Whirling in Liloan

Death is both a sad and fun experience. Sad, because we lose a loved one. But a death of a loved one may also be an instrument for the reunion of long lost relatives and friends.

My Auntie from Liloan, Leyte died three days before my father's 10th death anniversary and the beginning of the Holy Week. We, then scheduled our trip for Holy Wednesday to Black Saturday.

Since it was Holy Week, we were not sure of the schedule for Public Utility Transport. We decided to take my sister's car. And off we went.

We started early--four o'clock in the morning.

We had an early start. We caught the sunrise on the way. 

We stopped for gasoline and went on our way. By 8 o'clock, we reached San Francisco, Agusan del Sur and stopped at Jollibee (yeah, where else?) for breakfast. We traveled non-stop until Surigao City, where we had our lunch at Gaisano Grand at a little over 11 o'clock in the morning. Because the schedule for the Lipata-Liloan ferry was still at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, we decided to go to my cousins' so we could travel to Liloan together.

We reached Port of Lipata at 3:45 pm.

The Port was practically empty.

We needed to process some papers, yet. I was a bit irritated that the personnel would not yet process the papers because the RoRo (Roll on Roll off) had not yet arrived. And we could not enter the passengers' lounge unless we had the necessary papers. The RoRo arrived at around 5 o'clock in the afternoon. When they finally began working with our papers, there were already a number of passengers in line.

Inside the passengers' lounge were souvenir items for sale.

 My sister almost got us the wrong ticket. We took the line for the wrong RoRo.

There were two ways to reach Liloan: the first was via Benit Port, which would take only approximately an hour and a half sea travel and another hour land travel to Liloan; and the second was straight to Lilioan Port, which would take us three and a half hours sea travel. The first was time- and money-saving; and the second was more time-consuming and more costly. Anticipating our late arrival, and our unfamiliarity of the way; and heeding our cousins' warning that the road was very challenging even during day time, we opted for the ferry that would take us directly to Liloan Port. If we had taken a Public Utility Bus, we might not have minded the first option since bus drivers would know the way like the back of their hands.

Our RoRo departed at 6:30 in the evening, and we arrived at Liloan at around 10 in the evening.

The next day, my cousin, recognizing that it was our first time and possibly the last time, invited us to a beautiful spot there. We drove for about an hour to a really chilling beauty: Hindag-an Falls in St. Bernard Southern Leyte.

These cool falls are protected by lush greens. 

The next day, a Good Friday, was a time for reflection and meditation. My cousin took us to this Shrine of Mama Mary in Hilongos. It was almost a two-hour drive from Liloan. Isolated from the rest of the civilization, the Shrine was at a mountain. It was a long drive, indeed, but worth the journey.

Place for reflection and meditation

At the Shrine, there are the Stations of the Cross that go a long way up through stairs.

 There was a RoRo scheduled for 11 o'clock that night, and we decided to take it. It was that or the other one which would go at 11 o'clock in the morning the next day. We figured we would reach Surigao at 4 or 5 in the afternoon and thus, would travel at night, if we would take the latter.

Taking the late night RORO, we were back in Lipata at almost 5 in the morning. 

We were not able to sleep well the previous night, so we stopped by our cousins in Surigao to take some beauty rest. And then, off we went home sweet home.

More pictures here.

Having Fun in Maragusan

Burnt out, stressed out, pressured out. Yeah. Teachers sometimes feel that way. So, I and my friend Mercelee decided to go out of Davao City. It was a long weekend, so we had at least two days to waste. Camiguin was out of question. It was too far. Bukidnon Adventure was not her cup of tea, so we opted for the unchartered (at least by me) country-side Maragusan. It was my first time this part of the region, but I have heard many good things about her. So, off we went with full anticipation of the nice things in the next couple of days.

Based in Tagum we headed off to the overland transport terminal and waited for the bus going to our destination. Ten minutes. Fifteen. Twenty. No bus. So we walked a few meters to the van station, and lo and behold. There was one van waiting for passengers.

