The cemetery is beautifully located with impressive views over the lowlands to Laguna de Bay and towards the distant mountains. The area is so quiet and you can wander around and contemplate over the soldiers who lost their lives in the World War II. When you see all the headstones and the names it really calls for reflection over the madness of war.

Compared to the Manila Chinese Cemetery which was like a maze of different styles and colors this cemetery is strictly organized and minimalistic with the headstones in perfect order. They are aligned in 11 plots forming a generally circular pattern, set among masses of a wide variety of tropical trees and shrubbery.

Normally I used to deny the services of a guide. Who needs a guide when you have a smartphone and Google? But sometimes however, I have to admit that hiring a guide can be really useful. The Manila Chinese Cemetery is roughly 5.4 hectare. So it's a big area and it's like a maze in there so in order to find the highlights you might need some help. I was lucky to meet a guide who was nice and knowledgable and told me many good ​anecdotes about the cemetery. He charged me 600 PHP for one-hour walking tour. As an option you can also hire a bicycle (per hour P100) to get around the area.

Before the squatters climbed the fences to get in. Until the 1960:s, many families employed grave watchmen to stay at the mausoleums around the clock. But when the guards started bringing their families to live on the grounds, the practice was banned. Although the squatters no longer spend the nights at the cemetery, the caretakers and their families find it a nice place for a picnic, and even a nap. They stretch out on the cool marble floors or even on top of the crypts. 

 According to my guide, if the children died before their parents, they were not going to be buried together with the parents but separately at another place in the cemetery. But there were some cases of married men who happened to have had a mistress who was buried together with him and his wife in the same mausoleum! My guide showed me an even weirder example, where a married man and his mistress were dead and consequently they had been buried together. But the husband's wife was still alive and the wife had already got her designated resting place set up beside her husband and his mistress when the time was ready for her!

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Charisma Beach Resort have rooms from 450 PHP up to 2650 PHP. I was lucky to get the Standard Bamboo Cottage, the one and only cottage for just 1000 PHP without breakfast. There was no sea view but still it was a very good deal. The cottage was clean and spacious with a porch facing the pool. However there was no AC in the cottage but for me, that is not a deal breaker.  On the contrary I prefer a fan room. I am a believer of adjusting myself to the heat rather than fighting it.

The Standard Bamboo Cottage, located behind the bush. A fairly large pool good for swimming. The resto and reception area. ​Summary The location is good. The surroundings around the resort is quiet but still in the area of San Juan so it is near other establishments as restaurants, bars and shops. The room was nice and clean with a bed I can sleep in. No AC, just a fan. Private toilet and shower with cold water. But a private cottage for 1000 PHP and just  100 m from the beach, what could you expect? The super friendly hotel dog waiting for a snack Charisma Beach Resort Solangon, San Juan, Siquijor, Philippines Phone nr +63 908 861 9689 Rating for the resto: ​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent 5 Food  4 Service 4 Value 5 Atmosphere ​Rating for the accommodation: ​1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent 5 Location 4 Sleep Quality 4 Rooms 4 Service 5 Value for the money 4 Cleanliness  Related links: Review of Joel's Lechon Manok Siquijor Island, Philippines

Joel's Lechon Manok looked small from the outside but was far bigger inside than I expected. The atmosphere was noisy and full of guests.  Even though there were many guests in line I didn't need to wait long for my Lechon Manok. And yes... oh my gosh it was so delicious! Juicy with crispy skin and seasoned to perfection with a slight taste of lemon grass. Can it be better? No wonder it was so crowded inside! Even if you stay at San Juan where most of the tourists are staying, it is well worth taking the scooter to come here and enjoy this delicious Lechon Manok. 

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My favorite dish in Moon Cafe is the Nacho Supreme which is a huge portion of corn tortilla chips, jalapeños, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, minced meat bolognese with melted cheese on top. They also have more regular dishes as well, beef, pork, chicken, soups, salads etc. Everyone will find something for their tastebuds except maybe for the vegetarians and vegans. There are only few vegetarian options, basically some of the salads, deep fried onion rings and pumpkin soup. As always the staff were friendly and helpful. No waiting time for the food and a good working WiFi for those who want to share their food experience on Internet. 

