Bohol

It’s really funny and sad how I didn’t know that items moved to trash here are deleted after 30 days. (Sigh) Now, gone were my previous compositions about Bohol. :( So I have to start all over again because this has long been overdue. Here we go …

We all have a list of things we want to do before we die, right? (Or is it just me?) Believe it or not, lined with the yet impossible “See the pyramids in Egypt” is the very simple “Visit Bohol” on my list. The main reason is nostalgia. I used to wonder as a kid if the Chocolate Hills really are made up of chocolate and the yearning to find it out stuck to my mind.

Last January, my wish list became an item shorter as I went for a leisurely visit to Bohol with my siblings. During my vacation, I found out that Bohol was more than the Chocolate Hills.

The Resort

We didn’t reserve for a place to stay in Bohol. When we arrived at the Tagbilaran airport, we simply asked the driver to take us to an affordable resort in Panglao Island. He took us to a very simple resort, the Whites and Greens Resort, managed by a friendly man we call Kuya Ed.

The room we rented costed only 2000 pesos per night. It was air-conditioned, with a private bathroom, 2 single beds and a double-deck. The room looked like a small a small nipa hut from the outside. We didn’t have a TV set, because as Kuya Ed said, he wanted the visitors to have true bonding moments to talk and get to know each other more. There was also no swimming pool. It was just a bare place to stay, eat, read books, and relax.

Our cottage

Garden in the resort

I liked the bookshelf at the cafeteria. They let the visitors borrow books without charge. It’s just sad that I didn’t get to read one because we didn’t have much time. Breakfast was also included in our payment. They served us fried rice, 2 eggs (yes, not 1 but 2) and longanisa, corned beef or fried fish. Coffee and water were also available there anytime.

The Cafeteria

The resort was just walking distance to a famous resort in Panglao, the Bohol Beach Club. For only 200 pesos as entrance fee, we got to use their swimming pool for a day and consumed for food. We ordered the Salu-salo meal, just good enough for the 4 of us. I could say it was a great meal, with the beach at our sight. We also had dinner there, but of course we needed to pay for it because we have used up our 200 pesos. For dinner, we ordered some seafoods and had buko juice (literally served with the buko shell). And again, a very satisfying meal.

Our salu-salo meal

The pool at Bohol Beach Club

The beach in Panglao Island, most of all, was my definition of paradise. The white sand, clear water, blue skies: they were just perfect. Simply sitting by the seashore, feeling my feet on the sand and watching nature at its most beautiful form from sunrise til sunset, I could say I have been to heaven. I could describe the feeling as very refreshing to the soul.

Playing in the blue and white

Relaxing

When the tide was low, it left behind a long stretch of meadow of sea weeds where we walked like it was not part of the sea a few hours ago. That was also the first time I got to see and hold a starfish! I was just like a kid who was very enthusiastic when I saw the big and little “Patrick’s” (we call them Patrick because of the cartoon Spongebob). We also saw large sea urchins and a few sea cucumbers. Sea urchins, they say, are aphrodisiacs. The reason why families in Bohol are large.

Just like a meadow

Starfish

Just like a doughnut

I woke up at 5AM one morning there to witness the sunrise. All I could say was that it was magnificent. I don’t know if it’s just me because I’m really a nature lover. Things like these awe me. I saw a natural work of art just right in front of me.

Beautiful sunrise

The Countryside Tour

Vacation in bohol will never be complete without the Countryside Tour. This is where visitors get see different sights and heritage in Bohol.

Our first stop was the world-famous Chocolate Hills. These are actually hills made up of marbles, and appear to be chocolate during summer because of the dried grass that covers it. Well, it wasn’t summer when we visited it so it was green tea-flavored kisses instead of the chocolate I had in mind. I still got to appreciate it when I saw how many of them are. I can’t remember exactly but I think they were more than 1,000 as the information said. What a wonderful work of Mother Nature!

Chocolate Hills

We went to the Butterfly Farm where we saw different pupa, caterpillars, and butterflies. We also saw a big preserved gay butterfly, which could be identified through its wings. I didn’t enjoy this part much, because I’m not that interested with flying insects.

