Day two! Another day to conquer Bohol! Thanks to Tita Mayet, Dena's mom who is a district supervisor in Cebu, who pulled some strings so we can stay in Bohol Public School Teachers and Employees Association (BPSTEA), a pension house in Tagbilaran where, for 184 pesos, you can have an overnight stay on an air-conditioned and WiFi-equipped room good for three persons. We went on frugal mode by having a thirty peso-dinner in a carinderia across the street. I went on extra-frugal-mode by eating two orders of pancit canton for ten pesos each. Hehe.
Since we had to swap our Day One Bohol itinerary for Day Two's, we woke up really early the next day so we can visit all the places we placed in our schedule. Kuya Dodong was there in a jiffy when we contacted him so we're really off in a good start that day. For those who have hypermetabolic states/get easily dehydrated/just really love water, have a water bottle filled before your adventures because we sure did a lot of walking; and you don't want to faint in the middle of your trip because you decided to save instead of buying that (quite overpriced) bottle of water from the souvenir shop. Our first destination for the day was Dauis Church, our last stop in Panglao Island. Dauis Church is one of the many churches in Bohol damaged by the earthquake in 2013. Situated so close to the shore, this beautiful church houses a miraculous spring at the foot of the altar which, according to the locals, provided fresh water to the people when it was besieged in the past. Because of this, pilgrims used to bring bottles in the church to bring back water from the said spring. Kuya Dodong even told us that when the water was analyzed, no microorganisms where found in the sample.
(Sad) Scaffolding covering Dauis Church.
The painted ceiling and arches are awesome. Saves on a lot of moldings, too.
May pass for a cover art for a YA novel-ala-Rowell's 'Eleanor and Park'.
Perhaps one of the most breathtaking spots in the Dauis Church complex are the sheds by a walkway jutting out to the waters of Bohol sea. There are no entrance fees and all is required of you is to walk the beautiful sea-surrounded path leading to these sheds. It would have been a good place to meditate after hearing Mass in the Dauis church, with all that ocean mist and sea breeze to clear your head. After doing a brief stay (and a photoshoot by the shed) in Dauis Church, our next destination for the day was...
'...sa kanto at nakipag-inuman.' We wish.
...Blood Compact Shrine in Tagbilaran City. This monument commemorates the site of blood compact, or sandugo, between the Spaniards led by conquistador Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna, the chieftain of Bohol. Since it's a public monument, no fees are charged BUT at least do your part to maintain it by not leaving any trash or defacing it.
Cheers, man!
Rare selfie with a sandugo witness.
Up next was Baclayon Church in, well, the municipality of Baclayon in Bohol. With the formal title of La Purisima Concepcion de la Virgen Maria Parish Church (The Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary Parish Church), the Baclayon Church wasn't spared by the earthquake that damaged Dauis Church in 2013. With its belfry wrapped in scaffolding and salvaged adobe blocks at the clearing, it is such a sad sight to see such an aged building this way. On the bright side, the Church is lucky to have its main body and museum intact.
And Padra Pio's 'side foundation' has survived the earthquake, too!
Unfortunately, we arrived early and the museum was still closed so we just decided to forego this part of the tour as we had a tight schedule to follow. It would have been interesting to visit one of the oldest churches in the country and its adjoining museum, though.
Yin and Yang. Not their names, though.
Next stop: Bohol Python and Wildlife Park in Baclayon. It used to be the home of Prony, said to be the largest python in captivity with length reaching up to 23 feet and weighing 280 kilos. Now, it houses several pythons and other wildlife such as a bramhiny kite, civets, and even freshwater turtles. Entrance fees cost 30 pesos for adults and 10 pesos for kids but this is very affordable given that the facilities are maintained well (READ: no foul odor). Moreover, the animals appear to be well taken care of so your payment, indeed, goes a long way. Although they've lost their 'star' python, the Wildlife Park has several pythons in captivity. You can have your picture taken with them, even caress them (if you have the guts) because, as the owner proudly, "shinashampoo namin yan (We shampoo them [the pythons])."
They even have these standees where you can clown around!
