A chilling breeze greeted me the moment I entered the door that leads to the main viewing area. The place was filled with local and foreign tourists, all quiet but the amazement in their faces were very visible as they enjoyed watching the breathtaking scenery of the entire Cebu City and neighboring towns.

The sunset was unfolding before my very eyes and the rainbow surprised my digital camera as I looked at the left side of the place. It was majestic — the view of the city, the sunset, the rainbow, the looks of amazed tourists — and then I realized I was in Tops.

Located in one of the highest mountain peaks of Cebu, Tops continues to fascinate people, locals and tourists alike, who seek a breather from the daily hassles of city living. It is a 15-minute ride from the heart of Metropolitan Cebu, and is nestled in the mountain of Barangay Busay, one of the coldest parts of Cebu where flowers of different varieties are cultured and grown.

Tops is like a viewing area where one can see the entire Cebu City and as far as Consolacion town in the north and Talisay City in the south. When you go to Tops at daytime, you can see vehicles at the busy streets of Cebu and the various vessels that cross the waters off the island. If you want to see a magnificent view of twinkling lights that cover the entire city like jewels spread over acres and acres of land, I suggest going to Tops at nighttime.

Tops is a lover's paradise. Cold weather. Fresh, chilling air. Fogs adding beauty to a picture-perfect sunset and stars filling up the sky at night. It is also perfect for family outings or for a simple respite from daily office tasks.

The road that leads to Tops offers fantastic view of rolling hills and terrains. Before even reaching the access road that seems to lead to heaven because of its steepness, I saw greeneries at their best — trees lining up the road, vegetable gardens in almost every households, green terrains, blooming flowers.

When our vehicle suddenly made a left turn, I came to realize that we were already on the foot of Tops entrance. For nearly five minutes, we were trudging a seemingly endless road that points upwards until an open parking space emerged. We were already at the Tops. But going inside the main viewing area does not come free. Everybody has to shell out PhP100, while children need PhP50 for the entrance fee. Kids below four years old can enter Tops for free.

The fantastic view that Tops offers, however, is priceless.

The main viewing area of Tops has cottages made of stones and concrete where visitors can eat their food or take a rest for free. The floor of the viewing area is also immaculately clean with grasses serving as tiles and the blue sky as the ceiling.

There are also seats lining up at the front row so sightseers can just sit down and enjoy the view by just tilting the head from left to right. There is also a mini-store that sells stuff like junk foods, souvenir items, films (in case you run out of one), and other things you should have otherwise brought from home.

The comfort room is also clean and well maintained and guards are ensuring that peace and order remain in the area.

It was dusk when we arrived in TOPS. The place was already very cold my six-month-old son had to put on a jacket. Surprisingly, a rainbow appeared while I was taking pictures, an add-on to the already picturesque view of the metropolis.

Tilting my head to the right, I saw the orange sky painted with a shy sun that was partly hidden by the clouds. The foggy mountain from the far view was already opening up to hide the sun. It was one of the best sunsets I've ever witnessed.

It was already getting dark when I decided to go home. Traveling home, various images of my visit to the Tops conjure in my mind — the view of the city, the sunset, the rainbow, the happy faces of my family and in-laws. And then I realized that life's greatest pleasures do not come at high prices. Revisiting nature, enjoying a good scenery with the family, taking in fresh air and feeling the fog in our feet are pleasures that money can't buy.

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