the much awaited mainland tour...

___________________________

Sorry for the long wait. Naabutan na ng Pyesta ng
Patay post ko so 10 years na ang inabot all in all.lol 

We left bee farm 7am the next day and since there
is a free shuttle transfer from the port and back
we instructed the driver to take us to the
Provincial hall instead........There, our driver
and guide Kevin was waiting.

Again, thanks to CHYNG, for introducing Rj and  RJ TOURS to us. It's probably single  best decision I made in the trip.....

1st stop, MAG-ASO Falls.

 cold, clear water, lush vegetation....

 
This is located in the town of Antequera Bohol. It's on the Western side so it's basically out of the itinerary . Good thing, the manager Rj was kind enough to change some sites and include MAG-ASO Falls on the list. There we a few people then when we arrived. The cool water is inviting but we were not in the mood to take a dip. One more thing, I'm not into waterfalls since I always have this premonition that a slippery rock will get me. Just got curious from all the positive reviews of the place. Sure is a good place to visit. 

 

Antequera Catholic Church.....

 
We only stayed here to take a few shots of the place then we were back to the town center. By the way, this place is known for basket making. They have displays in the plaza that time so we thought of checking it out. Teresa managed to buy to small trash bins. I stopped her from buying big items kasi dyahe sa plane. lol 

Then were off to the eastern side, next stop, Tarsier Sanctuary covering an area of 167 hectares within the three municipalities of Corella, Sikatuna and Loboc. currently under the administration of the DENR and is part of its Social Forestry Project.

  

 The Sanctuary starts at barangay Canapnapan in Corella, Bohol. 

Here, you can see tarsiers in the wild. In their natural habitat. We learned a few things about these primates, that they are territorial and monogamous. The females at least. Usually, there is 1 male for 5 or so females. Lucky males. hehe

 It's quite hard to take clear shots though. Good thing, before going on a river cruise, Kevin, our guide took us to this place in Loboc where you can see them up close and even touch em if the caretakers are not looking. I managed to kiss one. hehe

 Before getting there, we passed the LOBOC Church. Old and creepy as it may seem. Much to my fascination. The Church of san Pedro in Loboc Bohol is the 2^nd oldest Church in Bohol.

 

our car from---RJ TOURS with the church on the backdrop.....

We tried to take a peek inside but it's a bit dark given the fact that its during broad daylight. So I thought it's a bit creepy. Hope they renovate it and bring back the old glory days. 

Next  stop, LOBOC River Cruise. One of the most memorable part of the tour. Since here, you get to just relax , enjoy the view and at the same time have your lunch for only 300 pesos, eat all you can. Native food is served and local song are being sang on the background by the band. They also played some Korean ang Chinese songs. Fun fun fun!!!!

A few meters at the end of the 1^st half of the cruise is this station where locals sing lively songs accompanied by small guitars. I donno exactly how to call it but it’s somewhat similar to that of ukulele.

Happyslip mentioned that this is her most favorite part of the tour when she visited Bohol a few months back. I now know why.

And there’s even this small waterfall at the end of the river trail which signals the boat to turn and heed back to the station.

After spending a few minutes on the restroom, we're off to the Chocolate hills. It's a long trip past the towns of Bilar and Batuan. you don't have to worry though, roads in Bohol are well paved. Kevin said the government officials here are really giving a priority to that. They sure know where to put their tax money. You will enjoy the view along the way anywhere you look. Bohol is simply beautiful. 

Then this, the  man-made mahogany forest stretching two kilometers  in the border of Loboc and Bilar towns......

 

 with our car again.....who would not want to have a car in place like this. lol

I specifically asked Kevin to stop at every major church.  

 

 This one is in Batuan along the way to hills.

 Then the much awaited part. Alas. The famous Chocolate Hills.

I was actually disappointed a bit at first coz the hills are scattered in a vast area of land so you have to zoom the camera to emphasize them. Yeah, one might think that there are only a few of them. But if you look closely, there are many indeed. More than a thousand as a matter of fact. With some covered with trees. The hills in this area are covered only with grass so they turn brown during summer, thereby the name CHOCOLATE HILLS

 

It’s also a bit difficult to get a good photo since there is this metal bar that ruins the view. You have to stand on top of a bench or mono block chair just to have enough elevation.