Stuffed Prony with Eytschh. He looked scarier at this state than when he was alive and all curled up. (c) Cayton
Even from beyond the grave, Prony still brings tourists to the Park from across the globe as the owner decided to have the python's body stuffed and placed in its steel cage and its incredible skeleton on display, as well.
Suffice to say, it IS long.
Our next destination may appeal to adrenaline junkies: Loboc Eco-Adventure Park! They have zipline and/or cable car packages that are worth every penny. For the weakest of heart, you can avail the (BOO!) Cable Car package for 250 pesos/pax where said cable car will take you to the neighboring mountain, across a section of the Loboc river and back (meh). For those with ambivalent hearts who want to try a bit of adventure but want the reassurance of safety of the cable car, they can avail the Combo Ride package for 350 pesos/pax which includes a one-way ride via a cable car and the way back via zipline. And for the adventure-seekers out there (WOOOOH!), you should try the Zipline package for 350 pesos/pax where a zipline will shoot you across the Loboc river for almost a minute (probably the longest in your life haha). AND BACK! And of course, for the rich breed, you can take on both the cable car and zipline experience with the All Ride package for 550 pesos/pax.
The view from the top is breath-taking. As well, as the ride. (c) Cayton
There are photographers to take photos of your screaming/awestruck/happy face that you can have developed for 50 pesos/picture. The facility is open from 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM.
Five tourist spots (if you count Baclayon Church) and it's just 11 in the morning so we went to Loboc River Cruise for our lunch buffet!
Their tickets are in the form of postcards which is a cool tourist spot gimmick!
The rate for a day cruise, which includes a lunch buffet, is 450 pesos (inclusive of maintenance and security fees). Senior citizens are entitled to 20% discount so don't fret, grandma. The buffet has a decent variety of food choices: from fried chicken for the young aboard to barbecues, steamed crabs and other saucy viands for the not-so-young. They also have a salad bar where you can let your salad-maniac loose (mine kept coming back for a combination of dilis (anchovies), sliced cucumber and seaweed). Local sweets are also available like maja blanca and a treat made from sweetened banana.
Round One (of many)!
The cruise starts from a wharf near the Loboc Church and runs upstream the length of Loboc River until it reaches the Busay Waterfalls. Then, the boat docks by a floating platform where tourists can have their picture taken with the falls as their background. It then turns back and returns to the port, bringing its food-laden, happy memories-ful tourists back.
Hanep si ate eh! Pose pa!
Loboc Church in ruins
The post-eating drowsiness combined with the tranquility of the lush green riverbanks gave us the downtime we needed during the morning's rush tourist spot tour. On our way back, we stopped by a floating souvenir store where a dance troupe performed the tinikling for the tourists. Seeing the Loboc Church must have been a grand part of the cruise back then, but the church is no exemption from the earthquake. Among the three damaged churches we visited in Bohol, Loboc Church's damage is the worst. Just look at that rift in the middle of it. Sad. For the more romantic ones who would want to travel the river at night, the cruise also offers dinner buffet packages.
And you can join them if you want to! (c) Cayton
With the much needed lunch and rest done, our (rush) tour continued its afternoon leg, starting with Sipatan Twin Hanging Bridge in Sevilla, Bohol. For 20 pesos, you can traverse the length of the bridge to cross to the opposite side where souvenir shops abound. It's quite noteworthy that items for sale in these shops are really affordable (100 pesos for shirts, anyone?) and if you have god-given haggling skills, you can score quite a lot of souvenirs for an affordable price!
Must be identical twins, methinks. You? (c) Cayton
When we visited the place, we were fortunate enough that Felipe Tacogdoy, or the famed Buko King who can de-husk a coconut shell in a few seconds, was there. Unfortunately, we don't have much time to watch him perform (an act of putting his body in unnecessary pain, if I may add).
An appreciation picture for the man behind the stunning photos in this post: Joey!
What's a visit to Bohol without seeing tarsiers, right? So off we went to Tarsier Conservation Area in Loboc, Bohol. Entrance fee is 50 pesos which also gets you their postcard-cum-ticket and an information guide about the little guys. Before proceeding to the tarsier's habitats, a guide will give a short but informative lecture about the tarsiers (four-second-stand is their version of a one-night stand) and the do's and don'ts when in the area (no flash photography, no loud noises, no disturbing the little critters).
