Picturesque Paguriran Island

A little gem of an island is tucked away in a quiet corner of Bacon, Sorsogon - the picturesque Paguriran Island. Last Thursday, the Web Marketing Department went on a road trip to Paguriran. Of course, with the wanderlust itching in me, I had to be there too. Hehe. The Content Dev Dept. had been planning to visit Paguriran since mid-January, but a series of events kept us from going.

Paguriran is a tiny group of coral and rock islets located off the white sand beaches of Sawanga in Bacon. It is accessible from the adjacent beach by wading through crystal clear waters, the depth of which may range from ankle to waist depending on the tides. Within the island, coralline and granite crags enclose a shallow lagoon that is perfect for swimming (you have to watch out for sharp corals, though).


Meanwhile, the highest point of the island is a rocky promontory that provides a spectacular vista of the beach, the deep blue Albay Gulf, mainland Sorsogon and surrounding islands. It is said that the island used to be a sanctuary for marine turtles or pawikan. With its spectacular beauty, Paguriran Island is definitely a must-visit if ever you are in Sorsogon.

Check out my Paguriran Island set on Flickr for Hi-Res images.

Loco over the Chocolate Hills

No trip to Bohol is complete without the requisite visit to the Chocolate Hills. There are over 1,776 of these mysterious conical hills rising from an area of 50 square kilometers. It's almost an otherworldly sight if we weren't so familiar with it since we were kids leafing through textbook images of these famous hills.

Geologists have theorized that the hills were formed due to the uplift of coral deposits thousands of years ago and the result of the action of rainwater and erosion. It got it's famous name from the grass cover that turns brown during summer. The Chocolate Hills have been declared as a National Geologic Monument and is currently shortlisted on the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Meanwhile, Bicol also has geologic formations that resemble the Chocolate Hills when viewed from the air, though more irregular in shape. These hills are usually visible to airplane passengers especially when the plane is about to land at the Legazpi Airport. These undulating hills look like sand ripples to me rather than conical hills though. Here's a great photo of the undulating hills with Mayon Volcano in the background (click on image to enlarge)


Image courtesy of h8ns

Loboc: Feast for the Senses

Loboc Church Interiors & Chandelier

Laid back, off-the-beaten-track, and idyllic – these come to mind when one first sets foot in the town of Loboc, Bohol. A seemingly forgotten hamlet tucked between green hills and the mighty river, Loboc appears sleepy and forlorn. This impression of dusty inactivity is pleasantly dispelled with a visit to the Museo de Loboc, located behind the ancient limestone church of St. Paul. This is where the famed Loboc Children’s Choir holds their practices.

The Loboc Children's Choir practicing

Hearing their angelic voices wafting from out of the aged capiz windows makes one realize that Loboc has a vibrance all its own, evident in its musical traditions kept alive through the years. There’s something about Loboc that charms its way into one’s soul: a Pinoy pastoral scene that is at once both familiar and alien.

Loboc River Cruise

Meanwhile, just across the wide river from the church, the popular Loboc River Cruises carries tourists upstream in festive flat boats. In the river cruise, one can enjoy Bohol’s cuisine in sumptuous buffets while a bucolic musician croon a mix of old classics and Visayan love songs. The hour-long cruise takes tourists deep into the green heart of Loboc with occasional festive songs and dances along the riverbanks. Loboc - certainly a feast for the senses.

Lunch @ Loboc River Cruise

Bohol Wildlife: Tarsiers & Pythons

The tarsier is the indisputable star of Bohol's wildlife. The first time you see a live tarsier, it will certainly win you over with its sheer cuteness. Barely the size of a small kitten, the furry tarsier clings on twigs and branches, stoically gazing at the world with their huge eyes. They are actually nocturnal so that explains their somewhat lethargic behavior during daytime.