The section of the menu for the Mexican dishes. A huge portion of the Nacho Supreme. Rating: 1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent 4 Food  4 Service 4 Value 5 Atmosphere The Moon Cafe ​Level 2 The Terraces, Ayala Center, Business Park Cebu City, Cebu, Philippines Phone: +63 32 417 1701 Related links: Review of Mooon Cafe in Dumaguete Review of Siam Thai Cuisine Restaurant in Cebu Review of Harbour City Restaurant in Cebu Review of Seafood Island in Ayala mall, Cebu Review of The Center Suites Hotel in Cebu

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The Bibimbap was huge with lots of yummy stuff and it was spicy and delicious. Since the portion was good for two persons it was perfect for me alone. The restaurant has two storeys as the name of the place indicates. I did never sit on the upper floor coz it was crowded with people when I was there. I liked the decorations on the wall specially those French wall posters by the entrance. Usually their free WiFi was excellent but not always. My eyesight is good both on long distance and for reading, but the text in menu was unnecessary small. Regardless of what, I can highly recommend their Bibimbap and their All day brunch. 

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​Tempura, takoyaki and balut​

Tempura is served with different kinds of spicy sauces. Note the plate cover... You can also buy tempura in the supermarket. ​Tasty Filipino tempura The Filipino reinvented the tempura into an affordable street version of the authentic more expensive Japanese dish made of real seafood or vegetables. The basic Filipino version consist of a batter which is made of water and soft wheat flour, eggs, baking powder, starch, oil, and spices. It's deep-fried in oil and served with different kinds spicy sauces. Tempura is a perfect snack along with a beer or two.  (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); ​Takoyaki Takoyaki or also known as Samurai Balls's originated from Japan but you will often find it as street food in the Philippines. The ingredients are mainly the same as with the tempura. In this version they had mixed vegetables in the batter. You eat them together with spicy sauces. It's really yummy and affordable street food. Just try it and you will see! Balut No trip to the Philippines would be complete without eating balut! So what is balut? Balut is very simple: it's a fertilized duck egg, the embryo permitted to develop in the shell from 16 to 25 days, then boiled in the shell. The older the balut, the fuller the embryo's development.  How to eat balut Sprinkle salt and add vinegar to taste and the feast can begin! Expect to encounter embryonic guts, cartilage, maybe the odd feather as you chew. You'll be expected to eat the duckling first, the rest of the egg afterward. ​Summary Many filipino men think that balut is an aphrodisiac, maybe that's the case I don't know. But undoubtedly it's full of protein, not that much fat and it's definitely more tasty than it looks. Trust me. Related links: Review of Fish 153 Korean Restaurant, Dumaguete Review of Mooon Café Robinsons Place, Dumaguete Review of Sta Teresa Restaurant, Dumaguete ​Review of San Rival Bistro, Dumaguete ​Review of Atong Kamalig Restaurant, Dumaguete ​​Review of Gabby's Bistro, Dumaguete ​Tierra Alta Residential Resort, Dumaguete​ Visit the Casaroro Falls, Valencia ​Visit the Marine Sanctuary in Dauin

Where to eat in Cebu? There are many options in this bustling city, the second largest city in the Philippines. You will find many excellent restaurants in Ayala mall and so also you will find Seafood Island on the 4:th floor of the mall. The ambience is nice and airy and one side of the restaurant comes with a view over Cebu Business Park through big windows.

Nice view over Cebu Business Park. But the dark clouds are coming... Yes, as promised two minutes later the rain was falling heavily. ​Lots of yummy stuff Seafood Island offer a variety of seafood, fish and meat. It took me a while to decide for the Binalot Boracay, a platter with lots of yummy stuff. Grilled shrimps, fish, squids and vegetables served with special rice with shrimp paste. This portion is good for at least two persons but since my appetite is comparable with two normal persons it was good for me. It took me some time to decide what I wanted to have I ordered the Binalot Boracay The food was served on a banana leaf. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The food was served on a banana leaf but the look of what was on the leaf and what was in the menu was perhaps not exactly. But the food was tasty and the staff was nice and helpful. The restaurant had an excellent WiFi. The big plus with Seafood Island was the airy ambience and the nice view. The food was good but it's a fierce competition among restaurants in this area so next time I will probably try another place. ​Summary Rating: 1-5 where 1 is terrible and 5 is excellent 4 Food  4 Service 4 Value 5 Atmosphere I was here late December 2016 Seafood Island Ayala Center 4 th level, Cebu, Cebu Business Park Cebu City, 6000 Cebu, Philippines Related links: Review of Mooon Cafe in Cebu Review of Siam Thai Cuisine Restaurant in Cebu Review of Harbour City Restaurant in Cebu Review of The Center Suites Hotel in Cebu