Off to Bohol

Bohol Island

World Renowned Chocolate Hills

Bohol have received consistent raves on the internet lately, recovering all of its glory from an earthquake disaster. A pride of our country, this province never have left my social studies textbooks up until college as well as It'a more fun in the Philippines ads. Bohol is more than just chocolate hills and tarsiers that it's known for. I can describe Bohol as the ultimate tropical paradise, much like 'yet'.

Loboc River, Bohol

      Bohol, you will not be considered a bonafide traveler if you've never been to this once serene island. We booked a flight to Cebu connecting to Bohol long ago before the earthquake strikes. Dreadful as it may seems, it did not hinder us from conquering the beauty of Bohol. Upon arrival to port of Tagbilaran, which is the capital of the province, you will be greeted by school of fishes that can be seen from the bottom of the ocean tens of feet deep. Hinting us an overview of what it has to offer, not to mention the biodiversity of its marine life.   

Bohol Man Made Forest and Hanging Bridge

     The vast catalog of activities offered in Bohol. Most if not all activities you can think of is offered here, be it spelunking, island hopping, river cruising, diving, snorkeling, etc. you name it they have it. Of all the places I've traveled locally Bohol is garnered the most money out of my pockets. Staying at 3 different hotels and inns was necessary for us to explore the whole island.

My Adorable Nephew 

Rio Verde Buffet's Turtle Vessel

      Arriving at noon, hungry as we are, we prioritize taking the river cruise for the buffet. Rio Verde at Loboc River is the place to be. The ambiance is perfect after the long journey departing from Manila by air, land and sea. The relaxing pace of the boat and the hissing sound of the mangroves leaves us breathless.  At the end of the cruise lies a tribe full of indigenous people flaunting their skills at bows and arrows as well as handling lizards. After filling up our stomachs we're now ready for the next set of adventures.

Facade of Tarsier Concervation Area

Tarsier and Lizards at Loboc, Bohol

     Next stop is the Tarsier Conservation Area. As the name implies this is where well meet the tarsiers in person. To get this all laid out, this was the most disappointing part of our trip. As I would expect in a conservation area, tarsiers should flourish all the trees in sight, but it did not. To my disappoint a limited number of tarsiers can only be observed, about seven tarsiers. I know, how saddened I was back then. I used the word observed due to the fact that you cannot interact with the tarsiers they are enclosed in an area comparable to cages. Nonetheless, the tarsier's charm filled the missing gaps. They are absolutely adorable, the cutest thing ever. I've seen koalas but it does not compare. Their eyes are alluring. I do hope someday that there will be more tarsiers to interact with. 

Selfie with a Chocolate Hill

    Chocolate Hills! Bohol is synonymous with Chocolate Hills. Going to Bohol without seeing chocolate hills is like going to the dentist to get your hair done. Given the situation, the view deck is now just ruins, but the star of the show the Chocolate Hills still prevails. I was amazed seeing blocks and chunks of soils piling up to create a hill. The hills were smaller than I have envisioned though. According to our tour guide the hills are made of corals, as it was once all submerged in water and as soon as the water subsides the hills showed up. The fact that it does not harbor any plant to grow through it is absolutely fascinating. The 214 steps leading to the view deck is all worth it.

The 214 Steps Stairway and Me as a Butterfly

My Sister and I with a Butterfly

      Next is the Bohol Habitat Conservation Center. All we planned was to skip this leg of our trip because this conservation center only harbors butterflies and moths, I'm glad we did not. The guides were so knowledgeable and cheerful, they even beat my intonation with their fluent accents. I learned a lot specially on the well being of our indigenous butterflies.  It turned out to be an unexpected surprise, this place offered the best experience we had in Bohol.

Ruins of Baclayon Church and Selfie at the Hanging Bridge

      To complete our tour before heading to the beach is the Visita Iglesia or church visitation. It was heart breaking to see the ruins of the churches once stood with pride. Some centuries old and considered one of the oldest church in the whole country. But it is what it is, as they say, nothing is permanent only change. 

