Batulao: Through the Lens (and Photoshop)

What summer?

The Three Mountaineers

4/10

Of Peaks and More Peaks

Made it

Picturesque peaks that pique your interest

Down we go

Batu-WOW!

I know, I know. My blog post titles are becoming more and more...irksome, for lack of a better word.

After a dearth of trips since I got hired in a hospital as a staff nurse, I knew I have to grab every opportunity in a day-off and make every minute of it count. So after planning every detail of a day-hike, not even a sudden sixteen hour shift would deter me to climb a mountain the next day. Nope, it won't get in my way. 

With barely three hours of sleep, my good friend (and still apartment-mate), Joey, and I found ourselves preparing to conquer Mount Batulao in Batangas. Because of its popularity to hikers, newbies and experienced alike, operators of Nasugbu-bound buses already know where to drop you off. But just in case your bus operator and conductor are not in the know-how, tell them to drop you off at Evercrest Hotel in Nasugbu, Batangas. 

No silly sixteen-hour shift can stop me from conquering you, love.
(c) Cayton

We went to the Pasay Terminal of DLTB and rode a Nasugbu-bound bus for 88 pesos *bring your student ID, people* where we caught up on our much-needed sleep during the almost-two-and-a-half-hour bus ride. Worth noting for coffee(shop)-lovers is that the bus passes along the Bag of Beans branch and the new Starbucks branch, which are both along the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Road. 

DLTB Pasay Bus Terminal is conveniently located beside the Gil Puyat (Buendia) Station of LRT Line 1. And they also have great air-conditioning for their buses. And 'electronic' ticketing system (because it's not entirely paperless)!
(c) wikipedia.com

Once you get near the archway entrance to the town of Nasugbu, it's only a matter of minutes before the bus conductor calls out "Evercrest! O yung mga magba-Batulao dyan!" which is your hint to go down. You'd be surprised, as we were, that most of the passengers in the bus that have large hiking bags would alight at the same stop-over. From this stop-over, you have two options: (a) walk for around 45 minutes to reach the jump-off point which is FREE or (b) ride a tricycle to reach the jump-off point in around 15 minutes for 30 pesos per person. You can also rent your guide from this stopover who would charge you from 300 to 400 pesos, depending on the number of members of your hiking team. Ever since I got lost at Pico de Loro, I always have a knowledgeable guide with me during my hikes (and that includes you, Dena, my friend for our OPeak hike).

While waiting for Michi, a high school friend who would complete our trio for this day-hike, Joey and I contemplated about our choice of clothing because of the morning fog (see pictures below). 

Not shown: Really short hiking shorts and vigorous chilling
(c) Cayton

What summer?

About twenty chilling minutes later, Michi arrived and we decided to take the faster route since we have to be back in Manila in time for Joey's half-PM duty. This proved to be a good decision especially if you're one of the early hikers of the day because you get to enjoy the cool morning breeze along the trail...and while there is 'still a trail' to trek on. More of that later.

Several minutes of walking along a rocky trail from the jump-off point, you will be welcomed by the beautiful landscape-cum-challenge ahead of you. The several peaks that you have to conquer are laid down before your eyes to be marveled upon and to inspire your inner spirit. The cool morning winds also help to invigorate your will to reach the summit. From there, the challenge begins.

When the winds were cooler and we were stronger (before Peak 1).
DAT PEAKS THOUGH!
(c) Cayton

Batulao has a total of 10 peaks, the tenth one serving as its summit. Keep your eyes peeled because some of the peaks have markers where you can take a picture to mark your progress, which we did of course being the camwhores that we are. Hahaha!

Peak One, y'all!
(c) Cayton

Sadly, markers for Peaks 2 and 3 are gone so the next
marker is at Peak 4.
(My pictures literally pales in comparison to Joey's hahaha!)

Having to walk along the peaks, both sides of the trail slope downward and are covered by tall grasses that appear willowy and 'graceful' when the winds rush through them. I'm literally out of words to describe them so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

*silence*
THE HILLS ARE ALIIIIIIVE
WITH THE SOOOOOUND OF MUUUUUUSIIIIC
(c) ricaparelejo.ph

After Peak 4, you will come upon a house which - according to Pinoy Mountaineer - sells buko juice for 25 each. Sadly, this house and several stalls along the trail were closed because the day we hiked was the feast day of Saint Martin and most of the people who manage the stalls were in their own homes, preparing for the fiesta. Again, this proved to be an advantage for us and I'll tell you more about it later. 

