Laid Back Bohol -- Day 2

July 5, 2013

Breakfast at Coco Grove Tourist Inn starts at 6am. These were the options: Ham, Longganisa, or Corned Beef -- all served with fried egg, plain rice and coffee. I suggest you order the Longganisa because it came all the way from Lucban. Skip the ham and the corned beef since you could get these in any supermarket.

Our original schedule was 9am. But we requested it to be re-scheduled at 7am. Thankfully, our driver picked us up on time. He was a different driver/tour guide from the previous day and he didn't bother introducing himself. He was more of the silent type. 

Our trip for the day was the Countryside Tour: Blood Compact Shrine, Baclayon Church, 'Prony' the Python, Chocolate Hills, Billar Man-made forest, Simply Butterflies Conservation Center, Tarsier Conservatory, Hanging Bridge,  Loboc River Cruise with buffet lunch.

Blood Compact Shrine

Blood Compact Shrine
From Panglao Island, it will take you less than 20 minutes to reach this. From this spot, you could also take a photo of Pamilacan Island.

Baclayon Church
This is one of the oldest churches in the Philippines. Work your imagination a little and you'd see the image of Padre Pio. The church was still closed when we arrived.

Baclayon Church

We went back here in the afternoon -- after finishing all the other tourist spots. They say that you haven't been to Baclayon if you've never been in the Museum. I was a bit tired then and I thought that I would only see a lot of religious artifacts so I decided to skip it. Entrance fee to the museum was 50php and taking photos were prohibited. Baclayon Church is also home to one of the oldest pipe organs. Important reminder: Dress appropriately when going inside churches.

Prony the python

Prony the python

I could only say that Prony is one huGe snake! It was amusing to know that the caretakers use shampoo to bathe Prony. (That's a lot of shampoo!) You could also see several birds here and 3 civet cats.

Billar Man Made Forest

Billar Man Made Forest

This is a cool, refreshing spot along the highway going to Chocolate Hills. It makes you want to stop over and take a nap under the trees.

Chocolate Hills halfway up the steps

Chocolate Hills
You could reach the viewing deck after climbing up a long set of stairs (150+ steps). Actually, even if you don't reach the main viewing deck, you could still see the hills. I was expecting the hills to be more brown in color, but much to my disappointment, it was green. There were 2 legends on how the hills came to be but there's really a scientific explanation with regards to the formation of these hills.

Caterpillar!

Simply Butterflies Conservation Center
This was my initial thought prior to going inside the conservatory -- "Boring. I've seen butterflies." But believe it or not, I really enjoyed this part of the trip. It was an educational tour, and I got to hold a caterpillar! I felt a bit squirmish about the idea of touching it but hey! this was just a once in a lifetime experience so make the most out of it rather than regret it right? Right!

I have wings! :)

Another plus for this trip is that there are excellent spots where you could take photos. I also recommend that you try their ice cream -- they're packaged like ice candies but are really ice cream. I got the lychee-flavored one and it tasted creamier than the ice cream I had at Bohol Bee Farm. Make sure to eat it immediately because it melts quickly. I forgot the price but I think it was around 25? 35? It was worth it -- for me (in my opinion).

Sleeping tarsier

Tarsier Conservatory
I thought that we would be led inside a greenhouse to see these little creatures closer. I was surprised to see that we would enter a mini-forest and we would see the tarsiers up the trees. I guess they made it that way to prevent tourists from touching these fragile little primates. Tarsiers are nocturnal so most of them were sleeping during our tour. I loved the idea that the entrance tickets to the conservatory could also serve as postcards! :)

Hanging Bridge

Hanging bridge

You'd be crossing this twice so think long and hard if you'd have the courage to cross the bridge. Honestly, for me, it's nothing to be scared of. It was quite safe. You would only see more souvenir shops at the end of the bridge. You'd be fortunate if "Buko King" decides to perform and have you see his amazing talent of removing a coconut's husk with the use of his teeth.

