Ohh!!! BOHOL... i heart you!!!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

After the Sinulog Festival we have 2 more extra days. We decided (o actually i really planned this one, hehehe) to go to Bohol. I've done my research thru reading and searching blogs about Bohol. Tourist spots to go to, how to go there the fastest, ferries schedules and which pier to go to. I even used Google Maps (hehehehehehe) I'm not excited really I was just preparing (*wink*). Since we are leaving the next day and our flight is at 2 in the afternoon and plus plus plus we are in a tight budget already We decided NOT to stay overnight. So we went to the pier at 6:00 am hoping to hop on the 6:30 Ocean Jet trip. But sadly we didn't make it and the next trip is at 9:30 and it's also fully booked because flocks to tourists like us who after Sinulog planned to go Bohol already had their trip booked and Boholanoes who went to Cebu for Sinulog are also going home. So, (ready ka ba talaga donna mae??!!! ha??!!!) it didn't stop me palakasan ng loob I booked our ticket as chance passengers for the 9:30 trip (bahala na!!)

(huhuhu chance passenger lang kami)

And an angel appeared the security guard helped us he told me not to worry just book as chance and he gave us a priority number and it's #2 he said he was holding on to it to give to the right person. Their were a lot of chance passengers also for the 9:30 trip (lakas lang ng loob ko kunwari pero kinakabahan ako) We made a plan B if ever we do not make it to this trip we're going to Crown Regency to experience the Edge Coaster. The security guard let us stay inside the pre departure area and he told us to wait for our number to be called and he gave our tickets to the customers service in charge and (*winked*). We waited for over 2 hours and while waiting we called a van rental for our day tour in Bohol. Flocks and flocks of all sorts of people are coming in, Filipinos, Chinese, Americans and Koreans (the Korean INVASION!!!). They announced the arrival and boarding of the Ocean Jet, i told myself (patay!!! daghana nila oi mag kasya pa kaya ta??) Emman checked on our priority number and yey!!! our number was called first!!! woooohhhooooooo!!!!

(Yehey!!! naka sakay kami!!)

We arrived in Tagbilaran Port at about 11:30. And Emman's welcome party is already waiting outside holding a white paper with his name on it. Our tour guide/ driver is manong Marcelino. If you want a fast way around Bohol and tour a lot of tourist spots and have a very limited time to do so, call on manong Marcelino because he drives like an F1 racer.

(Tagbilaran Port)

(Emman's welcome party sign)

He said since it's about lunch time we better go directly to Loboc, River Cruise. I remembered Cesar Montano's "Panaghoy sa Suba." Along the way manong Marcelino already pointed us some of the tourist spots and said we will drop by on our way home. We really felt like a tourist that time we have a whole van all for ourselves.

(Luboc River Cruise)

(I'm enjoying my coconut while listening to manong singer)

(Our entertainer during the cruise)

We arrived at the Loboc Tourist Complex which serves as the port for the river cruise boats. Manong Marcelino already booked us a two sit for the cruise If he hadn't done that we couldn't have joined the cruise because it was also fully booked. In Our boat it was mixture of Filipinos, Americans, Chinese and also of course the Koreans. It was a buffet style. At first i thought we are just going to eat here and enjoy the scenery. I ate fast because i thought after that we are going to the next destination, but No the boat started to move. It was a mystical, clean and serene experience. To top it all we also have a live acoustic singer singing classic filipino novelty, english classic love songs, cebuano songs and local bol-anon songs. We stopped in an dock and instantly musicians and folk local dancers started to sing and dance. It was a refreshing sight to see and a great feeling that foreigners appreciate our local native dance and was amazed by it.

(Other boat)

(the long river of Luboc)

(locals entertained us with folk dance)

After the Loboc River lunch Cruise we went to Chocolate Hills which was the farthest. For manong Marcelino it was a 45 minuets drive which was supposedly a 1 hour 30 minuet ride. We were relaxing our legs from the extreme walkathon in Cebu but as we near Chocolate Hills he said it was a sight to see you just have to walk up 100+ stairway up (OHH MEN!!!! ang akonag varicose maluoy mo!!!).

(i want a chocolate hill)

(Chocolate Hills)

(Chocolate Hills)

Chocolate Hills was also flocked with different tourists. We went up as fast as we can and took pictures then went down and bought an island tour t-shirt souvenir and hurry back to our van and off we go to the next destination….

(Man-made Forest)

(Successful Jump shoot hehehehe)

Along the way we pass by the Man-Made forest. Emman, being a nature lover was amazed and inspired because the trees that were planted as he said was mahogany tree and he also have planted mahogany in their farm and now is planning to plant more. The trees are closely planted thus, they raced their way up to get sunlight. Picture here, picture there and jump shoot here and jump shoot there then on to our F1 racer van.

(Hanging Bridge "scary")

(Hanging River)

(see it's just made of BAMBOO)

Next stop got my heart pumping and sweat dripping. The Hanging BAMBOO made bridge. It was a long hanging bridge. At first I was excited when I got to the center and realized that it was high and that the floor was just made up of bamboo i started to get scared. I was sleeping in the van and that experienced really woke me up. Although very scared i pushed on and hurried to get it over with. NEXT!!!…

Next was our mini photoshoot at Loboc Church and Museo de Loboc. We are huge fan of church architecture and old ruins.

Next my most awaited portion of the trip meeting my cousin TARSIER!!!! :) They are so adorable. Very tiny nocturnal animals. At first I had a hard time finding them in the trees. These tarsiers are exposed to people already and they are being fed with insects like crickets. The keeper told us that they feed them one by one. I took a lot of photos of this adorable little primate.

(I have bigger eyes than the Tarsier)

(the smiling tarsier)

(the scary tarsier)

"Where's next manong Marcelino?, the Baclayon Church day." Again photoshoot of the old church. And manong Marcelino took a photo of the wall post he said that their was an image in that post and truly there was.

(church bell tower)

(church doors)

(church Foundation was in 1595)

(look for the images)

And now the last stop the Sandugoan. It is where the blood compact between Datu Sikatuna and Don Miguel Lopez de Legaspi in 1565 took place to show Philippines and Spain treaty and friendship. (credits to http://travelmart.net/philippinesbohol/attractions.html)

As we arrived a group of tourist was also their and a shock to us that a lady went up to emman and ask us "taga Gensan kayo??" he said, YES she replied, KAMI DIN!!! hello!! una na kami hehehehe

That's it our 5 hour tour in Bohol. There are a lot of things we want to do and places to go. We are definitely going back! I heart BOHOL! i heart TARSIER! hehehehehe