Boarding our flight from Bangkok to
Cebu, The Philippines, we were happily surprised to find we were seated in the
emergency exit row. Quite gladly, we spread out with loads of legroom- the neighboring seat was also vacant, and slept for most of the four hour flight.
Well looked after cockerel in Bohol, The Philippines
Rough flight route from Bangkok, Thailand to Cebu
After quickly navigating the arrivals at the wee Cebu airport,
arranging a taxi was ridiculously expensive, due to the low numbers
of taxis and high amount of passengers waiting. We had no bargaining
power, and were forced to pay an extortionate 500 pesos/£6.00 for the short distance to
our guesthouse on Mactan Island (where the airport is located).
After a quick settle in at our average accommodation, we took a deep
breath and jumped into the madhouse of Lapu Lapu area of Cebu to get our
bearings.
Due to a combination of our early
morning wake up, the flight and no food, we were a bit overwhelmed by the
Cebu streets. A cacophony of action - cars, motorbikes, cycle and
motorized tricycles, and so many pedestrians all swarmed around with
no apparent order. The noise and visual stimulation nearly engulfed us,
but we soon fell in step, and navigated our way around.
Immediately, we found people to be super helpful. Our first priority
was to change money, and we had several people, including an Iranian
expat giving advice and stopping for chats. The exchange man was
lovely, and we used the opportunity to ask as many questions as we
could think of for our onward travels. He ended up giving us his
phone number in case we needed any more assistance!
Tricycle, Mactan Island, Cebu, The Philippines
Sal excited to be eating, as usual, Cebu
In amongst the constant noise and
movement, little ramshackle business and houses sat on the busy
roads. Peering into the darkness, it was difficult to tell what these places
were even selling. Dingy and
makeshift, houses were made from random bits of corrugated iron and
peeling wood of different colors, seemingly thrown together.
Unexplored lane ways to further neighborhoods twisted in between.
Basic pots of food and rice were on tables out the front of some
shops, and a few little scruffy kids were half-heartedly
begging.
Many big malls lined the main road, all had similar sounding names which had us confused. Apart
from changing money, and eating, the biggest interest in the malls
was the huge alcohol section in the supermarkets. Hundreds of
options were available, mostly local, including beers, rums and many other varieties of booze.
Sal excitedly bought some concoction claiming to be Margarita, but
later discovered that although the taste was OK, the headache that
proceeded it lasted the entire night.
Good selection of local booze, Cebu supermarket
Throwing ourselves into the deep end,
we jumped on a bus to save a walk, and the crazily happy driver and
helpful passengers assisted us to get to where we were going easily,
and at the cost of only 15 pesos/£0.18. Coming back we took one of
thousands of tricycles which cost only slightly more at 20 pesos/£0.24.
Although the atmosphere was buzzing and
we quite liked the strangely organized mayhem, we were not upset to
only be staying two nights in the city. Apart from shopping malls and
crowded roads, we hadn't seen a lot, but were keen to leave the chaos
get out to some natural places and appreciate more that we knew the
country had to offer.
The exchange man had advised us a good port from which to get to Bohol, an island neighboring Cebu.
Early the next morning, we found a tricycle on the street to take us
the half an hours drive to Cordova Port, for the bargain price of 150
pesos/£1.80. Unsure of what to expect, we were happy to be dropped
directly at the ferry. We bought a ticket easily, waited with fellow
passengers for about half an hour, and boarded on time. All very straightforward and orderly, and no security whatsoever. We could only base our
expectations on our previous trip to Palawan from Manilla years ago,
when the security process took nearly as long as the overnight ferry!
Bangka boats at the Cordova port, Cebu, The Philippines
Again, on the ferry, everyone was so
kind, and we loved the free-for-all system of seating. Basically,
just grab a plastic chair and take it wherever one wanted to sit on
the boat. We sat outside in the shade, and enjoyed the fresh air and
sea view. A pod of dolphins swam with us for some time alongside the
ferry, and we were just as excited as everyone else to experience
this.
