October 2017 Blogs

Killer MTB Ride from Sevilla

(Oct 30, 2017) The Sevilla-Loboc downhill ride is the most brutal I've done with Jeffrey. We had to dismount even on the downhills as well as the uphills for the same reason - wet, big, densely-packed pointed rocks covered in moss on a tight single-track with major drops. It was challenging to steer the tires between the rocks at best and at worst, we had to dismount. Other times, there was simply no line to follow......more »»

Loboc River Cruise on a Stand-Up Paddle

(Oct 29, 2017) Initially, standing on an oversized surfboard with a paddle in hand felt tentative given the balancing act, the river current and the actual paddling. But after getting the hang of it, it got more fun. At the end of it, I was playing with the board and doing yoga poses!....more »»

Cycling to View the Tarsier in Corella

(Oct 26, 2017) It was a 15km leisurely bike ride with Juan which passed through the town of Sikatuna, all the way to Corella, the site of another sanctuary for the famous Tarsier, Bohol's miniature bug-eyed monkey....more »»

Exploring Hinagdanan Cave

(Oct 24, 2017) It was supposed to be an overnight at Pamilacan Island across Baclayon, but there was no boat and no system in place to get there, so Juan and I ended up exploring Hinagdanan Cave instead. With its tide-fed brine-water pool inside a cathedral expanse, it's a marvel to behold!....more »»

Living Parallel Lives

(Oct 23, 2017) What if you experience a life that you passed off as a 'could have been' or a 'should have been'? We face many choices in life, but only one choice to live out. But what if we all live them out as parallel lives? With my 30-day mini-life in a different destination, I get a glimpse of my parallel lives, one radically different from the other...more »»

The Ride to Morning Hill

(Oct 22, 2017) After doing the zipline, trekking and exploring 3 caves, we should have called it a day. But Jeffrey suggested climbing Morning Hill on our bikes. Huh? It's far and it's an unrelenting climb! Why not?....more »»

Exploring Guimba and Sog-ong Caves of Loboc

(Oct 22, 2017) It was surprising for me to hear about caves in Loboc. Outside Loboc, nobody talks about Loboc Caves. But Jeffrey assured me there are quite a handful of caves. They are so obscure, most don't even have names.....more »»

Ziplining and Cable Car Ride at Eco-Tourism Adventure Park

(Oct 22, 2017) It was a double-header at Eco-Tourism Adventure Park with its zipline and cable car ride across the Loboc River in full view of the Busay Falls below....more »»

The Ride to the Old Spanish Tower

(Oct 21, 2017) Increasingly, the mountain bike rides I have with Jeffrey is morphing into a bike tour - a mix of hard riding when needed with stopovers to explore anything interesting. Our ride had stops at a hilltop house overlooking the landscape below and an extended bamboo foot-bridge leading to a restored Spanish watch tower.....more »»

Savouring Villagio Pizza

(Oct 19, 2017) I'm a pizza guy, so one of the surprises I had in Loboc is Villagio Pizza. It cooks pizza using a wood-fired oven and it serves cold Cerveza Negra - 2 things that don't happen too often in big cities, let alone in a small municipality....more »»

Wet and Wild Bonbon-Alegria Downhill Ride

(Oct 18, 2017) The soon-to-be-completed diversion road from Bonbon-Alegria in Loboc was a promising downhill ride. To get there, we loaded up the bikes on a truck for the 7km uphill ride. From there, we simply bomb down all the way home. BUT it was pouring hard rain. It was a wet and wild ride!....more »»

River Cruise on Loboc River

(Oct 17, 2017) Loboc's primary tourism draw is the river cruise along the famed Loboc River. It's usually packed even on weekdays. First time I was in Loboc in 2015, it was a 2-hour wait, so we bailed. Now, I finally get the chance to experience what all the hype is all about....more »»

Back Road Ride to Loay

(Oct 17, 2017) It was a leisurely ride through the mountain back roads of Loboc all the way to the coastal town of Loay, passing through the hidden but majectic Balay Silangan, a grand house-turned-resort on the mountain slope overlooking the sea and Loboc River...more »»

Leisurely Ride to Loktob Spring

(Oct 14, 2017) For a change, my mtb tour guide Jeffrey, decided to do a more leisurely exploration of other Loboc essentials - Loktob Spring, Eco-Tourism Adventure Park and the landslide caused by the earthquake of 2013....more »»

Sweet Ride to Busay Falls

(Oct 13, 2017) Imagine being on a summit facing a technical downhill single track on a mountain slope - ruts, roots, winding trails, rocks, mud and drops. And then add rain to that. What do you have? A super-sweet ride!....more »»

Bike Climb to the Virgen de Guadalupe

(Oct 12, 2017) Today was an arduous climb on a bike with Jeffrey to the Virgen de Guadalupe, a giant statue of the Black Madonna perched on a Loboc summit with a clear line of sight to another iconic religious landmark, the Cruz Daku.....more »»

The Ride to Cruz Daku (Big Cross)

(Oct 11, 2017)I'd been commuting on a bike, but no hard riding...until Loboc. My landlord is a biker but a little out of shape. With the presence of a riding buddy (me!), he finds new vigor to be back on the saddle. One morning, he invites me to go riding with him to the summit where a giant cross looms over Loboc - Cruz Daku!....more »»

Exploring Loboc, Bohol

(Oct 8, 2017) I left Tagbilaran not really knowing where I move to next. I ended up in Loboc, about an 90 mins by bus. If not for the popular Loboc River Cruise, Loboc would be an obscure dot on the map - no cafe, shopping center, no convenience store, no sikwate drink and even tuba is hard to come by. The main drag is a 50-meter strip on the main road. I couldn't help thinking, 'What am I doing here?'. If that's not hard enough, I signed up for 30 days in a cheap room in the heart of town. Let's see what happens here.....more »»

30 days in Tagbilaran, Thank You!

(Oct 8, 2017) It has been a glorious 30 days of bliss and abundance in Tagbilaran - meeting new friends, learning more about website development, breakfast talks, cycling around the city, cheap movies, resort stays, cafe adventures, etc. Like all good things that come and go, it was time to move on again. For everything that was Tagbilaran, big thank you!....more »»

Breakfast Talk with Tagbilaran's Finest

(Oct 8, 2017) With my stay at Bohol Tropics which includes breakfast for 2 at Cafe Atanacio, I invited a breakfast guest daily. Anyone I met who looked interesting was invited. How cool is that?....more »»

Exploring the Cafe Scene of Tagbilaran

(Oct 7, 2017) As a cafe denizen in search of the perfect brew, I'm always drawn to a coffee shop with character - themed, trendy, chique, elegant, muted, subdued, tastefully loud or even garishly kitsch. Time to saddle-up on my bike and do my cafe rounds!....more »»

Yoga for 60+ Students at the University of Bohol

(Oct 4, 2017) After giving a talk to 11-graders at the University of Bohol about my philosophy and spirituality, I was asked again by UB faculty, Mehul, if I can conduct a yoga class for a bigger audience...around 60 11th-graders, all of them first timers. Of course, I said Yes!....more »»

Chocolate Overload At Dalareich Chocolate House

(Oct 2, 2017) In tableya conversations with friends, the newly opened chocolate factory - Dalareich Chocolate House, the first of its kind in Bohol, kept popping up. It was an itch that finally had to be scratched. A conversation with the chocolate princess herself, Dalareich, opened up a hidden world of chocolate for me....more »»

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