The travel lasted two hours traversing the rough road. As we progressed, the wind became cooler. I guess it was a blessing in disguise that the bus didn’t arrive on time, because it would have been a dusty ride.

Arriving in Maragusan, we hailed a ‘habal-habal’ to take us to Haven’s Peak. It was a peak, alright. After a feet-numbing, tongue-dangling, literally breath-taking climb, we finally reached the information counter. But, whoaah. The view up there—really worth it. Breathing through my mouth and my nose, and practically every opening in my body, I tried to prompt my lungs to pump oxygen back into my bloodstream while savoring the view. Okay, I know my metaphors are mixed up, but, hey, after that climb, metaphors are the last thing on my mind.

We checked in, and knowing that there were no other stay-in guests for the weekend was an added bonus. We had the resort all to ourselves! We felt like A-list celebrities renting the whole place for the weekend. Feeling multi-millionaires! Anyway, our tummies told us it was almost lunchtime, so we arranged for a very satisfying meal.

Two o’clock, we went down the hill (our contact did not respond, so we had to make use of our cadilacad). Reaching the market below, we saw a tricycle which cute driver was looking at us, willing us to hire him and his tricycle. I was secretly worried that the driver might not agree once he knew where we were going. After all, it was already outside the town proper, and the road going there was not very smooth either. But, to my surprise and relief, he agreed. Of course, my friend quoted to him a hefty fare. (Darn! She was so easy!)

We reached Kanlawig Hot Spring Resort and Restaurant. Since my friend forgot her bathing suit, and there weren’t any to rent at the resort, I enjoyed the hot spring alone while she meditated somewhere in the corner. But I hardly had the pool all to myself since more and more customers arrived as the evening approached. Out of the pool, it got cooler, but the water in the pool was really warm, so it was okay.

Come five o’clock, our hired tricycle picked us up, and took us to the other side of the barangay to the Aguakan Cold Spring Resort. We were told these two springs of opposite temperature springs were owned by one entity. Anyway, the cold spring was really cold so I didn’t bathe there anymore. We just played the tourist part and took pictures.

And off we went back to the peak. This time, the climb wasn’t as gruesome as the first time. I guess my feet and lungs had gotten the hang of it. (There’s a pun there somewhere.)

Our dinner was that of a native recipe called chicken Lot-lot. It was a chicken cooked in a bamboo stem. Which really tasted good. Well it tasted like chicken, but it was a great-tasting chicken.

And then, apparently, my body could not get enough of swimming, I invited Mercelee to dip into the ice-cold pool at the resort. We got the pool all to ourselves, until some walk in visitors envied us, and dove in as well.

I had a really good night sleep that night.

I woke up early in the morning expecting to catch a glimpse of the sunrise. But I waited and waited, but I didn’t see the sun.  Even when it was so bright already. There were clouds and fog everywhere.  Jayson, the very accommodating receptionist told me later that the sun would be usually seen at 8:30.

Nine o’clock, we prepared to go to our last—Tagbibinta Falls. After a twenty-minute gut wrenching habal-habal ride, Wow! Falls have their own charm to me. I hadn’t planned on taking a dip there since we were traveling back home that day. But when I got there, whooah! Enchanting. I saw children having fun bathing there, and I wanted to join them. I went to the first level of the falls. (I was told there were 11 or twelve of them, but only 6 or 7 have been explored, the rest being too far away into the wild.) I would like to see the rest of this body of water one day. (Putting  it in my bucket list).    

Maragusan—it was more than fun. 

Davao's Vegan

Vegan Hygienic Foodhaus along Quimpo Blvd.

Looking for a vegan restaurant in Davao is not very easy. There are a handful of restaurants claiming to be vegetarian – friendly but as far as I know, there is only one that serves purely vegetarian dishes. Well, it has two branches—one in Bo. Obrero, and the other one in Quimpo Boulevard near John Paul College of Davao.

I inquired about the place because I have business associates who are vegetarian and they don’t want to be served anything when we go to our meetings in restaurants.

