My first attempt on a 4-strand Ribbon Braid. I gave myself a 3/5 rating. hihi. :)

Hallowmere: Maiden of the Wolf

Rating: 4/5

Wow! Just wow! the summary at the back piqued my interest when I checked out this book, that’s why I bought it. And what’s more, it was only for 50 Php. :p

Anyways, I was intrigued by the title, because it was much too different from the summary written at the back, about a woman who aims to free the girls from the evil hands of Countess Bathory, who actually existed in history.

But as I coursed through the book, I later found out why it was titled as such. It was very subtle, which made it more intriguing.

Aside from the “supernatural” genre of the story, it also revolved around love and sacrifices, which could only be brought to life by a very skilled author.

It was beautiful. I really couldn’t put words to describe how much I enjoyed reading this novel. More so, it was a fiction based on a factual history about the Blood Countess, Erzebet Bathory of Hungary.

And oh, I sooooo love the heroine’s name. Ilona. I actually included it in my list of names that I wanted to give my future daughter. It’s Hungarian for “light” or “beautiful” and I think it indeed is a very beautiful name. :)

So yeah, I totally loved reading the book, though I found out that it was actually the 4th volume which meant there were 3 volumes prior. No wonder I didn’t quite understand all about Hallowmere. :p

Possession by Wendy Morgan

Rate: 3/5

So it’s not actually the evil-possessing-a-kid type of story. It’s in fact a novel about witchcraft, and dark magic and such.

The book was catchy especially in the beginning, as though it started in the middle of the story. However, it didn’t really have a satisfactory ending.

Since it’s all about witches and dark magic, there should have been a lot of dark rituals or evil powers, not just a quest for the long lost brother.

It was exciting at first but became dragging around the middle, as if the author just inserted “normal days” to make the book thicker.

The ending was so simple though. Wendy Morgan should have at least wrote an ending that would leave the readers saying, “WOW!” But it was more on the level of, “Okay…”

But all in all, it’s a good story. I just don’t know why it has that kind of title, when there was no possession that happened. Or maybe it’s the other kind of possession, not the evil one. :)

I miss my childhood days…Those days when the things that mattered most were food, toys, and what games to play with my friends. Those days when I didn’t care about my money, or my grades. Those days when I just cried over a scraped knee, and not a broken heart. Those days when I wished I was a grown-up.

Surely those days passed, and we eventually grow up. And since no time machine could bring us back to the past, we would just settle in saying, “I miss my childhood days.” :)

Anything New

So what’s new? The US elections is almost concluded at this time, and BarackObama is already in a long lead ahead of Mitt Romney.

But that’s not what this blog is about, though. I just thought it deserves some few lines. CONGRATULATIONS, BARACK! Four more years to materialize your vision for a better America. :)

So last Monday, second semester has officially started, means I’m back to poring on books, staying late at night, and living in the school library. haha!

Lots of new stuff I discovered yesterday. First, there’s this new Buko Shop just outside school that serves buko juice in a sealed distilled water bottle, with a hole punched in the cap and inserted w/ a straw. It sort of looks so cool, you see. :p

I dunno about the name though, but it’s catchy, don’t you think? :p

So choices range from 350 ml to 1 L. :)

So since it’s the start of classes, it’s also the start of reading pages and pages from our books. So Seph and I are back to making The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf our nighttime library. hehe… So what’s new? The 2013 Giving Journal Project! :) 12 slots to fill by buying their coffee and tea choices, and you get to have their promo 2013 Planner! Soooo excited for it! :)

Hey there, 2 stamps! 10 more coffee madness slots! :)

Finally, Pringles madness! haha! Well you see, we love junk foods. The junkier it is, the better. lol! :))

Coffee and Pringles for our night of Surgery madness! :p

Well, anything new is good, as long as it’s interesting. :)

Spellbound

Just finished watching Spellbound. hihi. The movie was just superb! I never knew a mash-up between romance and horror could be this heartwarming. I super love Lee Min Ki. He’s the best!! :) Son Ye Jin is also very cute! :)

It’s been a while since I last watched a Korean movie, and I sort of forgot how light it felt watching it. The fun part, the love story, even the scary scenes were just perfect! I love it! ♥

Alex Cross

Don’t ever cross Alex Cross

Alex Cross is the third movie starring the same character after Along Came a Spider and Kiss the Girls, based on the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.