 

If you are lucky, you can ask for the assistance of the photographers there for free since tripods will not do any help. We did, after availing of their photo prints for 100 pesos each.

 

the most prominent hill in the area....hope they can give it a name.hehe

A noteworthy experience though. Teresa purchased a tee shirt with our faces printed in it for 350 pesos. Cool. As a bonus, we still managed to see the hanging bridge on our way back, the Albuquerque Church,

 The Albur parish was established in 1869 after being separated from Baclayon, Bohol

the blood compact site and of course the BACLAYON Church. The Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in Baclayon is considered to be one of the oldest churches in the Philippines.

It is one of the best presevered Jesuit build churches in the region.

Too bad my camera ran out of battery at this point so I was not able to take pictures inside the church. huhu

The tour which started 8am ended 5pm that day. we retired into our accommodation in Vest Pension house near Tagbilaran City center. Our last night before the flight back to Manila. Has been a very tiring day. We retired with a grin on our faces.

thanks Rj and Kevin for the wonderful day trip. Really is a good choice having you guys. And thanks Chyng for the referral. For those who are planning on a day tour in Bohol. I highly recommend them. They sure do know how to take care of you.

______________________

click here for more info on RJ DAYTOURS
contact #s : Kevin- 0926.575.5808
Rj- 0907.711.9727

Panglao Island Nature Resort day trip.....

_____________________

After eating lunch at Bohol Bee Farm, I immediately contacted several resorts in the island of Panglao as we intended to go on a day trip. Several options came into mind like Bohol Beach club which is only 500 pesos away via car rental from Bee Farm but as per advice of some friends, we opted Panglao Island Nature Resort instead.

...sure glad we did as this is another part of the Panglao Island you shouldn't miss. Located in Bingag, Dauis  Bohol, it's a 15 minute ride away from Bee Farm for 700 pesos back and forth transfer. Maybe it would take longer if we didn't take the shortcut which is trough rough road. Along the way, I thought the island of Panglao resembles that of my hometown Anda Pangasinan in its interior.

breathtaking view from the pool area.....

We immediately paid 450 pesos with 350 of it consumable for food. Lockers are provided so no need to worry about your valuables. Upon entering the lobby, you'll see the pool area,

the pool and sunbathing area......

and from there, this.

PINR's famous man-made island.....

We decided to explore the area a bit on the Northern side and checked on their accomodation. Well, not exactly inside the casitas but we felt as if we were the guests there. hehe 

from there, the view is just splendid......

and there's no better place for this duyan than here......

You would love swinging here feeling the wind and enjoying the view.....

sun, sand, sea and duyan....

Down the cliff is the beach area. The sand is white and very fine. There's an area where you can sunbathe if you want.

me, wearing pants in the beach----saan ka don. hehe

And there are kayaks too if you are that active type. The resort is alos famous for its man-made island so there are boats to take you there during high tide.....

the boat, ready to take you to the island...happiness.lol

High tide or low tide, I would suggest you go to the island as you can have a good view of the cottages from there.

don't you think it's very inviting.....

the envy of many.......

When you are in the island, you would love to be in one of those bungalows, when you are in one of those bungalows, you will crave to go to the island. It's just beautiful any way. 

After the photo shoot, we decided to take a dip into the pool until sunset. This is the view that I have been dreaming of. Reminds me of Bali the way it registered in my mind, with pools seemingly parallel to the blue ocean. 

At around 6:30 pm, we ordered our dinner. 700 pesos was enough for a decent meal here. Our service arrived past 7 and we were off to Bee Farm again. Have to slow it down for the next day's mainland day tour.

visit http://www.panglaoisland.com for more info.

See ya

the real fun starts in BOHOL....bee farm

____________________

as I said, the sun came out as soon as we got to
Tagbilaran port. I thought it's an indication
of good things to
come. Sure did.

Teary eyed, I immediately fixed myself

and looked around for our resort service while Teresa kept herself busy getting brochures of resorts and other attractions in the island. As soon as I stepped out of the terminal, the driver was waiting for us. We were the only guests to be fetched that time, 9am so it felt more of an exclusive service. Gave me a lot of chances to talk to the driver and ask millions of questions about the area. Twas a smooth 15-20 minute ride to Bohol Bee Farm.

from the website...

