I’m currently home for a short vacation and it’s amazing how much we did the past few days. That goes to say how much we were going around. From Laguna to Davao (it’s good to be back after my 2003-2004 visits) to Surigao to Butuan to Manila-Laguna. We attended a wedding of a very good friend held in South of the Philippines and it follows that we did a little sidetrip to nearby places. All in all it was a mixture of urban and rural experiences. That made me realize how important it is to be genuinely flexible. We had a lot of fun, especially that we had new discoveries about the hidden beauty of the Philippines… our country is full of surprises.

While I’m still sorting photos, I’m afraid that I won’t have enough time to blog (soon) once I’m back to Abu Dhabi. Hence, here’s a peek to the fun-filled past days that zoomed like a blast:

We stayed in one of the stilt houses in Pearl Farm Resort. It was very nurturing to wake up (in each glance, in fact) with an environment like this.

We also got a chance to cross over to the few minutes away (by boat) Malipano Island, which is under the same management of Pearl Farm Resort. It is more private than Samal Island. More details on a separate post. One of my best experiences there was my endeavour (naks!) to climb a coconut tree!

It was Kadayawan fest during our visit. However, we left for Surigao before the big parade.

The wedding was held in Hinatuan, a town in Surigao del Sur. It was an interesting coincidence that the town’s fiesta was a day before the wedding. Hence, all the more that the arena became so festive and jovial.

The majorettes, the bands, perya, all the colorful bits and pieces of a fiesta — we came in just in time. And of course, taking photos became more fun since I was with fellow enthusiasts. It so happened that some of the guests are professional photographers since the groom is one of the most respected photography mentors in the Philippines.

It was also a rare opportunity to have spent time with the ambassadress to the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi since she was one of the ninangs. We have always known her to be very humble, but she has proven that she really has no arte as we got to know her more when she joined us for the pre-wedding outing dedicated for guests (yes, there’s such a thing; didn’t mind if we got more tan). She chatted with little J (one of the flower girls) and had known her as the brave girl who volunteered to zipline ahead of all the adults.

And I’m delighted to share the wonderful discovery of the cleanest river I’ve experienced so far, Hinatuan’s Enchanted River.

On the other hand, the entire next week is a holiday in the UAE due to Eid celebrations. That’s a happy news for everyone as well as the other countries observing the Eid, including the Philippines.

I hope you’re all having fun wherever you are.

Seemed too comforted by hotsprings and resorts in our baluarte, we went a little far by 2 to 3-hour drive to the shores of Laiya in San Juan, Batangas. The recall about Laiya became stronger when Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo held their private wedding reception in one of the resorts there. Among the almost equally beautiful choices, we opted to stay in Sabangan Beach Resort after the gathered comments and checking of online reviews. And it turned out that the choice was so worth it, in terms of getting a reasonable package and the food that I consumed, errr, the experience we savoured.

Filipino style cottages. We were a big group, hence, we booked three months before our intended stay. We rented one of the loft cottages which has three double sized beds both at the ground and second floors and a two-bedroom beachfront bungalow. While some resorts offer a Balinese style of rooms, most of the time I prefer to stay in well-maintained pawid (nipa hut) styled accommodations because I rarely experience that.

(From the balcony)

Beachfront joys. I really enjoyed being strategically housed in the area where I did not miss the big actions going. Just a peek from the balcony gave us the breeze, the sunrise, sunset, and all the other activities which can be summed up as people watching (others call it boy or girl watching; remember that old joke of being a boyscout or girlscout?). At night, I especially enjoyed recalling my younger years as I eavesdropped, errr, overheard the chit chats of my younger companions about life and all its intricacies, curiousities, fascination while some of them were taking turns in playing the guitar. They were up past midnight at the parasols steps away from the balcony of the bungalow we stayed in.  And I must mention that the starry, starry nights still appear in the province.

(Our own version of star and the moon at night; it was post-Christmas when we visited. I think that the combined water splashing, giggling and audio from the guitar were the unbeatable consolidated music in each of our two-night stay.)

In the morning, we always gathered to our group’s “main house” which is the loft cottage. I would join my elders at the narra (dining) table at 5:00 AM chatting about anything while sipping coffee. And not too long when everyone was awake, the teens were giddy about the activities for the day while the kids main goal was to “invade” again the pool which was steps away from our loft. One of the nice things about coming as a big group was the feeling of entitled exclusivity because as we approached one area, take the pool for example, it seemed like we were invading it. I know that was good and bad to a certain extent. Hence, the wake-up call is to always put ourselves in other’s shoes.

