Trip Ko Lang

Stairway to the Top

After our relaxing break by the Loboc River, day trip continued and next stop was Bohol Chocolate Hills. It was a long drive compared to the stops we had in the morning and so we had some time to snooze.  Finally, we arrived after almost an hour drive, there was a gate and a road going up where we passed through and paid the entrance fee of 10php each.

Kuya Roy (tour driver) just dropped us because he had to park somewhere else and we would just ask the management to call him once we were done.  To reach the top and get a sight of the Chocolate Hills, we went up a flight of stairs with mini steps that made it a bit hard to go up and tiring. (See above photo)

Once you reached the top, this is the breath-taking view of the Chocolate Hills. (See below photos) There were a lot of tourists at that time so we had a hard time taking our pictures without anyone on the background. Hehe.  Also, there was a booth which handled all souvenir pictures; you can have a shot flying on top of the hills, touching a hill with your finger or whatever funny pose you like to do.  Their prices were reasonable and you can even have it printed on shirts. 

Nothing much to do in this spot but 3S, sight, shot and savour the wonderful Bohol Chocolate Hills.

Chocolate Hills

Chocolate Hills 2

Choose your Floating Restaurant

Around 11.30am, we were already on our way to our next stop, the Loboc River Cruise to have our first meal and lunch in Bohol.  As we arrived there were booths (see above picture) where you can check out menus and decide which floating restaurant to dine in. Kuya Roy, our tour driver, suggested us to eat in RiverWatch floating restaurant; buffet price is 300php per head and this is the standard rate for all.

As we got in the floating restaurant, buffet table was ready and people started to get food. Below is a shot of the buffet table located in the middle part of the boat.  Few minutes later, the cruise started and we were enjoying our meal at the same time the scenic view of Loboc River.

Riverwatch Floating Restaurant Buffet

Just on the other end of the boat, the musical band was situated and played Tagalog and English love songs while we were on cruise the Loboc River. On our way back, the boat stopped on one point so we can watch the Loboc Pink Dancers (named by my friend Leo ) as they entertained us with a lively song and dance number. Which was actually good and a lot have donated money for this dance group as part of the Loboc community livelihood program. (See 3rd picture below)

The duration of the Loboc River Cruise took almost 1.5 hours. For me, the food served was just fine but I was expecting more from it, more exotic cuisines, more seafoods and more appetizing foods. It is a good thing that the calm scenery and relaxing feeling of the river cruise made the tour much favourable. I must say that this is a great spot to be with your special someone and simply enjoy the moment together with the breeze and green surroundings.

Along Loboc River

Bohol Tarsier 1

After almost an hour of reminiscing  Bohol’s history, it was time to meet Bohol’s popular attraction, the Tarsiers. Our van suddenly parked on one side street  and our driver told us that we were already in the Bohol Tarsier spot. Being a tourist, I didn’t imagined that this would just be the spot for these Bohol Tarsiers, I was then imagining that we would be meeting these Tarsiers in a somewhat forest like and would need to do some trekking to get to the place.

Bohol Tarsier 2

We went inside, passed through a few stalls that sell Tarsier souvenirs like key chains, purses, mini-dolls, packed peanut kisses and a lot more. There were bunch of trees in one part of the area where we saw these Tarsiers clinging on the branches. They were so small with big eyes and long tail.  They look cute but personally I was a bit scared to go near it… hehe. Taking pictures is okay but without flash and they are not allowed to be touched. Which now I know why, because my friend tried touching one Tarsier’s back and it quickly jumped and I was a bit shocked that I think added to my uneasiness with these Tarsiers. Haha.

Bohol Tarsier 3

Quick facts:

Bohol Tarsier measures about 3.35 to 6.30 inches in height and considered as one of the smallest primates. Their big eyes are fixed in its skull; they can’t turn in their sockets but their neck allows its head to be rotated 180 degrees. As for their fur, they are thick and silky which is colored gray to dark brown. They have thin tail which is used for balance and about twice the body length.

The name Tarsier came from its elongated “tarsus” or ankle bone which allows it to jump at least three meters from tree to tree without having to touch the ground.

Bohol Blood Compact

Next stop, Baclayon church and museum, also known as the Church of Our Lady of Immaculate Conception which is considered to be one of the oldest churches in the Philippines.  Right beside the church is a small museum which preserves the old religious relics and artifacts that were used dating back to 16^th century.

