Saturday, December 6, 2014

Bohol : Revisited

It was in 2006 when we first came to Bohol.  We came back because of the request the two boys that when we travel again, they wanted to see Chocolate Hills.  I know how much it will costs us just to go back and forth to Bohol from Cebu but still we proceeded to grant their request. 



We crossed Bohol by a ferry ride.  Coming from Cebu City, make a way going to Pier 1.  The regular fare going to Tagbilaran is Php600 one way but there are a lot of promo fares when you get to Pier.  Ocean Jet has a regular trip going to Tagbilaran and vice versa.  It is just sad that my baby James has an adult fare already, huhu! We paid Php800 each for our roundtrip fare to Tagbilaran. The cheapest I've seen was the Weesam Fare at Php650 roundtrip but they have fewer trips.


promo fare rate as of November 2014, regular fare is Php600 one way
Before coming to Bohol, whether you'll be on a City Tour or Beach Tour or anywhere in Bohol, you must already have a contact person who will tour you around the province.  Contact Chito Gucela at 0920-4223990/ 0915-1902205 or KJ Remoreras at 0912-8926963/ 0936-6831556.  Our driver Chito was very accommodating and very makwento...highly recommended.

It was in October 15, 2013 when Bohol was strucked by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake. The province is recovering and you can see that in my photos.  Though reconstruction will take some time most especially for the old churches, but still Bohol is a very beautiful place.  Explore their beaches especially Balicasag and Pamilacan Islands.... super perfect for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Our first stop was Loboc River.  Loboc River is one of the major tourist destinations in Bohol.  When we got here the first time buffet cruise was only Php250.



Before entering the Loboc River Cruise, there's an entrance fee of Php50 per adult, kids are free






my favorite dish during the cruise

kids 3 below are free, kaya kain ng marami baby James

Local people perform native music on the floating restaurant

the high-end cruise


a stop at the Amazon jungle



the tribe on fire








daddy's girl in Loboc
Our next stop, Chocolate Hills...





The Chocolate Hills are a geological formation in Bohol Province, Philippines.  There are at least 1,260 hills but there may be as many as 1,776 hills spread over an area of more than 50 square kilometers (20 square miles).  They are covered in green grass that turns brown (like chocolate) during the dry season, hence the name.

The Chocolate Hills are famous tourist attraction of Bohol.  They are featured in the provincial flag and seal to symbolize the abundance of natural attractions in the province.  They are in the Philippine Tourism Authority's list of tourist destinations in the Philippines, they have been declared the country's third National Geological Monument and proposed for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.






A year after the earthquake, the viewing deck is still ruined.  The view is great but the municipal government must do something about the damaged deck.  Part of the collection for entrance fees must be used to rehabilitate it.  The view deck has no shady areas so if you arrive when the sun is up, what you will do is to take photos quickly.

family picture



ice drops after viewing
 Third stop... Man Made Forest in Bilar

Once you entered the forest it will suddenly turn dark and cool... outside it is sunny and hot.  When you enter here especially during summer, you will feel the abrupt change in temperature.

Bohol Forest is a Man-Made Forest with a two-kilometer stretch of Mahogany planted trees located between borders of Loboc and Bilar.  It is 20 kilometers away from Tagbilaran City.  




Our fourth stop... Tarsier Conservation in Loboc

please take note of the rules!!!

There's an entrance fee at the center at Php60 adults and Php50 for students.  There's a free postcard in exchange of the entrance fee =)
nakasalubong si Robert Seña






my precious, hahaha =)
The Philippine tarsier measures only about 85 to 160 mm (3.35 to 6.30 in) in height, making it one of the smallest primates. The small size makes it difficult to spot. The mass for males is between 80–160 g (2.8–5.6 oz), usually lighter for females, somewhat heavier than other tarsiers such as the pygmy tarsier. The average adult is about the size of a human fist.

Like all tarsiers, the Philippine tarsier's eyes are fixed in its skull; they cannot turn in their sockets. Instead, a special adaptation in the neck allows its round head to be rotated 180 degrees. The eyes are disproportionately large, having the largest eye-to-body size ratio of all mammals. These huge eyes provide this nocturnal animal with excellent night vision. In bright light the tarsier's eyes can constrict until the pupil appears to be only a thin line. In darkness the pupil can dilate and fill up almost the entire eye.The large membranous ears are mobile appearing to be almost constantly moving, allowing the tarsier to hear any movement.
those big eyes


Almost end of the City Tour... the old churches of Bohol

Loboc Church as of November 2014 

The limestone Loboc Church was originally built in 1602 but was totally destroyed by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake last October 15, 2013. There are a lot of fund raising activities and mass donations made for the restoration of the churches in Bohol.

Baclayon Church 

The last part of the City Tour

Blood compact

Blood compact was an ancient ritual in the Philippines intended to seal a friendship or treaty, or to validate an agreement. The contracting parties would cut their wrists and pour their blood into a cup filled with liquid, such as wine, and drink the mixture.

