The Chronicle’s Mark Bellune traveled to Cebu, Philippines, recently to see a friend. He learned much of the history and culture of the nation of islands in the Pacific, living with locals for 2 weeks, not as a tourist. This is the second in a series.

I arrived at Cebu-Mactan International Airport about 9 p.m., 36 hours since my travel began.

Thomas McNeese, a friend from Lexington, greeted me after I collected my bags. He had brought along his wife Jeremae and two of her cousins, sisters Liesyl and Lianne.

I was to stay with Lianne and her husband Edwin at their home outside Liloan, a town just north of Cebu City.

It was still hot and sticky on the 35 minute ride from the airport.

Cebu is the second to last major island in the south of the Philippines near the equator.

Lianne is a school teacher and Edwin works for a pharmaceutical company. They rent a home in a gated community, so it is relatively safe. Since it was late we turned in early. They would show me around Liloan in the morning.

On Sunday morning, Lianne, Liesyl, her brother Cries, and his 9-year-old son Ashley took me to downtown Liloan where we had barbecued pork, rice, sodas and water at an open-air restaurant.

We hired a tricycle, a covered motorcycle and box car that fit up to 6 Filipnos – maybe 4 average Americans – using all available space.

Rice is the biggest staple for Cebuano people. Pork, fish and chicken can be found in barbecue stands across the island. Beef is a luxury item and the most expensive.

“Lami,” they taught me means delicious. The pork was “lami,” pronounced laa-me’. Breakfast for 5 cost 618 pesos or about $12 US.

After breakfast we walked around the open air public market that sells fresh vegetables, fruit, meat and fish. It is across the street from Grand Mall, similar to our local malls here. At the largest department store there, I bought a pair of Ray Bans for $12.

In the market we met the siblings’ grandmother, Lucia.

She has been selling vegetables at the market for 60 years.

Cebuano people are friendly and rich with love, if not much money.

The minium wage is about 1 US dollar an hour. Of course, the price of living is much cheaper.

After visiting the market we headed over to Thomas’ place on a nearby mountain.

He and his wife live in a condo halfway up a small mountain while her extended family lives at the top. On most Sundays they gather together, cook and play cards on the top of the mountain.

They live in homes made of cinder blocks, bamboo with thatched or tin roofs. There is no air conditioning which was a shock.

On my trips to Vietnam, I was always within a motorbike ride of my hotel which was always air conditioned. Even our tents in Kuwait and Iraq had air conditioning.

Next: More sights from Cebu.