This movie shows The Butcher (Michael Sullivan) as the villain around the time when Alex’s wife Maria was still alive.

There was a slight difference in the movie, which is normal in every novel-based movie adaptations. Nevertheless, the movie was superb, and it was such a genius.

Tyler Perry did an awesome job portraying Alex Cross, knowing that he was following the footsteps of Morgan Freeman, who was Alex Cross in the previous films.

It’s been a while since I read the book, and I don’t know if it was the reason why I sort of couldn’t predict what would happen next in the movie, or maybe the movie made it a little differently to probably keep the suspense coming.

Well, when my friend and I went inside the movie house, I commented that indeed, only a few have known Alex Cross but for someone like me who knew him so much from reading James Patterson’s books, every bit of the movie was all so exciting.

Definitely 4/5. :)

Random Night...

Call us crazy, we don’t care! We can be random as we dare! :p

So Jody, Darleen, and I went to SM Lanang Premier for a Tokyo Tokyo dinner. hihi. It’s becoming sort of a habit already since the only Japanese Fast Food in the Philippines recently just opened in Davao.

Anyways, after our dinner, we decided to stay to watch the Fountain Fireworks as they called it. It was some sort of an alternative since real fireworks aren’t allowed in the city. Well, I therefore conclude it was way better. :)

Credits to the owner of the photo. I wasn’t able to take a shot of our fireworks because I was taking a video of it and I was just too mesmerized.

It was extremely romantic. The fountain danced to the tune of Beauty and the Beast, and you could just imagine watching it with someone you love. In my case though, I watched it with my girlfriends. haha!

After the romantic atmosphere, came the party. The second set of the dance was swaying to party music which was also amazing. It was truly wonderful. More than half an hour of waiting was all worth it in this 5-minute entertainment.

So SM Lanang Premier’s parking lot is the first in Davao that has sensors for car parkings, just like in Manila. It was a little too new for us, since we don’t go to Manila often, so we had fun playing with the parking sensor. haha! :p

Jody and Darleen as the Sensor Parking Girls. We played with the red and green lights. haha! :))

So our last stop was TGIFriday’s at Abreeza where we had some glass ofMojito, and a huge platter of nachos as pulutan. It was tremendous that we had to rest at The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf afterwards; since I also had to go to a party with my college friends, I needed to rest a little. :p

Pulutan to its fullest! 

It was just sort of random. We never really planned on it, but we had so much fun! :)

Blockbuster Birthday

…Now on it’s second week!!! :))

So some of you might have heard that I celebrated my birthday last October 7th however, it went on until the second week, probably because my friends just love me soooooo much!! :)

Friday, October 12, 2012

I was in school, and Jody gave me her Spongebob Muffin present. It was sort of a special request from me, and I was surprised that she really made it happen. :)

My college friend Erickson, and my friend from med school Queenie, decided to treat me to a movie and dinner because according to Queenie, birthday celebrants aren’t supposed to treat their friends. It should be the other way around. hihi…

So we went to Abreeza, and bought some tickets for This Guy’s In Love With You, Mare. Since we still had an hour to spare before the movie starts, we decided to have dinner at Mooon Cafe. It was really nice catching up with them since we haven’t been seeing each other that much often. I even decided to call them ninong and ninang because everything was paid by them. hehehe..

