Kids from Bilar
The last scheduled island in the Visayas was Bohol. When I arrived I decided to stay in place called Nuts Huts. Right along the Loboc River, in the forest, and with many transport options very centrally located. I couldn’t wait to see the tarsiers. These cute looking animals are so cute looking because their eyes are massive. Curious looking at me it felt a little bit creepy. Unfortunately these creatures, the smallest primate in the world with a size no bigger than a hand palm, are endangered. The tail of this animal is about 2.5 times its body length, characteristic for rats, and eyes like an owl, and feet like a monkey. I’m very glad that I was able to see 6 tarsiers that day!
The Loboc River was great for kayaking and meeting the kids from the villages. When I went to the beautiful Rajah Sikatunah NP I saw many birds, snakes, and a pristine primary rainforest. The best part was that the end of my hiking trail was right at a swimming pool. Here I met the kids from Bilar. They convinced me to go swimming with them which I did to refresh after the sweaty hike. After the fun in the pool the kids showed me their neighbourhood. Surprisingly these 7-11 year old kids were very talkative and quite good at English. After all kids branched off to their homes I walked alone to the bus stop. In the bus I realized I spent my whole day with forest, kids, rice fields and meeting such friendly people. Bilar was definitely on my map, although not a touristy map.
The second biggest thing in Bohol are the Chocolate Hills. If you look at my photos you’ll find out that these hills were not as ‘chocolatty’ as they’re in the dry season. Nevertheless, it is a weird landscape where the warlu (aboriginals call this the dreaming time bird which created much of Australia’s landscape) played and layed eggs. At least the aboriginal story would fit this landscape. I found them at least worth seeing, but touring through them was a bit over the top. I sticked to the view point and did a small hike. Here I met in fact the same Korean guy I travelled with in North Vietnam. It good meeting him again. He had great new to tell me. At the end of May he’ll get married and I am invited! I don’t know what to do with this invitation, but I’ll keep it in mind. It sounds at least as an ‘once in a lifetime‘ opportunity.
And again time flew. I split up again from the travellers I met and headed in one day from Bohol to Sagada, in North Luzon.
Magical rice fields
After a hell of a journey I arrived in Sagada. The cooler and mountainous part of Philippines. Stunning rice terraces, cave exploration, water falls, and rock climbing are among the activities I did. And there is a lot to do more.
In my life I haven’t done such an amazing adventure in a cave. With a guide and three others we did the so called ‘cave connection’ tour. And this all for a bargain price. We entered the burrial cave where they got coffins stacked on each other. Some coffins are over 400 years old and still have human remains. We decended into cave via a loop tunnel holding on ropes and by scrambling on rocks. Every single time when we went through narrow passage ways in the caves there was an interesting place waiting for us. The rock formations were really cool. But it was the adrenaline rush which was the best. On a certain moment we ended up in an enormous cave where the river flows. It must have taken the river millions of years to create this. It was rope after rope and climbing wall after wall. Not more than 2.5 exciting hours later we arrived in the next big cave from where I saw the first light beams coming into the cave. We made it; tired but fullfilled.
The rice terraces are also fantastic. The stone walls keep the shape of the rice fields and make it possible to make this terrace like structure. With the steep hills it makes valleys shine in many green colours with on the background a litte village. These things really look like a dream. With my guide we hiked for about 3 hours passing through rice villages. The waterfall, Bomod Od, was the finish of the hike. The best place to take photos of ‘local action’. And fun that was. I really enjoyed Sagada and I think it offered me to experience many new things, such as caving (spelunking).
On my way to Manilla I stopped for the day in Banaue to see the rice terraces of Batad and do some wood craft shopping. Batad is famous for the steep hills with rice terraces surrounding the little village. Also called the world famous amphiteatre rice terraces. Banaue has a huge selection of good wood craft art which I stocked up in my backpack. From now on it was even time to get hand luggage when flying.