Here are some quick facts about the Tarsier from the WWF, where it is listed as one of the Top Ten Species to See:

• The Philippine tarsier (Tarsius Syrichta) is one of the smallest known primates, measuring about 6 inches in height (although they looked much smaller) and 115g to 130g in weight.
• It is said that the Philippine Tarsier has the largest eyes, proportionate to its body size, of any animal on the plant.
• The eyes of the Tarsier are huge, giving it very acute night vision that makes them good night hunters (they subsist on insects and small reptiles).
  
• The tarsier's eyes are fixed and unable to move like our eyes. To compensate, their heads can turn 180^o and the large ears are constantly moving and picking up sounds.
• It gets its name from its elongated tarsus or ankle bone.
• It is believed to be over 45 million years old, one of the oldest land species to continuously live in the Philippines.

From the undeniably cute to the downright creepy, Bohol has it. Another unique animal is stealing some of the limelight from the irresistible tarsiers - Prony the Python. Despite the funny name (derived from Sofronio, the owner's name), there's nothing to laugh about Prony, a ginormous, 24-foot reticulated python considered as the largest in captivity.

Captured from Bohol's rainforests back in 1996, Prony grew to such abnormal proportions because of the love and care provided by her (yes, Prony's a female) owners, who consider her as family. They actually feed her either a live pig or goat every month. There are souvenir photos available showing that grim scenario. We weren't able to see Prony in action because she just lay there like a huge shiny blob of snake leather barely moving a muscle. It would have been cool to see her devour a pig.

But on second thought, We'd rather not. Haha. We're perfectly fine with Prony just lying there peacefuly while MariMar entertains us with some Prony anecdotes in his/her baritone voice. (Right Talie? haha) I have seen the crocodile in Albay Parks and Wildlife gobble some chickens and it certainly isn't a pretty sight, LOLs.

Read more about Prony the Python here.

Breathtaking Bohol: Sanduguan

Quick brush-up on Philippine History: It was in Bohol were local chieftains Datu Sikatuna of Bool and Datu Sigala of Loboc performed the Sanduguan or El Pacto de Sangre with Spanish conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi back in the 16th century. The sanduguan or blood compact was a pact of friendship sealed in blood.

It is touted as the world's "first treaty of friendship between different races". The guys supposedly drank droplets of each other's blood mixed in with wine. A monument marks the spot where the blood compact was made. It is located along the road with a spectacular view of the sea.

There is actually a minor controversy over the exact location of the sanduguan. But I don't really care about exact locations. Besides, this supposed pact of friendship kind of paved the way for the Spanish to start their conquest of the Visayan islands. The rest is history, so they say.

Breathtaking Bohol: Panglao Island

Bohol – the mere mention of the name conjures textbook images of the Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, tranquil beaches and the historic blood compact between Sikatuna and Legazpi. The mental images finally became tangible reality for my friends and I last March 8-10, 2008 when our Bohol escapade (which almost seemed doomed to indefinite postponement) eventually pushed through. There is much to see and experience in Bohol that it is but natural to have a series of posts dedicated to it.

First stop in breathtaking Bohol is the alluring Alona Beach in Panglao Island - where crystal-clear turquoise waters gently lap the creamy-white sandy shores. This is the quintessential tropical beach paradise. It is the perfect place to just forget all the cares in the world, bask in the sun with your toes in the sand, and let the rhythm of the waves lull you into a trance. As a beach person, I consider the Panglao escapade one of the best highlights of our trip

Of course, words wouldn't be enough. So, here are some snapshots of the Bohol Beach Club, Panglao Island.

Psycho Restart

Finally, some breathing space. To say that the past few weeks have been busy is kind of an understatement. It was quite hectic that I can't believe it's already the last week of the month. And this blog is still stuck in February, haha. It's funny my last post is Stop and Stare because my blog literally stopped on its tracks. But with the long holiday ahead, there's simply no excuse that this extended hiatus should continue. Have time, will blog!

Interestingly, restarting this blog on a Good Friday actually makes it come full circle because I started this blog on Good Friday two years ago. So there. Happy Birthday blog, I guess. hehe