Quite lost, actually

*After breakfast. Rough waters. Photo by CallMeCreation.com*

The spark is gone. I no longer want to come back here. I don’t know where to go; everywhere the coral reefs are dying. I don’t know if Apo Reef, the second largest contiguous reef barrier in the world next to Great Barrier in Australia, has escaped this disaster. It takes a decade to 12 years before a reef can recover without disturbance (like a strong typhoon) or re-bleaching. With rising ocean water temperatures, it’s hard to say if they would be able to recover at all.

So I brought seven of my people to various places in Bohol to erase old memories and create new ones. We did the reverse trip by starting with the ATV driving in between the Chocolate Hills.

*The two-seater ATV so my mom can join. Photo by CallMeCreation.com*

I initially drove the motorbike ATV but I changed places with my sister at the 1st pit stop so she can enjoy driving alone while I drive with my mom.

The new thing here is the 2nd pit stop where you can climb one of the hills and take in the view from the top.

*Twin A. Photo courtesy of one of her* *cousins*.

I didn’t climb because my thighs are killing me after battling with the waves yesterday to keep my mom from drifting into the big blue open sea. I said I’ll just try climbing the old Chocolate Hills lookout.

But… No. Look at this monstrosity below.

*Photo by CallMeCreation.com via Fujifilm XQ1.*

I brought my kids to Chocolate Hills so that they can see for themselves this geological phenomenon.

*Tarsier, the world’s smallest primate. Photo by CallMeCreation.com*

We visited the Bohol Tarsier Conservation Center so my kids and nephews can see in person the world’s smallest primate. They’re 3-6 inches tall and are very sensitive to everything.

We then proceeded to Loboc for the river cruise because we’re famished.

*Floating along Loboc River. Photo by CallMeCreation.com*

The last time I/we did the river cruise was in 2019 and it was called Loay River Cruise (different operator). The landing for the Loboc River Cruise is just across the Loboc church and is very much new and improved compared to the 2003 version.

*Folk dancing in one of the river stations*.

My sister and I said this kind of tour is for the balikbayan and foreigners. But for us locals, we just want to have lunch while going around some parts of the island.

*One of the water sources that feed Loboc river. Photo by CallMeCreation.com*

We stopped by the butterfly whatever, which was just a sorry kind of zoo. We should have skipped this one.

*The only positive thing in this pit stop: the photo op.*

We stopped by Baclayon church for my mom’s benefit. It is a Sunday after all.

I don’t remember going inside a museum in 2019 so it felt like this museum is new to me.

*Baclayon church museum. Photo by CallMeCreation.com*

*The old hymn book. Photo by CallMeCreation.com*

*Baclayon church is the second oldest stone church in the country. Photo by CallMeCreation.com*

*It was, however, destroyed in the 2013 earthquake*.

*The altar* *inside the church. Photo by CallMeCreation.com*

*Twin A walking along the very old corridor of the church. Photo by CallMeCreation.com*

*Down the old stairs* *leading to a courtyard. Photo by CallMeCreation.com*

Then I showed to my family the site of the Blood Compact between Bool’s (old name of Bohol) Rajah Sikatuna and Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, the conquistador. The monument has been moved from the main highway to a few meters down at the back and they made a park so it can accommodate more cars instead of having them clogging the highway.