The moment you enter the vicinity, you immediately have this homey feeling. The place is beautifully nestled in a quiet area and there are trees all around. My idea for a retreat. I think I mentioned several times that I want to loose myself in an anonymous place where I cam leave all my worries behind. Well, this is it. Sorry for the comparison but reminds me of Sonyas Garden minus the congestion. Here, you will really feel that you are at peace with nature.

our bungalow accommodation @barn rate--lav ya bee farm!!!

You might find the place not photogenic in the website but it is a lot more beautiful in person. We were immediately greeted by the front desk representative. I noticed that people are friendly. Every resort representatives you might say are friendly, I don't think so, some are because they expect a big tip- I can feel that sometimes. Here, people are just friendly, because they are friendly. That adds to the relaxed environment.


 

the eggplant room.....


Since Marvin decided not to go with us, I asked Ms. Vicky as early as we were in Cebu if we could downgrade our accommodation to the barn since we only need a room for 2. She said no problem. She even called me the night before. I thought they have a very warm and friendly manager. I found out later on that Ms Vicky is not actually the manager but the owner of the resort. haha. Sorry po for being makulit sa text and email.lol

now you know why it's called the eggplant room....haha

As I was saying, instead of downgrading our room, they allowed us to stay in the bungalow at barn rate. Cool. That is even without me asking. Thanks a lot.

taken in front of the house of Ms Vicky, the kind owner of bee farm....

We immediately unpacked our things and explored the vicinity. Going trough the trees is like going trough a maze with a lot of surprises in store.

farther down the farm in the hilot area. Nice view while relaxing in a good massage.....

Experience deep-spiritual and physical healing at affordable price...

We finally realized that we were starving so we ordered some lunch. The menu book looks plain with no pictures at all so I ordered something generic like Spare Ribs and Honey-Glazed Chicken. Both served with organic red rice, ginger bread and organic garden salad so we just added Peanut Butter Shake and fresh buko juice for our drinks.

glazed chicken at its best....



Spare ribs...panalo!!!

Simply is the best meal set I had in years. I loved everything from the bread to the rice to the main dish to the drinks. Perfect.

great food, great setting.....great environment.

Sa iba kasi masarap ang dish pero pangit ang rice or could be something else. But here, everything's just perfect. Sarap pa ng hangin sa tabi ng dagat. It all add up ika nga.

As a bonus, they even have this Spacious Wooded Platform Right At The Beach for sun Bathing And Lounging  . We spent a few minutes here after eating lunch in the restaurant nearby. A good place to enjoys the sound of the waves as it hits the cliffs. Very good for relaxing.

the wooden platform on the cliff area....

We went back to our room after that and started dialing numbers of local resorts like Bohol Beach Club and Panglao Island Nature Resort for day trips. From bee farm- car rental for BBC is 500 pesos while and 700 for PINR. The entrance fee for BBC is 350 php, 250 of which is consumable for food while its 450 for PINR, 350 consumable. I almost the cheaper rate but after texting some friends, we finally decided to go to PINR. 

On our way to PINR and back, our driver told us a lot of tales about bee farm and Ms Vicky. The employees in bee farm are well treated, properly compensated. They feel part of a big family. I guess that's the reason why people are innately kind.

Sure enough, the decision was a good one. Will tell you more on the next post. cheers!!!

_______________________

note: I would like to thank my friend Chyng for all the tips. Really helped a lot. We might have missed a lot of things if not for you. And, we stayed in the same room pala. Odd, hehe. Thanks again.

the saving grace.......

____________________

note: by this time, I'm starting to realize that the quality of picture taken by my repaired camera is not as crisp and clear as it was before. disappointing.sigh

back to the story: We left Verbena Suites Saturday 7am for our a ferry ride to Bohol but instead of going straight to the seaport, humirit pa kami na daanan ang ilang landmarks sa Cebu since the whole day Friday was not enough to go around. So we asked the taxi to heed for the heritage monument in downtown Cebu near Colon St.

heritage monument near colon street..

At syempre, ako na Mr High expectations got disappointed kasi maliit lang pala yung monument and is situated in a small lot surrounded by a fence. Hirap kumuha ng picture kung gusto mong mag-pose.