Welterweight Snake

       Raves for Bohol's beaches are reserved for a different blog post.

Why Travel? + Post Script

Why Do I Travel?

       I've been haunted by this question ever since I did blogging and now is the best time to answer it, now that I'm in transition from teens to my twenties.

       I've been through so many obstacles in life and now I'm a thirds done in accomplishing it. I've seen a lot of places, places that will be with me for the rest of my life, inspired me to do the things I enjoy. As I can see it, my happiness coincides with travelling, viewing this early in my life I can proudly profess that I am happy, and it may sound narcissistic but that's all that matters. The chills that you get on your trips and the day dreams incurred on my everyday life, all because of the experience, thrills and joys that was imparted to me.

       The dictionary may say that travelling is the movement of people between relatively distant geographical locations. While for me, I view it differently, It's all about the things that hone me to be a better Jhudiel that I am today, well at least I think I am. Well, that's the point, you will be able to understand yourself better. It teaches you so many things that being stationary doesn't.

       A number of people says that travelling is a waste of money. Yeah, it does cost you to travel but it does pay off. It's like buying a new gadget but it stays with you f-o-r-e-v-e-r, investing in stuffs that will not wither and will be with you until you die. If you do not have the money then save, I don't have a tons of money to spare but I can allot some and that adds up as my travel funds. Cash gifts of course also adds up. As for those who's still not convince, I prefer travelling than doing drugs, smoking cigarettes and the likes. There are things that will be sacrificed as you go along, but I will tell you one thing, it's fulfilling.

       Now that I am on my twenties, what do I plan in life? I will strive harder. I plan to be an engineer and make my parents proud. My dream in life is that even on my parent's golden years I could fulfill what my siblings cannot. I wish that I could have all the resources I needed to make them happy and for them to accompany me on my travels that they have the capacity to move along with my pace. I'll probably read this again on a couple of years and share what progress have I done. From then on, let's just see what God's plan will be.

Spelunking at Sumaguing Cave, Sagada

Spelunking at Sagada (Sumaguing Cave)

Thrills of the Cave Connection

       Spelunking, like seriously, who doesn't want to try it. Just its root word "spelunk" intrigues me. I have never experienced it, well at least  until now, and the best part of it is my first will be on Sagada! Go big or go home! Caving is the main reason we traveled all the way from Manila to Sagada for 12 hours, nowhere else in the Philippines compares. I planned our trip to Sagada with caving in mind. In fact, I spend my free time hunting for the right gear for spelunking, like aqua shoes, polyester dri-fits and the likes, you name it. I ended up, spending one-thirds of my budget. It's all worth it though, I get to experience the thrills without the hustle of the obstacles resulted by wearing an improper attire (like what my brother endured).

With our Tour Guide (Awkward) and my OFTC (Outfit for the Cave)

       The tour package we acquired on cave exploration is a one-way trip entering the Lumiang Cave and leaving thru the Sumaguing Cave, thus the name "Cave Connection." The tour is well planned geographically, not that they can manipulate the cave or whatnot but the wow factor increases as you go further inside the cave. The experience is SURREAL, truly a dream come true. The hefty price tag was all worth it, decoding rock formations and discovering a lot of the cave's biodiversity was awesome.

King's Curtain with my Bro

The Peeking Turtle

       So what's the best part of the experience? It is located at the heart of the cave, the waterpark! Natural pools, honed by the flow of waters rushing through the limestone. I immediately feel the urge to bathe. I splurge into the water, it is ice-cold. Although extremely clear, we were advised not to consume any of it, but then again you only live once. I drank it, just for the sake of curiosity, well it taste like nothing just like other water. The tap water not as pleasurable as this water though.

Nature's Infinity Pool, Awesome right?

Dive into the Cave's Glory

       Overall my first caving experience will be difficult to mimic, expectation will be high for my next spelunking adventure. Two thumbs up for the these natural wonder. Even only for the cave connection, Sadaga will be worth revisiting in the near future.

Sumaguing Cave's Facade (Kawaii!)

