Bol-anon

A foreign tourist was pleading with this child to teach him how to do it. The child gladly obliged. A quick run, a forward drop and a quick hop on the board, and you are off to a few meters of a ride. Or slide. I was later told this is called skimboarding. Clearly not very easy to learn, something the foreign tourist probably know by now. Just another scene at Dumulan Beach Resort in Panglao, Bohol.

You see them, town after town in Bohol. Aside from the white sands of Panglao, the Chocolate Hills, the Hinagdanan Cave, the Mag-aso Falls, and the Loboc River Cruise, a big part of Bohol's come-on are the old churches. Most have long history that you can almost feel just by looking at them. The Loboc Church, for example, has a history of music, a history which continues with the Loboc Children's Choir.

The Loboc River Cruise is a combination of a quick look at an old church and tower, a sumptuous meal, music in the tradition of the world famous Loboc's Children Choir, a riverboat ride, the contagious laughter of children swinging on vines to take a quick mid-day plunge into the river, and more than an hour exhibit of nature at its best - green mountains, unpolluted river, and the sight and sound of a waterfalls. Still another reason to visit Bohol.

It is always refreshing to be able to get out of the city and spend time on the white sands of the shore of some island. One such place is Panglao, Bohol. There is unimpeded view of the blue sea, the relaxing feel of white sand, the combined effect of sunlight and sea breeze on your skin, and some shade of palm providing a bit of cover. See all that here in this photo I took at Dumaluan Beach Resort. Lovely, isn't it?

I still remember those days when the more practical means of travel to and from Bohol is by boat. Plane fares then were way above the normal Boholano's budget. We learned to accept and enjoy the many hours of travel time on those MV whatever. Then the MVs became Super something. Until someone thought "it is time every Juan flies". Now, with the leading airlines all dropping their prices, plane fares seem to be almost as cheap as boat fares, maybe even cheaper. All of sudden, going home is no longer a yearly thing for us. All of a sudden, Bohol is no longer that far. Here is a lovely sunset photo on board one of those planes.

This is like going home to me. I have been in Metro Manila for quite some time and my little family now consider our rented place in Quezon City our home. Still, there is always excitement in our hearts when we get the chance to go "home" to Bohol. This blog is in celebration of that joy and excitement. Here is a photo of the tower in Loboc which towers over a flea market, fronts the old church, and is viewable from the floating restaurants of the famed Loboc river cruise.