Platform where you could watch
the natives perform

Loboc River Cruise + lunch buffet
This was the least satisfying part of the trip. We boarded a boat operated by Busai Monark. The food was nothing special. My mom could cook better. What's really irritating here was that, they waited for the boat to be filled up with guests. A group left even before the cruise started and after they left, the boat finally moved. The trip was delayed but we were not in a rush so we waited, and besides, we wouldn't want to waste the money we paid for the cruise. There were several platforms setup along the river so you could watch a sing-dance performance by natives that live within the river's vicinity. Depending on what you chose, you could see a small waterfalls or you could visit a local tribe.

Literally a house. Just knock and ask
politely for their product

House of Ube
Ask around where this is and try their ube products. Their ube pastillas, ube halaya, and ube polvoron were really tasty and made with real ube(no fake extenders like purple-colored sweet potato).

After going back to Baclayon to see it's interiors, we headed back to our inn. We rested until 4:30pm before going to our planned dinner place.

Note: From here on, there'll be no pictures since we decided to leave our things at the inn. We later found out that it was a wrong decision.
Acacia de Bubu
We went here by tricycle for 10php/pax as fare. It was a good thing that a passenger of the tricycle knew the place and instructed the driver where we could be dropped(since it was a one-way street). We thought that the driver was irritated with us, but at least he dropped us there safely. This is located on Burgos street near a big acacia tree - thus the name. It's a big, open-air bbq eatery. There would be several plastic containers where you could choose which ones to grill. Here are some of your choices: traditional pork bbq, liempo, hotdog, visayan longganisa, chicken feet, chicken liver, chicken gizzard, chicken intestines and others. Their bbq sauce was good, I just wished that they cleaned their grill properly and they shouldn't have burnt our hotdogs :( 1 liempo, 2 hotdogs, 3 bbq, 1 longganisa(visayan longganisa tastes different than your typical longganisa), 2 rice, and 2 softdrinks were approximately 200php.

After dinner, my sister and I decided to walk home because it was downhill and most of the public transportation going back where we came from were filled up to the roof-not exaggerating(plus, the fare back would be higher) The distance was approximately 2.5km. When we reached the bridge connecting Tagbilaran and Panglao, we decided to try Alfonso Pizzeria.

Alfonso Pizzeria
They use a brick-oven and firewood to cook the pizza. We ordered the Margherita. We watched how the chef made our pizza and I loved how he generously topped it with mozzarella. There was an incident here(an insect went inside my eye) that ruined my mood, but the whole eating experience was enjoyable. The pizza was freshly made and while watching, you would see that the chef values cleanliness in the kitchen. Their pizza looked healthier than those oily commercialized pizza. Their price was also affordable so if you have the time, visit their place. 6-7pm will be the most ideal time because their pizza could be easily sold out.

Our flight back to Manila was 10am of July 6, 2013. It was a rollercoaster ride and one of the most nauseating flights I've had. So that was it! Our trip to the 10th largest island in the Philippines - Bohol!

Fun-filled trip to Bohol

July 4-6, 2013

This trip was made affordable by:

Cebu Pacific offered a 12-peso promo fare which totalled to almost 2,300php for 2 people. 

For 7,260php, or 3,630php/pax, we were able to go to the ff. tourist spots in Bohol-all thanks to Bohol Life Tour Services:

Mag-Aso Falls, Dauis Church & Miracle Well, Hinagdanan Cave, Bohol Bee Farm, Panglao Church and Watch Tower, Nova Sea Shell Museum, Walk along Alona White Sandy Beach, Blood Compact Shrine, Baclayon Church, Bohol Python 'Prony', Tarsier Conservation Area, River Cruise with Lunch, Bamboo Hanging Bridge, Billar Man Made Forest, Butterfly Garden, and the famous Chocolate Hills.

Coco Grove Tourist Inn offers 1,000php/night stay. They also have an accommodation+tour package. You may visit this site for more details - http://www.infobohol.com/bohol-hotels/coco-grove-tourist-inn-and-hotel-panglao-bohol/. We thought of availing their package, but the trip to Balicasag Island will consume a lot of our time. But if you're going to stay for 4days, you may want to avail this package and contact Bohol Life for additional tours.