(While the sand was more powder-like in Panglao Island, the water was surprisingly cleaner in this particular part of Laiya than in Alona Beach in Bohol.)

The rural zone atmosphere. I liked really that the resort provides a rural living feel that after the excitement over beach sports, kayaking, snorkeling, jetskiing, (the timeless ) banana boat riding, and the like (and don’t forget that you can also hike Mount Daguldol, we didn’t try), there were areas to rest our tired feet and body. The rocking chairs were a favorite. The patio was festively decorated that time since it was post-Christmas and I assume that the chime-shells were being periodically placed there.

Free buffet breakfast and dinner. Everyday. One of the things that appealed to us when we were choosing the resort was it allows its guests to cook or at least bring food. Each accommodation type is equipped by cooking facilities/kitchenette. They also provided supply of purified water (there’s a water dispenser) everyday. Although the utensils were also covered, we brought our own rice cooker, plates and silverwares (or I should say disposable stuff to make the washing of the dishes easier). Although we knew that a complimentary breakfast is available, a free dinner was surprisingly covered, too.

Alright, free breakfast and dinner… and it was buffet. They served the silogs (sinangag or fried rice at itlog or fried egg combos), liempo and other dishes that for once I wanted to tell them that the package was really generous. Na hindi ba sila nalulugi? (Aren’t they shortchaged?) By the way, all the meals they served were delicious and fresh. There was that day I was really excited about the day’s dishes that I peeked in at the grilling area. Hahaha. Normally, seafoods were on. But my best eating discovery that time was the combination of kalamansi (Chinese orange) and tuyo (corned fish). A must try.

Cooking our own food. We prepared a menu for the entire duration of our stay and with the assumption that we would go to talipapa (market) early in the morning to buy the raw stuff. The kitchen personnel also offered to do the marketing for us. However, we liked the other option which is to buy the fresh hatch from the fishermen at the same beachfront at early morning.

Walking up became more exciting. Aside from experiencing the unbeatable radiance of Philippine’s sunrise, I got to do people watching in a more serene way and of things that reminded me of so many things like seeing (and buying) from the taho and bread vendors, with that unmatchable announcement-shouting of “tahooooo!”(soy/beancurd pudding) and “tinaaaaa-pooooooooy!” (instead of tinapay/bread).

The early patrons catch the bigger fishes. Together with my mother and aunts, we joined the other guests (even those from neighbour resorts) in checking the fresh hatch. To see and the touch the dancing fishes (which later on served as our lunch) were really a refreshing experience. The video that I took still amazes me.

(Somebody has taken a fish and did not pay for it. Heehee.)

It is always a delight to spend time with the people dear to us. The concept of togetherness and the family ties among Filipinos is so remarkable that it doesn’t matter where but how we are spending it. It’s a bonus to have been blessed to share another experience in another sand, soil and water — matched with a good (and don’t forget it was free) buffet meals. Simple joys are priceless.

Sabangan Beach Resort
Laiya, San Juan, Batangas
Landline: +63 2 9149640
Email: info@sabangan.com

(Click here for details on how to get there/driving directions)

BOHOL BEACH CLUB

Centuries ago, the island was branded as a lonesome place. No wonder that the Spaniards described it as “mapanglao” (lonely). While it retained its name, Panglao Island is now oozing with energy and celebrations that there is no way it is going to be gloomy again. With the mushrooming hotels and resorts, the commercialization is shaping abruptly. I hope it would be able to sustain its natural beauty.

(Benjamin Abalos, the former Chairman of Philippine Commission on Elections and Metro Manila Development Authority, as regaled by the romantic and refreshing breeze.)