Off to Sagada

Sagada, Cordillera Region

Sagada is undoubtedly at the top of my dream destinations. It's just that when I hunt for all the characteristics of my ideal to-go place, I always end on blogs about Sagada located in the Mountain Provinces. If you plan to go here, I can assure you one thing, don't hesitate in setting your standards high, this place will surely meet those criteria.

Rice Terraces of Sagada

      Sagada is one of the 4 legs on our cordillera summer trip, together with Batad, Banaue and Baguio. It was a 12-hour long road trip from Manila - Baguio - Sagada and rough roads are barely exists. We arrived at 11 o'clock in the morning, canvass for a hotel then we start off our day. 

       I expected the place to be secluded from the outside world but it is not. I and my brother, who accompanied me on this trip, just chose to roam by feet and enjoy the views as we walk along the streets. Mind you, you will miss a lot of things when you are inside any vehicle, truly spoiling the scenery. All the major establishments as well as some of the attractions are of waking distance. Most are few kilometers away but we don't mind, that's what nature tripping is all about. 

Burial Cemetery on the Hilltop

      Commencing the trip we head onto the vast mountains in the southern part of Sagada. I was saddened when the church is closed, it would have been a great opportunity to offer thanksgiving to be able to be there. Well, that's that, we proceed to the town burial cemetery. A quick trivia, there are three kinds of cemetery in Sagada, the hanging coffins, the burial type and the cave types. The first cemetery we encountered was the burial type, it is identical to european cemeteries. Its ambiance is ideal for a place where people need to rest in peace... forever. The unique tombs will distract you and you wouldn't mind that it's still a place for the dead. 

Hanging and Cliff-side Coffins

      The most famous attraction and is truly an identity of Sagada is the hanging coffins. The place isn't too far from the burial cemetery. Initially, we don't know how to get there because all we have is our handy dandy map and my brothers compass app. Lucky for us we spotted a tour guide and followed them "secretly". We went ahead to make it seem like they are following us but in fact it's the other way around. It was fun just for the hype of not being noticed, it gave our trip a little spice. Then we arrived at the hanging coffins, it was so unique it lead me breathless. It was actually smaller than I expect, a lot smaller. I'm intrigue on how a full grown human would fit in those encapsulations. Quite disturbing as it could be, the corpses are being crushed to fit in the coffins made of tree trunks using their bare feet! The place was humid and water droplets from the top of the mountain somehow help preserve the coffins. 

Enjoying the Stalagmites at the Sumaging Cave

Nipa hut at Kiltepan Peak Viewpoint

      Pushing through the limits, since we are in between mountain ranges going back is not an option. Going back using the same path doesn't appeal to me, using a different route though is something I always enjoy taking. On the way on our taken path we saw a huge cave with an awesome facade, huge and mossy. It was untouched more like those caves that you ought to see in their "natural state". Further exploring through the deeps of the forest we reached a dead end, well sort of, more like a fenced property. Since we already invested our energy and it seems that only the local government fenced it, we trespassed. In addition to the cave we also run into an underground river! It was surreal. If I had my dri-fit with me back there and then I could have swam the depths of that river. The gamble and scratches due to the rough terrains was all worth it. You'll never know until you try.

Admiring the Beauty of Bomod-Ok Falls 

      The second day comes and for me this is the main event of the whole trip. Long day ahead, we are planning to trek all the way from our hotel up to the Bomod-Ok falls, that's roughly 20km. I know, 20KM! We departed at 4 am (that's the earliest we are allowed to trek due to their curfew hours).

Bomod-Ok Falls

      On our way we saw the best views we had during the trip. The sunrise, the rice fields, and the mountain ranges. We arrived at the starting point of the "official track" on the way to Bomod-Ok Falls at around 8 am and no tourism officer is present so we head off and trek another 3km descending from the hilltop. Half way through we asked an elder to where is the falls (again, we didn't hire a tour guide). Then the rest is history, we learned that on that very day, a ceremony will be held on the falls! Absolutely NO visitors are allowed. It only happens five times a year (talking about being lucky).  We don't wanna go back! Even if that elder was rude to us we sat down for a while letting him pass then we proceed. Haha! No one can stop us. We sneaked in to the falls but to show respect we did not bathe on it's pristine water. I will be back! 