Our flight

I was shocked when we boarded on time. So much for expectations - our plane took off 20 minutes after ETD and we circled Bohol twice because there was "traffic". 

First day tour

We were picked up by Bohol Life and our driver's name is Mr. William. He did a great job. Not only did he take us to our destinations safely, suggested restaurants and pasalubong(s) to buy,  he also shared stories and jokes to entertain us. And he was kind enough to introduce himself, unlike our second day driver.

Mag-Aso Falls

Mag-Aso Falls

Our trip for the day was composed mainly of tourist spots that are located in Panglao island. Our driver suggested that we go here first since this was the only one in the list that was located in mainland Bohol. 

We didn't exactly count the steps down towards the falls but thankfully, the steps were cemented. They offer lifesavers for those who don't know how to swim. Prices for the lifesavers are as follows: small - 50php medium - 75php  large - 100php. The pool formed by the falls was deep(around 30ft.), so if you're not a swimmer, it's better to rent a lifesaver and have your swimmer-companion pull/push you towards the falls. Or you could just stay at the shallow portion.

We planned to stay there for just an hour - in time for lunch. But the refreshing water and the perfect rock formations where you could just lie down and feel the rushing water made us not wanting to leave. So we spent 2 hours before we decided to get some lunch.

Lunch at Golden Cowrie 
For those who don't know what a Golden Cowrie is (including me) - it's a kind of seashell.
So when we asked the driver where we could eat food aside from burgers and fried chicken normally served at fastfood joints, he took us to Golden Cowrie. Surprisingly, our orders came in after waiting for only 10 minutes. These were our orders: Calamares, NgoHiong(10pcs), Sinigang na Hipon(Shrimps in Tamarind Soup Base), Kinilaw na Tanigue (Ceviche), Rice.  Their rice is unlimited worth 39php. I was not in the mood to eat that much since it was waAay past lunch time, but their initial rice serving was approximately 2 cups(comparing to fastfood rice serving size). I loved their sinigang - it had that right amount of sourness. Our food amounted to approximately 700php, with food to spare for dinner.

Dauis Church and Miracle Well

Dauis Church's Miracle Well

After lunch, we proceeded to Panglao Island. It was already past 2pm. According to our driver/tour guide, long ago, the town experienced a disease where a sighting of Mary instructing the people that only the water from the well could cure them. There was no church in this island then. But because they couldn't move the statue of Mary near the miraculous well, they've decided to build the church there. In addition to what he told us, the water from the well is clean - even cleaner than some commercialized drinking water. If you want to try the water from the well, you could get a bottle at the back part of the church.
Important Note: Dress appropriately (no tubes or spaghetti straps or tank tops, no mini shorts/skirts). Follow the dress code when going inside churches.

Hinagdanan Cave
To give you a brief history of the cave, here is a photo of their signage:

Hinagdanan Cave's brief history

First thing that you have to do before you visit this place, is to study how to set your camera to capture images with few light sources. But don't worry if you don't know how to set it because the guides were taught the perfect setting.

So my initial thoughts before entering the cave were -- "Okay...usually bats live in caves..and it would smell like guano inside..eeww". Much to my surprise, creatures that live here are no less than the Balinsasayaw  birds. It's a good thing that taking their nests from this cave is strictly prohibited.

Balinsasayaw's Nest 

Drawings on the cave walls

From the photo on the left, you would see drawings on the cave walls. Inhabitants of this cave from long ago drew these.

There is also a pool of water inside the cave. According to the guide, it's a free flowing body of water. You wouldn't want to take a dip here since it's a bit deep and there is only a little light available so you wouldn't know what to expect underneath. In addition, I think it's prohibited. :) Kudos to the cave guides, they know what they're presenting and they were quite amusing.