Tarsiers are nocturnal animals and are very sensitive to stress, so visitors are encouraged to avoid making unnecessary noise and to not use flash photography
After the short lecture, you will follow a pathwalk among the trees which will lead you to a shed surrounded by trees where the tarsiers are all curled up under the "leaf-roofs" made by the people who maintain the area.
Poster boy
Some were asleep, undisturbed from their slumber by the noisy crowd below but some were widely awake as their wide-eyed expressions can tell (I wished I slapped (or at least tell them to shut up) some of the noisier tourists. I don't kid). Since it's their breeding season, only a few tarsiers were available for viewing while the rest are, em, "getting busy". Nonetheless, the tourists were contented to see the little guys up in their tree houses while they clicked away with their cameras.
One of the quick stops we did was in the Man Made Forest of Bohol. No fees here but you just gotta have to find a place to park your car since it wouldn't just be your group who would take pictures of this artificial beauty.
Casually posing in the middle of a highway. The Eytschhh way.
Located around a stretch of two kilometers of highway where Bilar and Loboc meet, this forest is mainly populated by mahogany trees. It's part of a reforestation program by the government to replace the trees felled by refugees during the Second World War. The program has succeeded, as you can see the green canopy providing shade to the vehicles passing through this thoroughfare. Some even say the forest gives off some Forks vibes (the town in *OH GOD NO* the 'Twilight' series). Sadly, mahogany trees - which is a popular choice for tree planting drives - is a non-native species and it harms the soil, leaving it inhabitable for native species of plants. Read more here.
Our next destination proved to be quite a good place for rest: Bohol Habitat (previously Simply Butterflies Conservation Center) in Bilar, Bohol. It is one of the three butterfly conservation centers in Bohol and for 40 pesos for adults and 10 pesos for kids, you can enter this haven where butterflies and moths, alike, are being bred and are free to roam.
Habitat for butterflies and moths, alright/
Upon entering, your group will be provided with a guide. Since the place has been attracting visitors from across the globe, we were asked if we speak Bisaya or Tagalog - I even heard a guide touring a Korean family and speaking flawless hangungmal. Since we speak the latter, we were provided with a guide well-versed in Tagalog and with the camera, as well.
Moths are hairy in their larval stage. Butterflies are not so. They're kinda ticklish when they walk, though.
Iridescent wings! They're as cool as their names sound!
Guide: Ano pong nakikita nyong mga kulay?
Us: Brown. Black.
Guide: May konting orange pa po.
Us: Oo nga.
*Guide placed wings in a way where light hit them at an angle*
Guide: Ano pa pong mga kulay?
Us: COOOOL! AWESOOOME!
Me: WHAT SORCERY IS THIS?!
(c) Cayton
The guide also gave quite an interactive and informational tour, differentiating moths from butterflies based on their pupal stage, letting us have pictures taken with butterflies and even taking wonderful shots of our group. He also showed us the various facilities where visitors of the conservation area can rest and take a break from the busy city life. Aside from tarsiers, Bohol is known for their Chocolate Hills so a visit is a must. After paying 50 pesos as entrance fee, you still have to drive up an hill where you can park your vehicle then start the ascent up the viewing deck. Sadly, the viewing deck was damaged by the 2013 earthquake so it's been reduced to a smaller area (but of course, it didn't stop us from doing our all-out photo shoot session. We cam-whore people, us. Hahahahahahaha!)
The Chocolate Hills. 'Nuff Said.
The view up the deck is really magnificent as literally thousands of similarly-shaped hills bedeck the landscape as far as your eyes can see. Before seeing this natural wonder I thought the hills were beautiful, but seeing them in real life for the first time, beautiful is an understatement. And a big one at that.
And I really bought Peanut Kisses in the Habitat just to do this shot.
Finally, we've reached our last destination for the day: Sagbayan Peak in Sagbayan, Bohol. Entrance fee is 30 pesos where you are treated to a wonderful view of the plains below and there's even a viewing deck where some Chocolate Hills are also visible (Sagbayan, along with Carmen and Batuan, has the greatest concentration of Chocolate Hills). For the kids at heart (READ: US!) there is a 'manual' zipline which you can ride to your heart's content.
