MC3 Fashion Boutique Outing in Bohol, Day 1

MC3 Fashion Boutique has been there for 5 years already but we've never been to an outing or field trip before, so Mija & I decided to treat our staff in an early summer out-of-town vacation in Bohol. Our outing was scheduled on February 20-22 (Sunday-Tuesday) so our staff, Asil, Kuya Dennis and Lea had to travel from Vigan to Manila on the night of February 19. My Vigan Home Hotel staff Leo, Aya, Yolly and Marie were kind enough to agree to cover for the 3 while they were away.

Antecedent to our trip, Mija had arranged with someone to drive us around Bohol. We departed at 9 A.M. via Air Phil Express and reached Tagbilaran at 10 A.M.  Loboc River was our first stop. It was already lunchtime when we reached the river, in perfect timing for the river cruise buffet. We chose to dine at the RiverWatch floating restaurant because based from our internet research, most travel bloggers recommend it, suggesting the idea that it is the best among the several available floating restaurants in the area. I was just wondering, after having taken my meal, how awful the food the other restaurants serve. Just kidding. I know I should not expect much for a P300 worth buffet. Anyway, their fried chicken is two thumbs-up.

In front of the RiverWatch Floating Restaurant ticketing booth

The beautiful Loboc River

You will meet along the river other cruising floating restaurants like this one
This shot was taken by Mija and I call this her "lucky shot".

Kuya Dennis was so hungry he could not even pause for 3 seconds for our picture-taking. lol

After the Loboc River Cruise, our driver drove us to Chocolate Hills, where we experienced a bizarre weather. When we disembarked from the van the heat was scorching we felt like we were being roasted alive; but when we reached the top of the view-deck a heavy rain poured from above. Maybe mother nature was pulling a joke on us that time, we just didn't find it funny because we had to cut short our stay there. Anyway, the view of the entire chocolate hills was amazing. It made me feel even prouder of the beauty of our country.

Here comes the rain

and it poured

I thought the Ilocanos are the funniest people in the Philippines until I met the Boholanos. Almost everywhere we went in Bohol, we met jokers who have sense of humor as good as that of Jose Manalo & Wally Bayola of Eat Bulaga. The funniest of whom was our tour guide (I forgot his name) at the Butterfly Farm.  He pulled jokes one after another that gave us stomachaches. His most classic joke was when he showed us a picture of butterflies whose art in their wings form each letter of the alphabet and numbers 0 to 9, and then showed us a real butterfly that he said has a number 8 art design on both of its wings and also number 16. We couldn't locate number 16 and asked where was it and he replied, add 8 & 8 you get 16. Haha

butterfly and moth's larvae

It was raining hard when we had this picture

Then, we had a swift stopover at the man-made forest just enough for a few pose-and-click moments. Then we headed to the country's oldest catholic stone church building, the Baclayon Church. The face of Kuya Dennis, our gay staff, blushed after the driver blurted out a pun when I asked about the name of the church.  "BAKLA-yon Church" said the driver in response to my question while looking at Kuya Dennis. We all laughed at it!

  

They said this forest was the result of a tree planting project 50 years ago

beautifully framed shot

at the right corner of the Baclayon Church

According to our driver, the tarsier natural sanctuary is far from Tagbilaran so instead, he just dropped us at what appeared to me as a private breeding place for tarsier along the national highway. They have about less than 20 domesticated tarsiers there. As much as I was happy for seeing the tarsiers, I also felt pity for them because I believe these little creatures belong to the wild and not in captivity. The law prohibits private acquisition and ownership of tarsiers but the crooked always have their ways of bending the iron arm of the law, a sad reality in our country.

Imitating the tarsier

One of my favorite shots. Can you feel its emotions just by looking at this picture?

I saw it first in Singapore Night Safari.

Our last stop was the site of the Blood Compact. We took few pictures here and shopped for some pasalubong in a nearby souvenir shop which turned out to be the one selling the cheapest souvenir in the entire Tagbilaran. Had we known it beforehand, we should have spent there all our money intended for pasalubong.

Blood Compact or Sandugo site. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna had this ritual on March 16, 1565.

Panglao Island in the background

Lovers in Bohol

Then we retired to our hotel, Dumaluan Beach Resort in Panglao, Island. It was a cheap hotel and it has facilities and services suitable for a cheap hotel (if you get what I mean). We had our dinner in a cheaper restaurant in a nearby resort. The food and services suck a great deal but we didn't have any other choice since we had a limited budget. After our dinner we all retired to our respective rooms and immediately hit the sack.

DBR Grill - turo-turo in Paglao Island