Island Hoppin' to Scenic Cebu

So after a brief 3 and a half days of work following the madness of the FunBoard Cup, off I went for another adventure! This time, Hubby and I joined some friends and their visiting family members and set off for a long-weekend getaway. We flew into Cebu, and then took a 2 hour boat-trip to Bohol – a beautiful little island famous for its pristine beaches and unique wildlife (more about that later).

We arrived, checked into the hostel, and set off for a DELICIOUS, authentic Thai lunch on Alona White Beach. Next, we got geared up and got on the boat for 2 consecutive scuba dives. The first dive was a little uncomfortable for me – I didn’t have enough weight and kept floating up, then ended up over-compensating for it and going too far down… ugh. The second dive was magical. I love being underwater. There is something so beautiful and peaceful about hearing only your own breathing. I love how everything underwater has its own rhythm… everything sways in the current… to… and fro… Magic. The corals are spectacular and other-worldy, and Hubby and I stayed back from the group, holding hands as we swam. Breathtaking.

That night we went to an exceptionally good French restaurant, where I had escargots – for the first time in almost 10 years, I’d guess! Also delicious caribou cheese salad – creamy and spicy and decadent. Dori fish and crème brulee topped off what has been the best meal I’ve had in ages… bliss.

Day 2 we filled with sight-seeing. Our friends (one of the couples we’d come with) know the island very well, and hired a van with a driver to take us around and see as much as possible in our limited time there. We got to see Prony, the largest python in captivity (I don’t quite know WHERE, exactly – only in the Philippines, or in Asia, or in the world. Either way.) I also saw tarsiers, which are the CUTEST, teeniest little things ever!!! Smallest primates in the world, native to the Philippines, they look like little adorable furry gremlins – with the biggest bug-eyes you’ve ever seen! Want want want!!!THIS is a tarsier!!!THIS is how tiny they are!!!
Me and my little friend MJ, and Prony the Python.

We had lunch on a floating restaurant, on a cruise down the Loboc River, saw beautiful old churches and buildings, and went up to see the Chocolate Hills too – approximately 1800 mounds created from coral deposits, rain water, and erosion… and the passing of time.The Chocolate Hills

I loved this trip. It made me feel a little like a traveler again – traversing lands previously unknown (to me), discovering more beautiful parts of the world, experiencing the power and wonder of nature and the natural world that we as humans take for granted all-too-often…

I loved doing this with my husband too. We haven’t had much opportunity to travel together, and he’s an ideal travel-mate. Calm, relaxed, quietly appreciative of everything around him…

After a mad dash around Cebu before our afternoon flight – we caught a Sunday mass at a beautiful, grandiose 500 year old church, practically overflowing with pious Filipino Catholics; got our fast-food fix at Dunkin’ Donuts and later KFC, both of which we’re deprived of on our island; and a “big-city shopping-mall” experience – we were back on the plane and ready to head home.

And there is nothing quite like coming “home” to turquoise waters, palm trees, and sun. I love our little Boracay. I really do. I don’t know how long we’ll stay here, and when anyone asks, I always say “As long as we’re happy.” And we are. We really, truly are.