Since it's located up a hill, the temperature is cool enough that you would enjoy the place for hours without noticing it. There is also a butterfly garden situated within the grounds but we weren't able to visit it because it was closed when we were there.
'Tree-y' Chocolate Hill
It's FUUUN! But pulling it from one end to another is quite a bummer. IT'S FREE ANYWAY!
Twelve tourist destinations in a day. Aaaaand that ends our day two of conquering Bohol. Even after two days of going around Bohol, there's a lot more places we missed. This only shows that Bohol, like the rest of the country, is blessed with natural and man-made places that visitors will surely enjoy. The earthquake may have felled churches and even damaged the world-famous Chocolate Hills but Filipinos are known for their resiliency. Boholanos bounced back. Scaffolding were placed. Renovations were done. A year later and you wouldn't even notice that this very people have been struck by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake. Life went on, goes on and will always go on in this beautiful island province of Bohol.
Something to entice you to visit Bohol even after reading my Bohol posts.
(c) YouTube
But Bohol is not our only stop in our Visayas trip last December. We went back to the Queen City of the South: Cebu! Well, that's for another blog post (or two. Hopefully, just one). Until my next trip! - Paulo
Phileas Fogg circumnavigated the globe in eighty days. My friends and I (almost) toured around Bohol in two days.
I just have to open this entry with those line to make the literary connection stronger. ANYWAY, for a window of a few days I was able to have a Christmas getaway with my friends in the Visayas region; and since we've been trying to visit all the provinces of the Philippines, we've chosen Bohol as our destination for the holidays.
Some serious planning went in there.
We only have forty-eight hours to conquer as much of Bohol so we planned months before the trip: booking the airplane tickets months ahead and availing of airfare promos (got a ticket for a MNL-CEB-MNL flight for 3252.92), reserving a tour van to take us around the places we planned to visit; and doing a detailed itinerary for our stay in Bohol. We've booked flights on a certain sunshine-y yellow airline so expect delays if you do the same. To make up for the wasted time on flight delays, make allowances on your schedule to buffer such nuisances. It's highly recommended to hire a tour van (for 917/pax for a group of six for two days) if your planning to visit the tourist spots across Bohol in a tight schedule because asking for directions will add up to your downtime, which could have been spent taking a quick nap in the van in preparation for your next destination.
Ask for Kuya Dodong as your driver as he is sure to deliver good service
Taking a groupie in the middle of the street. We missed each other that much. (c) Cayton
For our first day, we shuffled our itinerary to visit places that were meant for our second day because of the un(?)expected delay on our flight to Cebu. From MCIA, we went straight to Port of Cebu to ride a motorized boat to Tubigon, Bohol for 225 pesos, and an additional 20 pesos for the terminal fee. From the Port of Tubigon, Kuya Dodong, our very amiable tour van driver, picked us up (even waiting for hours because of our delayed flight) and we went straight to our first destination: Punta Cruz Watchtower and Maribojoc Uplifted Ridges at Barangay Santa Cruz, Maribojoc, Bohol.
Mother Nature's receding hair-, er, coastline
The Maribojoc Uplifted Ridges is brought about by the very same earthquake that destroyed most of the churches in Bohol. The seabed rose causing the coastline to recede, leaving the Punta Cruz Watchtower meters away from the shore. Cottages were set up near the cliff, supposedly by the waters, for rental at the rate of 100 pesos where tourists can bring their lunch and eat, which we did. Although it now overlooks the raised seabed, the view from the cottage is still spectacular, even unique because of the seabed (see picture above), and the winds are just as breezy as when the coast must have been closer (but perhaps, less mistier).
The Punta Cruz Watchtower still standing despite obvious damage after the devastating 2013 earthquake that shook Bohol that left most of its historic churches in ruins.
After lunch, we went to Hinagdanan Cave situated at the Panglao Island of Bohol. It was named so because of the ladder that is used by the visitors to access the cave. For 25 pesos/pax, a very lively guide will help you navigate the cave and be your equally lively photographer. The cave has beautiful stalagmites and stalactites that seem to reach for one another while being lit by natural light from holes in the ceiling. It also has a lagoon at the center with water so clear, you can see the green limestone several feet below. For more adventurous people, you can take a dip in the cool waters for 100 pesos.