A few minutes of walking from this house will take you to the fork where you have the choice between trekking the New Trail or the Old Trail. Given our restricted schedule, we took the New Trail by taking the right-middle path which would take us along the peaks. This trail will take you up and down the peaks of Batulao which is a very breathtaking experience. 

Good thing, a stall was open for business!
Although I didn't try their halo-halo, they said it tasted so much better up there.
(c) Cayton

Upon reaching Peak 8, there is a campsite good for overnight hikers. Situated here is the registration center for the New Trail where you have to pay 30 pesos for environmental fees. From hereon, the trek became more difficult as the sun started to beat down on us. Even upon entering a forested area, the sparse vegetation provided too little shade from the heat. Remember the 'still a trail' I talked about earlier? Batulao's trails, especially during the dry summer months, are composed of loose sandy soil, so imagine doing assaults and taking the rear. Yep, you are literally eating dust. Not to mention it's dangerous because you might slip on loos soil when lifting yourself. So better use the guide ropes to assist you in these parts. Moreover, because of its increasing popularity to hikers, the remaining compact soil are eroded leaving more loose soils along the trails. Imagine our relief when we had to walk along the jagged sides of a peak where the trail was rocky and we were behind the cool shadow of the 'Peak of Deception' which is a challenging sidetrip for adrenaline junkies.

Few slides along the trail and innumerable inhaled dust particles later, we reached the summit! Being the precise-things-loving person that I am, I rushed the last assault to clock in exactly two hours for my Batulao hike. The view from the summit is just wonderful. And that is even an understatement! Our very good guide, Kuya Allan, pointed out the other peaks in Batangas which can be seen from up there: Pico de Loro, Maculot, and Talamitam (the latest being next on my list of mountains to hike).

Happy faces at the summit!
(c) Cayton

Jeje pose for mah hommies!
(c) Cayton

Since it was Michi and I's birthday hike, we had a hearty lunch of canned tuna, crackers, and spaghetti (which later became tuna pasta once the crackers were gone). It was a simple celebration in such an extraordinary place. After taking in the view, we started our descent since the sun was already becoming more and more unforgiving even at an 'early' hour of 10 AM. The descent was faster although it was dustier because of the eroded trail as more and more hikers were making their way to the summit that morning. This only proves that hiking early was a good decision to make (take note of that). 

As we were nearing the jump-off point and the residential area of the trail, we were welcomed by the warm greetings of the locals and their invitations to their homes as it was the feast day of their patron saint. Who are we to say no to these invitations (and free lunch, too! :))), right? If we only had the liberty of time to stay a bit longer to celebrate the feast day with the people (and agreed to dine with everyone who invited us into their homes, which was practically every house we passed), we would stay because it was so festive with every house booming with karaoke songs, party music, and happy conversations.

 Thanks Tita Lita for the food! People, buy fresh buko juice from her 

for 30 pesos apiece! Definitely a must whenever you found yourself hiking Batulao.

(c) Cayton

An hour and forty-five minutes later (this included our hearty stop-over at Tita Lita's for lunch), we're back on the jump-off point. We took a tricycle back to the highway for 30 pesos per person. For those who want to clean up before catching a bus ride home, several houses right in front of the Evercrest entrance offer their homes (20 pesos for a bucket of water and free use of their restroom). Manila-bound buses for 88 pesos traverse the very same highway so you can just hitch a ride back to the Metro just by waiting, albeit under the blazing midday sun.

Batulao provides a unique hiking experience, as every mountain does for that matter, especially for beginners because of its easy but amazingly beautiful grassy trail and its numerous peaks - each a testimony of your strength as you push yourself towards the summit. The panoramic view from up the summit will also spur the hiker within you because other "dayhike-able" mountains are within sight - Pico de Loro, Talamitam, and Maculot. Now, Talamitam is on my list and a twin dayhike is in the (possible) works. Any takers? :D

P.S. Again and again, check out Pinoy Mountaineer's take on Batulao for more hiking tips and itineraries.

Until the next trip!

- Paulo

Honor and excellence at Batulao's Peak 10

Cebu: Through the Lens (And Photoshop)

There she goes!

Don't leave me.

Don't hurt me.

Wait for me.

Where are you?

