NEW BRUTALIST + THE CHURCH Oxford Art Factory Sydney
We really liked the support band for the night called New Brutalist – but can’t find anything on Youtube about them. The Church was launching a new album Further/Deeper x
TinderBox
Late Post. Our final night in the Philippines.
Bye Philippines! 🙁
Mactan Island
Last couple of days in the Philippines 🙁
We checked-in at one of the Ocean Club rooms for a few days & went snorkeling most days – which was one of the free water activities to do at the hotel… 🙂
Chocolote Hills + Hanging Bridge
When in Bohol, you have to go to the Chocolate Hills. It’s named Chocolate Hills because it turns brown during the dry season. I think they actually look a bit like Hershey Kisses too… There’s about 1700 of them, spread over 50 square kilometres. It’s a natural geological formation and each one, shaped just so. Really amazing, when you think about it. It’s what Bohol is most famous for – what the Harbour Bridge or the Opera House is to Sydney.
Bohol Habitat Butterfly Sanctuary
Tarsier Conservation Area Bohol
The Philippine Tarsier is an endangered species and is one of the world’s smallest primates.
The ones we saw had the height that spans an adult hand, with eyes that look like it was occupying half of its head. It had a really long tail, bony hands and feet. It looked less like a monkey and more like a cross between E.T, a marsupial and a rat (because of the tail, though Kangaroos have long tails too). We tried to be really quiet and to walk around as softly as possible as we were told that they are incredibly shy and solitary creatures.
- Philippine Tarsier
Broken Churches of Bohol
Bohol
We took a Super Cat Ferry to Bohol from Cebu and stayed in a small resort in the Baclayon hills called Sunrise Sunset. It was out of the way from most things and a good place to rest & recuperate in. We were introduced to the owner, a Filipina artist-writer who lives in France, by my Uncle Claudio.
When we got picked up by the resort service at night I asked if we could go to a Seven Eleven and driver kind of laughed, “Ma’am there’s no Seven Eleven in Bohol”.
Bohol is quite a popular tourist place, but definitely still a lot smaller than Cebu.
The daily fare was traditional Filipino – fried Bangus (Milk Fish) w/ Garlic Rice, which we got a bit addicted to. Bihon Soup (thin rice noodle in broth) and Achara (Shredded Green Papaya Salad in Vinaigrette) were on the house.
There was a small infinity pool as well which was open all day & night. A good place to just relax, be lazy and do nothing. We actually tried to catch the sunrise and sunset most days, just because…. 🙂
Simala Church
On the way back home from Oslob, we stopped by Simala Church to light candles. I was told it was designed by one of the local nuns. I’ve not seen a church like it before- it’s so big and sprawling and it’s not even finished yet.
I also bought a Santo Nino statue for my mom.
The Whale Sharks of Oslob
Whale sharks are considered a threatened species, and it turns out one of the largest populations of Whale Sharks in the world are in the Philippines – with Oslob in Cebu being one of the most famous swim sites. We had to leave the house really early (which was a feat in a large group and Oslob some 3 hours away), as visitors to the Whale Sharks are controlled by the local government; and all the watching and swimming had to cease by midday.
This was at the briefing, before going in:
Hopping on to the motorless bangka (traditional wooden boat):
There’s some protocol. You’re not allowed to put sunscreen on for example (you can wash it off before going in), which is partly why Craig and I decided to stay on the boat (we had put some on at home), while the rest of our group dived in. We had an underwater camera with us however, which we dangled beneath the surface from the side of the boat.
There are also Marine Biologists on site and small local boats without rotary motors are used (to prevent accidental harm).
The local name for Whale Sharks is “Butanding”.
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