So we watched the movie and it was really fun, knowing that I’m easily fond of even the corniest of jokes. hahaha!! It was just a short night, but I would be forever thankful for their effort. Thank you, ninong and ninang! :p

Saturday, October 13, 2012

The extended birthday celebration continued as I gathered all of myAceTeryahe Family and we had lunch at Lachi’s. It was like the best part of my birthday celebration because I was able to gather everyone even though they were busy. It was probably the first time that all of us were once again complete for mealtime since school started. I felt really special. hehehe…

So as the others went to their review class, Darleen, Jody, and I went to SM Lanang Premier, a newly opened SM mall. It was my first time to go there since I gave it a 2-week holding period since it opened. haha! Unfortunately, something terrible happened that my friends called it “binyag sa first time.” hahahah! My mood wasn’t dampened though, because my friends were there to cheer me up. It wasn’t really much, anyway. :) Because of the incident,Charlie and Eddieboy decided to go to SM to comfort me. I told them I was stressed because of the incident, but I just wanted them to come. hahahaha! :)) See, they really do love me. :p

In the end, we decided to go to Happy Lemon at Gaisano Mall for my“Creamy Baby Project.” I was still lacking 8 stickers for my coupon so I sort ofcompelled them to buy drinks as a birthday present for me. That night, I had four stickers. hahahaha! :)) Eddieboy was having a bad bout of cough, but he still gulped down the cold drink just for my sticker. Even Charlie had to endure his lactose intolerance from the rock salt and cheese. Darleen on the other hand was the grand-slammer for she contributed a total of three stickers for my coupon. :))

My boys supporting my Creamy Baby Project as a birthday present for me. :)

What happened to me at SM Lanang was just nothing compared to the happiness I felt because of my friends. This was the first birthday I had that extended until week number two. :)

Monday, October 15, 2012

So after my exam in Surgery, my friends and I had lunch at Zen Tea just outside school. It was still pretty early, so Seph suggested that we go toGaisano Mall to finish my Creamy Baby Project since I only had four stickers remaining. I didn’t know she had a hidden agenda. hahahaha

As we got to the mall, Seph told Darleen and me to go to Happy Lemon first because she had to meet her brother. So innocently, both of us went up to Happy Lemon to wait for her. After a few minutes, Seph came, bringing abirthday present for me from Bear Huggs! I was really surprised because I never had a single idea that she was planning to buy me a present. That was when I realized why she was so insistent about going to the mall, using my Creamy Baby Project as an excuse. :))

Seph really knows what I love. She bought me a crocodile pencil case and apink cellphone chain. I named my pencil case Croki. :)

What we do best. Becoming Newton and Einstein together. :)

So going back to my Creamy Baby Project, I only had one last slot in the coupon left to fill so what did I do? Since Jody wasn’t able to go with us to the mall, she just asked me to buy her a drink, so I could complete my stickers. And so it was complete! 

Getting this collectible Creamy Baby keychain is due to the hard work of my friends. Jody, who completed my coupon stickers; Darleen, who was the grand-slammer, contributing a total of three stickers; Seph, who really made me overwhelmingly happy that day; Eddieboy, who had to endure his cough while drinking the cold Oreo Milk Tea; and Charlie who had to endure his lactose intolerance after drinking his Green Tea w/ Rock Salt & Cheese. I will forever be thankful to them. It may be a simple gesture, but for me it was everything. :)

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

This was probably the last day of my birthday extension. Seph and I met withDoc Butch for dinner and some catching up. It was also sort of a treat for my birthday since we haven’t seen each other last week.

We had dinner at Ristorante Spirale, and spent half the night talking over red wine. That was when we realized how long we haven’t seen doc Butch, because we really had a lot of things to talk about.

So as the restaurant closed, we moved to Cups and Lowercases for some coffee, and more talks. We did a lot of catching up, that we never stopped talking for more than three hours. haha! It was so nice doing that again since it has been more than a couple of months since the last time we gathered just to talk.

For the others that I didn’t mention; Bryan, Jebai, Pat, Shelou, Ben, and Raz. Thank you soooo much for making my birthday extension memorable. I will forever treasure that simple moment we just gathered and was complete. :)

Chicken Teriyaki & California Maki bento. Full meal w/ intense wasabi! Lunch was complete. ♥

A UFO?