Caterpillar encounter

Then on our way to the Hanging Bridge, we stopped by the Man-made Mahogany forest and took a picture there. It was really cool (I mean the temperature) in that place, as it was surrounded by tall trees.

Man-made Mahogany Forest

Our stomachs were grumbling, but we still survived walking through the Hanging bridge. These are bridges made of bamboo, that the residents there take to get to the other side of the river.

Now, here comes my favorite part: the Loboc River Lunch. This is a 2-hour buffet of Filipino food served in a boat that cruises in the Loboc River. While we ate, there is a group of elderly band members who kept us entertained by their 70′s music. In Batangas, we call such a band as a “combo”, where the vocals is accompanied by acoustic guitar, banduria, bass, maracas, and drums. Why is this my most favorite part? It’s the food! The crabs, they were unforgettable. They just kept coming and coming. I ate as if I’d never get high blood pressure ever in my life. Aside from the crabs, there are also other kinds of seafoods, meat, fruits, kakanin and pancit. Our boat stopped by a group of ladies who were playing the ukelele and dancing the folk dance, Tinikling. This is a dance where the feet of the dancer must not touch the two bamboos being opened and closed in rhythm by 2 persons holding them in parallel at each end. After the lunch, our stomachs were very full and very satisfied by the scenery and the entertainment. Really a wonderful gastronomic experience.

Loboc River

Pose with townfolks

After the Loboc River Lunch, we went to visit the longest captivated Python in Bohol. He is being taken care of by a jolly couple who said they need donations to feed their pet with proper food. Hey, I got to touch the python! It’s good that he was asleep. I could have freaked out if I saw him move with me in the cage.

Pose with the python

Another most awaited part of the tour was my tarsier encounter. The tarsier is one of the smallest monkeys in the world! But it didn’t look like a monkey. It looked rather like a koala bear with very large eyes. Really cute. It’s a nocturnal animal, by the way. Our tour guide told us that because tarsiers sleep during daytime, they are eaten by wild cats in the forest. Poor fellows. It is also said that tarsiers are sensitive animals, and easily get stressed, so we must not scare them. Camera flashes were not even allowed in the sanctuary.

My sister and the tarsier

After seeing the cute tarsiers, we went to the Blood Compact site. Nothing really exciting about that place, but it sure had a significant role in the Philippine history.

Blood Compact Site

The last place we visited is the Baclayon Church. I’m not really fond of churches. I was just amazed by the structure and architecture of that church. It had very thick walls, just like the Taal Church in Batangas.

Inside the Baclayon Church

Outside the Baclayon Church

We had our dinner that day at the Bohol Bee Farm. Too bad, it was already closed for the Farm tour where they show visitors how honeys are made. The place was cute, and I like their restrooms. I have to warn you, though, there could be some mosquitoes flying around at dinner time. I think it would be best to go there in the morning or afternoon.

Dinner at the Bee Farm

Hanging out with the bees

The countryside tour was very exhausting but we had fun. We learned a lot from it, and felt how blessed the province is for being rich in tourist spots and for having responsible citizens that take care of them.

There you have it. That was my Bohol tour. If I had more time there, I would have also wanted to watch dolphins and go island hopping early in the morning. Maybe next time. All I can say is that I enjoyed my vacation in Bohol, and I would definitely love to go back again. :)

A Showcase of Balisongs (SM Batangas City)

I chanced by a showcase of different kinds of balisongs (butterfly knives) while doing my groceries in SM Batangas City. Being a Batanguenya, seeing those kinds of knives displayed was something ordinary but what caught my attention was the large balisong. I thought it was just for props but when I looked closer, it was real! They said 4 persons brought it in and the knife was still closed. I can’t imagine the burden of opening it up and placing it properly for the show. I think it was more or less 10 feet long that it was hard to capture the whole thing using my phone camera.

Balisong is a famous product of Batangas, most particularly from Taal. It has actually become a trademark of the province that the first thing other people usually ask me is “May balisong ka ba?” (Do you carry a balisong?). I just jokingly answer them I do.

