February 24, 2018 - My wife was about to give birth to our first born, Savina Amber. As advised by our doctor, my wife needs to have physical exercices to prepare her and the baby for birth. So we had our usual stroll at one of the oldest plazas here in Cebu, called Plaza Independencia. Here's a brief history of the place:
In the early 1600s, it was called Plaza de Armas. When it was widened later on and expanded to reach nearby properties of the Cathedral of Cebu, it was called Plaza Mayor. Later in the Spanish rule, it was further landscaped and developed and was christened Plaza Maria Cristina, in honor of the queen regent. During the American colonial period, its name was changed to Plaza Libertad, as the Americans asserted how they liberated Cebuanos from the Spanish rule. Later on it finally became known as Plaza Independencia.
Source: Everything Cebu - Plaze Independencia
This my wife having her usual walk of at least 2 hours each day, excluding the time that she spent indoors to do some stretching and other phsysical exercises designed for pregnant people. Our baby was already 41 weeks old, weights 3 kilos, and my wife still had the strength to wake up early in the morning and drag their selves out of bed. I can only imagine the struggle and am very thankful for her perseverance and selflessness.
Today was special, we woke up very very early, around 4:30 in the morning, made some quick breakfast. And we arrived at Plaza Indepencia sometime around 6:30AM. The weather was perfect for our walk, cloudy but no signs of rain. Few days ago, we had our walk at the same venue but we came late that the sun was already up and shining. But this time, it was great time especially for my pregnant wife.
The images below are just a snap of the place. The area was located between Fort San Pedro and the building that used to be the Gobierno Provincial in the downtown area of Cebu. With it's big trees, and flower gardens, this is a popular hangout of people of any ages.
Fort San Pedro
Established in 1565 under the command of Miguel López de Legazpi, conqueror of the Philippines, Fort San Pedro has served as an army garrison, a rebel stronghold, prison camp and the city zoo. Today's partly ruined structure, dating from the late 18th century, includes an impressive gateway, a small section of ramparts and a small museum. Its peaceful walled garden is a perfect retreat from the chaos and madness of downtown Cebu, especially at sunset.
Source: Lonely Planet - Fort San Pedro
Some more snaps of the place.
After a few hours of walking, dark clouds are starting to form. We've already prepared for it though as we brought with us some umbrellas just in case. So we have decided to go home before the rain starts to pour.
Luckily, we arrived home before the rain came. A great way to start our day preparing for the BIG day. And as of this writing, my wife is already prepped to give birth, hopefully any time today.
Cheers!
