the beauty of Bohol

I had the chance to visit Bohol last Monday. It was a first for me and most of my family. It was part of our grand family vacation and we were very excited about it.

To start with, we stayed at the Dao Diamond Hotel. This hotel is apparently being run by the deaf and actually funds a charitable cause supporting the deaf. I felt good that we chose to stay at this place.

After resting for half the day and night, we were off to see the wonders of Bohol. First stop, Man Made Forest.

It was truly amazing that man made this place. It looked very serene and the beauty of it is one that would make nature weep. I felt happy and proud that amidst all the deforestation that has been happening, an island as small as Bohol had the big heart to make this.

We had fun posing in the man-made forest. It was so beautiful and I just couldn't get over the fact that man actually made this. It was just so amazing.

Next stop: Chocolate Hills.

I wasn't that excited about seeing the hills because I figured it was just a bunch of land that sprouted and formed random hills. Boy, was I mistaken.

It was a sprawling land of green and it was just so breathtaking. It was cool to the eyes and the cold air it produced just wraps around you.

After spending some time, we had to to our next stop which was the beautiful Butterfly Sanctuary. It was the first time I saw cocoons that were gold, yellow, and red. They were mind boggling. It was also the first time that I held a worm so fat it was CUTE instead of ugly. It was also the first time I wore a butterfly as a headband. It was gorgeous.

After, we moved to my favorite part of the tour. TARSIERS!

They are so small and fuzzy with eyes too big that I feel like they could literally look into your soul. I kept joking to my brothers that should someone use flash while taking their photos, the tarsiers eyes would pop out of their eyes and they'd smack the person. However, since they were so tiny, you'd most likely just feel a teeny tiny poke. LOL.

On a serious note, tarsiers can't be touched anymore nor should you make loud noises because if they become stressed, they are suicidal and would stop eating or start banging their heads until they die. As much as we wanted to touch one, we did not feel that the death of a tarsier was worth it.

Afterwards, we went cruising down the Loboc River where we had the opportunity to also meet members of the ATI tribe.

It was a new experience, being up close and personal with these tribesmen who make a living by making a spectacle of themselves. Part of me felt happy for them that at least they are able to make a living but part of me also wishes that they were never "discovered" and that they continue to live a simple life.

The Loboc Cruise had a lunch buffet and though it will never be part of a Top 10 list, it was passable. I just didn't like the fact that they did not even had house water and you needed to pay Php30 for water. Capitalism at its best.

The last parts of the tour included seeing the Baclayon Church which had walls that were set using egg white and corals. Can you believe that?

The last part of the tour was the Blood Compact. We spent about 10 minutes and took some wacky shots.

Overall, it was a tiring but really great tour. I loved our tour guide. He was funny and he allowed us to roam around for an ample time. I never felt rushed nor was he ever overbearing. I'd definitely recommend Nathaniel to anyone who would like to do a day tour of Bohol.