Bohol

The bus from Bontoc to Manila arrived about 4am and parked in the middle of a large medical complex that looked like a college campus. I had to walk in total down pour through the entire complex to get back to the main road.

Luckily, I didn't wait long for a taxi. When I asked the driver to turn on his meter, he immediately went on a tirade about how other drivers try to rob foreigners and they should all use their meters because that's what they're for. He then proceeded to fly down back streets, side streets, and other paths I can't even call streets to get me to the pension in record time.

The following day I just hung around the pension reading and sleeping.

That evening my friend Daniel, also a Peace Corps volunteer, and his parents arrived at the pension. They were celebrating a Jewish holiday, so I didn't speak with them much before they went off to bed, but I did do some catching up Daniel in the courtyard of the pension.

Early the next morning Daniel, his parents Roy and Karen, and his younger sister Rebecca, and I all went to Manila port to board a ferry to Cebu.


Super Ferry

The security checks at the port were a little discomforting. First, we put our bags through an X-ray machine while we walked through a metal detector. Next, we were asked to line up all our bags on the floor, so a police dog could sniff each one.

On the boat, which was an old Japanese cruise liner, I got checked into my cabin only to find my roommates for the ride were a Korean studying English and very eager to practice conversation with me, and a 200lbs bleach blonde lady-boy sleeping in the bunk under me. Frightening.


Daniel

Needless to say, I didn't spend much time in my room. Instead, I spent most of the boat ride wondering around talking to Daniel. Under normal occasions we would've sat in the restaurant to drink a beer, but he and his family were still celebrating a Jewish holiday by fasting all day, so he was unable to intake anything at all.

At one point in the afternoon, we were allowed to visit the bridge of the boat. It was interesting to see all the GPS systems, short wave radios, and all the other gadgets, but we were not allowed to take any pictures.

To cap off the day, Daniel, his dad, and I booked two hours of a private jacuzzi on the deck of the boat. To our surprise the water was not even warm and the jets didn't work. Maybe a little spurt. After 45min of just sitting with our feet in the tub, the water actually starting draining out for reasons unknown.

We arrived in Cebu at 6am, and I was sent off to run down the pier to procure tickets for our next speed boat ride to Bohol. I didn't know how far to go and it was raining pretty hard, so I hoped in a bicycle taxi with a sidecar. By the time I arrived at the ticket booth, Daniel and his family came riding up in the back of a flat bed truck.


Roy, Daniel, & Karen

The speed boat was interesting because the usually show some kind of Hollywood action picture for the duration of the ride, but Daniel and his father gave them a DVD copy of The Corporation and asked them to play it. The screening process was simply, "Is it action movie? No nude? Ok, then."

We arrived in Tagbilaren and took a van taxi to the small island of Panglao where Daniel and his family checked into one of the plushest beach resorts on the island. I walked down the beach and found a more economical room that suited my needs.

That evening one of Daniel's Peace Corps friends named Casey came to visit. He worked on Bohol doing marine conservation.

Daniel's parents invited everyone to come dine at their resort out by the pool. Very classy atmosphere.

The following day we booked a boat to take us out scuba diving. Daniel, Casey, and I went diving, while Daniel's parents and sister went snorkelling around the boat.


The Divers


The Snorkelers

For lunch we went ashore on a very remote island with one small resort. After lunch, we took a walk to visit the local elementary school.

We interrupted one class while they were taking a test, but all the students greeted us with a, "Hello visitors!" They then stood up and went to the blackboard and performed a song and dance routine for us. Very sweet.

That evening we went to a resort down the road a ways where we asked the staff to make a table for us on the beach. We dinned by only the light of the moon and a few candles, and were eventually serenaded by a Filipino mariachi band. Daniel's father took out a harmonica and joined them.


Serenade

To watch, or should I say listen, to Roy's harmonica performance with the mariachi band, please click here: Roy's Harmonica Video

The next day I tagged along with Daniel and his family as we took a taxi to Daniel's place of residence in Alburquerque, Bohol just outside Tagbilaren.

Daniel lives in a nipa hut made of bamboo and palm leaves. There is a local market next to his hut where locals can buy fruit, vegetables, meat, clothes, and a variety of other knick knacks.


Veggies


Bananas

After touring through the market, I had to split to catch my next boat back to the big city of Cebu.