So, there I went looking for a restaurant that would cater to the needs of a vegetarian.  With the help of the ever so useful internet, I found one. Actually, two but of the same name: Vegan Hygienic Foodhaus. One in Bo. Obrero, and the other one, along Quimpo Blvd. Since the latter was more accessible to me, I checked it out.

It’s a small homely restaurant that can cater to more or less 20 persons. There, the owner herself, Mrs. Neng Eresma , accommodated me.

For the information of anyone interested: they serve organic vegetable dishes. The vegetables are sourced locally, but they also have their own farm here in Davao. They also make their own noodles. pure wheat bread. I tried their halo-halo, which also tasted good. They also make their own ice cream: mango, durian, ube, carob (which I learned is a substitute of cacao for a chocolate, which is sourced from other countries). They make their fresh fruit and vegetable juices upon order.

The restaurant is close on Saturday’s, and open on Sunday’s.

The Grand Bucas Grande

What a shame. My father was from Surigao del Norte--a mere hour from the beautiful islands of Socorro. I had been going to and from Bad-as where my Lola lived. But when my sister asked me about Socorro, my mind was blank. I really hadn't heard of the place until I saw Maey B. and Betong jump albeit reluctantly at the diving cove in Sojoton. And I thought, 'Goodness me. How did this place escape my notice?' I then decided I need to go there.

So, finally, May 3, 2013 saw the fulfillment of that decision. My sister, my niece, my nephew and I went to Bad-as in time for the town fiesta. It was a better occasion--I got to see more of my relatives and I got to experience the magic of Bucas Grande.

The next day, the group more than double, courtesy of my cousins. We were going to Socorro. My cousin Bing had contacted another cousin in Socorro who also happened to be a Municipal councilor. (Cuz Mero, thanks again for making our outing easier.)

Our problem was the transportation which was yet unsettled. Cousin Rex helped us with that. Come morning, however, it was still a bit of a problem. The driver was still somewhere else. We were supposed to be in Hayanggabon at 6:00 a.m. I hadn't been able to sleep enough the night before because of excitement. We were all awake at 4:00, but the transportation came at almost 6:00. Cuz Mero, (the councilor) sent a text message saying the boat was already at the Hayanggabon Port. And we were still in Bad-as!

Out of courtesy (and fear that the boat might leave without us) we called the boatman and told him to wait. So off we moved. We drove (our driver drove, that is) as fast as was allowable, and then, plak! We heard an explosion. Actually, it was more like a loud pop. It was our rear tire. At least there was a spare. Changing tires held us for another 5 minutes. Our trip was supposed to go smooth after that until we heard another blag! That was the spare tire that fell from the roof of the jeep when we did a sharp turn.

We finally arrived at Hayangabon one hour and thirty minutes late. We didn't waste any more time. Some twenty minutes later, I could see the mysterious islands of Sojoton. Another twenty minutes and we were at the reception area. I could see several groups ahead of us. The receptionist told us that there were so many guests that day (it was Saturday, after all, so I was kind of expecting it). He further told us they did not have life vests available, so we had to really be careful and listen to the guides. It really didn't bother me. (What are the odds that we might drown?)

We waited a bit for our smaller pump boat to take us to the Sojoton cove. When the receptionist finally told us our boat was there, we excitedly boarded and braced ourselves for an awe inspiring experience.

The guide gave each of us a helmet, which intrigued me more. When we neared the 'gate' of the cove, I understood why.

Cave entrance to Sohoton Cove

I was so excited. From the things I had read about the place, I thought I was prepared for whatever was in store for us. But no amount of reading and picture viewing was  enough to prepare me for the serenely enchanting scene beyond the dark confining rocky entrance.

Our first stop, Hagukan Cave (Snoring Cave), which was so named because it allegedly snores during high tide. The guide warned us that we might need to hold our breath for at least one minute and swim through a half-submerged opening to the cave. Of course, this got me and my companions nervous. But when we got there, another group was there ahead of us, and their guide said there was still a foot clearance, so we still had room to breathe. What a relief. So, all we had to do was relax and lie on the water and practically put ourselves in the hands of our guides.

entrance to Hagukan cave

It was an eerie experience. Inside the cave was very dark except for the flashes of my underwater camera. Since we did not have life vests, and only two of my companions could really swim, we just crowded in one portion of the cave where there was a boulder that we could step on. Five minutes was enough stay in the place. And off we went to our next destination.