So my friends and I went to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf the other night to study for our respective exams. I didn’t know if it has been too long since the last time I was there (around 2 weeks), or they just had a lot of changes for the past week or so.

We all know that coffee shops usually are self-service, wherein they’ll call your name and you approach their counter to claim your orders. So it really surprised me that CBTL already has this “coaster” thing where it represents a number and it would light up and vibrate if your order’s up. I still couldn’t quite figure out how it works, but it was really mesmerizing.

I just couldn’t contain my ignorance and amazement because honestly, it was my first time to see something like that. I even got to the point where I kept on repeating to my friends that the shop already have that thing, and I ended up staring at it until the red lights turned on and the coaster vibrated. Haha! I got really excited that I volunteered to pick up our orders from the counter.

Because of that ignorance, we ended up ordering at three different intervals just so I could experience that lighting, buzzing coaster. I know it wasn’t much, but trust me, those who know me also knows how easily I get amazed with simple stuff.

Wouldn’t kill you to be innocent sometimes, right? :p

I also was able to use up my collected points to buy a slice of Blueberry Cheesecake. :)

Sunday Birthday Sessions

So today marked my 27 years of earthly existence. Yeeee!! I’m old, I know! :))

So since it was a Sunday, and it was also the fiesta in Toril, mom and I decided to attend the mass in Toril as a thanksgiving for my birthday.

Took a little while because of the populace, and there was heavy traffic due to the street dances and such. But it was fun, though it was very hot. Mom and I went to the public market after the mass to buy some kakanin. It’s like our hobby to buy kakanin whenever we get out of church. hehe.

Then we bought lechon, for my birthday lunch! YAY! I also had cake and ice cream. It was a really simple celebration because only mom and I live in our house at the moment.

I decided I’d have a major party next weekend with my friends. :)

Lost in My Own World

So I was in school today (obviously because it’s a Thursday). A friend of mine, Eddieboy asked me to buy him a database for Internal Medicine because he was on duty and he couldn’t go to school anymore.

After my quiz in the afternoon, I went to the finance to pay for the database, which only costs 100 Php. And that was also when I realized that I totally forgot that we needed to have our clearance signed for the pre-finals exams. I don’t know why, but I really forgot about it. hahaha!! So I got my empty copy, and promised to finish it by tomorrow, hopefully. I mean, I haven’t submitted my laboratory tests in the clinic yet, I hope it would be alright.

My completely empty clearance slip… Will try to fill it up tomorrow. :p

Anyways, I went to Abreeza to buy a new set of highlighters, which is sort of useless because it’s already the pre-finals and most of my lessons have been highlighted in the book already. I dunno, I just felt obliged to buy. lol! :))

Yeah, I ran out of yellow and orange marker so even though I wouldn’t need it this time, I had to buy a new set. :p I’m supposed to buy the Bic brand, but they were out of stock, so I resorted to Stabilo Swing Cool, instead. :p

So while I was waiting for Eddieboy to text me, because they were still having a conference, I stayed at Fully Booked to look for new interesting books to read. Eddieboy took more than an hour to text me, so I was able to scrape a whole shelf of books, reading their synopsis at the back cover. haha! Enough to free me from my boredom.

Finally, Eddieboy texted me, and told me he was already in the E.R. So I immediately went out the mall, hailed a cab, and told the driver I was going to the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC). When I was dropped outside the E.R., I called Eddieboy and told him I was outside. Then he said he was outside, but we didn’t see each other.

We argued for a few seconds when it hit me. I never asked him the hospital he was having his duty. I just immediately assumed it was at SPMC. So I asked him which hospital, and he said, “Davao Doctors’ Hospital!” It felt like rocks were thrown on me. WE WERE DEFINITELY IN DIFFERENT EMERGENCY ROOMS! hahahaha!! Worse, SPMC is aroung 20-30 minutes far from Davao Doc. :p

I really didn’t know why I thought he was at SPMC, when I knew he was having his first month of duty at a private hospital. He assumed that I knew…And I assumed wrong. hahaha!! It was really crazy and I felt really stupid!

