Balicasag Island ( July 2012)

One of the highlights of my trip to Tagbilaran is our island hopping tour and we ended in Balicasag for snorkelling. Our snorkelling guide is simply fantastic and he was able to make us feel at home, not that we became mermaids and mermen, but we appreciated fully our short yet memorable swim under the sea. 

Feeding the fish with my friend.

I had been in numerous snorkeling dives around Thailand but my experience in Bohol cannot be compared to my expeditions in Koh Phi Phi, Koh Samui or Koh Chang. This one stands out.

The variety of fish offers amazement.

There are numerous fish of different sizes and colours which truly amazes me. My former snorkeling trips were inhabited by the same coloured species. I learned that Balicasag is one protected territory.

The corals underwater are breathtaking.

I wanted to capture the colour and beauty of the underworld but my camera has limited functions. At that moment, all I can do was capture the vivid grace of the underwater in my mind.

And now for the dive!

I am now convinced that diving should be next in my itinerary, another thing to do or accomplish so that I could thoroughly enjoy nature at its best. 

Right on! What a dive!

I give my entire Balicasag trip a "thumbs-up". 

Bohol, Tagbilaran City

Just three weeks ago, I went to Bohol with two of my best buddies and it was a blast. I am posting just a little bit of what Tagbilaran is and how beautiful it is as a city. 

Our tired bodies seemingly jolted out of their weariness when we tried the meat 'hong ma' at Cafe Lawis. It is superb and what with the ambience of a garden, our lunch is one fabulous eat. 

The Hinagdanan Cave is eerie yet filled with wonder. The air inside is welcoming and the water is enticing. Though it is a great place to be, I am not going to be swimming in darkness for I am afraid of what's underneath. 

A short stop at the Muro Ami Beach means a short walk along the white sands where I found some dead jellyfish. I particularly like the varying degrees of colour from the sand up to the mountain tops.

The River Cruise with lunch is a welcome addition to a hot and humid day. The enchanting Loboc River is a wonder and the serenity of the water adds to its mystery during the day. I wonder what lurks in there at night.

The infamous Chocolate Hills where we get to see a glimpse of its majesty by climbing a set of steps at a time. Named chocolate for its colour during the summer, tourists often say it reminded them of "Kisses" chocolates.

The Bamboo Hanging Bridge is used to cross the Sipatan River and it is a great way to experience motion sickness. Hanging on the rail while crossing is not fun so better take your hands off and walk.

That's 6 out of the 500 photos we took for this trip. Go and do visit, it's more fun in the Philippines.

Old Sketches

Freeing myself of all the clutter and old files that abound in my house, I happened to kept three sketches I made in 1981. All three were Asian themed and garden inspired.