Not sure where to go on arrival into
Getafe port in the far north of Bohol, we just walked in the heat
with everyone else for a while. We then asked directions from a very camp port
authority worker, who minced his way along the road to show us the bus stop. From here we packed into an AC minivan, and set
off down the west coast road of Bohol. After some time, the driver
stopped and showed us where to change bus to the inland road to
Carmen. We found a little bus stop with some extremely friendly folk
also waiting, who assured us something would be along sometime
soon. One enthusiastic man, walked with Rich down to a tiny kiosk
some distance away to get a much needed drink on the hot and sunny
day (of course, Rich then brought us all cold drinks back, and
everyone was very happy). This is the HUGE advantage to travelling in The Philippines, almost everyone speaks English to some standard, and
it makes such a big difference to getting around and also
communicating with everyday people. It really is fantastic and cannot be overstated enough! We were also struck at the extreme politeness of Filipinos- maybe it was to do with our age, but we were invariably called Sir and Ma'am.
Anyway, the brilliant old banger of a
bus eventually came along, all open and shabby, and we paid the
conductor 80 pesos/£1.00 for the half an hour trip to Carmen.
*In advance- we have to apologize to
those of our readers that dislike prices in a blog. We haven't been
to The Philippines for such a long time, and the prices of things interested us a
great deal. We wanted to compare everything to what we pay in other
parts of Asia- it's helpful for us, and other travelers will find it
of interest. So, there may be some mentions of the costs of travel
and accommodation.
The bus ride through the hilly center
of Bohol was a joy- beautiful green plantations along side the road,
and the different types of way people were living were fascinating
for us. The lush combination of banana trees, coconut palms and a
back drop of mountains was glorious, and we knew we had made the
right choice in coming to Bohol!
Classic rice, banana and coconut palm combo, Bohol, The Philippines
Hut in the countryside, Bohol, The Philippines
Buffalo in the fields, Bohol, The Philippines
Arriving at the busy center of Carmen,
there were many tricycle drivers shouting and crowds of people
meeting the bus. We quickly escaped into a tiny shop to buy some much
needed strong Red Horse Beer and cold water. A funny
sequence of events began, when the owner asked us where we were going. Her
husband came out to join in, and they both began to give advice on
the best way to get to where we were going, means of transport and
route. They were deliberating with each other and switching between English and Cebuano.More
people squeezed in and out of the wee establishment, all putting
their two cents worth in, talking loudly over each other and interrupting,
and relaying information to us in the middle of the fracas. We were
standing squashed with our backpacks on, trying to listen. The owner
took Sal's phone to show the best way to our guesthouse, and a
tricycle driver was called in to join with the chaotic
conversation. We almost wished we'd never asked for help in the first
place! We eventually left the crowd, still debatingamongstthemselves, yelling our thanks and goodbyes, and got into the
waiting tricycle. The laid back driver took us the 20 minutes or so
past Batuan village to the haven that was Khloe's Guesthouse, on the
edge of the village, up a bumpy little country road.
Set in a cul-de-sac community of
houses with lush gardens, as soon as we arrived here, we felt at
home. Very attractive and rustic, the accommodation was set in a neat
and colorful garden. The owners had built several lovely simple
rooms around their family home to rent out to holiday makers. A
lot of care had been taken to make the place clean and comfortable,
and the atmosphere was characterful and communal. The owner couldn't
do enough to be helpful, and was happy to sit and chat with guests. We were given a choice of a cute hut with shared bathroom for 500 peso/£6.00, or a little room with a bathroom for 700 peso/£8.70, which is the one we decided on. Some fellow travelers were staying, and not
in a rush we were able to have some lovely natters about travel
and life during our stay. Rich overindulged one night, having two liters of strong Red Horse beer, and like Sal in Cebu, suffered a terrible headache during the night and next morning. Not sure what goes into those local alcoholic drinks, but it cannot be quality ingredients!
