Cebu was fantastic, but far too short. This is part two of my Philippines adventure for my 30th Birthday with Alex. If you care to read part one, flip back a page to the previous blog on Manila and Cebu.
Bohol
After our time on Cebu island we left aboard the delayed morning ferry to Bohol which lead us into the afternoon. A delayed lunch of wrong or missed orders, forgotten drinks and bad service - a recurring pattern in the islands.
Glad to be on our way we head to the Chocolate Hills. These were a big part of my wanting to come to Bohol. I remember watching a documentary on the Philippines several years ago and these hills stood out to me as some place of spectacular natural beauty I’d love to visit. These odd-shaped hills poking out of the dense forest cover the entire region. Their brown colour is a result of the dry season and not because they’re covered in delicious dairy milk.
From big hills and open expanse to the tight jungle and tiny critters we travel onward to visit the tarsier monkeys. These nocturnal tree-dwellers have huge eyes to help them see at night, but during the day they mostly snooze out the way of tourists. We were lucky enough to catch a grumpy one under some leaves - most likely annoyed at being awoken.
Back in 2013 the Philippines was hit by a tsunami. I was staying in Vietnam at the time but had dashed further inland to avoid any disruptions and check out Cambodia (you can read the blog post here). The highlight of our trip to Bohol, and the biggest surprise, was to spend time at a homestay among a family affected by the Typhoon. This family had their homes destroyed and had to rebuild with what little they had, yet they welcomed us in with open arms and wide smiles. The kids welcomed us in by re-enacting a song and dance of Justin Bieber and the families extended their generosity by giving us their home and beds as part of their custom.
After being welcomed into their home and getting to know our hosts we sat and ate a delicious meal followed by kayaking through mangroves, watching the fireflies in the trees and the bio-luminescent plankton dancing in the water around our paddle strokes; the whole evening felt as though we were paddling through the stars. Returning to the village for a surprise birthday cake and the entire village singing me happy birthday. I was left speechless. I’d love to share some photos of such a memorable night and birthday, but I was too wrapped up in the moment, and embarrassed from being the centre of attention, to snap any pics.
The morning we helped out in the village farm, the people here have a subsistence farm which provides the community with food.
Once the animals were fed it was finally time, after almost a week in the Philippines to head to the beach. How much we’d been wanting to go to the beach, we’d practically been screaming! Alex ignored all sensibilities and ignored sun tan lotion and warning and ended up a brighter shade of orange than Mr Tickle.
That night we went back to the village, the locals had put on a lechon dinner. A whole roast pork, all the trimmings; offal used in sauces and mixed with beans and blood - tasted liked a runny black pudding. We danced around the fireplace and had marshmallows with the kids.
It was time to say goodbye to so many wonderful people who made me feel so welcomed.
Siquijor
This is how to live. Visit a tropical island paradise, drink beer, swim in lagoons. This is what Siquijor is here for. Stop one: Cambugahay Falls.
What a beautiful lagoon, a waterfall so sublime, and a jungle rope swing to enter it’s opal depths. After all that hard work swimming and lounging in the sun, we head off to the 400 year old Balete tree and dip our feet in the water and have fish nibble my feet.
Sunset reflections on the beach, no further words needed. Enjoy your week.
I’m slow at getting through these updates, but I enjoy looking through the memories. I especially enjoyed re-reading Alex’s post on Laptop and Flipflops, for the chronological queues.