Country > Philippines > Bohol > Panglao
Date > 2004 > November
Activity > Chilling Out

Series: Old-Airport Walkers

Old-Airport Walkers

Xmas Party with Attys. Al and Heidi Tinampay

November 28, 2024

Dinner for Vic's Mom

Location : Panglao, Bohol, Philippines

Vic
It was a pleasant surprise being invited to Vic's Mom's birthday dinner at his soon-to-open restaurant in Panglao. Vic is one of the Old-Airport Walkers members and owns a string of restaurants. He is one of the youngest members of the group. It was a promise of good food to eat!

with the usual suspects

Soon-to-Open Resto
The restaurant wasn't even open to the public yet and minor construction seemed to be on-going. But it was spruced up for the occasion. There was a long table full of glorious food. Because Vic is a restauranteur, it can only be expected for the food to be good. And yes, it was much better than your average fiesta food. I'll remember to come on an empty stomach next time.

Who's Who of Bohol
There were only a few tables. Vic didn't seem to have personal friends outside his walking group. Of course, the Old-Airport Walkers were there, occupying the largest table - embarrassing to admit that I still don't know all of them by name or what they do. But I know they are the influencers of policy in Bohol.

I met a few people outside the walkers whom I find intriguing. There was an 'editor'. Yes, he simply said he was an editor, but he seemed to get preferential treatment. Dishes not served on the long table were put on his table. It was a good thing I was on that same table. Next big burly guy came and everyone addressed him as 'Gov'. I Googled the governor of Bohol and it was this guy. There was also a Chinese-looking Congresswoman. The 3 of them, the editor, the gov and the congresswoman were talking business. The members of the Walkers would talk to the 3 casually, as in, "So where have you been?" - they were personally acquainted and perhaps on the same footing.

On the other hand, others (not in the walker group) approaching the table would behave very deferentially, almost bowing down with lots of 'sir' as they spoke. These people seem to ask for favors. Funny thing is, they seem to be hot shot employers who run big business in Bohol, who probably throw their weight around their employees like some big dick. And here they are, practically humbled with tail between their legs, asking favors to the powers that be. Interesting how people in the grid behave or force themselves to fit in.

Ride Back Home
It was nearly 10 pm and the rain stopped. But the road was still wet. This would be my first time to ride a far distance (25 km) on my motorbike at night on wet pavement. Whatever happens along the way, I was already ahead of the game - great food and wonderful company.

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

Starting all over with String Theory

(November 30, 2024) My jaw just dropped when I saw a podcast with Leonard Susskind saying, 'I can tell you with absolute certainty that String Theory is not the real world that we live in, so we need to start over.'. Whoa! This is a bombshell. For decades, I have been enamored by the predictions of String Theory. I've romanticized it in my head a zillion times. 54 years of promising research down the drain? Now, we have to start all over again? What the F#%K!...more »»

Next Chilling Out story:

Xmas Party with Attys. Al and Heidi Tinampay

(December 7, 2024) I received another invite for a Christmas gathering, this time from the lawyer-couple, Attys. Al and Heidi Tinampay. Some of the Old-Airport Walkers were there but mostly it was for the staff of their 3 companies. Programs and great food were there, as expected....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 blogs