Being first time visitors, we were advised to stay in Panglao Island instead of being in the sentro, Tagbilaran City. Since the latter is 30-minute drive to the beach and there is no regular commute (yes, transportation arrangement is the deal), we really intended to stay footsteps away from the beach. While the resorts share the same shoreline, Bohol Beach Club has the longest stretch which we got to appreciate when we attended the wedding reception of a friend.

~~~~~

LOST HORIZON HOTEL in Alona Beach

Taking the combined recommendations from non-blogger and blogger pals, we booked the family “room” (i.e. three rooms via two connecting doors — much preferred in our case) overlooking the pool in Lost Horizon Hotel. The establishment’s name stuck in my head even before the reason to visit Bohol materialized. I gave a high regard to almost anything Lost Horizon since I watched that very interesting black and white movie which has the same title (initially shown in 1937) in-flight. I think that it’s a genius production especially during that time when the idea of hidden paradise and “other world” was infant.

(Beach front of Lost Horizon Hotel)

As I recall our activities by looking at  our photographs, the more it became glaring that one place we call home at the end of day is very important. No wonder that no matter how tiring some tours seemed, the moment we set foot on the beach again, the day never failed to conclude with serenity and happiness.

(While breakfast was not included in the normal package, they concurred to daily breakfast arrangements.)

As one of the many hotels in Alona Beach, I can only speak of good things about Lost Horizon especially that we were genuinely treated extra special (e.g.  invited to their company Christmas party, adequately arranged the tours for us, and more) by the management. I don’t know if it was just the timing because we stayed with them pre-Christmas, but the staff were so good to us from day 1 of inquiry via emails to the day we had to go back to the airport.

(We had a supply of good music every night!)

(We took the chance to try the other food stalls and restaurants especially at night. The thought of seafood makes me mouthwatered as I write this. I also liked the reasonable prices.)

(I enjoyed the semi-commercialized and rural combination of way of live. Can you spot the balut vendor?)

It is within the cluster of Alona Beach which is currently tagged as mini-Boracay. Surprisingly, I liked Bohol better than Boracay just because it’s more serene to me. But if you’re in for more lively night life, you’ll prefer Boracay.

(One of the plenty of tourists dressed as Santa Claus and gave neatly wrapped gifts.)

Alona Beach is really full of character just like how it was named. Do you know Alona Alegre? I heard about her from my elders as one of the actresses who teamed up with the late Fernando Poe, Jr. We chatted with the locals and they claimed (I liked the part that they were consistent about the story and there was so much conviction in the delivery) that she once shoot a film by this beach, in her original birthday dress (i.e. nude). Therefore, the beach was named after her.

I can only imagine Panglao Island getting prettier as each day progresses. That’s me declaring to the Universe that I seriously want to revisit.

It’s interesting and nostalgic whenever I’d re-catch a glimpse of Bohol while channel surfing. As I watch features about the tourist destinations in the Philippines, there’s always a sense of pride and joyful reminiscing especially when it came to the part that they did a countryside tour. In a way, that made me feel like our December family trip to Bohol just happened yesterday.

(Hinagdanan Cave)

Etymology. I nicknamed the countryside tour as the whirlwind tour. It’s amazing how in more or less eight hours trip within the comfort of a van, you’ll get to know more about the colorful and rich history of Bohol and the way of life of the Boholanos.  The word Bohol is believed to have come from the word ”bool” which refers to the place where the treaty of friendship occurred in 1565. But I find the other story more appealing as it tells us that it was derived from the word “buho” (or hole) referring to the plenty of caves in this province. I didn’t know that there are at least 1,400 caves there. That’s like running after the 1,776 chocolate hills! On a more serious note, the caves must have served as hideouts during the time of war or rebellion. In one of the towns in Laguna, the underground cemetery served this purpose.

We managed to drop by in Hinagdanan Cave which is near to Dauis. There were few groups swimming in the pond at the time of our visit. We were more interested in the stalactites hanging there and artwork on the walls.

Nature. After experiencing the minty chocolate hills, we stopped by the manmade forest. The mahogany trees were planted by the girl and boy scouts of the Philippines in 1950s. According to our guide, the tree planting was done to prevent the landslide in this area. The uniform height and voluminous roots of the trees are a beautiful sight. It’s not surprising that it is one of the favorite pre-nuptial location shoots in Bohol, aside from the nearby hanging bridge.

(It rained for a few minutes as we headed to the floating restaurant.)

Spell yummy. One of the highlights of each tour, in my opinion, is the pigging out. While the meal didn’t beat the quality of food in Bohol Bee Farm, dining in one of the floating restaurants while being serenaded by a local guitarist and by Lobor river choir is another experience to cherish.

The boat-resto made a stop over somewhere by the lushes and we saw the sort of set-up of tribal community. While this amiable man who blows fire every now and then was entertaining, it was also heartbreaking when you get to think of the complexity of this routine. Don’t forget the donation/tip box over there.

