Country > Philippines > Bohol > Tagbilaran
Date > 2024 > May
Activity > Slice of Life

May 19, 2024

Moving to Taloto, Tagbilaran City

Location : Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines

The Rent Issue
Even though I could have stayed at Kat's place until June 21, it was best to start looking for a suitable residence early on. So when I found this place with a bedroom, bathroom and kitchen/dining area just 2km away from Kat, I took it. It felt convenient for its location but not much else. It felt cramped and dark. At P6k, this doubles my allotted rent budget and cuts in half my one-year safety lifeline to 6 months (I run out of money in 6 months unless I start making new money). But having this place already eased my racing mind and bought me time. At least I have 2 months to look for a place further out that fits my budget or maybe stumble upon a lucrative gig that allows me to stay longer here. Bottom line is I don't want to have to work regularly just to pay rent.

Moving In
When I moved in, it felt different. Emma, my landlady, had the whole place cleaned up and removed the clutter. It felt spacious for P6k. I could move around. Emma went the extra mile by providing a new foam mattress on the upper bunk (perfect for Marky or any house guest) and had the old aircon professionally cleaned up (I offered to pay for half but she refused). She provided 2 chairs and a table. Altogether, it was looking like I could actually stay here long (instead of the 2 months I allotted).

Cost of Moving
I had to pay P12k for 1st month's rent and 1-month deposit. It was deja vu when I had to start buying household utility helpers - broom, toilet brush, cleanser, water bottle and dispenser, etc. It felt like I recently did this when I moved to Siquijor, and now, after selling all those things for a song when I moved out, I now have to buy them all over again at full retail with this new place. Moreover, I had to buy more this time - refrigerator, LPG tank, cast iron burner, mattress, pillows, electric fan, etc. For wifi, I paid my neighbor P400/monthly for the monthly piggy-backing. This initial cost was steep - maybe P40k. I'm glad I had this money. 2 years ago, I had nothing - I was just living comfortably in Chiang Mai in a hotel without paying for it (that's a whole story in itself). My benevolent universe is smart and keen on my details. Everything has been provided by my universe - the money, Bohol, Kat, the opportunities, the house to rent, appliances to make life comfortable, etc. It feels like divine intervention, so I don't think too much of the costs. I know I'm looked after.

Initial Downside
Having just a few days here, I could already identify the downside - barking neighbor dog, crowing rooster in the morning and oppressive heat. Without an air-conditioner, this room is not habitable. Luckily, the aircon was cleaned..

Marky with all my Stuff
All my belongings were still in Cebu City. Luckily, Marky was heading to Bohol from Cebu. He agreed to bring it all with him in exchange for me shouldering his transport expenses. It's a 2-way deal that works both ways. He'll be arriving on May 25. He can stay on the upper bunk. When I get my cooking utensils again, I'll get a cast-iron burner - not the weeny 2-burner gas stove. I'll get an LPG tank and get cooking again. That thought excites me. I can also make Masala Chai and pizza. Unlikely Kat will come, but I'll invite her just the same.

Yoga
This place is hardly conducive to yoga practice. But just 1.5 km away is a public beach with a concrete platform - Tubig Daku. I could come here before sunrise and do my yoga, then have my sikwate/puto maya at the nearby roadside eatery. This was a convenient morning routine.

morning yoga is now at Tubig Daku in Taloto

Bohol University
I just realized that just steps away is the VDT Advanced Learning Center of the University of Bohol. In 2017, I gave a philosophical/spiritual talk to the 11th graders and also conducted a yoga class for about 60+ students. The fact that I ended up just beside this school is perhaps a subtle message by my universe to pursue an opportunity - maybe another talk, perhaps even a teaching job. I'll certainly make an effort to talk to the main guy here.

Guirigay Clan Reunion
My grandmother (RIP) hails from Tinago, Dauis, Bohol - just a few km from me. I learned that the Guirigay clan is having a grand reunion this August. I don't know anyone there but I will attend this and see what door opens up. Already, through my aunts in Davao, I was in touch with a distant relative living in Dauis. I'll be meeting her in the coming days.

Guirigay Clan Reunion invite

Ending Thoughts
I'm still settling down and many things are still floating while opportunities lay on the horizon. When things settle down, I'll begin to see a clearer picture of this maze and how to navigate this new chapter. I have a feeling many things were already lined up for me in Bohol but couldn't happen yet until this move and coming to my own. For as long as I pursue any and every opportunity that presents itself, I'll be living my karmic path without getting in the way. While somehow daunting on every turn, it feels great to be on track.

