So I’m writing this at home on a Sunday (Jan. 25), which feels weird because I work on Sundays and yet here I am typing nonsense and making myself fat after having stashed away the bags and the clothes. I’ve also done some laundry so I thought I might as well write about the trip. Blogging’s good practice for people with bad memory. Oh, and if you’re planning to go to Bohol you’ll love this. I’m Alt-Tab’ing to our itinerary and budget yes we have an itinerary and budget in pdf (na may WordArt) and Excel formats because my friend Grace is insane like that.

(At nagsalita yung hindi kumakarir ng blog post tungkol sa bakasyon.)

Here it goes.

Jan. 22 (Thursday)

Don’t you just love seat sales? We were able to purchase roundtrip tickets to Cebu at just 1000+ each from Cebu Pacific. (Ooh, a little disclaimer: The establishments/businesses that I’m going to mention here didn’t pay me to mention them.) We’re booked on the last flight out of Manila, but of course the flight got delayed, thankfully by just an hour. (See, I told you they didn’t pay me to mention them.) I don’t go around much, so that was my first plane ride ever. I know. Since I’ve never been to the terminal, when we got to NAIA it didn’t impress me much because I thought that’s how terminals were supposed to look like – clean and sparkling and new. But after speaking with a friend who’s been to the old terminal I began to appreciate the “changes”.

As for the flight, it was okay. It was like riding a cramped bus (as if may bus na hindi cramped), except that you’re several thousand feet above the ground and every now and then your ears pop. Gusto ko yung pag-internalize ng isang flight attendant during the life vest demo – mukha talaga siyang alarmed. Siguro first time din niya chos. The sight of the barf bag scared me, but I didn’t use it, thank goodness. There was one turbulence warning, which I spent marveling at a Kris Aquino White Flower ad in the in-flight magazine so I didn’t know how turbulence really was supposed to feel like. Si Kris lang pala ang katapat.

Window seat! To say that the city lights were breathtaking is an understatement.

We arrived at the Mactan International Airport at half past nine. From there we rented a van to the Apple Tree Suite.

Ate: 900 po ang rental, ma’am

Ghia: Hindi po ba pwedeng 800?

Ate: [rumadyo sa driver] Okay daw 850.

Kumusta ka naman, ate.

We stayed at two deluxe rooms at 1,500 per room. Wala naman akong reklamo sa kwarto.

After dumping our bags, we headed over to Larsian. It’s this 24-hour barbeque place where, the moment you enter, the owners of the different stores will converge and approach you and beckon you to them, as though they were Edward and you were Bella. I didn’t know this then so the sudden incessant psst-ing surprised me. I was so hungry I could only think of Twilight references.

We chose the stall with an electric fan. Electric fan lang talaga ang criterion ano.

For rice they had what they called pusó (not “heart”; put stress on the second syllable), na parang konti pero mabigat pala sa tiyan. Cost was 2.50 per.

They don’t have utensils so they’ll give you a clear plastic bag that you’ll put over your right hand. Kung meron lang matinong hugasan magkakamay na lang ako. Madulas kasi.

We only spent 75 per for all those food, pusó and drinks included. Solb.

Jan. 23 (Friday)

Very early in the morning (like just a little after 4), we headed over to the pier to get to Bohol. There was some promo, so the ferry ride cost only 836.25, two-way (Cebu-Tagbilaran, and back) kasama na terminal fees.

I also expected to experience motion sickness but I didn’t. We even went up to camwhore, yehess.

The ride to Tagbilaran was long, almost two hours.

Pagdating doon, ayan na ang walang katapusang countryside tour. Parang wala siyang katapusan kasi ang init sa Tagbilaran (at 8 am pa lang yun ha) at atat na akong mag-beach, hehe.

Here be a bunch of pictures:

And then: Panglao.

A thing of beauty, etcetera, etc. At one point I said, “’Wag na tayong umuwi. Dito na lang tayo tumira.”

We stayed at the Dumaluan Beach Resort. Deluxe rooms cost around 3k each, inclusive of breakfast. Food is expensive (We had to buy dinner; actually okay
naman ‘yung price, ‘yung ulam 200-300 and good for two, BUT they sell rice at 22 per cup I mean, come on) but the beach will more than make up for it, don’t worry.

Get up early, like around 6, to see the beach at low tide.

Jan. 24 (Saturday)

Back in Cebu at 6 in the pm. We weren’t able to do much, just went to SM Cebu (o dumayo pa ng Cebu para mag-SM) to buy stuff and was stunned by the fact that the taxi drivers actually give you change down to the last centavo. While inside the mall there was a commotion at the entrance. I didn’t see it myself, but Kuya Wendell said halos kuyugin na ng guards yung isang taxi driver na namimili ng pasahero. My goodness, nabibili kaya yung mga guards na ‘to? I’ll bring them by the truckload to Metro Manila.

Oh, I forgot to say, on our way inside, I had this conversation with one of the security guards:

Guard: [while checking my bag] Samting samting samting bag samting samting samting check samting samting

Me: [blank stare]

Guard: Samting samting

Me: Ay naku sorry po, hindi ko po kayo maintindihan.

Guard: Ay Tagalog lang po ba, ma’am? [smile] Kaya pala.

Me: Hehe.

Bakit nag-assume na siya na Tagalog ako. E kung sabihin ko kaya, “No, no, Malaysian.” Chos.

Jan. 25 (Sunday)

At the Apple Tree Suite, we were given two rooms that faced each other on the third floor. So nakabukas yung pinto ng parehong kwarto because we’re shuttling back and forth across the corridor (Well, at least si Maricon, na parang di mapirmi sa kwarto). At one point a cranky tourist (Didn’t see him, but I guess he’s American, judging on the accent) passed by and said, in a booming voice: “Can you please shut the doors? This is a hotel.”

Possible comebacks that we weren’t able to say because this was real life and not the movies:

- Well, this is our country, so can you shut your mouth?

- Oh, so you mean you don’t close your doors at home?

- Hotel na ba ‘to, kuya? Hindi ba inn?

- No, no, Tagalog onli.

- EH DI ISARA MO YUNG PINTUAN MO PAKIALAMERO KA PALA E.

I’m sorry, I just can’t imagine myself being in a foreign country and telling the locals to shut their doors, haughtily, scolding them as if they were my unwanted children. Hello, mister, this isn’t your colony anymore. (Tapos biglang sa kanya pala yung Apple Tree ano. Eh basta, kaasar siya. Sana makatapak siya ng sea urchin.)

Our flight back to Manila wasn’t delayed, isn’t that cool? The morning flight gave me a view of clouds, some islands, and the back of the head of the guy next to me because I wasn’t able to get a window seat.

And then we’re home. :)

If you’re lucky enough to avail of sales and promos (and you have seven other people with you), you’ll spend around 4k. Hindi pa kasama food and incidental commute fares and souvenirs and pasalubong, so just prepare around 7k. That’s more than enough.

* * *

Now, about sungazing:

:)

(Photos from my camera and Grace Anne/Wendell’s camera and Ghia/Ed’s camera.)

(Special thanks to Ghia for blow-drying my hair on Friday hehe.)

(I’ll upload more pics at my Multiply.)

(EDIT: Uploaded!)