The result? Eddieboy treated me to dinner at Taps. haha! Well, it wasn’t a treat, actually since he just paid back the amount that I paid to buy his Database. lol! :))

Next time, I won’t assume that much anymore. Doesn’t kill to ask, does it? :))

Oh BTW, in lieu with the VHS tapes that I posted, I also saw some cassette tapes that I used to own. Funny thing is that one of them is an album by Vanness Wu, a former F4 member. If you don’t know what F4 is, they are a Taiwanese pop group that starred in Meteor Garden, the Taiwanese version of Hana Yori Dango. They were like, the fever around nine, or ten years ago. :p 

Shania Twain’s first album. This cassette tape dates back to 1998, when I got it as a Secret Santa present for our Christmas Party in school when I was in 6th grade. I super loved her when I was younger. hihi. :p

There! Vanness Wu’s Body Will Sing album. I also had the F4 album, and also Jerry Yan’s album, but my mom’s still looking for it. haha! Cassette tapes around ten years ago were really expensive, that I had to scrimp through my allowance to buy one. :p

I’m currently looking for my F4 Scrapbook that I made when I was in high school. I know…I was young, alright! :p

So my mom was cleaning up our house, and she decided to get rid of these VHS tapes that we had for a few years. I decided to take one last shot of these tapes before we dispose of it.

I remembered how many times my nephew, Raphael would wa

tch these tapes over and over again, and I find it funny that I even forgot we have these movies before. haha! :))  I even had some of these since I was 6 years  old, which would make them older than your kids. haha! :))  

MOVIE LIST:
Richie Rich
Miracle on 34th Street
Lion King
The Princess Diaries
Land Before Time
Land Before Time III
A Bug’s Life
Toy Story
Mulan
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
My Best Friend’s Wedding
Drumline
Sweet Home alabama
Cast Away
The Rugrats Movie
Pearl Harbor
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Deep End of the Ocean

As far as I can remember, we also had original VHS copies of Sound of Music, Land Before Time II, The Fox and the Hound, Fly Away Home, The Mummy, and The Mummy Returns. :p

Three in a Day...

So, last Saturday, my friends and I decided to watch a movie…It was the second day of the opening of SM Lanang Premier, but I didn’t want to step foot into it for at least a couple of weeks. haha! So I won, we watched “The Mistress” at SM City Cinema. Jeez, Better late that never, right? :p

So my other friend was texting me, and asking me to accompany him at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf because he wanted to study. I told him I was out with other friends, and wasn’t sure if I could come over and join him. He was sooooomakulet so I had to give in.

After a quick eat-and-run dinner at Sbarro, I had to leave my first group to go to CBTL, where I found out one of the reasons why he wanted me to come…So I could type his clearance for him. haha!! Jeez!

Then at around 11 in the evening, my best friend called, saying she was out with our friends from college, and wanted me to come over. I couldn’t, but I promised I would pass by in a few hours.

So, we finished our job at CBTL, and I asked my buddy to accompany me to The Patio just to show myself to my best friend because I knew she would kill me if I wouldn’t. haha!

So we stayed there until 4 in the morning chatting, joking around, and of course, reminiscing the past. hihi.

So, that’s 3 different groups of friends in a day. I was so exhausted when I got home that I woke up pretty late the next day. Worth it, though. :)

One moment in my life that I’ll remember forever. :)

My Central Visayas Excursion (PHOTO BLOG)

Who said you can't do anything sensible in just four days? I beg to disagree on that because the four days I spent last weekend were full of fun-filled activities!

My friends and I already booked this Cebu-Bohol trip through a Cebu Pacific promo fare last February, 2012. Yes, 7 months prior to our trip. We were just randomly surfing the site when we saw a seat fare of just 26 pesos. So we grabbed it.

