It
was a beautiful, sunny morning. We started early to make the most out
of the day. Each was assigned a chore for the remaining two days of our
stay. Ate Marilyn and Mich sort of volunteered to prepare and cook food
while me, Maan and Yen were assigned to wash the plates. Good thing
everything we need - frying pan, rice cooker, plates, utensils,
dish-washing liquid, etc. - is provided.
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| nice morning in Alona Land |
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| breakfast made with love |
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| chill time |
Then
our tour around Panglao island began. For our transpo, we hired Mang
Vir and his amazing tricycle (it can seat 6 people!) Thanks to Ate
Marilyn and Mich for finding him while strolling around Alona Land. He
gave us quite a good deal.
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| here we go |
Mang
Vir first took us to St. Augustine Church, more popularly called
Panglao Church, on the southwestern side of Panglao island. The place
was close to deserted that time. I'm not used to not seeing many people
roaming within a church's vicinity (sa Antipolo Cathedral kasi 24/7 ata
ang mga tao) so the scenario was kinda weird for me. But it looks and
feels more peaceful.
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| church facade |
The
church is clearly of Spanish-time and is nestled on a plain with its
back close to the seashore and the right side facing a big, wide plaza
where the town's religious and social activities take place. Across the
plaza, one can see the watch tower and the old municipal building.
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| church goers |
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| okay na sana may biglang sumulpot lang na extra ^_^ |
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| inside panglao church. taray lang! chos! |
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| interesting murals |
Next
on our list is the Hinagdanan Cave, perhaps the most popular and most
accessible among Bohol's caves. We were informed by another office
colleague who has been to Bohol that the tour guides in Hinagdanan Cave
are equipped with knowledge on using cameras and DSLRs. And she wasn't
lying at all! Our tour guide has the initiative to get our cameras, take
our photos and instruct our poses. It's as if he owns one! I was pretty
surprised when he operated my DSLR without my supervision. Galing!
The
cave's entrance is narrow and steep. Only one person at a time can take
the flight of stairs. We were warned to be careful with our every step
as the cave's floor is slippery.
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| see those drawings on the cave walls? |
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| a sample photo taken by our tour guide (without my assistance) |
Inside
the cave, you'll hear nothing but the voice of the tour guide telling
tidbits of info about the cave's history. It wasn't completely dark
unlike in most caves as holes aboveground give a streak of light inside.
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| light of hope |
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| the cold waters of the cave on the background |
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| may kasama pala kaming mermaid.. |
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| MSC fade in: may bukas pa sa iyong buhay.. |
Outside the cave entrance are pasalubong shops. You can buy some souvenirs and shirts here if you want.
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| entrance to Hinagdanan Cave |
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| bought some of these cute keychains for souvenir |
Panglao
island is divided into two municipalities. After seeing the Panglao
municipality, Kuya Vir took us to the other side of town - Dauis. We
visited the Dauis cathedral also known as the Our Lady of the Assumption
located near the Panglao river.
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| the church tower |
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| pansin ko lang, lahat ng pictures namin sa dauis church dun lang sa gilid ng simabahan. hihi |
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| don't sit on wet paint kasi |
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| by the panglao river i stood and smiled |
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| my supposed to be scripted shot but turned out real. napahabol ng sumbrero ang lola nyo. |
A
tour around Bohol wouldn't be complete without a visit in the famous
Bohol Bee Farm. I've heard and read about a lot of good reviews on this
place especially on their food. Lunch time was the perfect opportunity
to have a taste of Bohol Bee Farm.
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| hungry but happy |
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| long winding road |
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| taray nung bee! kulay orang ang kilay! haha! |
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| ang sarap sigurong mag swimming dito di nakakaitim |
Stepping
inside Bohol Bee Farm gives you a homey and welcoming ambiance. We were
led to the al fresco dining area that offers a picturesque view of the
beach.