Magkukuob Cave. Another challenging feat. Another dark and rough destination. We went inside the cave single pile as there were obstacles beneath the surface of the water. I was delicately navigating the way, but I still scraped my knees with the rock. After about five minutes of tortuous climb along the dark and complicated maze to the cave's exit, we finally found light.

Whew! What a climb!

 But relief turned to anxiety when I saw the distance of the water below where our boat was. We needed to jump into the water at least five feet high or go back to the dark labyrinth we came from. Add the pressure of people coming and the threat of the high tide. So, jump I did. And my spirit jumped out of me for a second there.

It's easier to just look than to actually jump.

That then concluded our Sohoton experience.

Off we went to our next destination. But first, we had to stop at the reception cottage to wait for our ride to our next destination -- the Jelly fish sanctuary. Since motorboats were not allowed in the habitat, we paddled our way there. It was an anticlimax. I had so looked forward to swimming with the jellyfish, but our guide said it was prohibited since it may disturb these sea creatures. But then, the experience of holding the jellyfish was exceptional in itself.

It's really soft, shiny and smooth. Just the way a jelly should be.

We were then off to the receiving area where our big boat was waiting to take us to a cottage owned by a cousin, Mero. It was a great beach. Reminded me of my Lola's polvoron, except that the sand felt finer. 

Polvoron-like sand

We had our lunch there and then we were off to our next stop: The Fortuna lagoon. It was an intriguing journey. Our guide lead us through a semi-forested area. It was a five-minute walk until serenity. It was an area isolated from the rest of the world. Very quiet. At the time, though, the silence was broken by my group's excited screams and shrieks and jumps into the still water. I would have loved to stay there the whole day, but knowing our time was limited, I regretfully followed the group when it was time to leave. 

Peaceful stillness

Our next stop was the Crystal cave. Hearing its name, I had every bright imagination twinkling in my head. But when we reached the reception area, we were each given a flashlight that got me wondering what kind of crystal we were going to see in the cave. Or was it just a name? It was indeed dark inside, and the flashlights proved useful. Inside the cave, there were walls and poles of stalactites and stalagmites that twinkled in the rays of our flashlights. It was a wonder, indeed. We went deeper into the cave, until we reached some kind of an endless hollow, which really made me feel queasy. On our way  out, we noticed another small opening that intrigued us. The guide told us that there was a really small space in there that has small pebbles. It is where its name got--Bolitas Cave. Challenged, we proceeded into the cave. It was such a feat. We could not stand up. We crawled and twisted and wounded and bruised ourselves in the process.  There was a breathing space inside that was enough for one person to stretch. The way back out was more challenging as I seemed to have used up all the oxygen in my body. But I got out--whole and alive!

Bahala nagkalisod basta smile lang jud. Pagawas sa Bolitas Cave. 

After that twisting and twirling and flexing, we badly needed relaxation. So our guide took us to Cinnamon beach where we washed the mud and blood  off our  drained bodies.

Goofing around at Cinnamon beach.

At around 4:30 pm, we had to leave because we still had to travel to Surigao City.
It was one fantastic day. One I wouldn't mind repeating.

My Bohol-Cebu Adventure Day 5

Since Ate Pilar and Kuya Oscar went to work early, we had to start early, too. We hitched a ride on Ate Pilar's car pool. Miss Che, the owner of the car graciously accommodated us. She even went as far as drop us at the foot of Beverly Hills where the Taoist Temple was located--our last stop in Cebu. We took a taxi going up to the temple. We had thought it was too early, but when we reached the place, there was a bus full of tourists there touring the place. We toured the place while the taxi waited. We stayed for about half an hour. After that, with no other plans,  we proceeded to the airport.

With that, we concluded our 5-day trip. Bye-bye, Cebu.