As the date was approaching, I couldn't help but get excited. It was my first time to go to Cebu and Bohol; and also my first time to go on a "plane" trip with friends...with my own money. :p

So yeah, we flew to Cebu City last September 21st, and our Queen City of the South & Heart of Philippine Islands excursion began. :)

September 21st, 2012

Waiting for our boarding at Davao International Airport. I was the earliest to arrive, though these girls were more excited than me. haha! :p

Our arrival at Mactan International Airport. Yeah, it was a required photo-op to remember the first time I stepped into the city. :)

Admiring our room at Gran Prix Hotel. It was very convenient, as it was located in downtown Cebu, and it was a very cozy hotel at an affordable price. :)

We arrived in Cebu at around 6 in the evening, and since it's Cebu, we shouldn't miss the delicious lechon that Sugbu is well known for. We had dinner at Zubu Chon, a very nice restaurant with one of the best lechons I've ever tasted! :)

We concluded our night with a Slurpee from 7-11, which is located in front of our hotel. Oh no, we didn't conclude the night yet. Of course, we bought some Rum to waste the night away! :p

September 22nd, 2012

After waking up pretty early and preparing for our trip to Bohol, we also had a very early breakfast at the hotel lobby. So Cebu! We had the boneless danggit. Yum! :p

With my girls while waiting for our SuperCat boarding. I was feeling really excited because it would be my first time riding a SuperCat. :)

"Touchdown" Tagbilaran! A courtesy Photo-op at their port. :)

We were picked up by a van contracted by the resort we were staying in, and instead of going straight to the resort to check-in, we asked the driver to tour us around Panglao for the afternoon. It wasn't included in the package that we acquired, so it was sort of a side-trip.

We visited the Dauis Church, where the "miraculous well" is located. Unfortunately, there was a wedding ceremony going on in the Church, so we weren't able to go inside. Instead, we just utilized the back of the church, where old ruins could be found. :)

The parola or lighthouse. At first I thought it was a bell tower, but Kuya George (the driver) said it was a lighthouse. Pretty small for a lighthouse, isn't it? :p

He may look like a baby, but he's already a grandpa. This is Bayoyoy. He's considered as one of the smallest man alive in the Philippines. He was already featured on TV, and currently, his family is accepting donations for his care. :)

Our next stop was the Nova Shell Museum, owned by Mr. Quirino Hora. At first, he was just a mere shell collector until his collections grew in number, and so he decided to build this museum for tourists to see.

The museum houses several amazing shells, and also the rarest kinds existing such as the Conus Gloria Maris, which is a famous collector's item; and the smallest shell found at the waters of Balicasag Island and named after Emperor Hirohito of Japan. It was really small, that we had to peer into it using a magnifying glass. What really surprised me was not its size, but how much it costs...A horrifying $1000! haha! I'd better start collecting, too. :))

Day suddenly turned into night when we descended upon the steps of Hinagdanan Cave, which is famous for its crystal clear brackish water. The cave is lit by sunlight which filters through holes in the ceiling; but of course, it was also well-lit with lamps. Wouldn't want to slip and hurt your butt, would you? :p

Hinagdanan Cave was accidentally discovered when the owner of the area was clearing the decaying branches of the land when he found the hole. The owner throw a stone into the hole, then he heard a splash. Then he build a ladder to get into the cave. They named it Hinagdanan, means "laddered" used to get into the cave's interior. (Wikipedia)

So I was reading about the history of Hinagdanan Cave in Wikipedia, and found out that what was written there were exactly the same words that our guide had told us. haha! So much for memorization; helpful for foreign tourists, really. :)

See those drawings at the back? Nobody really knew who drew that because according to the guide, if the person who drew that still existed, he would be imprisoned for vandalism. haha! He was such a funny dude, really! :))

So as the afternoon came to a close, we decided to have our dinner at Bohol Bee Farm, which is known to serve every meal in "organic mode." Yeah, it was indeed so organic that we had to eat vegetable lasagna, and flowers for fresh garden salad. lol! :p

Aside from the sumptuous meal, we were mesmerized by the view of the sea while waiting for our orders. It was amazing. Just the perfect getaway. :)