Cebu, We Meet Again

After two glorious days in Bohol, it's time to conquer Cebu! Remember our very accommodating tour van driver Kuya Dodong? He asked his wife to purchase ferry tickets for the six of us (so hire him when you decide to take a trip around Bohol). We rode the ferry (245 pesos, along with the terminal fee) from Tubigon back to Cebu city where we were welcomed by our gracious Cebu host, the Desabilles. Our initial plan was to eat dinner then go straight to the airport to see Joey off and spend the night in a 24/7 food chain/convenience store. Lo and behold, Tita Mayet reserved an overnight room for us in a pension house in Mandaue City for 250 pesos/pax. The room comes with air-conditioning, WiFi, very comfortable beds and a clean bathroom. She also treated the six of us to a sumptuous dinner in a sutukil restaurant.

Somebody's catching up on sleep already
(c) Cayton

Sutukil comes from three Bisaya words sugba (to grill), tuwa (i-sigang or to stew with tamarind), and kilaw (to serve in vinegar). In a sutukil restaurant, you first choose the seafood you want in your meals and the cook will prepare them sutukil-ly (for lack of a better word) or you can have them cooked the way you want them. Tita Mayet ordered shrimps, calamares, fish sinigang, and kinilaw for us. The waiting time is less than an hour, just enough to keep you at the edge of hunger without losing your appetite altogether. There was a karaoke in the restaurant and since it's late at night, they sang their hearts out for five pesos a song. After dinner, we went back to the pension house to rest (and have a round of drinks with snails as pulutan). I opted to enjoy the WiFi until the break of dawn.

Post-sutukil faces with the Desabilles (Dena - holding Arya Snow - Tita Mayet and Dhin)
(c) Cayton

Our first destination was the whale sharks in Oslob which is way south of Cebu so I decided to just visit Dreamland on our way there. After checking out of the pension house at five in the morning, we first had our breakfast with the Desabilles where we also left unnecessary things and repacked essentials for our hike later that day. From there (take note, we're from Mandaue City), we went to Parkmall via jeep for 8 pesos and rode another jeep to Cebu South Bus Terminal for 10 pesos. I like how Cebu has codified jeepney routes that traverse its streets and placing these 'route codes' atop the jeepneys-ala-taxi. This app may come in handy for those who want to commute around Cebu: Go With Jeepney in Cebu.

Four and a half hours of sleeeeeeep!
(c) maps.google.com

We first bought trail food and canned goods in a convenience store for our overnight hike at Osmeña Peak. You may want to buy energy bars or make your own trail mix using nuts and chocolate candies. Whatever your choice, make sure it's easily accessible and gives you a boost while trekking. Remember to rehydrate and replace the lost electrolytes so sports drinks come in handy. Canned goods, a loaf of bread, and some crackers are good enough a breakfast-cum-dinner for us. 

From Cebu South Bus Terminal, ride an Oslob-bus bound for 124 pesos (so remember to bring a student ID, especially for the young travelers). The bus ride is almost four and a half hours, enough time for me to catch up on sleep. Around noon, we reached Barangay Tan-awan, Oslob and went to Aaron's Beach Resort which offers diving and whale shark viewing experience for 600 pesos.

Pricey....but what the hell, you don't see whale sharks everyday, right?

Before meeting the gentle giants of the seas, we first attended an orientation of the do's and don'ts during whale shark watching (ie. do not feed nor touch the whale shark, keep a distance of 4 meters between you and the whale shark, etc). After the lecture and a quick shower, we're off in our boats with our guides that will take us near these majestic creatures.

Whale shark viewing has become quite the 'community business' for the people of Oslob. I do hope they do their part in the protection and conservation of the whale sharks.

The viewing area was already full of other boats that were waiting for the whale sharks. We were given thirty minutes of interaction with the whale sharks which started when you start swimming with these large creatures. A boat that goes around the viewing area carries a fisherman who (sadly) feeds the whale sharks so the other boats will just have to wait for him to pass by, with the whale shark tailing behind him. We got a chance to have pictures with the shark, individually and as a group, thanks to Erika's GoPro camera and our guides' instructions - when to dive, not to blow bubbles for a picture-perfect shot and for dunking our heads underwater (no sarcasm intended)! The last one is especially helpful because I was the only non-swimmer among the group, hence the need for a life vest.

Four meters. Yeah, right.
(c) Crisostomo

Wow. Much struggle. Such organize.
(c) Crisostomo

We may not have the most picture-perfect shots but, hey, watching these gentle giants gliding a few meters from you is enough experience to bring back grins in our faces. The whale shark passed by our boat several times that we were satisfied by the half hour given to us. We went back to the shore to have our lunch, again courtesy of Dena's parents. After washing up and a bit of rest, we're up and about to go to our next destination: Osmeña Peak in Barangay Mantalogon, Dalaguete, Cebu.

