}

Kim set up his laptop and worked while still chatting with us in between. It was such a joy to finally meet him in person after knowing him only online. Talking to him felt so natural, like we’d been friends for years even though it was our very first time meeting in person. He never seemed to run out of stories to share. One moment we were talking about Hive, the next about life in Cebu, then suddenly about travels, food, and random little things. The flow of conversation just kept going.

_{view of the TOPS from 10 Dove Street Confectionery}

By around 11 PM, we decided to head back. Kim still had work to do, and I needed to upload some articles for work before I could call it a night.

Looking back, I’m so glad we were able to maximize our very first day in Cebu. Meeting Kim in person, feeling Clara’s warm hospitality, exploring the city, and experiencing TOPS made the day feel so full and worth it. It was the perfect start to our trip, and I couldn’t have asked for a better beginning.

More of our Cebu trip stories soon!

If you made it this far, thanks for your time 💓