It was quite a challenge to get a good angle shot of this church…   While inside, taking pictures is allowed but with low light due to the closed doors and windows of the church.  Baclayon church still holds masses but very limited to just 3 or less mass schedule on Sundays.

Just a follow up note, church is strict with proper attire that they require visitors in very short shorts to wear “tapis” or a piece of fabric that can be wrapped around as a cover-up… yeah, that’s me in green tapis… hehehe.

Webby in "Tapis"

Baclayon ecclesiastical museum is just next to the church, admission fee is 25php.  Taking pictures is strictly NOT allowed; according to the tour guide they want to keep artifacts safe and not to be stolen. I guess this is one safety measure to prevent their previous stealing incidents.

The short museum trip was worthwhile; we were surprised to see the oldest church stuffs that you won’t see nowadays.  You can get eerie feelings with old statues around you but still be curious to get a look on every detail of it.  Personally, I enjoyed my visit because I really love to be in old houses/structures and made me feel to be in the olden times just for awhile. 

Baclayon Church

Outside Baclayon Church

Baclayon Church Altar

Candle offering for Mama Mary

Candle offering

Baclayon Museum

Republic of Cavite

Free. Food tasting. Blogger event. An invitation I gladly accepted and very much enjoyed. It was my first time to attend such event; found it fulfilling and learned how to commute going to Cavite; Republic of Cavite is definitely a pride of the Cavitenios and Town’s Delight Catering offers unique and excellent dishes.

We arrived late because we didn’t really have an idea of the travel time… but we are proud to say that we didn’t get lost and thanks to our map… After 3 hours of traveling, you can just imagine the starvation we were having that in an instant vanished with the sight of these abundant and appealing food served in the buffet table. Big smiles were on our faces, happy we can eat something that looks delicious and hoping to satisfy our hunger.

Adobong Manok Kabitenyo and Chicken Magnifique

Thai fried rice, Basil fried rice, Deep fried tofu & fish, Pastel de Lengua

Grilled Eggplant Salad

Here’s a quick list of the food served and my personal ratings (1-lowest, 5-highest) Thai fried rice (5), Basil fried rice (5), Deep fried Tofu & Fish (3), Pastel de Lengua (4), Adobong Manok Kabitenyo (3), Chicken Magnifique (5), Ginataang Tulingan (5) (not in picture), Kinulot na Page (5) (not in picture) and Grilled Eggplant salad (4). I rated 5 because the food is somewhat unique and definitely exquisite in taste. Some got a rate of 4 because it is a common dish but gave a distinct taste and in presentation/look.  Then I rated 3 for some dishes with taste that I didn’t find anything special.

As for the desserts, I highly praise Town’s Delight Catering for their special and delectable native delicacies like Maja Maiz, Onde-onde, Peche-peche, Puto Pao (not in picture) and Lihim ni Lola. Lihim ni Lola is one of their intriguing delicacies and very original recipe; it is a glutinous violet rice cake with a delicious filling that only Lihim ni Lola has. As for my choice, I loved their Maja Maiz (very soft and tasty), Puto Pao (soft and good taste) and Lihim ni Lola (unique and tasty). 

Desserts - Onde-onde

Maja Maiz and Peche-peche

Lihim ni Lola

Buffet set-up

Dining at Republic of Cavite

Excellent is my overall rating for this one-of-a-kind Free Food Tasting event by Republic of Cavite and Town’s Delight Catering. Food is great in presentation and taste. We had a very satisfying lunch, enjoyed our visit and the whole trip was worthwhile. Thank  you for being so generous and giving away some of your best native delicacies as souvenirs.

Republic of Cavite restaurant is a must visit in Cavite, the place is also a good venue for weddings and other events. I’ll write about this on a separate blog… Go, go Cavitenios!

For visits and inquiries:

Address: City Hall Road, Brgy. San Agustin, Trece Martires City, Cavite
Tel. nos.: (046) 9730010 / (046) 4378501
Website: http://www.republicofcavite.com
Email: info@republicofcavite.com

Giveaway - 1 bilao of native delicacies

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Special thanks to Shotnroll.com for the photos used in this blog entry.