Around this area, you could buy t-shirts worth 99php. I suggest you buy your souvenir shirts here. :)

Bohol Bee Farm
Our farm guide was new and he's such a slow talker that we finished later than we expected. He also got stung by a bee during his demo. We also got to try weaving using the traditional loom. You could try their freshly baked bread or ice cream. They say that their Malunggay-flavored ice cream is their best seller, so I tried it. Honestly, it tasted like any ordinary vanilla ice cream. If you have a check-in luggage, good for you. You could buy their honey to take home. We bought a small jar of honey and had trouble at the airport. So if you're planning to buy honey, make sure that you're allowed to check-in your baggage to avoid the hassle. We also bought a small jar of their malunggay spread. I also liked their other spreads but we had to choose one. So we went with the most interesting flavor of all the spreads.

Smallest shell species - you'd need a magnifying glass

It was 4:30pm and the driver-tour guide informed us that we're past the time allotted for the tour and we still have 3 spots to see, these were the ff:  Panglao Church and Watch Tower, Nova Sea Shell Museum, and Walk along Alona White Sandy Beach. It would cost us an additional fee of 250php if we would still like to see these spots. So I thought we wouldn't be missing much if we skipped the remaining three spots, but our guide insisted that he'd take us to the remaining spots for free. So we took a quick picture of the Watch Tower, took a quick tour inside the Sea Shell Museum and took a few photos of Alona Beach. He even took us at the frontage of the most exclusive resort of Bohol -- the Eskaya Resort. So it was a good thing that our guide insisted on taking us to the remaining spots because:

Naturally colorful shells

#1 He took good pictures of us at the Watch Tower
#2 We learned a few things at the Nova Shell Museum and the candy-colored shells are so cute
#3 The sand at Alona Beach was white and fine like powder

Of course, we wouldn't let it be free so we paid the additional 250php. It was also our fault because we spent time at the falls. Plus, our flight was delayed. Our take-out from lunch served as our dinner. Overall, it was a fun-filled first day!

Mezza Norte experience

June 29, 2013

I'm one of those people who are fond of reading food blogs, especially when they're filled with pictures. I'm also curious of food markets so when I found out that Mezza Norte is just across Trinoma, I was excited to try it.

My goal - taste food from as many stalls as possible
My strategy - share the food with my companion

Chicken choppers(Php 90 ala carte; Php 100 with rice)

Deep fried chicken breasts chopped to bite-size pieces. You can choose from different powders for added flavor: Pepper, Cayenne Pepper, Lemon and I forgot the others. We opted for the safest: Pepper and Cayenne Pepper. This is served with deep fried basil leaves on top. From the first bite, I'm immediately taken back to my childhood where we would buy something similar to this. But the great thing here is that the chicken is boneless.

Grilled hotdog(Php 40/stick - jumbo hotdog)

I just love grilled hotdogs :)

Hickory Beef BBQ with rice from Sultry Chef(Php 120)

The beef was soft but not so much on the hickory flavor It tasted more like beef brisket served in Chinese restaurants minus the Chinese herb they put in it.

Macheesemo Burger(Php 160 - classic burger - beef patty, cheese, lettuce, tomato)

The beef patty had cheese inside so once you bite into the burger, cheese will also ooze out with the juice. I loved the cheese.

Takoyaki(Php 70)

If the server asks you "Sweet or Spicy", choose the Sweet sauce. Their Spicy sauce is really spicy that you could barely taste the takoyaki balls. Still, I'd choose the Takoyaki that you could buy in Little Tokyo's Hana.

3 for Php 100/ 2 for Php 150 cakes

I bought 2 cakes(Mango and Yema Cakes) and 1 leche flan for Php 150. Buy only the leche flan. The cakes were dry. I've also tried their red velvet from another food market. It's just a cake made from butter icing dusted with red powder.

Merry Moo Ice cream (Php 75)

I chose the strawberry shortcake flavor. It was ok. You'll probably appreciate it more than I did. I'm not really an ice cream person.

I also had the chance to taste a sandwich with hungarian sausage pattie. It was a bit hot but I'm not liking the taste of the meat. Next time, I'd like to try the "Silog" stall that serves Hungarian Sausages with fried rice and egg. I'd also like to try the Roast Beef by Chef Anton. I was disappointed that I didn't see the cheese steak food truck. I also expected Ebi Tempura from Nakamura's food stall. Too bad they only served rice dishes. Overall, I enjoyed my foodtrip. It was just bad because it started to rain.