Stefanie Grace, or rather the host family, were super nice and staying there was the absolute right idea. In the end, we ended up staying three nights instead of the planned two. Loboc is a small town on the south side of Bohol. The Chocolate Hills and Tarsier Sanctuary are two reasons why tourists make Loboc a part of their itinerary. We rented a scooter and headed to the Chocolate Hills, "Habitat" (a butterfly sanctuary), the Tarsier Sanctuary and a bamboo bridge. Doing a mere 45km/h, this took us the entire day. The Chocolate Hills are rounded hills that seem to pop up out of the ground in perfectly symmetrical mounds. They are fairly sparse in vegetation, only grasses and short plants can grow on them. It is quite beautiful to look at them from the designated view point. The Tarsier Sanctuary is a small lush forest area, in contrast to the dry area of the Chocolate Hills. In this area, there are over 100 of the small primates residing here. At any given time, only a handful are available for observation. The Tarsiers are endemic to the Philppines and are in danger of extinction. They are only 10-15 cm long and are very endearing with their large eyes. Related to humans far back in the evolutionary tree, they have some features that connect us. Clinging to the branches of trees with their long fingers, sleeping comfortable like a baby, evoked feelings of admiration and respect. It was really nice to be able to see them. A quick stop at the butterfly sanctuary was a peaceful break after all the jiggling associated with a scooter. In this area, they have created a butterfly garden and are interested in public education. This country is in great need of any education that promotes an appreciation and understanding of animals and their natural history. The abundance of plastic garbage strewn about the roadside tells a sad story of the state of the environment where there are humans. The country side is well forested however, and that is a good sign - especially when this is compared to the country side of Malaysia. I may need to come back and educate the young people about their environment and it's fragile nature!
Staying an extra night in Loboc afforded us the opportunity to hike up the mountain to the cross. As it turns out, this is a pilgrimage for the locals and being Holy Week it was pretty busy. The walk up to the Stations of the Cross was difficult enough. This part was on a paved road, a very steep paved road. When we hit the beginning of the stations section, we were greeted by smiles from the locals. A lot of people have set up small shops for the weekend. We looked at the walk ahead and all I could think of was "oh no, more climbing!" Jon and I forged away up the dirt path, bamboo handrails aiding us sometimes, the sun beating down on us. It was hot. After 1.5 hours, we had reached the big cross. This is an impressive and moving climb. At each station, there were candles lit and the locals would stop, pray silent or read passages. There were all ages of people doing this pilgrimage. It was nice to be a part of it.
On the way down, we purchased 'iscandi' - or in English: Ice Candy. Since we first heard this term, we have been pronouncing it with our best Filipino accent - we even remarked how it sounded like 'ice candy.' Well, wasn't it so funny when we found out that it is an English word and we were the ones that had misinterpreted the word. Each time we saw ice candy after this, we recite it with our Filipino accent and chuckle at our ignorance. At the bottom of the road, a second treat was waiting for us. We had told some young girls that we would stop for a mango smoothie on the way back. True to our word, we ordered two mango smoothies and grabbed a seat. The girls had run an extension cord from their house out to the street and had the blender, ice, mango and other ingredients ready to go. This is where I learned how to make a mango smoothie, Filipino style. Our conversation with these young girls was revolved around comparing the cultures of our two countries. Whenever we are engaged in these conversations, we see similarities and realize how much easier life is in Canada. Of course we knew that before this trip, but when you talk with young people and experience first hand how difficult their lives really are, you become very empathetic and want the best for each of them. These girls were no expectation. We left them, waving and smiling; lamenting both of our life circumstances.
Then there is the other side of the Filipino culture, the opportunists. We met Don, an American Expat who owns and runs the town pizzeria, called Villagio Pizzeria. His girlfriend, a 25 year old woman from Loboc is his partner in the business and otherwise. It is not odd or rare to see mixed couples, but Don is almost three times her age. He has made her a business partner, and he hopes to open more shops and franchise them out. In this case, the young woman will benefit and has a positive outlook for her future. But onlookers will question their personal relationship. While Don is a young 72, he is still significantly older than her. This is a common sight in the Philippines, a young woman with an older foreign man. It's difficult to tell who was drawn to whom, however, it seems (from an outsider) that both are enjoying and benefitting. Don is very happy and the young woman (and presumably her family) are doing well with this business opportunity. It's really just an observation of the a part of the culture here, no judgement, just a curious observation.
Our time in Loboc was quite enjoyable and with no real further plans, we tried to book accommodation in Moalboal, Cebu. From our hotel, we couldn't find any affordable hotels ($300 range was available), and it was Good Friday so we (ok, I was) were in bit of a panic. A quick search found a hut on a beach resort on the north side of Bohol, on an island called Jao Island. We saw some photos and booked in. We really hadn't planned this, nor did we really know what to expect. Fun - this is travelling!
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