Large balisong on display

Tip of the balisong

Just imagine how large it is with me standing next to it

A product of Taal, Batangas

Balisongs on display

Hanami in Yawatashi, Kyoto and Tenmabashi, Osaka

Thanks to President Noynoy’s inauguration, I had time to make this blog about Cherry Blossoms in Japan.

Cherry blossoms (Sakura in Japanese) bloom during springtime, depending on the location. The earliest Cherry blossoms bloom at the southwesternmost part of Japan, in as early as February and latest at the northeastern most part, as late as May. But the best time to see them in most parts of Japan is March. I’m sharing these pictures that I took when I went for Hanami (Sakura watching) in Yawatashi, Kyoto and Tenmabashi, Osaka together with my Filipino and Japanese friends back in 2008, when I was still in Japan.

This is the welcome arc which reads Yawata (the name of the place) Sakura Matsuri (Festival).

Yawata Sakura Matsuri

The sakura trees in this place is a long stretch along the river. This is a perfect picnic spot. There were several people there, as the Japanese love to have picnics and parties under these trees every springtime.

The long stretch of Cherry trees

Cherry blossoms

Cherry blossom upclose

We left the place at sunset and got to witness a magnificent view of the river.

The river at sunset

After the day picnic, we then headed to Tenmabashi for a night picnic. We stayed at a park also with Cherry trees planted near a river. There were lots of food carts there to choose from, most of them serving yakisoba (stir fried noodles) and takoyaki (small octopus meat rolled in balls of flour). Aside from Japanese, there were plenty of foreigners, too.

Picnic area at Tenmabashi

The air was so cool, and the environment was cool, as well. Except for an incidence that made everything hot. Some Japanese friends shook the branch of a Cherry tree to have nice special effects on the pictures, while flower petals are falling (face palm). An old woman who passed by stopped them from doing that and eventually got into an argument that lead to calling the police. Aww … that was really a scene. But in the end, the cops simply forgave us for the commotion, and just warned us not to do it again. Geez … that was a night.

Before heading home, we took some pictures by this beautiful bridge, where the Osaka castle could be seen from afar. (I hope you could see that little castle at my 11 o’ clock)

At the Bridge

Spaghetti Factory

Spaghetti factory is one of my favorite pizza and pasta restaurants. It simply a place where I always leave feeling delighted and satisfied with what I ate. The first time I ate there was in SM Megamall with my brother, where we ordered pesto (he was still a vegetarian then) and I ordered Carbonara. I remember it very well because that was the first time we ordered such an expensive pasta! And we were surprised when the waiter offered to add peppers with a large pepper crusher. Hahaha! But we really loved the food.

Anyway, the last time I ate there was in Glorietta 1, with my siblings. I just got to take a picture of this Salami pizza that we ordered.

Salami Pizza

A Free Cup For Every 2K

Doing my groceries has never been this rewarding since I got an HSBC credit card. Well, at least until June 30. I only have 6 days to enjoy a tall Starbucks coffee for free. I just need to have single receipts worth 2k, show the receipt to Starbucks, and the Chocolate Cream Chip frap is mine!

My half-consumed Starbucks Chocolate Cream Chip frap

By the way, has anyone noticed? Philippines is not in the locations in the Starbucks website. :(

http://www.starbucks.com/

Bag of Beans (Tagaytay)

I just want to share a few pictures I took when my family went to Bag of Beans in Tagaytay. These were taken this year’s Holy Week. All I can say is that the day was grabe! One of the hottest days I have ever experienced! Imagine going up to Tagaytay expecting some cool air but it was no different.

We first went to Leslie’s to have lunch, then to Lourdes Church (we were late for the mass), and lastly stopped by Bag of Beans for some dessert before heading back home. It was my first time there. Pleasant place to have coffee, courteous crew, nice surroundings. But the prices of food and drinks were not for my type. I think they’re too expensive, considering they are just the same as those found in ordinary cafe’s and pastry houses. Well maybe it’s the place that added value to the price. Some would probably say it’s compensated with.