As the night approached, we decided to conclude our tour and checked-in our resort. Before we drew our night to a close, we strolled along the shore, to admire the beautiful white sand beach (and also to metabolize our food). lol! :p We also took a short dip in the pool, and drank the night away. :)

September 23rd, 2012



We woke up really early so we could enjoy the beauty of the beach before we check-out of our resort, and start our Bohol City tour. Well, I really didn't bathe into the sea, thanks to my period. :p We had a nice filled meal, and then our day had started. :)

What's with the uniform? haha! It was our Intrams T-shirt in school, and decided to wear the same thing on our tour, just for the fun of it. At least we could feel that it was some sort of a field trip or something. :p

The Sandugo was a blood compact, performed in the island of Bohol in the Philippines, between the Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi and Datu Sikatuna the chieftain of Bohol on March 16, 1565, to seal their friendship as part of the tribal tradition. This is considered as the first treaty of friendship between the Spaniards and Filipinos. "Sandugo" is a Visayan word which means "one blood". (Wikipedia)

This wasn't the actual site where the blood compact happened, but a monument was erected in this area, because according to our driver/tour guide/photographer Kuya Aldrin, the festival for the Sandugo started in this barangay. :)

Baclayon is known for its historic Catholic Church, declared as a National Historic Treasure in 1995 because it is considered the best preserved of its kind in the region. Its first structure was built in 1595, but the current building is from 1724 and has a Spanish Colonial architecture. The church includes a small museum, with relics dating back to the early 16th century, and adjoining 21 metres (69 ft) high bell tower. Nearby are centuries-old stone buildings like the hermita, and elementary school, as well as the historic public marketplace, a Spanish-era building with giant stone columns supporting the roof. (Wikipedia)

As you can see, one of the pillars of the Church shows an image of Father Pio, a priest known for his bearing of the Stigmata during his priesthood. According to Kuya Aldrin, nobody really knew how the image appeared, but the locals of Baclayon considered it as a miracle, and so, they put up a small chapel for Father Pio at the side of the Church, showing a photo essay of his life, and also providing a petition box for the patrons.

A photo-op with the bell tower in the background which, unfortunately, isn't open to the public. We also weren't able to get inside the Church, because it was a Sunday and a mass was going on. We were also wearing shorts which was not allowed inside. :(

The butterfly farm was one of the best places that we visited. It was fun learning about the life cycle of a butterfly with real live caterpillars, cocoons, and butterflies for props. We also had the chance the sprout wings with the "butterfly effect" as what kuya Arman, the guide called it. :)

Inside the butterfly farm. We were able to walk with the butterflies, and even play with them. One butterfly stuck into Jody's hair and in the end, she decided to bring it home. :)

Playing with the butterfly net or sibot in Cebuano. :p

This snake is like the biggest of its kind that I've personally seen. His name is Prony, and he's so huge that at 15 years old, his weight is already that of a 45-year old Philippine Python. As what Marimar (the guide/entertainer) said, he grew up filled with tender, loving, care. :)

Of course! Touring around Bohol wouldn't be complete without experiencing the Loboc River Cruise while feasting on a buffet full of tummy-filling meals. So as part of our resort package, we had free lunch buffet at Riverwatch Floating Restaurant. We cruised the length of the river while munching down on our food, admired the virgin waters seemingly untouched, welcomed by the locals playing ukulele and dancing, and of course, entertained by the kids jumping off into the river or swinging on a rope before the splash. Downside of this cruise? You can't eat well, because you'll be busy getting mesmerized by the beauty of the river. :p

So what's the best way to digest the food you've just eaten? Me? I'll just cross the bridge when I get there. haha! And it isn't just a figure of speech. We really did cross a bridge...a hanging bridge! Though it was just a short bridge spanning across Loboc River, it was fun playing atop it when you get at the center.

