loveloveblog: Take Me to Bohol!

Panglao Beach (Photo by Alan David)

To : Colleague
Cc : The Boss
Re : Pasuyo (Special Requests please)

(Insert body of an extremely long email of bilin's and reminders written in the only lighted cubicle on a late evening in that real estate office somewhere over the rainbow)...

...because I am going to Bohol!!!

Sincerely,
Tina

Always, the eve of a vacation is the most stressful of all. Endless paper works, a long list of bilin's, rushed to do's - but you welcome them all because tomorrow will be a happy day. Happiness has another spelling, v-a-c-a-t-i-o-n and I have spelled it out that way for four days and three nights in the famous Bohol - the home of the Chocoloate Hills, Loboc River, Panglao and many more beautiful islands, Baclayon Church, and my sistah's from another motha' - the pretty tarsiers (family reunion 'to!!=))

Dian, one of my favorite people in the world and who is responsible for this blog's refreshing layout (clap! clap!), wanted to celebrate her birthday out-of-town, bullied us into celebrating her birthday with her, we gave in and so Bohol happened. So snaps for Di for teaching us the value of being a bully!

Many have been written and said about the place and again narration only works when I am the reader because of my sweet, husky and sensual voice (nung bata ako pangarap kong maging taga announce sa mga malls, "paging customer tina, please proceed to the prestigious - come on, prestigious talaga - lounge area where you will be treated with a free back massage and an hour of reflexology. You have earned the reward through your purchase of one million worth of goods because you're just that way - rich, very rich!!!!) but it's a completely different and BORING story when I write the script down for the narration so I'll just enumerate.

I hope to zero in on a theme.

Top ten reasons why one should visit Bohol. (Over used)
Top ten things I love about Bohol. (But I loved everything and everyone!)
Top ten must-see and must-do in Bohol. (Lonely Planet can do better!)

I can do it, oh here's one, Top Ten Things Bohol Taught Me.
O di ba, so origina! wahaha! And pangarap ko kasing maging teacher and I like it when I say the word "teach". Wala lang.

So here we go:

Children, attention please, because you will be treated with (drum roll) the...

Top Ten Things Bohol Taught Me (round of applause and party poppers!)

Di's birthday cake transformation

Picture with the birthday girl

ONE: Bohol taught me that cheap cupcakes and macaroons can easily turn into a grand slam birthday cake if you put so much candles on them (colorful ones at that), light them all together, sprinkle them with your love and surprise a friend with them. Only I doubt if Di was ever surprised but I realized though I am the laziest in terms of planning events and all, it is a lovely feeling to be able to do things for somebody you care for. =)

TWO: Bohol reminded me of God's artistry through the Chocolate Hills. How did that happen?? God said "Let there be hills" and there was/were the Chocolate Hills. Napasobra ng kumpas ng kamay si Papa God, dumami tuloy but He saw that it was good so He let it be.

For my appetizer: mwahahaha!

Dinner by the beach

THREE: Bohol reminded me of my never-say-die belly-capacity. Isang bandehado ng kung anu-ano. The Loboc River cruise is a must in every Bohol trip. There's a lot of singing, nature, festivity - and siyempre pa, food, glorious Filipino food made even more glorious because you're eating them in a cruise. I died and have gone to heaven when I ate the crabs, sweet and spicy, melts in my mouth and not anywhere else. I died and have gone back to heaven one more time with the shrimps, grilled fish, fried chicken (yung mas masarap pa sa Jollibee, KFC, Savory, Maxx's!!), barbecue and unidentified oh-my-gulay's which I ate just the same because every bite is a taste of heaven. Naks.

Also, I can't get-over DBR grill's candlelit tables and romantic tents - perfect for isaw and laman-loob barbecue (nyahaha!). sosi? saucy!

FOUR: Bohol taught me that there are two ways of being a child:

*Get involved early on with the community like how the kids in Brgy. Gotozon are doing. They dress themselves up in pink dresses with flowery patadyong's and sing and dance endlessly. In the middle of our buffet cruise, the raft paused for a few minutes to witness the dancing and the singing of these kids on a makeshift stage by the river - part of their community's livelihood program.

*Just be a child and let the world be damned. Climb trees. Swing on their branches. Let go and make a splash into the river. Do it to impress your friends. Do it to impress the tourists who most likely are from the city and are so captivated by trees and bodies of water. Do it because you like the high of swinging in the air and diving into the river. Do it because you like to do it. And it makes you happy.

Butterfly Sanctuary

FIVE: Bohol taught me this butterfly trivia: It takes 37 days for an egg (larva) to become a butterfly yet butterflies are only given 21 days to live. That's their life span. 21 days. These beautiful and colorful creatures have very fleeting existence on earth yet they bring so much joy and color.

Hello there, sister.=)

SIX: Bohol made me realize that I may be a tarsier. The big eyes are a given. And the cuteness too. And the adorable factor, yes, that too. But did you know that these fragile little and endangered creatures are easily stressed. That's why there are a lot of "Silence Please" signs and camera flash is not allowed in the Tarsier sanctuary- tarsiers get disturbed and get stressed easily. And stress may even drive them to committing suicide. While suicide is far and not even on my mind and I can not even bear writing the word down here - I have big eyes. And I get stressed easily. I am a Tarsier. Bow. (And I am cute and one-of-a-kind, aka endangered, haha!)

SEVEN: Bohol taught me the ways of the sea: the presence of dolphins may mean the absence of sharks. Dolphins travel in "packs" (ano ba ang collective term for dolphin??=p) and they are so clique-ish that they drive sharks away. Why so? Sharks travel solo and they are intimidated by the multitude of cute dolphins who these paranoid sharks think will attack them, little do they know that these cute not-so-little fellows form a band of sea-good-doers who always burst into a medley of "Under the Sea".....

Dolphins are best seen at the crack of dawn - they are sensitive to light and heat.

I am so smart, I know these stuff!! Haha!

Wishing Wells: Baclayon Church (top),
Chocolate Hills (bottom)

EIGHT: Bohol taught me that one of the many ways of making one's wish come true (other than working hard for it) is through a wishing well. Here are the steps:

First, close your eyes and make a wish.

Second, throw a coin into the well.

Third, ring the bell (because there is always a bell on the top of a legit wishing well).

Last and most important, keep the faith.