Moving on, I thought I saw a church tower so I asked a local about it and Cathedral daw yun so we walked for a few meters and there it is, the last saving grace in our Cebu tour.

the Cebu Cathedral....

Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral is the ecclesiastical seat of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Cebu in Cebu, Philippines.^[1] Cebu was established as a diocese in August 14, 1595 and was elevated as a metropolitan archdiocese in April 28, 1934.

really picturesque....

me at the entrance.....

the interior of the church.

Gives you the feeling that you are inside a palace more than in a church. If you could notice in my previous posts about churches, I dontr usually feature a lot about the altar. 1. because I have the feeling that if I take shots inside I would disturb the peace and 2. because my camera is just not good at indoor shots. hehe

very tall bell tower.......

either way, it's a beautiful church......

After taking a couple of shots, we immediately called a taxi to take us to Pier 4. This is where SUPERCAT fast craft vessels of the ABOITIZ group is stationed. The travel time from Cebu city to Tagbilaran is 45 minutes for 500 pesos. Good price na yun. It took us almost an hour because of the strong waves. I almost died of nervousness because I really though the ferry would capsize. Natawag ko na lahat ng santo. Honestly.

crossing Cebu and Bohol on a cloudy day......

The odd thing is, as soon as we docked in Taglilaran Port, the sun came out as if it suddenly changed it's mind. When the supercat finally stopped, I cried. I said sorry to my girlfriend for the show of weakness but I really thought the trip could end up in a disaster.

Glad it didn't. We were greeted by our driver from Bohol Bee Farm and off we go. Destination, Panglao Island. This is where the real fun begins.....

the refreshing side of Cebu .......

____________________________

Since I realized that this blog is the easiest way to explain the annals of my daily life so I will shift to english again for the sake of my students in Korea who ask me the same question every Monday, "what did you do last weekend"? Pakita nalang ang blog for illustration. hehe

As I said, we eventually got tired of going around downtown with our bags so we opted to look for a place to leave them. Sugbutel near pier 4 seems to be a good idea for backpackers but not for the likes of us who don't know how to travel light. How can you travel light if you know you will be away for 3 days?

We took the jeepney to SM then to Ayala, then to Capitol building.......

the provincial capitol of Cebu

very elegant facade.....

Our Inn, Verbena Capitol Suites is just 25 meters away from the Capitol building so it's not hard to find. We had to leave 7am for Bohol the next day so I didn't fancy on an expensive hotel.

We took a nap for 2 hours and then set off to see the Taoist Temple uptown.....

the gate to the parking lot....

stairs to the main chapel

simply photogenic......

It's only 7 pesos away via Jeepney. Just ask the driver to drop you in the junction going to the Taoist temple and there are people there who will offer their motorbike for the uphill ride. 10 pesos per head to the gate of the village. From there, you have to walk for say 900 meters. There's no entrance fee here but the guard is a bit annoying as he would always remind people to keep their voice down without realizing that he is already screaming in the process. Rinig na ng buong Cebu ang boses nya.lol

Picture taking is allowed but not inside the chapels and no tripods allowed. I can't get the point in that. Wala tuloy couple picture. hehe

feeling ko nasa Beijing ako--lol

kanya -kanya muna--hehe

humirit din....

walang kasawa-sawa......

ito naman parang nasa HK lang.....

I've never been inside a Chinese/ Taoist temple before so this is something exciting for me. We didn't notice the time and it was already dusk when we finished. We decided to go back to the city center in AYALA Mall.

This no doubt is one of the best things that Cebu recently have. As my former boardmate Ryan who is from Cebu said, better than GREENBELT. I kinda agree.

sorry though if my camera can only handle this much...

to the center of the park...

I really feel thankfull that we have AYALA MALLS in the country , or else, we have to settle for the boring facades and generic architecture that SM could offer. This is really a breath of fresh air for Cebu which is a city of contrast. Old and new.

This place is romanticat dipa over-crowded so mararamdaman mo place.

even the entrance is grand.....

ayan na...nagsimula na ang cheeziness...lol

me fountain pa sa background--parang nasa Luneta lang.

