Hello, Gossip guy here ! We have a bright an early start as we have hired a private van for the day to take Jade, Kate and myself on our Bohol sight seeing trip, First stop Hinagdanan cave, We venture down this steep set of stairs leading us to the cave with our animated tour guide right behind us. We get into this cave that is filled with flying swifts( the nests are built with their phlegm and our used to make bird's nest soup) filliing the cool and dimly lit carvern there is a lagoon of salt/fresh water at the bottom which is crystal clear.The cave is somewhat eerie and mystical at the same time.

So back into the a/c taxi an hour ride up to the village of Carmen, The location of the Chocolate Hills. The taxi is filled with idle chit chat and stories of travelling. We are driving along the Loboc river...This journey is a true insight to the Filapino lifestyle. On the one hand there is the part of the Filipinos that are ploughing and harvesting the rice fields in the blistering heat for hours and how hard these people work for very little money. And on the other hand there are the Filapinas that are sitting at their stalls waiting allday for someone to buy whatever fayre they have to offer. (in filipina time which they seem to be in no rush) but why would/could you work super hard and fast in this heat,

Whatever these filipinas are up to,it seems to me everyone is trying their hard

Our destination with in our sights Jade shrieking as she can see the Chocolate Hills surrounding us .This is a serious "kodak moment" there is always one of these moments if jade has a camera ! Our driver drops us off at the look out point, It being one of the 1700 "giants tears" (so legend has it) as we climb the stairs and reach the summit the view is an astonishing, miraculous feat of geological formation...these hills are spectacular, they are scattered as far as the eye can see.

Next stop the "man made forest" mahogany trees planted in the 60's for locals use to make house and all other building materials.

The Butterfly sanctuary is a somewhat unforseen surprise part of our day trip, As we arrive we are guided round by a very funny factual lady. Did you know that butterflies mate between 6-24 hour and the man goes on top, this is called butterfly style? we all giggle like silly school children. We cant believe we have come accross this little gem and who knew how much information we could learn of the butterfly.so a few photo's later we head to the Tarsier sanctuary

As we arrive at the sanctuary Jade pinching me as she is so excited to see these cute little critters. We get our tour guide who is camp as christmas but lovely and factual all the same. after about 100 metre walk inside the outdoor sanctuary our tour guide points out the tiny little primates, I know you see in the brochures they are small but gee whiz they are unbelievably tiny,their tiny somewhat alien hands and beady eyes looking at you. they dont move an inch, Jade is in awe of these Tarsiers, If you were to take them away from there homes they commit suicide by turning there head past the 180 degrees they already can turn.These ncritters were amazing I had to drag jade out of the sanctuary before she stole one !

I am getting some what grouchy now what with not eating since the night before and being in the van.

We are on route to the village of Loboc , for a river cruise with LUNCH !
My eyes light up as Kate our american friend notices that it is a buffet aboard our floating restaurant. i snatched the plate out of the waiters hand and headed straight towards the banquet of filipina delights. There was a whole array of food for us to feast on, from fish,prawns,chicken adobo,curried jack fruit , and a mountain of fruit that not even jade could devour. As the the floating restaurant sets sail we slowly cruise up the meandering Loboc river it is a spectacle in itself the lucious green mangroves are lining the river. We stop shortly half way up for a chance to see some of the Filipino villagers doing folk dancing, this was magnificent, even more astounding as the play" patter cake" with their feet over bamboo.
As we reach the end of the Loboc river there is a small waterfall, the water is meant to be a mesmerizing emerald colour , but due to the nights heavy rain fall, the river is somewhat a resemblance of the chocolate river in willy wonka and chocolate factory. We head back to the jetty/port where we get off to villagers serenading us with Spanish guitars.
We are back in the a/c van to hide away from the stifling heat of the Filipino tropics, we are now on the final part of our tour. Next, our penultimate stop. The biggest snake in captivity. Prony was colossal, a jaw dropping 25ft long and the width of a pig ! Which he had just eaten. Jade asks the snakes keeper if we can go in, not the best idea Jade has ever had I can tell you, I am grimacing with the thought of even getting near it with the cage inbetween us, let alone the thought of being its next dinner. Jade now looking like a model on a tropical photo shoot, I am crapping my pants... that would be the only way I could explain how I felt, but anything my girl can do, I suppose i have to match her sheer bravery which I just managed. Last stop a 16th century Roman catholic church 2nd oldest in the Philippines- Baclayon church. It is a humongous church, quite plain looking on the outside, it is made from coral stone, and over a million egg whites were used to cement them together. Once inside there are a multitude of religious statues lining the entrance,
as we enter the actual church all around are the stain glass windows letting in a spectrum of light over the many pews in this grand open space.The church has two facades: an inner one which is Classical in inspiration, and outer one built in the 19th century by the Recollects is a portico decorated by three arches. The addition of porticoes to the façade seems to have been a style prevalent in Bohol and Cebu during the 19th century. Porticoes are found in Loay, Loboc, Cortes churches in Bohol, and Talisay, Recolletos, in Cebu. We leave the church sweltering, as it is quite humid inside and head off to get a thirst quenching drink and this completes our fantastic day tour of Bohol.
Our driver drops us at Matig-a-seaside guest house on the riverside just on the outskirts of Tagbilaran City- our next abode for the night. We enter the room , it has the most spectacular views over the river to Panglao Island, we are absolutely shattered from the days activities, so we get an early night, ready for our next adventure.
Bohol/Panglao Island will leave us with many fond memories,a fantastic island everyone should visit .