The last leg of our semi-Laguna Loop is the Tanay (Parola) Lighthouse. We wanted to catch the sunset from a different vantage point and have a breath of fresh air while being surrounded by the Sierra Madre mountain range.
Warning: the road (Cong. Tanjuatco Street) going to the lighthouse is verrrrrrrrry narrow. My AUV could barely squeeze through if there are tricycles in the opposite lane. Park somewhere near…probably near Tanay Plaza and just take a tricycle going to the lighthouse.
Sunset over Laguna de Bay, Parola, Tanay, Rizal. The landmass across is Binangonan-Morong peninsula. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.
We arrived at 5 pm from our stopover in Morong to see the old church, just in time for us to do some sketches. We brought our art materials since I knew the girls would be inspired to do some art.
This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.
This is the road that leads to the lighthouse (and the lighthouse didn’t make it to the frame). We didn’t go there but rather stayed on top of the dike because it was a more interesting spot.
Tanay (Parola) Lighthouse, Tanay, Rizal.This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
Tanay River and the Tanay Lakeshore Dike. Tanay, Rizal. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
The breeze coming down from the mountain range was cool and it was so relaxing. I am always a provinciana (provincial girl) and made me miss my old life in Laguna.
Farmer guiding his carabao home after wallowing in the lakeshore among the water lilies. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
We stayed there for an hour or so until the we saw the last few rays of light.
On our way to Tanay, Rizal during our half-Laguna Loop adventure, we stopped for a bit in Morong to catch a glimpse of the old beautiful church in the center of the town. I know it’s an injustice to the town but we were trying to catch the sunset in Tanay so we couldn’t linger.
St. Jerome Parish Church, Morong, Rizal. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
Angono Petroglyphs. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
One weekend, we attempted to do a semi-Laguna Loop and one of the stops was the Angono Petroglyphs as requested by one of my daughters. They studied it in Araling Panlipunan (Social Studies) and she wanted to see it in real life, not just in school books.
Remnants of the crispy pata my girls and I demolished. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
Finding the exact spot is tricky using Waze. It actually is in the border of Angono and Binangonan, hence, the name Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs on Waze. But the stupid app points to the shooting range that is located within the Eastridge Golf Course but the real location is a little bit further down the road.
This screencap is owned by callmecreation.com
Then you can park at the mouth of this tunnel and you can bring a flashlight to help you navigate the dark tunnel.
The tunnel leading to the petroglyphs. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.
This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.
You walk further a bit to reach the concrete walkways.
This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.
You have to look carefully to be able to see the stone carvings of the bored ancient Filipinos.
This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.
Do I see stick figures?This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.
Do you see the turtle and the lizard? This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.
Another turtle at the bottom of this photo.This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.
This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
We didn’t linger there as we have other interesting things to see around Rizal. Next stop was the Morong Church.
When the world closes in on me, I just need an hour to drive to Angono Lakeside Eco Park to see the beautiful sunset. It can be found on Waze. I’m really sorry if I can’t provide a way how to get there via public transportation.
Looking at the sun throwing such gorgeous colors is enough to calm my frazzled nerves.
No wonder a number of visual artists have come from Angono. The place was able to keep its charm.
Anyway, here is my last entry about my trip back to Bohol after 16 years.
Hinagdanan Cave
Hinagdanan Cave
Hinagdanan Cave. Sorry, I only had my Oppo F7 to take pictures with. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
When I went there in late October 2019, I had the chance to go to Hinagdanan Cave in Panglao, a limestone cave with brackish but clear water. There is a small parking area for motorbikes and four-wheeled vehicles in front of some stores selling souvenirs, bottled water and snacks. They have a bathroom there for those who wanted a quick shower after swimming in the cave. But I didn’t. Good thing I resisted because all they had there was a drum with water of questionable cleanliness. There’s a small storefront there manned by people from the local government of Panglao. You have to pay the entrance fee (tourism fee) of P50 per person. I think that’s reasonable since they employ people to keep the place clean and some life guards. They also keep the place well lighted.
Hinagdanan Cave. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.Brackish water of Hinagdanan Cave is clear. I can see my feet underwater! This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.
According to one of the swimmers there, the deepest part of the natural pool was 10 ft but it looks deeper because it was dark so it was a bit scary. But they have lifeguards there so swimmers have less to worry about.
The swimmers say the brackish water is cold but clean. These photos are owned by calmecreation.com
Alona Beach is the first place I’ve been to in Panglao. It was a busy strip of white sand. I barely set foot in this area this time around. Too many tourists for my taste but they have a wide selection of food choices compared to where I was near Dumaluan Beach.
Kinilaw: Raw tuna, slivers of ginger, tomatoes, onions dressed in kalamansi juice, vinegar, sugar and pepper.
Around Bohol: Baclayon Church
A day after I went around Panglao on a motorbike, I hired the van (the one that brought me from Panglao International Airport to Dumaluan) to tour me around Bohol again.
I skipped the Blood Compact Monument because there was really nothing there but photo op. I already saw it 16 years ago so no need to stop. It is one of the first stops that tour vans will offer tourists.
Then it was Baclayon Church. I was curious how it is now holding up after being destroyed by the 2013 earthquake that shook Central Visayas.