Cute little room, with heart blanket
One too many Red Horse beer!
The atmosphere at Khloe's was very old school and
relaxed- we simply took drinks from the fridge freely and made ourselves
coffee. When we left, the lovely host simply asked us how many nights we had stayed, how long we took the motorbike for and what we had consumed, she had no idea. We had already roughly added up the bill total, and when we gave her the money, she only asked "Do you need any change?"- so trusting! Hopefully the faith the owners have in visitor's honesty will be justified and continue
over time.
Hiring a motorbike at Khloe's, Batuan
New friends at Batuan guesthouse, Bohol
Being on the outskirts of town, and the
sights of the area being spread out, we decided on a motorbike for a
few days. We have mixed feelings about motorbikes. The drawback is the fast
speed and rushing by pretty scenes and friendly people, but sometimes it is necessary to see sights further afield, which was the case in the Batuan area.
What a magical part of the world
central Bohol is. We spent four days exploring, and every day opened up a new beautiful aspect. On our first day, we simply
headed off along the excellent conditioned main road without too much
traffic, passing simple little shops, tiny churches and so many
schools (all empty due to the Easter holidays). A range of scattered vehicles
were present from bicycles, battered big buses, the same motorized tricycles we had seen in
Cebu, and many home-made Frankenstein mixtures of bikes/sidecars/covers. We loved the Spanish vibe- communities and business with names like Carmen and Sevilla. A small and unkempt cemetery also highlighted the Spanish heritage here with the names on the gravestones.
Jesus poster at a road junction, Batuan, Bohol, The Philippines
Local shops, Batuan, Bohol
Local church with buffalo, Batuan, Bohol, The Philippines
Giant calabash, or upo gourd, Batuan, Bohol, The Philippines
Little angel figure at the graveyard, Batuan, Bohol
Spanish influence showing on gravestones, Batuan, Bohol, The Philippines
We turned whenever we saw a side
street to be greeted with green rice fields, banana and palm
trees. It was stunning scenery, and we were very happy just toodling
along slowly, looking and appreciating. People here were so amazing,
almost every single person we passed either beamed a smile, yelled
hello or waved - a consensus of friendliness. Their behavior
reminded us of people we had encountered throughout Indonesia- open
and confident to talk with us. But here, because of their English it
felt like we could communicate a step more. The further we strayed from the main roads,
we encountered smaller communities with diminutive farms and wooden shacks. The roads worsened, sometimes only a dirt path. Grain was spread
across the roads to dry, pecked at by skinny chickens, lethargic dogs
lay in the middle of the way, and in many fields we saw water
buffalo and goats.
On the road in Batuan, Bohol, The Philippines
Beware! (One of many holes in the backroads)
Smiley young lads, Batuan, Bohol, The Philippines
Wood and bamboo structures were the norm, Batuan, Bohol, The Philippines
Looking out from a bridge, Batuan, Bohol, The Philippines
Abandoned shack, Batuan, Bohol, The Philippines
Lovely bridge over a river, Batuan, Bohol
Working in the rice fields, Batuan, Bohol, The Philippines
Nearby Pangas Falls had been
recommended to us, and riding around, we found ourselves at the entrance, quite by accident. For a steep 35 pesos/£0.45 (!!) we gained entrance to
what turned out to be a glorious wide waterfall, with several
appealing clear pools for swimming. Taking care of the very slippery
rocks, we eased ourselves into the water and had a refreshing dip and
swim, after the heat of riding around. A friendly chap making a
little bit of money from selling Mojitos gave us some local info,
including stories from the time during the 2011 typhoon when the water level was
so high, and many roads on the island were cut off.