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| lots of mouth-watering and healthy stuff in here |
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| the perfect view |
They serve bread and three of their delectable spreads as starters. I must say, the spreads were all yummy!
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| mango, pesto and honey |
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| even Kuya Vir enjoyed it |
Since
this trip was months ago (hinukay ko na lang to sa baul hehe), I can't
remember the names of our dishes anymore. But to give you an idea, here
they are. And mind you, all of the dishes taste really good! Warning:
Looking at the pictures will make you salivate.
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| chicken with honey sauce and pineapple - the chicken was tender |
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| soup (hello ovbious ba?) with variousgreens and veggies |
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| organic salad. at since it's organic, it comes with special sidings - worms! |
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| healthy red rice |
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| hearty feast! |
What
can I say? The things people say about Bohol Bee Farm is true after
all. We enjoyed a sumptuous lunch. For proof, ang tagal namin kumain!
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| shrimps, squid, fish and fresh lumpia |
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| very satisfied! |
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| ay sorry di pa pala kami tapos kumain. |
Bohol
Bee Farm is also famous for its unique ice cream flavors. We had
Malunggay and Ginger ice cream. The former tastes good. The latter did
not. Lesson learned: Always try the free taste first before ordering.
Pahirapan ubusin ang Ginger ice cream! Kelangan pa umikot sa aming lahat
bago tuluyang maglaho.
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| green and white |
There's also a store where you can buy Bohol Bee Farm's trademark delicacies, souvenirs and interesting stuff.
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| bye bohol bee farm! see you next time! |
Before
going home, Kuya Vir pointed to us the facade of Eskaya Beach Resort
and Spa and asked if we want to pullover. We did and took some photos.
Kahit sa picture man lang e magmukhang sa Eskaya kami tumuloy. Chos!
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| welcome to our temporary home.. in our dreams! |
Finally, back to our real temporary home. It was mid afternoon so we took a quick rest before hitting the beach.
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| ideal room for an affordable price |
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| Alona Land's swimming pool |
On
our way to Alona Beach (thank God for the free shuttle service of Alona
Land), the weather suddenly decided not to cooperate. Dark clouds
started hovering the sky and winds made its presence felt.
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| colorful flip flops |
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| mahangin sa labas |
The
sand is white and fine. Too bad there were lots of scattered sea weeds
(not so sure on this) due to the weather. But minus the pieces of brown
plants in the beach shore, I think Alona Beach would be a very nice
venue for beach bumming.
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| e may uma-angle. hihi |
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| temptation island lang ang peg ^o^ |
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| ano kaya ang tina-try namin ma-achieve? |
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| di makapag swimming? edi daanin sa picture! |
Leisure,
recreation and entertainment establishments line the shore of Alona
Beach. I bet the night life here is very much alive on peak seasons.
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| so windy outside |
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| may nakiki-picture |
We
didn't get to swim in the beach since the waves are threatening. No
matter how good of a swimmer you are, don't ever dare to challenge the
strong waves. Just a piece of advice. For dinner, we had the usual
canned goods and fried stuff.
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| buti di kami nagkasakit kakakain ng canned goods |
And
since we weren't able to swim, we poured our frustrations into Alona
Land's swimming pool. In fairness, may value-for-money factor ang Alona
Land. ^_^
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| pool side |
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| yun o! |
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| relaxing ambiance at night time |
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| lamig! |
Night
swimming with my friends was really fun. Keribels kahit ang lamig ng
tubig. We enjoyed taking some underwater shots. Di naman halata dba? ^_^
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| scenario: rescue a drowning person chaka ng acting namin! haha! |
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| japan japan! |
Highlights
of our last night in Bohol had some exchange of funny stories,
reminiscing the good old times, inevitable tease and fun jokes that make
it more memorable. I'll miss times like these.
Alona Land Resort
Tawala, Panglao Island, Bohol
+63 (09) 173 040 211
Bohol Bee Farm
Dao, Dauis, Panglao Island, Bohol