A famous example of the blood compact was the 1565 Sandugo between Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna, the chieftain of Bohol. Another blood compact was contracted between Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and Rajah Humabon of Cebu.


If you have two to three days stay in Bohol, it is recommendable to visit Dauis and the beaches of Bohol in Panglao.  We visited the beaches on our first trip here in 2006... Visiting their beaches is a must!!!

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Sagada

Sagada is a fifth class municipality in the province of Mountain Province.  It is located 275 kilometres (171 mi) north of Manila (taking at least 12 to 15 hours by bus), 140 kilometres (87 mi) from Baguio, and it is adjacent to Bontoc, the provincial capital. 




How to get to Sagada?
Get a way going to Baguio City.  When in Baguio hire a cab going to GL Liner.  The first GL Liner leaves at 6:15am.  The trip usually takes 6 hours. If you are in Banaue, Ifugao and plans to take a side trip to Sagada, it is another 3 hours bus ride from the latter.




Arriving at Mountain Province
There are a lot of accommodations in Sagada with cooking facilities already. Some rooms have private bathrooms and the one that has shared bathrooms has a rate of Php 200 to 250/person. For more information about accommodations, click here.



Sagada has a great deal of places for people looking to do different activities. The accredited Sagada guide associations (SEGA and SAGGAS) have been actively pushing to adding more sites to the current set of tourist attractions. All guides and tours are to be arranged through accredited tour guide associations (SEGA’s is inside the Municipal Hall; SAGGAS is near Yogurt House). Costs are standard and are published so you’re definitely getting a fair deal.

I was not allowed to enter the cave because I was four months pregnant with my third child.  The adventurer mom got so disappointed but I know they just wanted to be sure of my safety.  I just waited outside.  Sigh!




Sumaguing cave- Sumaguing Cave has the largest chamber of all connecting caves in town (there are more than 60 known caves underneath Sagada). One needs to trek down a slippery trail from its mouth to see the magnificent formations of stalactites and stalagmites that took thousands of years to shape. These formations were carefully sculpted by nature itself to form contours that were given fancy names such as king and queen’s curtains, giant fudge, pregnant woman, Mickey Mouse, alligator, dancing hall and rice terraces.







 



This is my first blog that I can't explain fully how it feels to be inside Sumaguing Cave because I was not able to experience it.  But I guess these pictures can already tell a story how my friends managed to rope, climbed up and down, slide and get over through huge rocks and formations.  They came in dry and came out really wet.  We will return to Sagada once my youngest kid can be allowed to enter the cave.  I am very sure that it would be very thrilling to enter the cave connections.




with our guide


Lumiang Cave is the first cave you have to enter when you do the cave connection.  It connects the nearby Sumaguing Cave.  It is only here where the guide allowed me to go. I was so eager to get in here because I was not able to enter Sumaguing Cave.  If I was in a normal condition,  hiking both caves will be fulfilling for me.  Cave connection lasts for at least 3 hours.  I guess I just need to get back here when I'm not pregnant, hehe! Of course =)

The cave houses more than a hundred coffins and been here buried for about 500 years.  The corpses are placed in a fetal position when they die because our ancestors believed that we should leave this world the way we enter it. 






Curfew - Sagada has observed a 9:00pm curfew for decades. It was first implemented when there was some armed conflict during the Marcos era. When the conflict ended, the community decided to keep the curfew in place as a way of controlling public drunkenness – a problem in many other towns. Sagada is a farming community and most people are up before dawn to go to the fields, so closing down at 9:00pm makes a lot of sense. The stores close, the restaurants stop serving food and the streets become quiet. People can do whatever they like within the walls of their homes and most restaurants will remain open until you leave and not pressure you to do so. There is no problem about being out after 9:00 or past midnight. It is just very quiet. "Curfew" can conjure up all sorts of images and often tourists are troubled by it. 



Sagada terraces

with hubby and bff Rowie

During this time, I was four months pregnant with my third child.... Yeah! I know... I shouldn't traveled this far and this rough.  But I was just so thankful that nothing happened to my baby.  Though there was already a spotting going home from Sagada to Baguio, I still insisted on going home from Baguio to Manila. I can already feel that I am about to experience miscarriage. My tummy is aching so hard that I can feel the baby is about to come out. Thank You for that another chance and I'm just so happy that she was safe after that 12 hours ride.

the house with a tree or a tree with a house


Places of interest:
Sagada has many natural wonders. Backpackers and tourists can enjoy the waters of Bokong and Bomod-ok Falls. Other places that can be visited are:

  • Sumaguing and Lumiang Caves
  • Bomod-ok and Bokong Falls
  • Rice terraces
  • Echo Valley
  • Kiltepan Tower
  • Underground River
  • Lake Danum
  • Hanging Coffins
  • Pongas Falls
  • Mount Ampacao
  • Marlboro Mountain
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