Travelogue

Travel like never before…

Cebu escapade is kind of our family’s tradition since Argao, Cebu is our province. Before going to Manila, my parents are living in Argao until they decided to start a new life and to take a new job in Manila. Since we were young, we are so fond to visit our home in Cebu. Swimming in the ocean, meeting our cousins, and seeing the place where my parents met. Year 2018, we planned our itinerary and decided to do a little roaming to Bohol and be back at Cebu in two days. A few days before our flight, our parents needed to fly to Cebu a little bit sooner than my siblings and I to attend their high school reunion. May 27, 2019, we arrived at Ninoy Aquino International Airport at 6 in the evening to wait for our flight in Cebu Pacific.

After our flight, we meet our parents at Mactan International Airport, in Cebu and rented a cab to take us to the former office of my mother at Promo Edge Corporation’s branch in Cebu. We stayed the night there in order to save money and to be at the Fort at 4 in the morning to take us to Bohol. It took 2 hours and 30 minutes till we reach the Fort of Bohol. The ride was very comfortable which made us get the hours of sleep we lack because of traveling late at night.

Our energies were charged so we decided to take a Drive Thru at McDonalds to get something to eat before we start with our first itinerary. We decided to first go at the famous Chocolate Hills of Bohol because it gets really sunny to take a walk in the afternoon.

We reached the Chocolate Hills and at exactly 09:56 am I took the photo above to mesmerize the extraordinary view before my two eyes. It was my first time there and it made me wish that it will still be that beautiful for the next generation to see. We took a lot of photos there to take with us and to maybe bring back the wonderful memories we had here.

After our great tour at the Chocolate Hills, our next stop is at the Bohol Butterfly Garden. We went to this place to see how Bohol managed to preserve and conserve the butterflies. Our tour guide provided us with a fun and educational trip that made us learn but in a fun way. We also saw a restaurant there but we only bought ice candies that is said to be their best sellers. 

After our two fascinating tour, we decided to go to the Bamboo Hanging Bridge where we experienced a lot of shouts and laughs from mocking each one of us, especially those who are afraid of heights. After reaching the end of the bridge, we bought some exotic snacks and some souvenirs for our loved ones, then we continued to again, take the bridge to get to the other side.

Our next stop was supposed to be the Hinagdanan Cave but unfortunately, it started raining so it is impossible for us to go there.

We continued with our tour and we reached the Tarsier Sanctuary which is the most famous animal in Bohol. From there, we learned that it is really small and that the size of their eyes is like half of their face. Our tour guide taught us some things to remember to conserve the tarsiers and their habitat. We saw the tarsiers but they are all sleeping but one. We started mocking each other for it is in the nature of our family especially on my father’s side to have big eyes. Souvenir shop is also available there, marketing most of the products that are tarsier-like. It is also our tour that is educational and made us be silent for a moment to respect them but also just to captivate every moment.

After our tour at the famous Tarsier Sanctuary, we proceeded to our van and enjoy the beautiful scenery and to just take in the moment. We reached the so called, man-made forest that is famous for its tall mahogany trees. It is two kilometers long and at a beautiful spot, we stopped and took a lot of pictures. It is a fun and at the same time terrifying bonding for we are at side of a highway. When there are no cars around, we are taking our photos in the middle of the road and when cars are already behind us, we would run and shout with smiles on our faces. So the picture of me at the right that was taken by my brother has really a lot of stories to tell.

            After having so much fun taking photos, running, laughing, and even climbing, it is now the time for us to have our late lunch at Loboc Floating Restaurant. It is famous for their delightful foods and scenic environment at the Loboc River while eating. We waited in line for more than one hour. But then, food will always be worth the wait, since once we got to the floating restaurant, it does not just satisfy our cravings but also our eyes.

            My siblings and I really enjoyed the tour; there were also a live band performing our favorite OPM songs so we jammed and dance to their beat. We are not contented in dancing while sitting, but we also made sure to give our all and stand up to perform while having so much fun. We were only the one who was making noises, but surely, we made our family and the people around us happy with our impromptu performance of the day.

As time passes by, we are enjoying our trip and saw the Balsa Performers. Everyone was so thrilled to watch them as they gracefully danced our hearts away. Their performance instantly connected with us as we gave them donations of money for giving us a heartwarming welcome.

            With our tummies so full of joy but mostly food, it is time for us to go to the villa we rented to stay for the night. We travelled like more than two hours to get to the Panglao Beach Resort. Our villa is like a house of my dreams. It has three bedrooms, all have their own bathrooms, a swimming pool, a videoke machine, and it is also beach front which makes it more accessible for us to swim in the ocean the next day.

            It is May 29, 2019 already and later on we need to go back to the fort of Bohol to take us back to Cebu. During the morning, we strolled a little. It is not in our itinerary to take a boat to do Island Hopping but we lived in the moment and tried something new. We went to 3 different islands and we are lucky enough to do some dolphin watching.

2-3 hours after, we went back to our villa and ate some brunch to give us energy till we touch down Cebu. After cleaning up, we drove off to the Fort of Bohol and took another ferry. We once again reached Cebu and rented a cab to take us to the terminal. Since we were too many for a cab and the ride will be long, we decided to rent a van to take us to Argao. The next day we decided to stay home and rest and later on bond with our Grandmother who waited for us to come home again.

Going back to our itinerary, our next stop would be the Kawasan Falls. It is where we enjoyed under the sun and opened our adventurous side to reach the top of the falls. My older siblings did not have second thoughts to jump at one of the smaller falls. Unfortunately, the famous riding of balsa is suspended because of over-pricing so we did not get the chance to do so.

For the next day, we visited the Simala Church or the Monastery of the Holy Eucharist which is known as the miraculous castle church. Many believers often visits this church to pray and wish for the things that they want in life like passing board exams, healing their sickness, and many others. There are also a museum-like part of the church where they store all the history related stuffs about the said church and also those gifts and letters that they receive from those faithful believers who received the gift of God or those things that they prayed for God.

After our tour at the Simala Church, we packed our things and waited for the van we rented to take us to the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu. We attended the mass there to pray and be grateful for the safety he gave us for our whole journey since Bohol, until Cebu. Since we were young, our parents were already a devotee of the patron Santo Niño and it is our greatest pleasure to see it there.

After that, we decided to take our dinner at Kamayan; we literally ate with our hands and enjoyed sea foods, barbeques, and pusoy which is rice that is covered with banana leaf. When we finished eating to our tummies content, we now needed to buy some pasalubong for our loved ones then we went back to Mactan International Airport for our flight bound to Manila. When we reached Manila, we went straight back to Laguna to rest.

Cebu and Bohol escapade was really a journey that will lasts forever for we experienced a lot of first-times and opened up our inner self of being an explorer. Of course, the main reason why our trip became extraordinary memorable was because we traveled with our whole family. Bonding with my siblings, especially my parents is really a must in every place you will travel to experience that you are home, since any place in the world will feel like home if you are with your family.