The Chronicle’s Mark Bel-lune traveled to Cebu, Philippines, recently to see a friend from Lexington. He learned much of the history and culture of the nation of islands in the Pacific — living with locals for 2 weeks. This is a continuing series.

My new Filipino friends and their family gathered early one morning and headed from Liloan, past Cebu City and to the southern tip of Cebu island.

We were on a pilgrimage to Simala Church also known as Simala Shrine where the Monastery of the Holy Eucharist, known to Cebuanos as “Birhen sa Simala,” is located in Sibonga Town, about a 2.5 hours drive from Cebu City.

The 5 Arcello siblings’ father, Tommy, has wanted to visit Cebu’s largest church before he dies.

Pilgrimages to religious places is one of the most important life goals that most Filipino Catholics have.

It took us about an hour of standing in line behind hundreds of others to get into the sanctuary that morning. Thousands visit the enormous church daily.

A tear ran down my friend’s face as we watched her father pray in the sanctuary. Liesyl’s father may have been praying to God for any number of things but I believe it was for his family and his dearly departed wife.

The family and I toured the vast church and its grounds before we rented a small shelter and had a packed brunch of fried chicken, something similar to egg rolls and fruit.

Our driver, of course, was invited to eat with us.

We then headed to Tumalog Falls in Oslob perhaps 45 minutes away in the mountains by the coast. It cost 20 Filipino pesos each to enter or less than 50 cents US.

We finally made flat ground perhaps 700 yards down a steep declining hill that hurt my knees with each footfall.

A short trail led us to the falls and we enjoyed the cool spray that rose more than a 100 yards high. I have tried unsuccessfully to find out how high they are. The falls disappear from view after that 1st 100 yards or so.

The kids swam in the falls’ pool with other visitors.

We had planned to go to swim with enormous whale sharks in Oslob that day but I was told we had arrived too late in the day.

Whale sharks are actually fish that grow up to 45 feet in length and weigh up to 15 tons.

Visitors pay around $20 to go out on a boat and swim with them in Oslob.

Since the heat was a Filipino tropical sauna after the falls, we began our drive back north looking for a good beach for a late lunch.

Once situated on a local beach inside a shelter with a table and chairs, my friends bought us lechon or Filipino pork barbecue, hanging rice, cokes, beer and coconut milk while the kids frolicked in the waves.

Next: Liloan festivals