Outside, they have a bakeshop by the roadside that sells different kinds of bread and coffee. I bought an instant Barako coffee. I know, living in Batangas is an advantage for me to buy ground Barako coffee at lower prices, but it’s still more convenient if I just dip a coffee bag in hot water on lazy weekdays in the office. :)

Here are the pictures. Sorry for the layout, I don’t have much time to edit anymore. I’ll try better on my next posts.

Bag of Beans Bakeshop

In the garden

Path way to the garden

Chocolate Pancake

Banana Coffee Shake

Banana Split

Blueberry Cheesecake

That Voters Think is What Matters Most

Election’s really in the air, like Christmas on Decembers. As the day comes nearer, politics is more and more becoming a part of the Filipinos’ daily conversation, which is good, because I believe that part of being a responsible voter is educating and being educated.

Today, I attended a friend’s wedding. Dressed in a semi-formal attire, taking the bus was not an option for me this time. I took a taxi to a rendezvous with friends who were also going to the wedding. While in the taxi, I remembered some people say they do a survey on drivers on whom they are going to vote. So I did mine, too. Our conversation went like:

Me: Sino pong iboboto nyo?
Driver: (Medyo shy pa) Gordon ako, e. Kaso di naman yun mananalo. (I think he was expecting me to be a Noynoy or Villar supporter).
Me: (Too excited) Wow talaga po? Gordon din ako e. :)

I didn’t ask why, because most probably we have the same answers. But of course, I was too happy to know he supports the candidate I’m voting.

After the wedding, while waiting in the reception area, I had a little chat with former colleagues there, still about the elections. It appears that there are a few Noynoy supporters who wanted to convince me to vote for him. Their argument is of course, the famous tag line “Kung walang kurap, walang mahirap”. They kept on insisting that Noynoy should be president. I disagreed, of course, saying “Bakit? Wala naman syang nagawa nung congressman at senator sya.” They said, “Ang mga tao ang pumili sa kanya. Kaya may tiwala ang mga tao sa kanya.” Well, not me. I didn’t sign any petition paper. I mean everyone’s entitled to choose his or her presidentiable, according to their standards. But doing nothing is not in my list. I asserted that we need to catch up with other countries who are progessive and whose people are disciplined. They said “Hindi natin kelangan ang presidenteng matalino. Ang gagawin lang ni Noynoy uupo lang siya. Kelangan natin ng transition period kasi hindi pa handa ang Pilipinas para sa isang major na pagbabago katulad ng pagiging disiplinado.” Hmm … that was something new to my ears. I usually hear reasons like “anak ni Cory at Ninoy” and “no. 1 sa SWS at Pulse Asia” but this was something different and actually never came to my mind, at all. Well of course, we still ended up with our own candidates, since we know we’re not going to the same direction, and that’s fine because I’ve always been wanting to hear others’ opinions.

On my way home, of course, I still took a cab. I noticed that the taxi had a Gibo sticker.

Me: Maka-Gibo po pala kayo.
Driver: Hindi, sa may-ari lang ng taxi yan. Kay Bro. Eddie ako e. Maka-Dyos kasi sya.
Me: Marami din pong supporters si Eddie. Tsaka mukhang magaling din sya. Madami syang nagawa para sa ibang tao, e. Ako naman po, si Gordon ang iboboto ko.
Driver: Oo magaling yang si Gordon. Kung hindi tumakbo si Bro. Eddie sya ang iboboto ko e.
Me: Talaga po? Bakit po hindi si Noynoy?
Driver: Wala naman kasi syang nagawa. Naging sikat lang sya nung namatay si Cory. Pero wala naman syang nagawa. Wala namang nangyari sa Tarlac. Si Gordon, yan, magaling. Yung mga ginawa nya sa Subic, tsaka kelangan natin ng presidente na hindi nadidiktahan. Para magkaron na ng disiplina ang mga tao.

The cab ran out of gas, and we can’t refill because the gas stations didn’t have this so-called “adapter”, so he transferred me to another cab. That driver was really a nice man. Very humble. He didn’t let me pay for the 30-peso flag down.

