Bohol 02262014 Day 1

So finally I'm in the mood to write about my Bohol experience. An officemate and I traveled to the land of Chocolate Hills on the last week of February this year and were back in Manila by the first of March. The three and a half journey was not only an opportunity to see how resilient Boholanos are in response to the high magnitude quake they suffered and the subsequent typhoon that really wreaked havoc in Visayas.

Of all the trips, this one was a challenge for me in terms of fixing our itinerary. I was not able to go on full research beforehand and had limited knowledge of the ferry system. We initially had plans to go to Siquijor but that didn't push through because we found ourselves doing a lot in Bohol and Panglao and less than 4 days was such a bad idea. On the bright side, this gave us more than one reason to go back.

aerial view of the famous Chocolate Hills showing cracks after the quake late last year

When I went to Boracay via Kalibo with my sisters in late January, the weather was cool so I was not expecting Bohol to be hot and always sunny though I really was thankful that nights were cool. My officemate and I greatly enjoyed that one chilly night we were out late and we enjoyed looking up at the star studded night sky while on the habal-habal.

We went straight to Nisa Travellers Inn in Bohol upon arrival and after resting for a while, we went to Loay. Along the way, we passed by houses destroyed by the quake. We arrived in Loay at close to 11AM so after seeing the church, we decided to avail the river cruise with buffet lunch.

The Loay river cruise was a welcome cool respite from the super hot noon. A guitarist played well-loved songs while singing and he even sang a Chinese song! The buffet was quite a spread and I loved the fried chicken only it's too covered with batter and they look big but in fact they're just bony pieces pieced together. Despite this, I loved it.

We went to Albuquerque to see the unusual salt-making tradition they have which involves the use of coconuts to harvest salt. This was after seeing the town church. I learned of this from a foreign scholar who's into salt-making while in Angkor Wat earlier this year. I couldn't believe a foreigner knew much more about Bohol than I do so I made sure to allot time for it in this trip but unfortunately, salt-making was not in season at the time of our visit and neither was I able to buy this special salt. Locals told me they prefer the ordinary one since it's cheaper. I just hope this tradition does not die out.

Next up was Python Sanctum but unfortunately, Prony the python had died due to an illness. According to the caretaker, the pet python died in place of its master. It seemed like they believe in some kind of magic wherein the pet animal would sacrifice itself in order for its master to get cured from a certain illness. Now who says only furry animals are cute?

We then proceeded to Baclayon to see the church and the museum. Baclayon church is one of the most famous churches in Bohol due to its age primarily and also for its museum which houses religious relics, furniture, statues, and even glass items (imagine how excited I was at this discovery! I just hope they let me access their glass collection for my future research).

Near Baclayon church is a small stand which sells refreshing juices. I had the honor of having their wonderful watermelon mint shake for only P50! Take note, they use real mint leaves! While drinking I couldn't help but think of the furry friendly animals in Redwall.

Before we went back to our hotel, we dropped by Dauis to see the church there and to enjoy the sunset. Note: The place is simple yet beautiful. I'm adding it to my list of venue for my pre-nuptial photos LOL.

Dauis late in the afternoon

Before we head back to our hotel, we had early dinner at Alfonso Pizzeria. We had Margherita pizza (P170) and Sicily (P200), both delicious. Would love to go back there again. And I'd like to try the trattoria near it since the owner who is a foreigner boasts of their authentic dishes though at that time we were in a hurry.

Bohol Day 2
Bohol Day 3
Bohol Day 4

Lantau Island, Hong Kong 02152013

When I heard that we would be going to Lantau Island, I almost leaped for joy. Lantau Island, as I have read from the numerous brochures I got at the airport, is great for outdoor enthusiasts. Also, prior to the trip, an officemate suggested a visit to the Big Buddha which is in this island.

So off to Lantau Island we went on the second day. We took the MTR from Tsim Sha Tsui to Central then transferred to another line bound to Tung Chung. From Citygate Mall, we took the bus to Ngong Ping and visited temples. Because I was with oldies and I am a fast walker, I disappeared for some time coz I just had to climb the tower to the Big Buddha. Lots of tourists there and so I asked some to take pictures of me in every level of the climb.

