Coron, Day 2

Maynuno Beach

Twin Lagoon. We couldn't snorkel because the indigenous people in Palawan, the Tagbanuas, prohibited it due to a misunderstanding with (I forgot who). We also made a quick stop at a sunken Japanese warship, and although fishes infused the water with color, the warship had an eerie vibe, like the Kraken's tentacles would suddenly zoom out of the ship's dark outline and drag our boat down.

The fish, and at the bottom, the ship

Rock formations we saw during the boat ride

Kayangan Lake. My favorite spot. A mixture of fresh and salt water. It was relaxing to lie on your back and float around.

Coron's most photographed view

Calm Kayangan Lake

4 July 2012

Coron, Day 1

Coron, Palawan

Mt. Tapyas. This was a long and steep climb, but at the top you will be rewarded with a 360-degree view of the island. There's also a gigantic cross there for some reason.

Maquinit Hot Spring. We rode a tricycle through muddy, potholed, unlit roads to Maquinit Hot Spring, the only saltwater hot spring in the country. The water temperature ranged from 37 to 41 degrees Celsius, and as it was night time when we got there, it offered the right balance of cold wind to our exposed skin and hot water to our submerged bodies. You have to let your body adjust to the hot temperature of the water. We even sat below cascading waters and let the small waterfalls massage our backs.

3 July 2012

Bohol Countryside Tour

Blood Compact Shrine. Miguel Lopez de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna sealed their friendship through a blood compact. Wikipedia describes the event this way:

Each of the two leaders made a small cut in his arm, drew a few drops of blood from the incision, mixed it with wine, and drank the goblet containing the blood of the other.

What better way to catch HIV, eh?

Also, the actual site of the Blood Compact is still being disputed, but for the time being, Bool District holds the bragging rights.

Kampai!

Bohol Python and Wildlife Park. Their "wildlife park" had less than a dozen kinds of animals.

A lethargic civet cat

Crows. Not the ones from the Wall, sadly.

The monkey knows how to smile for the camera

Loboc River Cruise. This comes with a buffet of fresh seafood and fruits.

Filipinos are friendly from afar.

A cultural show courtesy of the locals.

Chocolate Hills. Brown during summer, green during rainy season. Green chocolate, anyone?

And the highlight of our trip: TARSIERS. We had to talk in hushed voices so as not to disturb these cute little animals. Taking photos using flash was also not allowed.

They can turn their heads 180 degrees, which was kinda creepy to see in slow motion.

The smallest primate in the world, though I think they look more like rodents.

How can you not find them cute?

Baclayon Church. The second-oldest stone church in the Philippines, it was constructed in 1595 by Jesuit priests.

If you look closely, you can see the image of Padre Pio on the slanted post.

The altar was inlaid with gold using egg whites. Amazeballs.

Multi-colored prayers

27 June 2012

Balicasag Island, Bohol

Balicasag Island. This island is an hour away from Bohol's Panglao Beach. The waves were pretty strong during the ride so that in itself was an adventure. Balicasag Island is known as a dive spot, though unfortunately we didn't get to try that. It's a small island that can be toured in less than an hour, with only a few resorts scattered around. We stayed at Balicasag Island Dive Resort.

First glimpse of the island

Balicasag Island Dive Resort

26 June 2012

Surigao del Sur

Surigao del Sur is a six-hour drive from Davao City.

Tinuy-an Falls. Located in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur, Tinuy-an Falls is touted as the Niagara Falls of the Philippines. It was recently featured in TV Patrol as a top tourist destination in Surigao. It is said to be the widest waterfall in the Philippines. (Source: Wikipedia)

Tinuy-an Falls has three levels, and people could climb up to the second tier if one had the strength to climb steep metal stairs. The rocks in the falls were slippery, but if you trod carefully you could reach spots where you could sit and let the cascading waters massage your back.

Locals swimming in a rainbow

Enchanted River. This river in Hinatuan, Surigao is by far the most amazing and breathtaking place I've been to in the country. The middle part is said to be 80 feet deep, and if you look down, you can't see the bottom.  It's been featured in a few local travel shows, so its popularity is increasing.

The varying shades of blue were absolutely mesmerizing, and, were it not for the big Sunday crowd, it would have been eerie, too. The brackish water was cold at first, and we were terrified to swim the width of the river because of the dark blue water in the middle. But after some time, our bodies adjusted to the temperature and we summoned the courage to swim to the other side, the quickest dog paddle I've ever done in my entire life. Two of us even cliff-dived. \m/

Britannia Islets. 

Hagonoy Island

An abandoned hut

Naked Island, which was one long sand bar

A fitting farewell to a great Surigao adventure

24 June 2012