Getaways every now and then with my closest friends used to be a staple in our lives until the day that we parted ways.
So this trip really meant a lot to me being with the friends that I treasure the most.
Our flight was in the afternoon and this is one of the few times that we fly our national flag carrier. It is not really because we prefer other brands but due to the competitive prices that low cost carriers offer, albeit the service.
We were just in time for check in, our flight was almost full so we were still lucky to get a window seat.
We checked in our bags at the counter though my bag was okay as a hand carry baggage but I opted to deposit it to maximize the cost that I had to pay. Yeah I am that stingy! lol!
I tell you taking PAL is a bit of luxury for me, the news paper, food and drinks are quite unnecessary for me for this domestic flight but yes it was nice to get some pampering from time to time.
I also love the audio outlet that you can access (if you have earphones -they don’t lend earphones on short flights) and listen to some music.
Most flight attendants on all the airlines that I have flown with are quite pretty but I would have to say that PAL has the prettiest ones and the best dressed FAs too.
Landing in Cebu is a milestone for my travel life. This island, the very same island that I would later fall in love with would be the southernmost province that I would reach for the next year or so.
But my first meeting with the queen city of the south is short lived as we scat our way to catch the last fast craft going to our final destination, the province of Bohol.
It was about a forty-five minute to an hour ride from the Cebu pier to Tagbilaran port, fast compared to a five hour journey if you take a regular ship. The craft was okay they have different accommodation classes that can suite you needs, actually for me they really didn’t matter as we spent our time at the top deck looking at the nearby islands and enjoying the cold breeze.
Darkness fell over the island and we were still on the road, honestly we were really tired at that time already. It was a good thing that we arranged land transfers with the hotel so the three of us were really comfortable inside this Mercedes van.
It was time for dinner when we finally got to check in to our hotel but we hanged around first and chatted trying to loosen up a bit. The hotel was on the main road and was about a two to three minute walk to the public beach, Alona. The accommodations right on the beach as expected are very expensive so a beach front room was out of the question. But then again our hotel was on a very good spot, it is near the ATM, a bar, eateries and convenience store exactly what we were looking for.
Along the shore are restaurants that offer a wide range of food choices but these choices seem to be not the one that my shallow pocket seems to be loving. But there weren’t that many choices as it was late in the night and we also wanted to eat by the sea, so there goes my money handed to the cashier with my eyes closed.
Food was okay, ordinary and nothing that would be so memorable for me. It’s just tastes something that you can buy anywhere decent.
We were tired but not ready to surrender our bodies to the comfy bed that awaits us, we went inside the restaurant and look at what greeted us! Fuse Ball! It was a delight for someone like me who likes football more than any other sport. However, that wasn’t the case with my playing skills or maybe my friend was really good though he played this for the first time that night? I don’t really know what I care about is that we had loads of fun paying on the table till we realize that it was almost midnight.
The following day started early and so was our rented van that would take us for our Bohol Countryside Tour. It was the same van that we used to transfer from the port and hotel but with a different driver.
As the driver suggested we started with the farthest attraction first, the Chocolate Hill to make sure that we could gaze at the wondrous creation of God.
We couldn’t help our selves to be amazed on how beautiful the hills are in fact when we were still on the van and got to see the first few hill we spontaneously said “wooow” in chorus! lol!
Chocolate Hills
man-made forest
Loboc River Cruise Dancers
Clarins Ancestral House
The tour lasted the whole day. It was really awesome and memorable seeing those places and structures that I only get to see in the books when I was studying. I’d say it is a must to see these places that are part of our heritage and history because it connects you to the story, and the story no longer becomes just a story but a part of who you are.
We capped the night with dinner by the beach again and yes played fuse ball till midnight.
Day three.
Yesterday as we get on the van for our tour we noticed that there was this coffee shop that had just been blessed but was still closed so we thought of going to the shop after eating breakfast for some coffee the following day.
As we enter the shop the owner, ate Doris enthusiaticaly welcomed us and guess what? We were her first ever customer! Now that goes down to Coffee Talk’s history!
I ordered Cafe Americano and my friends order some hot drinks and pastries. Tita Doris was so accommodating that her shop’s name really stands to its reputation. If you are alone and she’s not busy she’ll be happy to chat with you, I’m sure!
It was still their soft opening but the shop seems to be really ready for more customers. I like how they designed the shop with cups, saucers and mugs around you from around the world that you can also purchase.
Being the shop’s first ever customers had perks, she generously gave us some spreads and bread (at no charge! =D ) and they were really delish! Since there were still no customers aside from us we continued chatting outside about her passion for coffee and how she started her shop from scratch.
After a few hours of chatting over coffee we decided to head to the beach, it was a lean season so there really no that much people around which I think is good because of the small shore of Alona Beach.
Well we are certified professional beach bums so we just chilled for the rest of the day on the beach.
The next day was our last day but our flight was still at night and our land transfer was scheduled in the afternoon. So we went back to the beach and hangout there again.
Believe it or not this was the only time that we actually took a dip. The previous days were either too busy or the sun wasn’t really shining much. But that day our last day we were blessed with a lot of Sun! so we catch as much Sun as we can and took a dip at Alona’s refreshing water.
Since we were there, we had lunch at our favorite restaurant again and of course so that we could have a chance to say goodbye to our beloved Fuse Ball.
We hangout by the beach all morning till the afternoon until it was time for us to leave and take the van back to the port then a boat to Cebu and finally a plane going to a place we call home Manila.
Our hearts was really heavy as we leave the place because the sun was just starting to shine the day that we left. We want to soak more under its bright light and feel the heat of summer. But we must. Leave.
Looking back now, without skipping a heart beat I would definitely go back to Bohol and explore the island once again. But I will look for another beach for me to hangout as Alona Beach seems to be too small for me specially that there are more big bodied foreigners than petite Filipinos there, and for a moment though it felt that I was abroad.