It then seemed becoming fun to interview these drivers, so once again, at the next cab, I asked the driver:

Me: Sino pong iboboto nyo?
Driver: Taga-Las Pinas po ako e.
Me: (Well, slow me didn’t get it at first) Hindi po kayo naka-register?
Driver: Registered, syempre. Si Villar ang iboboto ko. Di ba Las Pinas yun?
Me: (Dope!) Ahhh … ayaw nyo po kay Noynoy or Gordon?
Driver: Si Gordon ura-urada din (I don’t know what that means, but in Batangas it’s like doesn’t think carefully before doing something) Si Noynoy naman, wala yung nagawa, antagal nya na sa pulitika. Kung hindi naman namatay ang nanay nya hindi naman yun makakaisip tumakbong presidente. Sabi nga sa radyo bakit daw hindi nagsasawa ang mga Pilipino. Paulit-ulit na lang, parang Cory na naman ito. Mabait pero hindi kayang kontrolin ang mga tauhan nya. Kaya may kurapsyon pa din. Tapos pag nanalo pa si Erap, tatawanan na talaga tayo ng ibang bansa. Biruin mo yun pinatalsik na, babalik pa?
Me: Maganda po ba sa Las Pinas?
Driver: Oo naman, maganda dun. Tsaka ang habol ko kasi yung green card.
Me: Huh? Green card? (I imagined U.S. citizenship Green card)
Driver: Sa Las Pinas kase, pag tagadon ka, every year may green card ka na worth 30,000 (or 13,000. I don’t know which one. Hahaha. But still 13,000 is a lot of money for me). Bahala na kami kung san namin gagamitin, basta may ganun kami every year. Nag-eexpire pag birthday na namin.
Me: Maayos po ba ang mga pabahay dun sa Las Pinas?
Driver: Oo, squatter kami dati dun e. Pero ang ginagawa ni Villar, may mga bahay sya na pinapa-raffle para dun lumipat. Yung iba, nirerelocate naman, pero sa susunod magkakaron din ng chance. Tapos pinapabayaran nya 200 lang per month. Meron pa nga don tinatawag na Hong Kong, kasi mukhang sa Hong Kong ang style.
Me: Meron po ba syang mga programang pang-edukasyon?
Driver: Oo, hanggang college libre sa min, basta tubong Las Pinas ang mga magulang at saka may minemaintain na grade. Hindi naman pwedeng libre na nga ang pasok, puro bagsak pa. Hehehe.
Me: Pero andami po nyang commercials, no? Kaya nagtataka ang mga tao kung san nya kinukuha ang pambayad. Kaya sabi kurakot daw.
Driver: Oo nga e, dami nyang commercials. Lahat naman siguro ng pulitiko kurakot.
Me: E si Gibo po, ayaw nyo?
Driver: Yang si Gibo, napakasimple nyan. Alam ko ang bahay nyan e. Kasi kapitbahay sya dati ng boss ko. Napakasimple ng bahay ng mga yan. Walang security guards. Simple lang ang pamilya ng mga yan. Ok sana sya, kaso nasa administrasyon.
Me: E sino naman pong VP nyo?
Driver: Wala pa, e. Si Mar Roxas, malakas yun.
Me: Ayaw nyo po kay Bayani?
Driver: Ah, magaling yan kaso hindi mananalo. Pero magaling yan. Nung si Binay pa sa MMDA, wala naman nagawa yun. Nung si Bayani, andami talagang nagawa nyan. Magaling yang si Bayani. (He kept repeating this, actually).
Me: So, kung magaling sya e di sya na lang ang iboto nyo.
Driver: Kaso masasayang ang boto ko e. Kasi mababa sya sa surveys.
Me: Ah talaga po? Pero halos lahat ng kakilala ko si Bayani ang iboboto e. Pati sa pamilya ko. Tsaka nangunguna naman po sya sa ibang survey, kaso hindi nababanggit sa TV.
Driver: Ah talaga? Sige, si Bayani na ako. Villar Bayani.

Our conversation ended there. The best thing that I learned this day is that whoever wins on Monday, or whatever problems might occur, I am relieved that there are still people who really vote for a reason for which they believe in. There are Filipinos, few as there are, who are aware of what’s happening. There is a transformation, after all! God bless the Philippines! Let’s hope for a clean and peaceful election. :)