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

Movie Review: Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)

(May 22, 2024) From the trailer and the poster, it looked like a cheap commercial opportunitstic squeeze on the Mad Max saga. But boy, was I in for a surprise! Sure, the Mad Max theme is there, but it's a level-up in story telling, in the action choreography and in the characterizaton....more »»

Next Slice of Life story:

She Sat Beside Me

(August 31, 2024) Seated at the Sandugo Festival enjoying live music and a coldie, I noticed this young, sexy and beautiful lady pass by my table. 'Sexy and beatiful' do not happen very readily here in Tagbilaran, so of course, I noticed but didn't give a double take. A few minutes later, someone sat on the table next to me - it was her! If I didn't make a move, I knew I couldn't forgive myself in the many years to come...more »»

Bohol, Philippines

tourist attractions

Danao Adventure Park - zip lining, cable car ride, caving, river rides/trekking, off-road buggy ride, root climbing, rappelling and ultra-glide rides
Alona Beach - hub for tourists with hotels, resorts, restos, bars and dive shops
Chocolate Hills - hills side-by-side shaped like giant Kisses chocolate
Tarsier - pocket-sized marsupia looking like a monkey
Balicasag Island - one of the best dive spots in the Philippines
Loboc River - river cruise on a boat
Anda Beach - fine white sand beach with resorts, restos and cottages, 3 hours by bus from Tagbilaran
Cabagnow Cave Pool - brackish water pool about 5ft deep inside a limestone opening on the ground, 8 feet deep, P50
Lamanok Island - walk on a 100m bamboo bridge on stilts to a resto area to take a boat tour to caves and nearly attractions, P300
Combento Cave Pool - cave pool with underwater cave system, P20
Can-umantad Falls - long narrow drop until it hits a bulbous mound spreading it into a a curtain-like water canopy and down into a splash pool
Canawa Cold Spring - deep refreshing cold spring with developed pool area
Firefly Tour - evening boat ride into the river to watch fireflies

hotel

Fox & The Firefly Cottages - SUP paddle boarding, luxury riverside native cottages, mountain bike tours, SUP yoga
Baranggay Valladolid, Loboc, Bohol
Bohol Tropics Resort - seafront location, manicured surroundings, swimming pool, resto/bar
0133 Graham Avenue, Brgy. Cogon, Tagbilaran, Bohol 6300
Oasis Resort - Alona Beach location, dive center, resto / bar
Alona Beach, Panglao, Bohol

yoga

Jing Yoga - health & well being through yoga
The Courtyard - Airport Road fronting the church
Bohol Meditation and Yoga Center - 2nd Floor Lim Magtajas Bldg. CPG Avenue

Bohol Travel Info/Tips

Bohol FYI / Tips

the tourist area where most of the hotels, restaurants, ticket offices, tour operators are, is located within the Alona Beach area
the tourist attractions in Bohol are far apart and spread-out. It would be difficult to visit them all using public mass transit. Better hire a van (P3500/day) if in a big group, or rent a motorcycle (P400/day + gas)
Bohol relies on its tourism for revenue. As expected, everything they can capitalize on from tourism is extensively used and developed

Tagbilaran Port to Panglao

You can charter any tricycle from the port all the way to Panglao (~P300), but if you want to do it on the cheap,

don't take the tricycles lined-up inside the port. Walk past the port gate and immediately outside, you'll see many tricycles. Take one to the bus terminal in Dao (~P15)
in Dao, take the jeep that plies the Panglao route (~P20)

Tagbilaran (Bohol) to Cebu City by boat

** schedules and rates keep changing, call for latest schedule

Weesam Express - departs 6:15 AM, 11:30 AM, 4:00 PM
one way: Economy (aircon) P500.00, Economy (non-aircon) P400.00, First Class P600.00
round trip promo (at least 2 days advance booking): Economy (aircon) P600, Economy(non-aircon) P500, First Class P1200
round trip promo (1 day or on the day booking): Economy (aircon) P800, Economy (non-aircon) P700, First Class P1200
Ocean Jet - departs 6-7:05-8:20-9:20-10:40-11:40AM, 1-2-3:30-4:20-5:30-6:30PM, 2 hours, arrives Pier 1 in Cebu
Open Air / Tourist Class P800, Business Class P1000
+63(32)255 7560 / +63 (32) 255 0115 / 0917 638 0000
SuperCat (2GO) - departs 5:50-11AM, 3:45-5:25-8:15PM, arrives Pier 1 in Cebu
P 500.00
+63 32 233 7000

Things to do, Places to go in Bohol

Chocolate Hills - this is a clustering of more than 1200 hills within a 50km² area. They range in height from 30-50 meters. What's unusual is their near-perfect conical shape resembling an individual chocolate chip. No one knows how they were formed. Entrance is P50/pax.
Tarsier Conservation Area - located Upper Bonbon, Loboc. The tarsiers are no longer being played at by tourists as circus props, but instead, visitors now view them in cordoned-off areas in their natural 6ha habitat. As they are territorial and nocturnal, they are predictable on where they can be viewed. P50/pax.
Alona Beach (Panglao) - Alona Beach is the tourist hub of Bohol. It has 1.5 kms of white sand beach lined-up by bars, hotels and restos. Alona is also the jump-off point for Balicasag Island, a world class dive destination.
Danao Adventure Park - located in Barangay Magtangtang, 72 kms (2 hours ride) from Tagbilaran. Adventure activities include river trekking, tyrolean traverse, rappelling, bouldering, rock climbing and ziplining.

Blogs

Bohol

Anda

ANDA

Exploring Combento Cave Pool Jun 29, 2017

Visiting Cabagnow Cave Pool Of Anda Jun 28, 2017

Exploring Anda, Bohol Jun 25-30, 2017

Candijay

CANDIJAY

Roadtrip from Candijay to Ubay Jul 1, 2017

Firefly Tour In Candijay, Bohol Jun 30, 2017

Freediving Canawa Cold Spring Of Candijay, Bohol Jun 30, 2017