(As we were returning to the van, I noticed this material. I didn’t know that  firefly watching is possible in Bohol. This reminded me of our enigmatic firefly encounter in Kuala Selangor, Malaysia.)

More interesting creatures. Aside from meeting the freaky cute tarsiers, we also dropped by in two mini-zoos cum gardens and saw different animals. We were piqued most by Prony who is a trained phyton in Albuquerque. We went in the cage and touched him. We can not imagine being that close to Samantha, the other (unfriendly) phyton in Exotik Restaurant near my hometown. The “lady” in red is Marimar. She was about to finish her song number (she belts like Regine Velasquez) when we came. What makes her unique is that she swirls herself to the post like a snake while singing.

(Would you know what they are?)

(According to the garden guide, the mating was in progress.)

I need to say that the countryside tour is a must when you visit Bohol. A friendly reminder though to agree your itinerary with your guide ahead of time. If he doesn’t volunteer some places wherein you can drop by and are incidentally on the way (like we did for the Hinagdanan cave), try injecting it to your schedule. You may also want to skip or replace the less attractive destinations (at your preference).  And of course, a visit to the pasalubong centers is given. The key is proper coordination.

While the province of Bohol houses one of the oldest churches in the Philippines, I didn’t expect that there will be too many churches (and even chapels) that are worth the visit. I recall one of my random conversations with a local who lives in Balicasag Island that Boholanos, regardless of their status quo, feel that they are very blessed because of their flourishing faith. Hence, they are protected from typhoons (although I think that it’s a combination of faith + mountains that shield them) and other untoward events. And it follows that there are Bible verses marked on all the tricycles in Bohol. However, we have managed to squeeze in to our schedule a visit only to a couple of immaculate and classic churches.

DAUIS CHURCH (Church of Our Lady of the Assumption)

My visit to Dauis Church was memorable because it was the first church in Bohol I’ve stepped in. Since my good friend’s wedding was solemnized there, all the more that it will be painted in my memory.

Dauis Church is wrapped by humility. It is very straightforward on the outside, but the interior is full of character. Its architecture is a combination of Byzantine and Romanesque influences. The painting on the ceiling was done by Ray Francia in 1916. I’ve tried searching for pre-renovation photos (1970) to compare; however, I found none (yet). But whatever extent of improvements have been made, I think that its current state is remarkable because it retained its immaculate yet old look feel. I’ve seen churches which became totally different and modernized after the renovation that will make you wish for a time machine so that they might reconsider to maintain a large amount of details of the old architecture.

At the altar is an image of Virgin of the Assumption, its patron saint. There’s an interesting legend which has been passed on from one generation to the other. Its patron saint is said to possess miraculous powers. When the town was invaded by pirates, the people of Dauis locked themselves into the church. However, they soon ran out of provisions and water. Then a miracle occurred: a well appeared at the foot of the altar. This same well is still the main source of water for the people living close to the church, and, although the well is only a few meters from the sea, the water is absolutely fresh. The water is said to have healing powers.

Since we visited there for the wedding and immediately proceeded to the venue of the reception after the ceremony, I didn’t get to inspect the miraculous well which is situated at the foot of the altar (covered by a trapdoor) and the bottles of miracle water made available after tending a donation. The water, until now, is believed to have healing power.

That one Saturday in December of last year was really momentous as I, our friends and colleagues from my previous job witnessed the celebration of marriage of this beautiful couple. They sent pink balloons up there to enjoin the father of the bride who is now in heaven.

*****

BACLAYON CHURCH (Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception)

Alright, I’d go a little showbiz. I learned about Baclayon Church and the town itself when the actor Cesar Montano proposed to (now his wife) Sunshine Cruz. (However, he was unsuccessful in his attempt to be the governor of Bohol in the most recent election). This church became more popular as it was fronting the pier – lighthouse where the proposal happened.

As you go inside, you will feel that the church is really charmingly old. How’s that for something Jesuit-built in the 15th century? However, it became a parish only in 17th century. The altar has a remarkable display of retablos.

What’s equally interesting are the materials used in the construction of the church: coral stones taken from the sea which were cut into squares block and piled, bamboo to move and lift the stones in position, and white of a million eggs to cement everything together, with a total of 200 native laborers (what a team!).

I liked that each piece inside the church speaks the tests of time and faith of the Boholanos. It entails a huge amount of hardwork to preserve all these.