The centuries-old Baclayon Church. It’s as pretty, if not prettier than when I first saw it. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
Loay River Cruise
I asked the driver to skip Loboc River Cruise because it eats up too much time and I’ve already been there. But since it seems like tour drivers get their free lunches from these dine-in cruises, my driver insisted that I try LoayRiver Cruise in lieu of Loboc. Ok fine, I was already hungry too. It was ok, I guess for P500 per head for a buffet. Same price for a meal at Dumaluan. The floating restaurants have singing MCs that serenade diners the entire river cruise. Ours sang a variety of foreign songs, much to the delight of the Korean and Chinese tourists onboard.
Loay River Cruise. Loay, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com.
One of the stops in the Loay River Cruise is the make-believe tribal community comprised of local Agta/Ati/Aeta people. This gimmick caters mostly to foreign tourists who do not know any better. I should be offended that our local indigenous peoples are exploited this way but at least they are employed…I’m conflicted.
Some of the local Ati/Aeta people in a stylized tribal village in one stop of the Loay River Cruise. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
Chocolate Hills
After lunch, my driver brought me to an area where I can ride ATVs to view the Chocolate Hills from the ground. I spent about P1,000 an hour for this. Nothing spectacular. I just got myself muddy but I learned how to drive an ATV. No photo.
Last stop was Chocolate Hills in Carmen, Bohol. I was curious because I heard that the lookout area was partially destroyed by the 2013 earthquake. Thankfully, it’s already restored. It’s not yet brown since the region is still experiencing habagat.
Chocolate Hills (not yet dry season, hence, the color) in Carmen, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
The driver asked for P3,000 for the roundtrip but I asked for a discount since we skipped some tourist spots like the butterfly farm and the Tarsier Center. I ended the trip by going straight to the airport.
Panglao International Airport is a big improvement over the old Tagbilaran airport where I arrived 16 years ago. But it could do with more (more, more) improvements now that Aboitiz Infrastructure won the concession for its redevelopment and operations. It needs more seats, commercial establishments (food concessionaires), and more electrical outlets where we can charge our gadgets.
I want to go back to Bohol again. And again.
Bohol reminded me why I love my country. There is beauty hidden in faraway corners.
Balicasag Island, Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
First of all, skip the dolphin watching. You are unduly stressing the dolphin pods since the boats’ propellers disturb them. The first time I encountered dolphins in the wild way back in 2003, we were the only boat then at 5:30 am. This time, there were more than 20 boats chasing these poor dolphins. I should have told my boatmen not to go. I just wasted time. I told them to head straight to Balicasag. I was not interested in stressing the dolphins anymore.
When I went snorkeling in Balicasag 16 years ago, I was still wearing a life vest to keep me afloat even though I was a competent swimmer. At that time we didn’t anchor on the island and just stayed near the shore for snorkeling. There I had the life-changing experience: I saw schools of fish, of different kinds and sizes and felt like I was in a gigantic aquarium or was in National Geographic. It was sooooo beautiful. My stories of Balicasag entranced my mother, who immediately booked her trip to Panglao and dragged some friends with her. Twice.
Anyway, I was back after more than a decade, now braver in the water. This time we were able to anchor on Balicasag’s rocky shores but had to pay PHP 250/per head/per attraction and have a man row a small boat to spots like “Coral Garden” or “Sea Turtle Dive”. I opted for those two spots (That’s already PHP 500 but that’s ok since it keeps them employed and keep them from engaging in dynamite fishing). Since I am more mobile this visit and more inclined to dive deeper and farther, even away from the sea wall, my boatman grew exasperated with me because he was trying to keep up with me.
I still suck at equalizing so I could not really dive deeper along the sea wall and I was a bit afraid of the vertical currents–the bane of SCUBA divers. Still, I was able to dive deep to reach (but not touch) the corals.
In the sea turtle spot, I was able to get close to some turtles and swim above them, behind them, ahead of them. It was so beautiful but this experience was ruined by my grumpy boatman who wanted to head back to Balicasag shore earlier than scheduled. Annoying, really.
The next stop was Virgin Island, which was really a sandbar. It was already high tide so there was nothing left of the sandbar and basically the fish mongers/ambulant vendors were all underwater.
Floating palengke in Virgin Island, Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
The vendors cater mostly to foreigners since they sell sea urchins, for only PHP 20 each. I don’t think Filipinos would waste their precious time in the water just to eat raw sea urchins. Unless they have a taste for uni sashimi.
These are the smaller sea urchins selling for PHP 20 each in Virgin Island, Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.comThe bigger sea urchin selling for PHP 80 each. Or less, depending how nice your seller is. Virgin Island, Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
This guy told me they just harvest the sea urchins in the nearby seagrass spot a few hundred meters away from where we were. Judging by the amount of sea urchins consumed that moment, I wouldn’t be surprised if the creatures would be decimated from the area.
Just like any local, I was more interested in the sandbar than filling my tummy with raw sea creatures.
Yep, the water is super shallow in Virgin Island, Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.comA few mangrove trees there. Virgin Island, Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com Sorry, can’t resist a selfie. Virgin Island, Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
So after cooking under the sun for hours, I just decided to relax a bit and explore Panglao island more via a rented motorbike and I had a driver.
San Agustin Church, Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com Sunset at San Agustin Church, Panglao, Bohol. This photo is owned by callmecreation.com
