On top(s)!

Because of the booming and the strong potential of the urban social dens for rendezvous and unraveling the negative vibes, many have forgotten Cebu’s famous attractions that have long been in existence and are still in operation at present. When our bodies called for a distressing activity, my friends in the business and I headed to Tops in Busay...we felt it was just appropriate to be in the place where nature can rejuvenate our bodies and comfort our souls.

Perhaps we had enough of the city life that we opted to be on top of Cebu and just be held captive by the breathtaking view of the city and its nearby islands Mactan and Olango. We took a time out from our erratic schedules last weekend and zoomed our way to Tops via a rented multicab. Since there are no public transportations going to Upper Busay, we negotiated with a multicab driver to take us to our destination and luckily, he gave us a good price and was kind enough to transport us back to the city after a few hours. There are some habal-habal (motorbikes) and multicabs on post at the foot of Nivel Hills, Lahug, fronting JY Square, ready to take you to Mountain View Park, Château de Busay, Island in the Sky and Tops if you don’t have a private car.

 Tops is 2,000 feet above sea level, hence the bird’s eye view it provides to visitors. We preferred to go there at night time to get at least a feel of the “freezing” hilltop temperature. After a 20 minute-ride through the steep narrow road, we reached Tops and we could not just help letting out Ohs and Ahs and even Wows, as the city lights were dancing in the night.  After paying P100/pax as entrance fee, we made our way through the open kiosks and settled our picnic food that included puso, roasted chicken, sodas and chips. We then rushed towards the bench near the cliff to get a full view of the city, easily identifiying some of Cebu’s towering establishments because of their trademark colors. There’s one landmark that stands above the rest, the Crown Regency building in Osmeña Blvd – its attractive colors change from time to time. The bridges’ street lights were recognizable, as well.

 You can bring your board games and card games with you when you go up to Tops, or any picnic paraphernalia for added enjoyment. When you’re on top, you’d feel like you want to scream your heart out. I heard that is therapeutic.  Maybe you are also thinking of going there after reading this.  This is only a reminder that there are still escape nooks for Cebuanos who want to take a break from the bustling city life, a sweet escape that is. Tops is open 24 hours and can host overnight parties and day visits. We just hope the management of Tops will put up telescopes and provide binoculars for the guests to enjoy even more the sights.