We also learned, but didn’t get to see, about the dungeon which is believed to have served as the punishment area for the natives who were non-compliant with the rules of the Roman Catholic church. If that was the time of the first Spanish mission in the region, you can surmise the initial resistance of people to changes.

Outside the church, there is the shop that offers religious souvenirs and other items, including these colorful candles. And as they say, try to light a candle to accompany the prayers. (Just as the incense sticks are used by Buddhists and other believers.) Interestingly, the color coding follows the concept of votive candles. That is, when someone prays something in particular, either for himself or on behalf of someone else.

There is an old kumbento (convent) in which the second level has been converted into a museum. This is where we spent more time. They charge P25 for each visitor, which I think is very reasonable when you think of the maintenance and the things that you’ll see inside.

While non-flash photography is allowed in some museums, they strictly implement a no photo taking policy in Baclayon’s. This photo of the santos (images of saints) were taken before we went up to the museum. If you are not used to stepping in to very old houses, you will probably get a little shock of the occasional creeking of the wooden floors as you walk (aka tip toe). You will be unmindful of that, anyway, as you get to see the several artifacts and hundreds year-old religious relics. The most unforgettable pieces for me were the books with carabao skin covers, lyrics sheets written in Latin, and ivory statues. With these gems in the museum, it is understandable that they prohibit the photo taking to avoid further theft. It was recounted that a stolen image of St. Blaise, the patron saint for ailments of the throat, was returned by a buyer who hailed from Metro Manila two years later. If you were the antique buyer, will you do the same?

(The moment we exited the museum, my itchy hands managed to click my trusted P & S camera’s shutter once just to capture the church’s view from there.)

I think that Baclayon church itself is already a museum. However, I suggest that you visit the museum for a wider appreciation of the history and the legacy of its founders and everyone else who were involved. Just a warning though, there is a dress code in the church and in the museum. I don’t know how strict they are in implementing this because no one interfered with my entry although I was wearing shorts (apparently, we dropped by there the same day we visited the Chocolate Hills and the freaky cute tarsiers). However, I noticed that the other visitors were handed a scarf/cloth to cover themselves.

If you will visit Bohol and you are fond of old churches, try to allot ample time to see the (at least) 32 beautiful Catholic churches which have their own charm.

The bee farm experience starts with finding your way to one of the important representations of provincial life in Bohol. It’s like a sanctuary hidden in all those greeneries, hence, it’s better to ask a local to drive for you. It was good that our arrival coincided with the first batch of the farm tour. The P20 fee/person for the 20 to 30 minutes glimpse of farm life is very reasonable. They let us use the woven (buri) hats for free in the entire duration of the tour for a more “in the farm feel”.

["Babae or lalaki ba si Jollibee?" (Is Jollibee (the mascot) female or male?), asked by the guide. Not only the kids, but all of us were glued to our guide's bits of information. Understandably, there was the is-that-true-i-will-google-that-later trivial stuff moment. The interesting parts were when he was telling us how to differentiate a female (has distinct stripes (so is Jollibee!) and stingers) from a male bee (with larger eyes), the reproduction cycle, and more. We even had the chance to hold that tray of bees without stinging us.]

The December breeze provided a no sweat tour that morning. We really enjoyed peeking in to the organic farming life, basket weaving, decorating and crafting, and of course the bee culture! Our guide, with his Boholano accent, was conversant, entertaining and really knows his job. The tour was very informative as he held a sort of quiz amongst my family and relatives. And the winner shall get a bite from a bee, i.e. believed to cure rheumatism. Maybe the assumption was that an adult participant is going to win, but the kids are smarter! Well, they are fresh from school (excuses hahaha). So, they got an ice cream treat.

(We’ve tried chocolate, malunggay (the best), and spicy ginger (as one of the desserts during lunch) ice cream.

(I think I snapped this interesting piece of carving near the Christmas tree.)

(I can imagine that the place is enigmatic at night with all the little lights on.)

(I really appreciate the fact that the bee farm is providing livelihood to many people, including the hilots.)

After the tour and peeking in to the barn (function room) and three restaurants (one nestled in the cave overlooking the pool, honeycomb which is more for functions, and the bamboo style), we opted to take lunch in the latter which is overlooking the sea. Not too long, the place was full of diners. It reminded me of the pretty tourist who seemed like fresh from the marine tour on a skimpy two-piece swimwear, taking her flower salad while reading Eat, Pray, Love. Probably, her own version of the Eat part is in the Philippines instead of being in Italy as transpired in the book.

As mentioned in one of my posts, amongst my most unforgettable eats in 2010 were the flower salad (anything that the bee sips is said to be not poisonous, I ate all those flowers, even if I didn’t know exactly what is the species and had zero insurance for being a flower glutton, hahaha; so far, I am still alive and blogging!), kinilaw na talong, spicy ginger and malunggay ice cream. For the bee farm dishes alone, it is worth the trip. (Menu here.)