After buying a new shirt for the next days photo shoot (hehe) we took a taxi to larsian, the famous larsian na kung saan mangangamoy usok ka talaga ng barbeque at kung anu anu pang inihaw sa ayaw mo at sa gusto. I found the place festive. Parang pyesta lagi or birthday. hehe. It's only 50 pesos away from Ayala and a few steps away from Fuente Osmena.

Fuente Osmena at the heart of Cebu

We scrolled around the circle pero nakakatakot. Madilim. Not romantic at all. unless you want a horror/suspence kinda love story. Even the main avenue is dark. Maybe to emphasize the Capitol building which is brightly lit. That is , kung makarating ka sa capitol building ng buhay. hehe

capitol building at night

We decided to look for an internet cafe instead. And that's what I discovered. Interet cafe's are rare in Cebu. Or maybe in the area. Pero city center na to e pero me isa lang e-net cafe along capitol drive at 10 lang computers nila so it's full. We found another one upon turning left in G. Garcia. Dirin ako nakapag-upload ng pics kasi wala silang card reader. OMG.

After reading some emails, we retired for the night. Panglao Island will be next. See you there.

majestic Cebu........

____________________

buti nalang di kami nagpatakot sa bagyo.Wala talagang nakapigil. Ayun, kahit sabing me posibility na maging super typhoon si PEPENG, sige parin. Kahit nag-back out na anf friend naming si Marvin sugot parin sa Cebu-Bohol trip. Hinintay ko kaya ng 1 year to. Hirap na, nakabili nako tickets as early as March and nakabook na kami sa Panglao Island. Isa pa, inantay ko ng 1 year ang CHUSEOK sa Korea para lang makapagbakasyun.

We left Manila 6:25 am Monday. Surprisingly, it wasn't even raining. Other than occasional turbulence, wala namng problema. Taxi kagad pagbaba ng Mactan International Airport at deretso kami sa Magellans Cross in downtown Cebu.

____________________

Magellan's Cross in the early cloudy Friday morning

The taxi costs 265 pesos. Parang Manila rate. I am completely new in Cebu so adventure ang nangyari.If you could notice dala dala namin bag namin. I thought of traveling light para pwede stay sa mga backpacking inns. Kaso di rin nag-work. Nakakapagod at di secure gamit. hehe

So yun, lakad lang kami nang lakad na parang nawawalang bata with few nuisances from beggars and annoying street vendors all over the place. They are more persistent than the one's we have in Manila.

But we were too amused with the place to even bother. Then we came across this amazing church.

Basilica Minore del Santo Niño

old and rustic......

these pillars added majesty into the place

a heritage

even the door has it's own expression

Nagkataong 1st Friday mass so ang daming tao that time.

After entering the museum in the Basilica, sa Fort San Pedro naman. Nahirapan kami hanapin. i think kulang ng mga markers sa place. Honestly, magulo. Me construction pa sa harap ng area so parang nakakasira ng excitement. And the vehicles are all over the place, para kang nakikipagpatentero at mahirap kumuha ng shots.

Fort San Pedro entrance

Sorry guys ha kung medyo negative sounding na ko but I think some of the landmarks, specifically this one, are not given justice. Napapabayaan at parang entrance fee lang habol ng city government. Ni wala ngang pedestrian lane akong nakita sa highway e for you to get to this side.That's the problem if people are just after money. Look at the sign "No U turn" sa harap. Honestly. Eyesore ayt?

Then again, this place is a small representation of Intramuros. I still like the place. I will not take 1 million pictures if I don't.

picture # 1 million

picture # 1 million 2

picture # 1 million 3

picture # 1 million 4

picture # 1 million 5

Proof enough. My camera's battery got exhausted by lunchtime and we were also tired of carrying our bags so we decided to find a place to stay, leave our things, charge the battery and take a shower before exploring the city again.

We tried Subutel near pier 4 coz I heard it's cheap but it's 800 something with the charges on the towel and bedsheet, me kashare kapa sa room so di namin pinatulan. Since budget tour to, we decided to stay in Verbena Capitol Suites instead, it's just 25 meters away from the Capitol building so okay ang location. Di mahirap hanapin. And for 990 pesos, you get a room that's fully airconditioned and with cable tv plus complementary breakfast na. Sulit na.

At bago pa maging kilometric post to, ganun nalng muna. I will just tell you next time about our next destination in the Queen City of the South......