Pangas Falls in Chocolate Hills area, Bohol
Getting brave for the cold water! Pangas Falls, Bohol, The Philippines
Two dags at Pangas Falls, Bohol, The Philippines
Sunday was our day to wake up very
early in order to ride to a sunrise point. We passed the local church
lit up inside getting ready for an early Mass. The place to see the famous Chocolate Hills in Batuan was a commercial complex, complete with
entrance fee and guided path to a viewpoint. We'd been told about a
nearby place, where we could experience the same view in peace and
for free. It was a bit of a fast scramble to the top, as we could see
the sun coming up, but we arrived just in time, and were so happy to experience the light slowly spreading over the hills, and surrounding valleys.
Made it in perfect time, sunrise, Chocolate Hills, Bohol
Sal and the Chocolate Hills, Bohol
The Chocolate Hills are a geological phenomenon, only seemingly found in a roughly 50 square kilometer area of Bohol, and to a smaller degree on some neighboring islands. The official story about how they were formed is stated on Wikipedia (the absolute gospel on everything in the entire world, as we know 😉) .......
"These conical hills are geomorphological features called cockpit karst, which were created by a combination of the dissolution of limestone by rainfall, surface water, and groundwater, and their subaerial erosionby streams after they had been uplifted above sea level and fractured by tectonic processes. The hills are separated by flat plains and contain numerous caves and springs".
How boring! We always like the more maybe fanciful stories about the formation of geological anomalies- they are invariably much more fun and interesting! Here, theories about giant children building mud cakes, or maybe that they were the result of two giant's earth slinging match made us smile.
During our visit, the hills were mostly a verdant green, but during the dry season the color changes to a light brown hue, hence the name, Chocolate Hills.
Beautiful green colour at this time of year, Chocolate Hills
Mysterious Chocolate Hills, Bohol, The Philippines
The same Sunday was Palm Sunday, and on the way back from our sunrise trip, we were happy to see worshippers pouring out of the church into the streets, all dressed up and carrying palm fronds.
A cockfighting show was going on that Sunday evening, but having seen the aftermath of a match on our last visit
and remembering the razor blades attached to the cock's feet and all
the blood, we refrained from attending. Our host told us some roosters could sell for a small fortune. Driving around, we saw many
properties with multiple small shelters for the prized cocks- like a
small house for each individual bird. There were surely being looked
after well!
Cocks for sale, Batuan, Bohol, The Philippines
The best day was an unexpected ride
through some impressive old forests. Although the road wasn't the best, Rich
managed very well, and we gently bounced through the majestic setting, huge trees looming over us. We recognized only the enormous figs, but
there were so many other unknown species. The shady road was nearly deserted, we only
passed a few guys working inside the forests, of course, always smiling and greeting us. The addition to this trip was the touristy Man Made Forest of Bilar. It was a very enchanting looking road with the thousands of planted mahogany trees pleasingly curving over to create a tunnel. But there were a few too many signs and Instagram photo takers for our liking, we preferred the natural forest we had seen earlier in the day. The adjoining mahogany walk was short, but a great chance to see the trees close up, and appreciate the beauty. And at 10 peso/£0.12 entry, ridiculously good value.
Old forest, Bilar, Bohol, The Philippines
A pleasure to drive
Mahogany forest, Bilar, Bohol, The Philippines
Delicate flower growing in the shade of the mahogany trees
Buffalo milk shop (only Sal was brave to try the slightly lumpy and creamy beverage)
Our last afternoon in Batuan was spent chasing a Chocolate Hills sunset on the motorbike. Instead we found ourselves in amongst the hills, twisting around on small roads, seeing simple fish farms and modest homes. Looking up at the color of the sky changing behind the weird shapes of the hills was a glorious way to spend our last day around Batuan.
Some rain on the way, in the Chocolate Hills, Bohol
A friendly rainbow to see us on our way, in the Chocolate Hills, Bohol
We absolutely loved this part of Bohol, a refreshingly beautiful and friendly area, and we were now ready for more adventure in a different part of the island.
Our route from Cebu to Batuan, Bohol, The Philippines
Loving Bohol, keen to continue the adventure!