The stairs leading to the cliff were just steps away from the bamboo restaurant. We went down to the sunbathing and lounging area. If you’re in at the right hour, it would be tempting to ask for massage from one of the hilots. Being there would be perfect in time for the sunrise and sunset. But since that was right after stuffing ourselves with healthy and delicious lunch, the sea breeze was too inviting for a nap.

Another much awaited part was the sorting of their products which all seemed to be shouting, “you should get me”. I’ve been piqued most by the camote and herb bread, different variants of cookies, chips and spreads. In the same shop, they also have native products like sungka (remember this classic game?) paraphernalia, ukelele, and lots of buri products.

Since we visited pre-Christmas, the air was more festive and the bee farm had bountiful decors. Of course, Santa Claus and the Belen (Nativity) were positioned rightfully.

Had the bee farm had its own shoreline, we probably had booked it for our accommodation. I noticed that most of the hotel-resort guests were expats, which is not surprising because the nipa-structured rooms (interestingly named as banana room, beehive and honeycomb suites, and colony) are appealing. But all in all, it is a must visit in case you decide to set foot in Bohol. Great food and customer service. And of course, you can have that date with the bees and hold them minus the harm.

(Here’s how to get to Bohol Bee Farm)

I am swinging back to my Bohol series.

For the longest time I’ve imagined meeting the souvenir keychain tarsier in flesh. And yes, if you can imagine it, it can happen.

I could have met the tarsiers earlier had I joined my colleagues in their Bohol side trip instead of staying in Cebu that one weekend in 2004. In one of my previous jobs, the travel opportunity was generous that made me complacent that I can set foot in Bohol whenever I want. But I had always deferred the visit until I went overseas and found myself envying those who have experienced the beauty of Bohol. Thanks to a good friend who held his wedding there last year. I had a more compelling reason to visit.

The tarsiers we saw up close were those in Loboc which is a tourist trail as you visit the Chocolate Hills or dine in the floating restaurant. Since they are considered endangered, the government of Bohol granted special permits only to few selected residents to showcase tarsiers. In particular, we went in to Kanipa an Kingdom which has four to five captive tarsiers on display. There was no entrance fee and I noticed that there was no donation box as well. I’m not sure if the other residents-hosts have the same practice. However, souvenir items are abundant. I presume that part of the proceeds helps fund the maintenance of the well-being of the tarsiers. Other pets on display were birds, species of lizards, tortoises and Philippine macaue.

Tiny, can be physically scary, or as comically tagged “freaky cute” (that they are now part of the existing Php 200 bill)…  but hey, they are THE tarsiers! Together with the other visitors, we lined up to have our photos and videos taken with them. Everyone competed for their attention, but it seemed like they were asleep that early afternoon. Of course, they are known to be nocturnal. There were times that they moved their heads, resembling the rotating ability of the owls. As we posed with them, the visitors’ infamous look and strategy was to mimic their wide awake big eyes. No matter how tempted we were, we did not touch them since it is not allowed. There were reports that they have suicidal tendencies when they are put under pressure. However, I noticed that one of the residents-caretakers touched the heavier sleeper so that it will move its head in time for the visitor’s photo taking. That was when he got really squeaky (and see those teeth!) as shown in the photo above.

If you have enough time, you might want to visit the Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary which is in Barangay Canapnapan, Corella, Bohol. With at least 100 tarsiers to see in their natural habitat, I think that the extra kilometers trip would be worth it.

Continued from the peek a boo with the dolphins and snorkeling in Balicasag Island

My senior companions could have foregone the visit to Chocolate Hills had it not been THE Chocolate Hills. What discouraged them was the tiring walk to the viewing deck. (In one of our neighbor towns in Laguna, there’s a church situated on a hill which requires at least 100 steps to get inside it. So, the experience was very reminiscent.) I was catching my breath when we went to the viewing deck at the town of Carmen (Bohol). What fueled me to “climb” better was the (embarrassing) thought of losing to my mother’s and aunts’ stamina in braving the numerous steps to the top.

I lost count of the number of steps we triumphed, but our tour guide and Wiki both said that it was 214 steps. It helped that we invested on enough sleep the preceding night and we dotted this amazing attraction first from our countryside tour; hence, we were all on our strongest state that day we climbed. In the future, there will probably be escalators just like in the Hong Kong Ocean Park. Maybe.

(There are 1,776 hills encompassing the towns of Carmen, Batuan and Sagbayan in Bohol.)

The hills that welcomed us were on their green state since we visited pre-Christmas. Apparently, they are brown-chocolate-y during summer. I have not given much thought about my preference because I think that it’s surreal and unique regardless of its color. It also helped that the December air on the viewing deck was so refreshing that it eased all the sweating and shoo away the rayuma (rheumatism) tendencies. Be careful when taking photos and/or when you’re being photographed (especially when doing a jump shot) by the edge. You might fall and roll.

