A Bohol Day Trip

Corella Tarsier Sanctuary.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

One of the things that I hoped to sort out while on Cebu was a day trip to the Island of Bohol. All Hands Volunteers have been working on this island to respond to the earthquake that hit only two months before Typhoon Yolanda ran over the Island of Leyte. Though these islands are all very close to each other, I am amazed that the damage by the earthquake and the typhoon were pretty much localized to a single island. Cebu remains untouched by both catastrophes.
Despite the damage, tours still visit Bohol. I departed at 7:30am from my hotel, caught the SuperCat boat for a two hour ride to the Island and met my tour guide. It was a long day of hopping in and out of a minivan with nine others, but very worthwhile.
One of the highlights for me was stopping at the tarsier sanctuary where we spotted the smallest variety of monkey in the world. These nocturnal critters are no bigger than a man's fist and have enormous eyes.

Flying away at the Butterfly Conservatory.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

We also saw the town of Loboc where the earthquake damaged their bridge and historic church. Churches across the island appeared to be the biggest victim of the earthquake including the Baclayon Church and Museum that we visited - the second oldest church in the Philippines (built 400 years ago).
In Loboc we had lunch aboard a river cruise boat that was not only tasty, but entertaining with live music and dancing and singing organized on the river banks. The riverboat company must operate at least 10 boats during lunch and dinner hours.
The butterfly conservatory was fascinating mostly due to our very young male tour guide who discussed all sorts of butterfly facts. He was very good at his job and took photos of all the ladies with butterfly wings. He even instructed several of us to jump - so you should be able to see me taking off and flying away with my butterfly wings in this photo that he snapped - on the first try!
Another highlight was visiting the Chocolate Hills. More than 1200 hills dot the landscape near the town of Carmen. The impressive site would have been more photogenic later in the day, but I still managed to capture the fascinating geological area. These mounds also have a cookie candy named after them. Peanut Kisses look like the familiar Hershey Kisses - except they are made with peanuts, egg whites, and sugar. Strangely, the little peaks look a lot like the Chocolate Hills on Bohol and are something of the island's sweet treat.

Chocolate Hills near Carmen on the Island of Bohol, Philippines.
© 2014 Andrea Rip

The tour was long, but very well orchestrated and I learned a lot. I am always amazed by the variety of landscapes and people that God has created on this expansive Earth. And, this satisfies a bit of my wanderlust in this country that I will be living in for awhile.