Cebu- Bohol Vacation Part 2

Starting the morning early, we all went to the port to secure tickets to Bohol since we all anticipated the high volume of people spending the long weekend there. We got tickets at around 6AM and left Cebu at 8:30. I also realized that the Cebu-Bantayan route is even more exhausting because it's 5 hours away from the city. Bohol is the ideal choice for beach bumming + countryside tour.

The 2-hr Supercat ferry experience was the choppiest, scariest ferry ride my whole life. There was a typhoon on that day so that could be the culprit. Good thing they warned us about the HUGE waves beforehand so I was able to take Bonamine 3 minutes into the ferry ride. We all took meds but we didn't expect it to be that bumpy. It felt like being on Anchor's Away (a ride at Enchanted Kingdom) for two hours! At first, the kids were even shouting and cheering because of the waves but half hour into the ferry ride, it was a completely different story.

They started handing out motion discomfort/ barf bags around and the crew couldn't even walk straight so they had to crawl to reach the seats in front. My iPod saved my life. Whenever I started to feel sick, I would crank up the volume and look out the window to have a view of the water. I didn't want to throw up! My sister, who was sitting beside me, was also listening to her iPod in full volume but started crying because she was on the verge of throwing up. (Hahaha!) Then my cousin who's a pediatrician already started throwing up after an hour, followed by my other cousin, who's a nurse. I  didn't want to panic so I closed my eyes and meditated (as in slow, breaths like in yoga) and it was somewhat effective, but in between music tracks of my iPod, you could hear barfing sounds around and then the smell has gotten worse. I finished an entire Mentos pack because I was really determined that I wasn't going to throw up. I kept looking at my watch but it seemed like time wasn't moving either!

When the captain announced we were already docking, I wanted to scream for joy. By the time we got off the ferry, the crew informed us that the sea is usually calm. It just happened that there was a storm and it was the strong breeze that caused the hardcore waves. Other passengers looked pale and terrible and they also said it was one of the worst experiences ever. I'm so proud I survived without throwing up and for sure, this is a ferry ride experience to remember for the rest of our lives! Like my cousin said, "Through seasickness and in health, till barf do us part."

We hired a van to tour us around for P2500. The van can fit around 10 people so it's cheaper if you're a big group. The first spot we visited in Bohol was the famous Loboc River Cruise in time for the lunch buffet. We paid P450 each and they served veggies, chicken, pansit, fish, etc. Nothing special, except for the relaxing view of the Loboc River and being serenaded during the lunch. I'm sure it would be a romantic place for couples especially if you cruise at night. However, we didn't enjoy too much because we were all still seasick. :-S

After lunch, we headed to the Philippine Tarsier Conservation Center. Flash photography and making too much noise isn't allowed inside the center. Visitors are no longer allowed to touch them too. We were told that tarsiers are nocturnal "Pero meron namang mga naka-day shift!" Hahaha! There were a very few that were on top of the trees because I guess most of them are in cages sleeping.

The next stop was the man-made forest which was situated in the middle of a highway. Another destination one shouldn't miss in Bohol because it is beautiful. You can actually feel the cool breeze en route to the forest and even smell fresh air- nature at its best.

Then we climbed the picturesque Chocolate Hills. The stairs are worth it because it felt like being inside a postcard, so beautiful. It was green rather than brown when we went there.

Bohol is also famous for a lot of churches including Baclayon Church, which is the oldest coral sandstone church still standing. It's also where the face of the famous Padre Pio appeared in one of the pillars. The church had a very strict dress code and because I was wearing an uber short dress and shorts, they gave us shawls to cover the legs and the back while inside the church. I found it slightly eerie, especially when I imagine all the old friars holding masses years ago. By the time we reached the confession box, I didn't want to take pictures anymore because I started having goosebumps all over. (and not the good kind!) There was also a museum that said "You've never been to Baclayon if you didn't go the museum." but there was an entrance fee and we were pressed for time. After whispering prayers and lighting candles outside, we went to the next stop: the Xotic Zoo with the giant python.

Two shawls for the back and legs.

Outside the church

The zoo was a waste of time for me. There were ostriches, iguanas, the giant python and other exotic pets but I wasn't really interested. I read on a forum though, that it's the cheapest place to get peanut kisses so we hoarded 10 packs. Hahaha! They weren't lying though. We checked other stores and the prices were double or triple so we got a good deal.

With only two hours of sleep, we were so tired and caught naps in-between tourist spots (as in lahat tulog!) so we went to the last tourist spot for the countryside tour: the Blood Compact Monument. We took pictures quickly, and went to our hotel: the Bohol Wonder Lagoon Resort.

It was all our first time to stay in the hotel-resort and were pleasantly surprised with the room and the service. Their pool also had a bar which I found pretty cool and the room was huge. We were 6 people inside the room and we only had to request for an extra mattress to be able to sleep comfortably.

Each room had a different line from a poem or song. Ours was "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. Reminded me so much of high school! :)

 We were also famished so we decided to order merienda even if dinner was an hour away. Being a Korean-owned resort, they served Korean noodles with Kim Chi plus complimentary barley. I loved their noodles! Spicy but really yummy.

While waiting for the van to take us to Bohol Bee Farm, we all went night swimming first. The next post will obviously be about Bohol Bee Farm and you'll know why it's my favorite part of the trip! After dinner, we were dead tired so we all slept 10 glorious, restful hours of sleep.