(Here’s a photo from Wikipedia when it’s indeed a “Chocolate Hill”.)

(And here’s a comparative “Green/ Mint Hill” photo that I took.)

(We didn’t pay much attention to the bell at the viewing deck. In fact, this was my only photo of the bell. Only after our visit I learned that it’s a counterpart of a wishing well, i.e. you make a wish while ringing it thrice.)

The flat surface in between hills are mostly rice fields and are planted with trees and ferns. The hills are covered by limestones  that there were reports that a portion was harmed by the quarrying done in the past.

I enjoy learning about legends though I (generally) don’t really believe in them. That’s why I was all ears to our guide when he shared the varying versions of Chocolate Hills’ legends: the two feuding giants and giant carabao whose poops turned into hills, the romantic story of a giant (whose tears formed hills) and a mortal, and more that always involved a giant. The other theories of formation related to geological shift and volcanic eruptions (although bearing insufficient evidence) are equally interesting. But whatever it is, the Chocolate Hills are truly a wonderful creation. Much has been written about it and I could only hope for its official inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List. And let’s hope that the provincial government of Bohol would be able to find the balance between its protection and use as a natural resource, tourism instrument, and utilization by its locals.

One of the reasons I timed my last vacation in the Philippines in December was to grace and attend the wedding of a good friend in Bohol. Since we’ve never been there, I was joined by my family and some of my relatives sans the wedding attendance. I’ve wanted to blog about this months ago but it took time to sort the thousands of photos from this vacation (yes, I do click the shutter a lot) and other things got in. Now that summer is approaching in the Philippines (and we still enjoy winter in the Lower Gulf), it’s about time to reminisce and share this rejuvenating experience especially to those who plan to visit Bohol.

Getting up so early to be at the boat at 5:30 AM was worth it. Each day there are several tourists who chance on seeing the dolphins.  It helped that our boatman-guide was a strategist, or maybe it was coincidental that the dolphins approached the tip of our boat many times. You really need to be sharp especially if you intend to take their photos. They move quickly, teasingly; hence, that perfect shot is definitely elusive. Since we were there to enjoy the experience itself, I set my mind to just take at least two decent shots of the dolphins and devote the rest of the hour of the boat ride to appreciate the playfulness of these friendly creatures. Yes, the dolphin shows are also entertaining, but they are boxed there and movements were calculated. Seeing them at their natural habitat and interacting with them, without anyone commanding them where they should show up and what they should do, is far more fascinating.

(I think that the dolphins liked us, they approached us many times and I felt like winning a lotto each time they bounced as a group. Lucky!)

(Taken as we approached Balicasag Island)

While Bohol is considered the 10th largest island in the Philippines, it is further surrounded by 73 smaller islands. Two of which, Balicasag and Virgin Islands we visited after our peek a boo with the dolphins.  As soon as our feet kissed the pristine sand of Balicasag, we arranged for the dishes to be served for lunch. So that by the time we were done with snorkeling our lunch was ready. We utilized small boats (each boat accommodated a maximum of four people including the boatman-guide) in taking us to the snorkeling sanctuary. Included in the gears that we rented were the shoes. I can say that my snorkeling experience topped our overall activities in Bohol. I liked snorkeling here better than in Boracay, I’m yet to experience Palawan. Of course, don’t forget to bring your underwater camera to have your memento with the coral reefs and other fishes (rather than literally taking them).

(There were too many creatures to see and feel. And for the first time, I held a sea cucumber! There you can see Kuya, the bangkero (boatman) of other visitors; he looked like weirded by my enthusiasm with this sea creature. It was a bit slimy and thinner when it’s taken out of the water. Some of my companions were freaked out.)

As we finished snorkeling, our hearty lunch was served. We ate kamayan style (to eat with your own hands) which was very appropriate for the nipa hut setting. We had the buttered crabs (which was prepared almost similar to the recipe I shared sans the oyster sauce + the ginger — a Boholano mark), baked oysters (highly recommended), sinigang na salmon, and grilled squid. Our lunch was reasonably priced considering that the ingredients were so fresh! Until now, I can taste them inside my head. The priceless part is the hospitality and genuine concern the locals of Balicasag Island extended to us as they attended to every single concern. I enjoyed chatting with Ate, the cook, about their day to day situation, their limited source of electricity (right now it’s powered by a generator and they pay a lot for their consumption), the deficient supply of water that they have to rely on the irregular rainshowers and buy bottled water at a rather extra marked up rate due to inter-island delivery charges, and the other deficiencies that despite of, they feel that they are very blessed since they have a chapel and mini-school in the island. And due to the basic fact that they are Boholanos, they are indeed blessed. (I’ll elaborate that on a separate post.)