       Going back is another story. We ascend back to the hilltop, I called all the saints and blessed I can. My heart extremely palpitates and I'm out of breath. Going back climbing was a hell of a ride. But thank God I'm alive. Then going back to the town proper, another 20km after that ascend? Hell no! We somehow beg to hop on a ride. Then we headed back to the Inn on wheels. Straight up to the convenience store we go and took some bread and soda to relieve the exhaustion. It was fun all and all, come to think of it what if we are murdered there for not following their traditions. 

Mexican Spicy Pork @ Yoghurt House

      The food, lets not forget the delicacies they offer. All their food has a common taste that presumably distinct to their culture, it is one of those "You'll know you're in Sagada if the food taste like this." There are only two dishes that stands out for me, their Bulalo and Homemade Yogurt. Homemade Yogurt, consists of banana, strawberry fruit with syrup and of course their sweet yet sour yogurt. It was so delicious, not to mention it's appearance and the plating. To be honest though, it's just a one time affair due to it's large serving, but still two thumbs up for the delight it has incur. 

Strawberry Banana Yoghurt

       Next on the menus is their Bulalo. I'm drooling just thinking about it. It is not your typical bulalo but rather with a twist, adding their 'distinct flavor' I mentioned earlier. I just love how big the bowl was and the spices sided with it is so powerful I just can't get enough. It might be an exaggeration but after we discovered this place it was our breakfast, lunch and dinner until we depart in Sagada. It's that appetizing. 

Sagada's Sunrise (#justwokeup) 

      The most challenging part of our trip was chasing the sunrise and sunset spots. The fact that we cannot control time is just an excitement for us. Waking up 3:00 am just to walk in the dark and conquer the extremely cold breeze. Armed only with portable lamps. That's just who we are. The thrills are just priceless.

Claimer: I own all the photos.

Off to Bolinao, Pangasinan

Patar Beach

Thumb's up for the corals! (fyi, that not moss)

     It's summer! How lame could it be to pass a summer season without heading off to the nearest beach and escape from the scorching breeze? This summer, I've been fortunate enough to be on a lot of places together with my two siblings (all expense paid, HAHA!). Since we're dealing with local beaches, I have been to two of them and is by far the best and the worst for me.

My Brother and My Nephew's Striking Sunset Pose

     Patar Beach, is by far the best beach in my travel log. The powdery white sands, the corals, the fishes, the sunrise and the crystal clear water. What more could you ask for? Don't get me wrong, I've been to Boracay, the only thing that it stands out is the night life not actually the beach. 

My Sister's Family on Bolinao's Lighthouse

     Here in Patar Beach you have all the things you need on a beach, swim with the fishes, search shells on the corals, hunt sea cucumbers and many more. Never will you be bored in this beach. There's plenty of things to do. Oh a quick trivia, their school is located on the seaside! I know right, it's effin' cool! I wonder how their student's concentrate with the sea luring them by it's beauty.

     The lighthouse! This is my first time to see a light house and luckily, my first lighthouse is said to be the second tallest in the Philippines. It's grand and beautiful. I was sad to learn though that the building next to it was wiped out by a typhoon. It would have been classic with it's spanish-inspired architectural heritage. It was then abandoned and no one's taking care of it now. Nonetheless, I'm still lucky to see the ruins. I hope that the government will take care even the last of it.

Grotto inside the Cindy's Cave

     Unexpectedly, we have encountered a cave on our way to Patar Beach. We grabbed the opportunity to explore the cave. It was advertised to have a pool inside of it. It does have a pool, and the amazing part of it is that it's not stagnant but rather flowing water (but it does not compare to the one's in Sagada). That not the only thing that surprised me, I was shocked that you can own a cave! Yup, it was owned by someone and I am so pissed knowing natural wonders should be a government property for the sake of tourist to admire. It was horrible due to the fact that those "owners" remodeled the cave's natural physique. Well that's that, a minority will never be heard.

