Memories of Maravilla [Part 1]

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When Odette hit us in December 2021, life stopped for a moment. In the weeks following the biggest typhoon that hit my hometown since I was born, we were mainly focused on survival, taking care of our families, rebuilding our homes and getting back on our track.

My boyfriend's house was badly hit by the typhoon and they had to move out while reconstruction was ongoing. I've seen how challenging it was for my boyfriend to come out stronger during these challenging times but he did as always. When Valentine's was just around the corner, I thought we could use a weekend getaway in North Cebu both to celebrate Heart's Day as well as a quick breather trip from all the crazy things that happened in the last quarter of 2021.

What a journey it has been!

It was only during the pandemic when inter-island travel had been difficult that I got to explore my own Province. I've seen friends visit this majestic beach in the Tabuelan, a town in North of Cebu, called Maravilla. That's where we're heading today!

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This trip was prior to my spine injury resurfacing in March so riding a motorcycle from Mandaue City to Tabuelan or about 80 kilometers total distance was definitely exciting and painfree!

We were up early so we could reach Tabuelan by lunch time. Even in Mandaue City, the weather was surprisingly gloomy. When we reached Danao City, rain welcomed us without hesitation. Luckily, we were able to reach Mcdonald's to find shelter. In less than ten (10) minutes, the rain subsided and we were back on the road.

It's still gloomy in other parts of North Cebu but there's no rain yet making the rest of the journey easier and more enjoyable.

But when we were about less than five kilometers aways from our destination, rain fell and this time, it fell so hard we'd be soaking wet if we continue driving towards our hotel. We found shelter in this gasoline station; we waited for rain to at least slow down.

We aren't here to play basketball tho!

Finally after more or less two hours, we arrived in our hotel/resort called Therrish Beach Resort located along the long stretch of Maravilla Beach. Maravilla Beach is a public beach open to all but if you wish to stay overnight, you need to book in one of the resorts/hotels in Maravilla Beach separately.

I wished to stay in Durhan White Beach Resort, a private beach still in Tabuelan. However, they were fully booked when I inquired; I ended up reserving a room in Therrish.

They're still strict in implementing the minimum health protocols such as taking temperature upon our arrival.

Are you an NBA fan? If so, you'd probably find Therrish's choice of theme unique and absolutely eye-catching. I'm talking about the life-size wall paintings of NBA teams and players all over the resort's perimeter. It's impossible to miss these paintings in the resort's parking lot; they're incredibly huge and although the drawings could be improved, they're undeniably been done with prowess. I took some photos for your reference.

A garden to start with

We arrived early in Therrish but we're glad they allowed us to check in before the usual check-in time at no additional cost. After leaving our things inside our room, we decided to explore more of Therrish before we head out for lunch.

The moment we stepped in Therrish, it was sparkling clean and organized especially this garden near the parking area. Perfect spot for some photo ops! 😄 Even in the garden, NBA-themed wall paintings could be found. They're serious about maintaining their branding all throughout.

We moved towards the heart of the resort where a small mini convenience store and information desk of the resort could be found. Near the informationd desk are more wall paintings. This time it felt like we're inside a zoo with all the colorful paintings of animals.

More paintings here... Whoever painted these, their skills are crazy! The paintings look so realistic I don't even want to touch the scary-looking fishes. 😅

Swimming time, baby!

Perhaps, you've been wondering when will I show you around the water activities in the resort. Here it comes!

There are two swimming pools in the resort; there's a small rectangular 3-feet deep kiddie pool with a massive mushroom-like structure in the center. The pool information says 3-ft but when I got into the pool, I doubt that it's really 3-ft.

The other pool is located just across the kiddie pool. It's rectangular in shape and it's long enough for doing laps if you're in the mood to burn some fats on a vacation. Why not?

In our case, we did more of chilling in the pool and taking lots of photos. It was a perfect day to be out as it was still gloomy. This kind of weather made me want to stay out of our rooms for as long as I want without worrying of burning my already tan skin. 😅

My boyfriend has always been a great photographer but this day he proved it once again by taking great shots of me. Lol! I was enthusiastic to pose tirelessly, so be prepared to be bombarded with lots of photos in 3,2,1...

Did we take a lot of photos? Well here's more! 😅

At this point, I'd like to highlight more NBA wall paintings near the swimming pool. At first, they looked weird and didn't blend well with the pool area but later in either I got used to them or they simply looked fabulous the more I look at them.

Here's a closer look!

They were consistent with their NBA theme that even in our rooms there were still paintings in walls and doors.

That's it for today! Remember Therrish is located in Mara villa Beach, a white sand beach in Tabuelan. That gives you an idea of what to expect in our next virtual tour! Appreciate you accompanying me until th very end of this post!

Have a blast today! 💪☺️

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