A Christmas of Contrasts | A Travel Foodie's Journey

Christmas Day was another leisurely day spent on Mactan island which had us finally seeing a couple of local sights within walking distance from the condo. We have been fortunate to have the use of a Vision Global wifi router which has worked like a dream in the Philippines where other Wifi routers aren’t readily available so google maps was easily and accurately accessible.

After breakfast and a morning workout, we set off to check out the Mactan Shrine where the Lapu Lapu statue is erected in front of the Magellan monument. Google maps had us walking through an immensely poor area which was a sharp contrast to where we were staying. Still, unlike in Mexico and in Jamaica where adults and kids alike came up to us shamelessly to beg for money, we were left alone with only a few inquisitive stares.

Unfortunately, it was still difficult and jarring to see the stark difference in their quality of life which makes even the poorest living on the streets in the U.S. look privileged as the poverty level in this neighborhood is at least three notches below what we see and know in the States. It’s truly heart wrenching to witness and yet the locals manage to find ways to keep on plugging away and make the best of life.

The kids are out on the streets enjoying the sunshine. The teenage boys play basketball with their friends. The parents peek out of their hovels to make sure no harm comes to their offspring. It’s their regular lives in motion.

As perhaps a distraction from the local elements or a reminder of what strength and determination can accomplish, the Mactan shrine is located on the same street and is ensconced in a small gated enclosure around the corner. There are some souvenir stalls on the inside to the right of the monument but overall, it’s a fairly small contained space.

Right outside of it is a parking lot where all the tour vans are parked. What I was interested in was a well-received seafood restaurant which was located past the vans and nestled within the dark sketchy shopping alley.

Manna STK is similar to D’Talipapa in Boracay which was one of our favorite eats. They have a display case of seafood which is prepared to your liking.

We chose the garlic butter shrimp and a grilled fish with garlic rice for lunch and were directed to choose a table.

Manna STK offers two dining areas. The open air upstairs dining room had a view of the waterway but we opted to sit in the fully air conditioned room downstairs.

During our short wait for lunch, I walked around and read a bit about the city’s history. Lapu Lapu had been named after the great warrior who despite having inferior weapons had killed and vanquished the Spaniards including Magellan.

There was also an explanation of the province’s unique rice prep. We had been served puso during our three island tour so it was nice to gain an understanding and appreciation of how it came to be.

Lunch arrived piecemeal as each dish was ready. Our plate of garlic butter shrimp was perfectly cooked and not too greasy. The meat of the grilled whole fish was moist and flaky and easy to scrape from the bone. The food was rustic and delicious but by American standards was inexpensive. Our entire seafood meal with beers and water cost the financial equivalent of $38!

In direct contrast, our $150 dinner was a splurge. We had reservations at Abaca which was at one of the many oceanfront luxury resorts. The socioeconomic divide was even worse on that main road. On one side you had your Shangri-la, Movenpick and Abaca luxury resorts with their gates, security guards, lush landscaping and luxury vehicles parked in the valet areas and directly across the street, you had the poorest of the poor staring at you as you entered or vacated your plush surroundings. As beautiful as the resorts were, I was glad to not be staying there and dealing with that in-your-face guilt on a daily basis.

Dinner at Abaca was set in a very dim open air restaurant cooled off only by fans. It was a stark contrast to the boisterous festivities we experienced at Shangri-la just the night before. The food was plentiful and amazing but very subdued and refined.

We saved the crab and scallop cakes to eat with our morning breakfast but based on the few bites we had at dinner, we could tell they were densely packed, blended evenly with caramelized lemon and roasted pepper. We also ordered a four cheese flatbread which was the equivalent of a simple margarita pizza with an arugula leaf in the middle, adding another layer of flavor to each square. The organic whole chicken was moist with a slightly crispy lemony exterior sitting on a bed of garlic sausage cassoulet. It came with a side of tender roasted broccoli which added a bit of color to our meal. The mushroom risotto was perfectly cooked, densely packed with scallops with a hint of truffle. I also ordered a side of fries which were mealy on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside. We rounded off our meal with a chilled chocolate fondant which was served with a square of thick fudge. The combo was super decadent and had we finished it onsite, we would have been awake for hours. Luckily, because our condo has a fridge, we didn’t have to leave anything behind and were able to have nearly our entire Abaca dinner part deux the next evening.

Our Christmas Day was a vision of contrasts. It really made us think about life, people and the sense of community. The gratitude we felt after seeing such humble settings overwhelmed us. We are very fortunate to have experienced Christmas in Cebu and to see life through the eyes of others, helping us shift our focus and gain perspective and clarity.