On both sides of the paved walkway are statues of Hindu warriors with corresponding Chinese zodiac signs.

the circular plaza

entrance to the temple where we burned incense

Big Buddha

near the Big Buddha are these Hindu statues in different poses and with different offerings

me striking the drums for a wish

 After the temple visit and a quick lunch, my relatives and I parted ways. There were three groups. One would go to Disneyland, only to go back to the hotel early. One would go to another place to visit temples. And the other is a one-girl group, ME, heading off to nowhere.

But really, Lantau island is pretty much my ideal place for its many woodland areas and mountains. So I decided to explore on my own since no one among my companions love walking around a lot.

I explored Ngong Ping 360 and the many stores and not a few Western restos (which indicate that the place indeed is a tourist spot). I had to find there the Nature Centre to join a free guided tour which I knew about from a brochure I got at the airport. But because I arrived too early and the tour will not begin until an hour later, I decided to go on my own to maximize the time.

I must admit that I am not very good with understanding maps and for the second time, I got lost. As a consequence, I took major detours such that when I finally reached the start of the nature walk trail, I was already profusely sweating and a bit tired. But the adventurer in me would not let this rare opportunity to pass so with a strong determination to discover a bit of Lantau Island's natural environment, I went on. And a beautiful sunny day is not to be wasted. So climbed a mountain I did.

Very few climbed the mountain. I was still lucky to find this hiker. If I found myself all alone, I would have stopped and went somewhere instead.

This is the reward I got: a view of the Big Buddha from afar together with  the tall wooden stelae on Wisdom Path

 I really had to visit the Wisdom Path. And I'm glad I did, otherwise I would not have known why it's called as such. The wooden stelae have carved Chinese sentences related to Buddhism

 I also did the Ngong Ping Tree Walk. It's very educational and I would certainly recommend this to parents to try with their children to help kids develop an appreciation of the natural environment and to aid in educating about plants and the benefits we can derive from them aside from clean air.

Next is the Fat Mun Ancient Path and the Mei Lak Shan Country trail where Wisdom Path's wooden stelae are also visible.

Eastern Mountain Fat Mun. Passing through this gate, I found myself already alone. Minutes later a woman appeared and asked me if I had completed the walk. I said it was impossible given the fact that it's dangerous for a girl to walk all alone in the woods. She smiled and wished me good luck before I left.

Tired from all the walking, I replenished my Octopus card at 7-11 and bought a liter of water. By that time, I already lost a lot of water in my body. My top was very wet from the sweat and I regretted bringing my coat.

Because I had limited time, I chose to visit an interesting place which is near Ngong Ping. Tai O seems to be the next best place to visit considering its proximity and convenience of commuting. From Ngong Ping I took Bus 21. The ride was just some 20 minutes. I also made sure to rest my eyes since by that time, my head was already clamoring for rest.

Upon arriving at the fishing village, the ferry boat ride ad promising dolphin sight-seeing greeted me and I purchased a ticket for HKD 20. The boat ride will last 20 minutes and sad to say, we did not see any dolphins.

houses on stilts, pretty much common in Southeast Asia

No dolphins but I saw this white seagull. Still happy!

After the boat ride, I explored the old town.While from outside it looks small, it was actually quite big that my feet hurt from all the walking afterwards.

dried seafoods which were VERY tempting yet VERY expensive

And these, too, spell YUMMY!

Of all the pictures I took in Hong Kong, this one is my favorite. 

A shrine to 土地公

Another small temple in Tai O with intricately designed roof

After all the walking, I had to endure an hour of waiting. There was a very long queue at the bus stop. I was so tired and hungry. While inside the bus, I asked my seatmate how long it would take to go to Tung Chung and she said 45 minutes. I slept throughout the ride and when I woke up, the Citygate Mall could already be seen. 

And yes, this solo explorer had to get lost inside the mall, unable to find the way to the subway. It was funny, looking back at that time. I was deliberating on whether to buy a Subway sandwich but a part of me was saying no because we have Subway Sandwiches in the Philippines. Besides, it costs a lot. 

I bought dinner at Tsim Sha Tsui and took it out to eat at the hotel at around 9pm. By then my stomach was already grumbling.

Before I shut my eyes to sleep that night, though, I felt proud of myself for having done it all on my own.