Cycling to View the Tarsier in Corella

Location : Philippine Tarsier Sanctuary, Corella (municipality), Bohol (province), Philippines

Cycling to Sikatuna
With father-and-son, Juan and Jeffrey taking turns to show me around the countryside, Juan and I, this time, got saddled-up to do a leisurely ride to see the tarsiers of Corella - about 15kms one-way. We took the less-traveled under-construction diversion highway from Loboc that goes all the way to Tagbilaran, passing only 2 towns - Sikatuna and Corella.

At 62, Juan is ahead of the game, still hammering for epic rides. For long and winding roads along rolling hills like this leisurely ride, Juan takes me around. For bad-ass take-no-prisoner rides, it's Jeffrey's department.

Sikwate in Sikatuna with the Roadies
We stopped by an eatery in Sikatuna which is a popular rest-stop among cyclists. Lo and behold, we met a posse of roadies who were there for a quick break. It's was good meeting members of the cycling community. We took off ahead, but they caught up with us along the way before leaving us in their dust.

Corella's Tarsier Sanctuary
It didn't take long for us to get to the sanctuary. Unlike the one in Bilar, this sanctuary is in a forested natural habitat of the tarsier. It's headed by no other than the Tarsier Man himself, Carlito Pizarras, who spent years studying and protecting the tarsiers. So much so, that when the tarsier received its own recognition as a genus, the genus was named Carlito (Species: Carlito syrichta).

Unfortunately, Juan and I didn't bring our bike locks with us. Juan stayed to look after the bikes while I made a quick inside-out of the place and meeting Carlito himself. I was star-struck meeting him. I have to make a dedicated trip to this place again. I need unhurried time to walk around the place, talk some more with Carlito and spend time observing the tarsiers.

When I visited the Tarsier sanctuary in Bilar back in 2015, the most I saw was a hand of a Tarsier. Odd, but in this particular visit, I didn't see any Tarsier at all.

Drinking with Juan's Friends in Lindaville
Juan's longtime friend, Rudy, was supposed to cycle and meet us in Sikatuna but couldn't. Instead, he invited us to see him in Lindaville (Tagbilaran) instead. True to tradition, it couldn't possibly be just a simple hi-and-hello. We went to the market to buy pork, fish and tuba for some good eats. One guy prepared the raw fish (kinilaw) with the sought-after-but-hard-to-find tabon. Juan took care of grilling the pork. Together, pork and fish were combined for the ultimate pulutan dish, Sinuglaw (sinugba + kinilaw). With fermented coconut sap (tuba or bahal) to wash it down, it was the perfect dish for their buddy-bantering anecdotes along memory lane. Of course I didn't understand a word they were saying, but I laughed along just the same.

Ride Back Home...on a truck
Tipsy, riding back home by bike wasn't an option. Rudy had our bikes loaded up on his truck and off we went back to Loboc. Home sweet home.

Ending Thoughts
Increasingly, my mountain bike ride isn't just about the ride itself, but also a tour of interesting attractions. It's a triple header - I get my bike ride, I get to explore unique offerings of a place and I get to bond with my ride buddy.

I take perspective that in this particular ride, I get a glimpse of the day-to-day small town life - something I yearn but somehow remains elusive. I enjoy riding with Juan and having long talks while pedaling with our bikes. With Juan tagging me along, I was bundled-in with his friends - long time friends who don't get to see each other too often. The spontaneous trip to the market for sugba and kinilaw stuff, everyone doing their thing to prepare the food, the drinking, talking about the good old times, all that laughter and camaraderie, is all the priceless stuff that validates a good life. Yes, it's not just about the ride.

--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
YOGA by Gigit | Learn English | Travel like a Nomad | Donation Bank

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Loboc Map

Loboc, Bohol, Philippines

tourist attractions

• Cruz Daku - 80-foot white cross erected in 1986 on top of Loboc's highest mountain
• Virgen de Guadalupe - giant statue of the Black Madonna perched on a Loboc summit
• River Cruise - river cruise on a floating restaurant serving lunch with cultural presentation
• Busay Falls - accessible only through the river cruise
• Loktob Spring - cold water spring, free admission, huts for rent
• Zipline and Cable Car Ride - at the Eco-Tourism Adventure Park

hotel

• Fox & The Firefly Cottages - SUP paddle boarding, luxury riverside native cottages, mountain bike tours, SUP yoga
• Lyn's Backpackers Inn - family-run guesthouse in the heart of Loboc

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