...........next up, we travel to some touristy, but picturesque beachy parts of Bohol........
A detour off
the train line was next, and we found a bus to our consequent
destination at the extremely friendly and helpful Uttaradit bus
station. It was a surprisingly fast trip- we began chatting and
looking out the window, then before we knew it, we had arrived in
Phrae.
Phrae relaxing Buddha, Thailand
We saw a hotel next to the bus station, and true to style lately, checked it out as an easy option to stay. It was amazingly grand for the price, with a huge foyer stuffed with ornate teak furniture and a large pool outside. The rooms were great- slightly worn, but fantastic value. The price of £12 even included breakfast. It was also practically deserted for most of our stay- maybe because of the time of year?
Ornate teak furniture in grand hotel foyer, Phrae
Fancy pants room, Phrae, Thailand
We both
immediately loved Phrae. Very different from any other places in
Thailand we have visited, it really had a small town feel. In the
central part there were no large chain shops, only family-run and
crafty/arty businesses, small scale and locally focused.
Luckily for us, Phrae promoted itself as a "slow cycle town", an idea which we absolutely loved. Many signs and maps showed various routes through the small streets of the old town to a plethora of sights along the way. We made do with the frankly dodgy bicycles we had hired at our hotel, but for £2 we could hardly complain! We relished the unhurried pace and mostly quiet atmosphere of our slow cycle days.
Loaded up mobile shop, Phrae, Thailand
Retro feel in a historic mansion, Phrae, Thailand
Wat Chom Sawan interior, Phrae, Thailand
It was a wonderful tour of venerable royal houses, old teak mansions, cute rustic coffee shops, the ancient city wall....we tried to remember the names and locations, but there was so much to look at in the maze of lanes. We stopped every few meters, became carried away with the charm of it all and lost track of details. Which was OK.
Amulets on display in old house, Phrae, Thailand
Cute teak cottage in Phrae temple gardens
Crumbling stupa, cycling around Phrae, Thailand
Old royal mansion, Phrae, Thailand
Lovely window, cycling around Phrae, Thailand
Mural on temple wall, Phrae, Thailand
Loved this photo of the old king, Phrae, Thailand
Each wat had
peaceful grounds with only tinkling bells breaking the tranquility. Some
were reminiscent of the commonly seen Thai wats with gold everywhere and Buddha statues.
Serene scene, cycling around Phrae, Thailand
Other examples were more unusual - ancient stone chedis and tall blinding white towers, and one in particular in a gorgeous dark teak Burmese style.
Unusual temple style, cycling around Phrae, Thailand
Detail inside Wat Chom Sawan
Stone chedi, cycling around Phrae, Thailand
Burmese style Buddha with light spirit, Wat Chom Sawan
Curious Burmese design, Wat Chom Sawan, Phrae, Thailand
Another day,
we travelled further afield by motorbike, which gave us a wonderful sense
of freedom. The wide and smooth roads were devoid of traffic when we
got out of the town center, and whizzing up the mountain side was a fantastic feeling. Thai forests rose on either side of the road with towering tamarind
trees and giant bamboo growing majestically.
Scenic waterway around Phrae, Thailand
Good luck helmet!
The first
stop was Wat Phra That Indra Kwaen, an extremely calm hillside
complex, deserted apart from a couple of people gently sweeping and
some sleeping monks. We walked up the many steps to a variety of
statues looking out to views of the surrounding forest. Rich was
determined to dong every gong and bell in the place- three times for
good luck, so we have been told. The highest structure was a golden
rock, covered in coin offerings, reminiscent of the Golden Rock in Burma.