It was an interesting lunch which I never wanted to end.  Thanks to the friendly reminder from our boatman-guide that a prettier yet less explored island was next on the agenda — the Virgin Island. Wow, who would have thought that there’s more to being pristine! It’s basically more private and I was awed by the fact that it’s crescent shaped. During our visit, there were few people and most were foreigners. There were vendors selling shells and sea urchin (I wished I’ve tried).

(From a far, you would think that those visitors floated on the water. Just like the others, I particularly enjoyed walking on the therapeutic white sand. We walked up to the other end reaching the sand bar wherein a group of Filipinos were on a picnic.)

We went back to the hotel in Panglao Island nurtured with more than enough good memories of the day’s trip. And we’ve just begun exploring. Much has been told and blogged about Bohol, but it’s really more fascinating when you get to experience it first hand. There’s more to share in the succeeding posts.

Note: All photos which will be featured in Bohol related posts were either taken with a Canon S95 or Fujifilm FinePix XP10 (underwater camera), which are both point and shoot cameras.

The Egyptians I’ve dealt with here in the Gulf are likable and unlikable to a certain extent. And I think that they feel the same for the Filipinos and other expatriates. The parallelism between Egyptians and Filipinos on the way they behave here has something to do with “the way we walk” at our home countries.

The walking Egyptians in the Gulf are humorous (until their cracking of jokes diminished as their own people power begun to oust Hosni Mubarak; did you know that Mubarak means blessed and fortunate in Arabic?), oozing with confidence that some of them appear to be overconfident, and opinionated (ranging from opinionated to extremely opinionated; means that they probably are opinionated since birth). I almost clashed with few of them outside the work arena because they have the tendency to bully other expatriates in the UAE for different reasons. (It really takes a lot of patience and tact to deal with some of them.) I call it “territorialism”. It turns out that they are one of the first educated expatriates , aside from Indians, whom have been entrusted mostly managerial posts in different disciplines especially in legal and financial management when UAE was in its formative years. Attribute that to their proximity to the Gulf. The Egyptians though had an extreme advantage over whoever educated fellow lands here because of their proficiency in Arabic.

There really is no intention to take over. However, nature dictates, complacency is expected, other groups of expatriates including the Southeast Asians started thriving. Of course, you know what happens next. The game theory of survival of the fittest. I don’t think though that we need to eradicate each other because monopoly of jobs based on an expatriate’s nationality is unreasonable. Each kind has its forte, but yes, there will always be competition. To prove that one is worthy of his post and is indispensable. I guess that holds true whether we are in our home country or not. I’m not being biased here, but (most of the) Filipinos are healthy competitors. That is we try to be fair at all times. Most of us don’t even want to compete and will be passive until one steps on our dignity. But then again, “being fair” depends on one’s dictionary.

In general, I like the presence of the Egyptians. Like most Filipinos, they are educated. You get priceless points of view from them about anything under the sun. Hence, it inspires us to be guarded and to continuously improve. I also like them, especially when we are on the same side, because they speak well that they have the power to convince. Of course, it still depends on the resistance of the other party. I can go on and list our similarities, but the ironic point is that we can actually compete with each other in terms of quality of education and corruption in our home countries. Just like us, they also got queried why Egypt has so much potential, but remains poor. We understand more why they try to hold on to whatever power they have outside their home country.

Then we started being emphatic. We saw them in their lowest low, probably like our faces  that looked like soaked puppies at the peak of hostage taking of Hong Kong nationals in Manila. Now that their president has been deposed (after 29 years and 120 days in post, surviving six assassination attempts, and ranking 20th of the World’s Worst Dictator List by Parade Magazine in 2009), we talk about the parallelism again on how the late president Ferdinand Marcos flew to Hawaii, the formation of human wall (with a more dramatic version of Holy Cross and Quoran side by side), most of their rich businessmen packed their suitcases and are now in Dubai, intervention from US, that how we wish they have a counterpart of late president Corazon Aquino (well, that’s too much repetition of history!), and more.

We see the Egyptians in the Gulf walking like a true Egyptian again. Back to their old humorous selves, hopeful, and confident. I hope that they would learn from what transpired in governance in the Philippines after the 1986 people power revolution. If positivity alone can save the Philippines since then, ours probably is one of the richest countries by now. But no. Let me borrow from Peter Pan the movie, it takes faith, hope, and pixie dust…. and let’s add hard work to that.

Mabrouk (Congratulations) and bit-tawfiq (good luck) to the people of Egypt!