My Bohol-Cebu Adventure Day 4

At 9 o'clock, I contacted Ms. Dianne of Kon-Tiki. She confirmed our schedule for parasailing at 11:00 a.m. Since we were at Talamban, our travel to Mactan took us at least an hour. We didn't know where the resort was, so we stopped several times to ask for directions. We at last reached our destination at 15 before 11:00. We met the motherly Ms. Dianne, who gave us a discount. (With a bit of Ate Pilar's influence since she was a teacher of the owner's kid.) Off we flew, 15 minutes suspended in the air. We got a good view of the seascape of Cebu, and more.

We then headed to the famous Lapu-lapu park in Mactan. There was a nook for Sutukil there where we took our lunch. After which, we then proceeded to the Lapu-lapu Shrine which was just beside the restaurant.

We took a side trip to Ate Pilar's friend, and then proceeded with our Cebu tour. Next stop: the Church of Birhen de la Regla. (Virgin of the Rule). Moving on to Cebu Cathedral which was just a few steps to Sto. Nino Basilica which was just a few steps away from Magellan's Cross. After the picture taking, we shopped at Cebu's famous Shamrock. It was dusk, so we headed back home.

My Bohol-Cebu Adventure Day 3

It was our third day in Bohol and I felt so much lively. Another early start for us. This time, a Habal-habal was waiting at the gate. It took us to Alona Beach where our boat was waiting for us. Donning our orange life vest, off we went in search for the Dolphins. It was not for impatient people who are too conscious of the limited time. I was thinking of our 1:30 trip back to Cebu, so after about an hour of floating on the sea, I asked our 'Captain' to proceed to Balicasag Island for our breakfast. So, Nong Kapitan reluctantly drove us to the Island where I saw Ms. Irene who was from Cagayan de Oro. She served us a really hearty breakfast for P150.00. I regretfully finished only half of it. She and her staff were so accommodating. She even lent us a snorkeling mask for free.

After a very satisfying meal, we proceeded to the fish sanctuary where I had an intimate encounter with different fishes--lots of them. I was so fascinated by the marine ecology that I witnessed I would have wanted to linger, but I was thinking of our 1:30 boat schedule, so finished our snorkeling. We went back ashore and paid our dues. We paid P300.00 for our boat rental, and P150.00 for the snorkeling gear. And P300 for the breakfast. 

Off we headed to the Virgin Island, another breath-taking scene. There, I ate swaki for P10.00, and banana cue for P20.00 and drank coconut water for P30.00. (Sigh) Being a tourist is soooooo costly. I could have had them all for P10.00 back home. But well, you know how your appetite is when you go swimming at the beach. Again, we cut our visit short, minding our trip in just a few hours. 

We headed back to Alona beach at 11:00 a.m. We were supposed to just take a jeep to Tagbilaran to save (only P20.00 fare from Alona to Tagbilaran, we were told). But since we were running out of time, we again rented a tricycle for P300.00--much cheaper than the P500.00 by car. We didn't even spare time for lunch. Only to find out when we reached the pier that our trip had been cancelled because our boat was being repaired. Darn! We would have to wait until 4:20 in the afternoon! Well, no choice. We just rented a locker at the pier to deposit our luggage, and then headed for lunch just outside. It was a blessing in disguise, too, that the trip was cancelled: we were able to hear mass at the cathedral since it was a Sunday. 

At 4:20, we boarded Oceanjet (2Go didn't have a spare ship) and reached Cebu at 6:30. Ate Pilar met us there and then we headed to their home for the night. There, we contacted some entities for our parasailing adventure. First, we chose cebu tours because my sister had wanted both parasailing and seawalk. Cebu tours offered a package that had both plus other activities. But then, at the last minute something came up, so we decided we would pass up on the sea walk. So we chose Kon Tiki Divers. They don't offer sea walk, but their parasailing is much cheaper than the others we'd googled. I dialed the number indicated in their website, hoping somebody would answer considering it was past 9 o'clock in the evening. Luckily, Ms. Dianne was still up and she answered our questions. She didn't give us any assurance because she still had to look at the schedule which was in their office and she was already home. That done, we turned in for the night.