Our Trip to Cebu – Part 2: Strolling Around Ayala Malls and SM City

Hey, Hivers! It's me, makiyumee! Finally, it's time for part 2 of our trip to Cebu! Did you wait that long? I hope not. Well, I'm finally here and I hope you are all doing well today. So, here it is. Let's dive into our new blog for today.

After we went to Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu, my mother told us that before we eat lunch, she wants to visit her cousin who was working in Cebu. We all agreed, and the next thing happened was that we walked towards the place where my aunt works. It wasn't a long walk since there was a shortcut and withing about 30 minutes, we arrived at the GMC building where my aunt's workplace is located.

My mother tried to call my aunt just to check if she was around, but she didn't answer the call and it said that she couldn't be reached. We waited outside the building as my mother continued to call my aunt, until my uncle, which was my aunt's older brother, called my mother saying that my aunt wasn't at work. I later learned that my aunt was in the hospital for a check-up after getting a fever which was still going on for almost a week.

My mother thanked my uncle for calling before she told us that it was time for us to go and find a good place to eat our lunch. We walked again back to Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño de Cebu and we waited for a jeep there. My younger sister decided that we should go to Ayala Malls since she missed eating the foods sold at the restaurants there and so we did.

Our real adventure started when the jeepney took us to Ayala Malls. As we stepped inside, the mall's elegant, modern architecture welcomed us and gave the impression that we were visiting an extravagant hotel rather than a shopping center. We were greeted by a refreshing breeze and brilliant lights as we made our way through the expansive, well-kept hallways, eager to take in everything that this magnificent destination had to offer.

To be honest, the interior design of Ayala Malls captivated me the moment I walked in as a child. I was certain that I had entered a huge, expansive hotel just by taking in my surroundings. In my impression as a little child, the room seemed enormous and expensive. However, as I got older, I eventually understood that what I had mistaken for a luxurious hotel was really only an elegant mall.

While walking around, my younger sister spotted her favorite dessert which was IlaoIlao (If I'm not mistaken, they say this is pronounced as 'Yaw yaw since this is a Spanish name and the double 'L' is pronounced as 'Y') and this one sell frozen yogurts along with various toppings and sauces that you can choose from.

We chose Sanum and selected the petit cup since we still had to eat lunch, and this was only just to cure our raging stomachs after the travel and all the walking. I chose mango and strawberry that time since the petit cup only offers two fruits and when I got my order, I was mesmerized and surprised because of how tasty it was. The yogurt wasn't too sour or too sweet, it was just perfect and the way the fruits blended with the Nutella sauce was such a chef's kiss.

After walking around, buying a few things and some clothes here and there, we finally got to their food court where we ate our lunch. My sister was craving for kimbap and so she ordered one for herself. We ate out lunch while planning about our next destination and commenting how the food tasted so good in our hungry mouths.

Lunch was done and we found ourselves later on walking around the top floor until we arrived at the new wing roof deck of Ayala Malls. We sat on the benches and relaxed as we enjoyed the view at the top before deciding to go down.

This time, it was my mother's request to visit SM City and that was our next destination. We got into the escalator going down to the ground floor and exited the building before hiring a jeep to SM City. It wasn't a long trip and when we arrived, the first store that we went to was National Bookstore since my younger sister also wanted to buy herself some school supplies before classes starts.

I bought a few things and so did my mother before we went to Miniso. My sister really likes Miniso and she always comes here everytime we visit Cebu. She just can't get enough while looking at the cute plushies and other adorable products that the store offers. I took a look around but nothing seems to pique my interest, so I waited for her outside where a stall of Dunkin Donuts had just made me hungry just by looking at it.

I bought myself their famous doughnut munchkins while I waited for my sister to exit Miniso. When she was done, she got out of the store and went closer to me before taking some of my munchkins. We ate in silence while waiting for our parents who were still looking at some clothes on sale at Penshoppe that time.

Soon, when everyone had gathered, it was finally time for us to head home. It was already pass 4 pm when we arrived at the bus terminal and after we got our tickets and boarded the bus, I found myself feeling the tiredness and fatigue after walking around from place to another place for the entire day. My eyes slowly dropped until I fell asleep on the bus beside my younger sister.

And that would be all for this blog. I hope you had fun reading about my trip to Cebu with my family. Do you go to trips with your family too? Even if it is tiring by the end of the day, it's still fun and enjoyable, right? Once again, this is makiyumee and see you all on my next blog, everyone!