Just wait for a Cebu City-bound bus along the highway and tell the conductor to drop you off at Dalaguete, Highway Junction for 80 pesos. From the crossing, ride a habal-habal for 100 pesos that will take you to the jump-off point. 

Buwis-buhay shot while reading the habal-habal. The road to the jump-off point is (thankfully) paved except for the last almost-a-kilometer of unpaved, rocky and rolling path.

You can ask the drivers to first drop you off at the town market of Dalaguete to buy your overnight food and supplies, which we did. We also bought large transparent bags since signs of a pending rain were threatening us since we left the junction. We asked the contact numbers of the habal-habal drivers so we would have a way to get from the jump-off point back to the highway junction.

Upon reaching the jump-off point, you have to sign in a logbook and their are no fees to be paid (yeay!). Some children offer their services as a guide for a fee but since Dena already hiked the peak, we decided against getting a guide. Had it not rained, the trail would have been much easier. Be sure to pack jackets and raincoats when hiking Osmeña Peak during the -ber months. Mantalongon is known as the Summer Capital of Cebu because of its cold temperature during the said months. Moreover, rains frequent the area during the same period and the windchill will definitely get into you. 

View from the (foggy) summit

View from the (foggier) campsite

We reached the summit in about an hour and there was also a group of day-hikers there. It was cloudy when we reached the summit so we only had glimpses of the numerous peaks the, er, Peak is known for. As the winds started to pick up speed and the clouds started getting darker, we started to become hesitant to spend the night........but we did, anyway! Hahaha! We set up camp in the designated area below the summit. Again, it would have been an ideal campsite had the winds and rain stopped bombarding our tent and flooding the inside. Scary stories about men robbing lone overnight campers in the area did not help at all. 

Malong burritos
(c) Agullana

We planned to welcome the sunrise at the summit by five in the morning the next day but the winds and rain kept bashing our camp and we only got out of our tent when it was almost seven and it was light outside. We took the opportunity in the lull of the rain and winds to break camp and start the descent . It was still foggy when we started the descent but at least it wasn't raining, which would be harder given the muddy trail. We also contacted the habal-habal drivers to meet us in the jump-off point. 

Silent Hill: Osmeña Peak version

The descent was much farther and (thankfully) less wetter because as we descended the cloud-hugged peaks, we were welcomed by the warm rays of the Sun. As I looked back at the camping experience we had, I still love it, no matter how strong the rain beat us, how scary the wind whistled, how cold and wet we got. It's the experience and the people you've spent it with that matters the most.

Osmeña Peak Collection 2014
Collage (c) Desabille\

Wet but happy. Wait. Wet and happy.
(c) Crisostomo

From the jump-off point, we were greeted by more kids and, thankfully, the habal-habal drivers that drove us back to the highway junction for another 100 pesos. From the junction, we rode a bus back to Mandaue for . We then took a jeepney ride back to the Desabilles for 8 pesos. Muscle soreness kicking in, we opted to just stroll around the mall before heading back to prepare for our flight back to Manila later that night.

Remember the airline where we booked our flights? The one with the sunshine-y yellow logo? Guess what happened to our flight back home (and to the others', consequently) - It got delayed. The long waiting at the terminal is a story on its own. Basically, our flight got delayed by a measly four hours compared to some who had been waiting for more than six hours just to get in their flight. Some even had their flights cancelled! In retrospect, we're quite lucky that we got home before Christmas because the said airlines made news when passengers who booked their flights waited for more than half a day, some even spent the night on the airport, only to know that their flights got delayed the next day or worse, cancelled. So people, plan your vacation details well, taking into consideration the credibility of the airlines (if you're planning to fly) and the dates of your getaway, so you can enjoy it!

P.S. Check out Dena's travel blog and her take on our Bohol-Cebu trip at I Wonder so I Wander

Until the next trip!

- Paulo

Trying my best to look fine underwater.
(c) Crisostomo

Bohol: Through the Lens (and Photoshop)

My Little (and Big) Kisses

Fishing Dreams

He. She.

Dat Beach. Dat Sun.

Standing Watch Through the Ages

Cheers! Let's Drink Our Blood! Cheers!

Bone(s) of the Father, Unwillingly Given

Downtime Between that Four Seconds of Fun

Xenophora: The Twisted Cousin of the Hermit Crabs

Around Bohol in Two Days: Day Two

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

Strapped!
(c) Cayton