Dem stalactites (c) Cayton
I bet you won't leave the cave without doing such a pose (or a variation of it). (c) Cayton
Off we then went to Nova Shell Museum, still in Panglao Island. For an entrance fee of 30 pesos, you get to feast your eyes to a plethora of shells of varying colors, shapes and sizes. From the magnificent chambers of a nautilus shell to colorful bivalves and wonderful specimens of the genus xenophora (my personal favorite), the Shell Museum sure has it. A guide will also direct a tour around the exhibits, dropping nuggets of information ("Did you know that the color of the pearl depends on the color of the shell['s mother-of-pearl] and that all mollusks have the ability to make pearls") every now and then.
Shells of all sizes and shapes! They got it all for you!
Told ya!
Even Nemo(-colored) shells!
The Museum also has an adjacent souvenir shop where you can buy various trinkets like mother-of-pearl bangles to turtle-shaped memento from cowrie shells. Included in the entrance fee is a visit to their tree house which holds an airy view from the top which is a good resting place after that neck-craning viewing experience of the shells in the museum and some street-wise haggling at the souvenir shop.
Teenage Mutant Cowrie Turtles
TREE HOOOOUSE!
Panglao beach is our next destination and the sand at Alona Kew White Beach Resortdoes not disappoint. With fine white sand at your feet and a setting sun in front of you, I wasn't surprised that I went straight to the water to dip my water-loving feet, at the very least (can't take a dip because of the tight schedule. Sad.)
Sadly, I can only dip my feet in the waters. There will always be a next time.
Despite this bummer, we were in for some treat in the form of a The Buzz Ice Cream kiosk! For forty pesos, you can have a scoop of smooth coco rhum with a slight kick or spicy ginger for some real kick. Dragonfruit, anyone? Or maybe an avocado scoop in all its creamy goodness? And they use cab-cab cones (deep-fried cones made from cassava starch) which makes the experience a truly unique one. Since then, I would look at ice cream shops and get depressed by the fact that The Buzz Ice Cream doesn't extend their creamy reaches in Luzon. However, what's next on our itinerary sure had me giggling like a little kid on the morn of Christmas Day: Bohol Bee Farm! Still in Panglao Island, the Bohol Bee Farm is the home of The Buzz Ice Cream and more products that will surely bring the sweet tooth in you. The aptly-named 'The Buzz Shop' sells honey as their main product (which comes in wild and other varieties) but they also sell spreads, chips, and even wine that contain honey! There are taste samples for almost every product so taste all you want! They also sell coffee, tea and tablea to complete your set of a perfect snack.
Pure BEE-ss :">
As if this place isn't awesome enough, they have a very beautiful dining area overlooking the sea which you wouldn't be able to access without passing through their beautiful reception area. Definitely a place to take a breather. And they have board and lodging facilities in the area if you want to extend that breather.
Reception area with a beautiful pool. Enhanced by a beautiful group pose. (c) Cayton
And there's more: NO ENTRANCE FEES! :D (c) Cayton
And that's just day one, people! Day two adventures on the next entry! See you next post! - Paulo
Brain Fart suddenly got the wanderlust. He's off to an adventure and hopefully remembers to share his experience in this hole-in-the-wall travel blog. Enjoy, mes amis!
Our next destination may appeal to adrenaline junkies: Loboc Eco-Adventure Park! They have zipline and/or cable car packages that are worth every penny. For the weakest of heart, you can avail the (BOO!) Cable Car package for 250 pesos/pax where said cable car will take you to the neighboring mountain, across a section of the Loboc river and back (meh). For those with ambivalent hearts who want to try a bit of adventure but want the reassurance of safety of the cable car, they can avail the Combo Ride package for 350 pesos/pax which includes a one-way ride via a cable car and the way back via zipline. And for the adventure-seekers out there (WOOOOH!), you should try the Zipline package for 350 pesos/pax where a zipline will shoot you across the Loboc river for almost a minute (probably the longest in your life haha). AND BACK! And of course, for the rich breed, you can take on both the cable car and zipline experience with the All Ride package for 550 pesos/pax.