     Getting there though is quite a challenge, for you will have to endure 8 hours of travel time. That is already by a private vehicle. Don't mind engaging to go there, it's all worth it. 

Food and Cuddling Moments

     Before I end this, what's the worst beach? It's in Infanta, Quezon. Since it's a negative judgement, I'll  just leave a gist in form of a word: Plankton.

Claimer: I own all the photos.

Off to Macau

Macau

     First off, I would like to greet all of you a Happy New Year! 2013 has been a great year for me and this trip is absolutely one of those. Let's proceed.

Facade of St. Paul's Cathedral Ruins

     The Venice, Rio and Las Vegas of Asia. MACAU. It is not an overstatement when they referred Macau in that way. It is a relatively small country under China, but let it not fool you this is actually a Filipino filled country. 

     I was able to venture the beauty of Macau in less than 8 hours. You bet how limited our time was. It was on Sunday so we did expect a large volume of people, and we did, in fact, a huge volume of Filipinos. It totally feels like they rule the place. I have my itinerary well prepared for this occasion. Since the lack of time everything was changed, crossing out the least appealing among the sceneries. 

Sands

     On the Las Vegas side of Macau we go. The first destination we arrive was the City of Dreams Hotel, it lived up to its name. The place was spectacular! The façade of the hotel is so  beautiful and amazing. They genuinely understand the characteristics of the water as the architecture was amazing. Fact: Macau is partially a desert. The indoor is surreal with a huge centerpiece with a virtual mermaid and tons of large dragon figurines.

Venetian Grand Canal

      Off to the next destination was the Venetian Macau. One word, elegance. Gold is the color of this hotel. I haven't been to France but this will suffice the need. We did able to witness the poster of the Pacquiao fight last November. 

 

Elegant Ceiling of Venetian Macau

     This is where I was amazed, I never thought that the Venetian Grand Canal is an indoor sanctuary! Yes! The Grand Canal is situated inside the Venetian Macau itself. 

    How amazing is it to place a beautiful scenery inside in a closed environment. No wonder it appears clean and always sunny in the travel blogs I have read. We would have availed to ride one of the boats that comes with a singing operator but due to lack of time we may not be able to see the other attractions. 

     The Venetian is a hotel and casino. I am 19 but they require age 21 and above, my heart suddenly fall apart. I'm of legal age! I would love to try my luck on those slot machines, I could have won a million dollar. Haha! Oh and a kind Filipino employee helped us on our way back to the port. It's so handy to be a Filipino sometimes.

     This time we headed to see the Brazilian and Spanish side of Macau. We moved back to the port to acquire a city bus going to the ever famous Senado Square of Macau. The ride to the square was superb. Every major attraction was included in the route of the bus and I really enjoyed it. Especially the fact that I was technically roaming the city just by sitting on those comfy chairs after those casino and hotel tours. To my amazement we missed the Senado Square, nonetheless, we did arrive on the next bus stop. A relatively long walk it was but it is worth it for we witnessed the intricate designs of the sidewalks which are made of colorful marbles. 

 

Egg Pies!

     Then we arrive at the Senado Square! Nothing but pristine heritage. Feels like reliving old times that I only encounter through history books and tv shows. Everything is classic (not old). The buildings along the square are with Spanish appeal to it due to the colonization of Portuguese decades ago. It is comparable to Vigan and some parts of Intramuros in Manila.

     There is always time for food! We tried some egg pies made of croissant. It was so tasty! Yum! It taste like egg pie with some kind of flaky texture which it stands out. It only cost around Php50 each. Worth every buck if you ask me.

Grand Lisboa Tower

     Then there's the St. Paul's Cathedral ruin. This is the Most famous structure of Macau it represent the whole country. There's nothing special about this landmark.

Casino Lisboa

     Night comes, LIGHTS! The neon lights of the casino totally feels like I'm in Vegas. Lights everywhere. The casinos seems to have a friendly competition when it comes in lighting their establishments. Cool bright lights. :)

Claimer: I own all the photos.