At the end of the bridge was the Buko King, who set a record many years ago in the Philippines. Though we didn't watch him anymore because his show was a little too expensive. hihi. :p

So the number one in my list of things to do when I get to Bohol, is visiting the Tarsier Conservation Area. Much to my dismay, unlike before, we aren't allowed to touch the tiny little creatures anymore due to their sensitivity.

That didn't dampen my excitement though. As I looked at these little things, holding onto a tree branch and sleeping, I couldn't help but make gigil at their cuteness overload. What made me extremely excited was when one of them woke up and looked at us. It was like the best Tarsier experience that I've ever had...well, I've nothing to compare it to, though since that was my first time to see them. haha! :p

This is the man-made Mahogany forest, stretching around 2 kilometers off the road, located between Loboc and Bilar. It would make you feel like you've stepped into Narnia, especially when you get into the part where the sky is covered by the thick trees, and the light will instantly turn to darkness. It was just too mesmerizing, that we had to put our lives on the line and pose in the middle of the road, just to be able to show its background beauty. :)

After like, a hundred attempts, this was the only successful jumpshot that we had. haha! Kuya Aldrin even already gave up. Well, it was his idea, anyway. :p

Our last stop was the Chocolate Hills, since it is the farthest from Tagbilaran. The almost one hour travel was worth it though, as we came across mounds and mounds of conical green hills. Why Chocolate Hills? According to Kuya Aldrin, during the summer, the green grass turns brown, hence the name. :)

It was just so beautiful. We went up and admired the view from above, trying to count how many hills were there. hehe. :p We also had the epic "broomstick" jumpshot with the hills in the background. It really felt like flying over the beauty of nature. :)

So on our way to the Port of Tagbilaran, we passed by this Shiphaus, a house shaped into a ship owned by Capt. Gaudencio Dumapias. He accepts donations, in exchange for a pictorial in front of his house. He even wears his Captain uniform everyday, for the entertainment of the tourists. :)

So that about concluded our trip to Bohol. By 6 in the evening, we went back to Cebu via Supercat, and our Cebu adventures started then. :)

So when we got back to Cebu, we contacted a friend of ours, Zebedee who's currently living there to tour us into the night life of the city. He brought us to the I.T. Park in Lahug, where we had dinner at Chicken & Beer. The chicken was so great, and so hang, which is the Cebuano accent for halang, which means spicy hot. :p

Since it was a Sunday night, most of the bars closed early, but we were fortunate to find one that was still open. At Ilaputi, they served Cebuano style cocktails that you couldn't see in other cities. It wasn't disappointing though. Their cocktails were superb! :)

After "tipsying" a little, we tried out iTea's Milk Tea. It was good, but for me, 360 is still better. hihi. Went back to the hotel a little after 2 in the morning. We didn't stay long outside because we would be early the next day for our Cebu City tour. :)

September 24th, 2012

Breakfast time! This was our last breakfast at Gran Prix hotel, so we made the most out of it. :)

Courtesy photo-op outside the hotel. Manong guard's hands were a little too shaky, don't you think? :))

Since our time was limited (we only had a whole day to tour the city and buy pasalubong), we only visited one of the most historical places in Cebu, the Magellan's Cross, and Basilica del Sto. Nino. There was a really long queue, just to touch the real thing, and as much as I wanted to fall in line, my friends looked like they weren't up to it, so we just had some pictorials instead. :p

Lunch at Casa Verde in Ayala Center Cebu. Parents weren't with us, so we could be as unhealthy as we wanted to be, as evidenced by the huge 12-inch Mighty Ton burger that we ordered. The result? We weren't able to finish it, and we felt really sick. haha! :))

We went to SM City Cebu afterwards to shop for pasalubong, and by nighttime, we went to the Shamrock shop to bring home their famous Otap and Rosquillos. We had dinner at Chuwabungga (I had Korean Seafood Stew), and as the night came to a close, we bid farewell to Zeb, and went back to our hotel room to pack our stuff for our flight back home the next day.

It was indeed just a very short weekend trip, but going to Cebu and Bohol with friends, even a few hours could turn into a lifetime. Will definitely go back there in the future! :)