Golden rock, Wat Phra That Indra Kwaen
Stupa, Wat Phra That Indra Kwaen
Rich having a go on every donger he could find
Gold overload, Wat Phra That Indra Kwaen
Further along the road was the
exceptional Wat Na Khuha complex. The temple was set in a verdant green
valley- rice and peanuts growing in surrounding fields, and a beautifully designed
garden full of flowering trees. Little spots in the shade had been created to sit and
rest and appreciate the scene with the backdrop of jagged hills and
forests. There was a lot of exploring to be done here, but we
satisfied ourselves with walking on the charming woven bamboo
boardwalk that crossed the fields to a lookout platform, and
surveying the absolute magic of the scene. The shining gold Buddha
sitting in the almost fluorescent green fields, the hills and beauty
of it all.
Enjoying the view at Wat Na Khuha, Phrae, Thailand
Beautiful tree in blossom, Wat Na Khuha, Phrae
Bamboo boardwalk, Wat Na Khuha, Phrae, Thailand
Explosion of colour at Wat Na Khuha, Phrae, Thailand
Green fields, Wat Na Khuha, Phrae, Thailand
The day ended
with us being too hot to function, and returning for a swim in our
luxury pool (!) and a rest in our AC room. We are so posh these days!
There seemed to be a lot of artisans and crafty people in Phrae. Women grouped in temple grounds or outside homes sewing, embroidering, making paper lanterns and religious offerings and weaving monks robes. Our favorite thing was the "mo hom", an indigo coloured, sturdy cloth made in local villages. Unique designs are sold widely in small shops around Phrae and surrounding towns, and are very popular amongst locals- we often saw people wearing various items of different designs. We both purchased a shirt in this gorgeous material, not quite believing the price of such a high quality item (less than £4 each). We were very tempted to buy more, but such is our lifestyle- if we buy it, we have to carry it, and that's very good motivation to keep things to a minimum.
Wat Chom Sawan, making monk's robes
Sal in new mo hom top
Best of all in Phrae were the friendly people! Locals looked so happy to see us, especially when we attempted a Sawadee or a few words of Thai, and seemed genuinely pleased that we were visiting their town and appreciating its beauty. We may have been giving out good vibes! Although we only stayed four or so days, we began to recognize people in the streets. One bearded man was particularly memorable, as he cycled around all day on a battered old bike, long wig streaming behind, and a different sun dress on every day!
Tinkering in a shop
Even the food
in Phrae was an improvement on the previous towns, the pedestrian
night market having most of our favorite Thai foods in a relaxed
setting.
We considered
staying on and shortening our time in Bangkok, but decided another
trip is on the cards when we have more time- we would
absolutely love to explore more of this amazing region of Thailand.
The whole trip, but Phrae in particular, revitalized our love for
Thailand, and reminded us there is much more to the country than Ko
Fruitopia!
Having a very much relaxed attitude towards booking in advance on this trip, we turned up back at Uttaradit railway station in the early afternoon hoping to travel on that evening's train to Bangkok. Unfortunately for us, the second class sleeper was booked out, so for the very first (and probably only) time in our lives, we opted for 1st class! It was only slightly more expensive (£23), and not really that fancy, but we were still excited. Boarding the train at 10.30pm, we were shown to our private little cabin, with two bunk beds and a sink, and immediately checked out what all the switches did. Some sleep was eventually had during the eight hour journey, before arriving in the early morning into Bangkok's massive new central station - Krung Thep Aphiwat Terminal.
Our little compartment on the 1st class train
Romance Hotel in Bangkok used to be our secret place we had found as an alternative to staying around Banglamphu. It was an absolute steal of a price, with pool and gym facilities included, and the bonus of being in a great little local area of the city, away from the backpackers. Mostly in the past it had been practically empty- Rich had been able to use the gym at anytime, and the pool was never crowded. This time, however, the hotel appeared to have been discovered, with many foreigners staying, and the surrounding streets having become busier. The price had also risen and the quality of the rooms decreased, and although it was fine for our stay in Bangkok this time, we thought we would probably not stay there again.
We spent our last few days in Thailand finishing up our business, and preparing for the next leg of our South East Asian trip, as well as making the most of having a roof top pool in the city!
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