Photos et lettres des Philippines, de France et d'ailleurs

On October 6, after I returned from Manila where I had sent off my four friends, I found at home and for a few days two new hosts, Leng Dhana’s sister a regular visitor and their cousin Eddie for his first visit here. Unfortunately for them, their four day holiday took place under a pouring rain, but the main thing for them was to be together.

Eddie took the opportunity to celebrate his 57th birthday at Mag-abo which, was also attended by Nora, Dodong and two of their three children, Reynald and Renalyn. Rosalyn, the eldest was working.

(Nora and Renalyn)

(Dodong and Reynald)

(Eddie blowing the candels)

(The three cousins)

October 10, everyone returned to Manila including Dhana as it was the end of her 4 weeks’ vacation in the Philippines.
It is on October 11 at 4:30 pm that Carole and Jacques landed at the Dumaguete airport to spend almost three weeks here. They are longtime friends that I met in Paris 38 years ago now.
So the next day I recommenced my work as a guide, so this time I will be more succinct in my comments at least for what has already been seen previously.
So October 12, again was the traditional arrival lunch at Thalatta Beach Resort, its good restaurant and saltwater pool.

(Thalatta, a cottage and the swimming pool)

The next two days were spent resting at home and doing some shopping in town.

(Ready for a swim)

Then on October 15, again we were off to Bohol but this time for two nights instead of one which allowed our friends to see under the sun light the very touristy Alona Beach.

(Jacques and Carole on Alona Beach)

This time our guide had us start our tour by visiting the tarsiers, only it did not drive us to the Corella Center but instead to the Tarsier Conservation Center Area near Loboc where the little guys were certainly easier to photograph but it was obviously less authentic and set for a large mass of tourists. Certainly it is better than before because on its 6 hectares are now grouped all tarsiers who for decades, along the Loboc riverbank were poked with sticks, blinded by flash cameras, endured day long petting and force feeding from tourists. Tarsier display owners were then widely criticized for allowing this to happen. However next time I will not return to this place and I will require the guide to go to the official Corella reserve.

(The tarsiers)

Then it was the turn of the Chocolate Hills still under the clouds.

(The Chocolate Hills)

Then it was the butterfly farm and finally the buffet lunch on the Loboc River again and again with a little folk dance and the savage Ati tribesmen.

(The butterfly farm)

(A singer)

(The tinikling dance)

(The Ati tribesmen and a lady warrior)

The afternoon was devoted to crossing the hanging bridge that didn’t collapse under my weight and then visiting the local pythons. Alas Prony, one of the largest specimens in the world died recently. He lived 16 years in captivity and weighed 280 kilos and was 9 meters long in 2012.
Before we called it a day, we only stopped briefly at the monument Blood Compact and the Baclayon Church.

(The hanging bridge)

(Carole and the pythons. The yellow one is a female and is named Maïka like my grand-daughter)

(In March 2013, Anne-Lise the daughter of a classmate of mine and the python 'Prony'. Different women and different snakes. Lol)

The next day we hired the same van for the morning to visit a few spots on the island of Panglao.
First it was the belfry that served before as a watchtower but also damaged by the recent earthquake.

(The Panglao beffry)

Then the Nova Shell Museum which outlines most of the shells found in the Indo-Pacific Basin.

(The Nova Shell Museum)

 We finished the morning with the beautiful Hinagdanan cave.

(The Hinagdanan cave)

The best was yet to come and it was lunch at the biological restaurant ‘Bohol Bee Farm’ by the seaside.  I can only highly recommend it for to its setting and its excellent food.
To complete the end of our stay in Bohol, we returned for dinner at the Lost Horizon Beach Resort restaurant with its pleasant orchestra and no less good food.

(First a drink along the beach=

(Then dinner)

(The band and the singers)

Arriving in Dumaguete October 18, we were eager to attend the street parade of Buglasan festival. The Buglasan was originally created in 1990 to celebrate the centennial of the Province of Negros Oriental formerly called Buglas. The festival is now held every year in October and all the municipalities of the province are represented.
Unfortunately for us, there was an opening parade but the main street parade was scheduled another day. Nevertheless it was still interesting to watch.

(Jacques is ready)

(The first parade)

October 20, I drove them to see the Balanan Lake, the Tambobo Bay and then as with the previous group lunch at Kookoo's Nest Beach Resort.

(The Siaton rice fields again in morning)

(An improvised cockfighting for us)

(Balanan Lake)

(They are back from the natural swimming pool)

(The wharf from Tambobo Bay)

(The Kookoo's nest resort beach)

October22 was a Wednesday, and again almost an obligation to visit again the Malatapay market.

(The Malatapay market)

In the evening we were invited by a French friend, Raymond, to celebrate the birthday of his wife Rovie.

(The celebrant)

(The buffet)

(Raymond and part of the guests)

October 23, Carole and Jacques went to for some snorkeling in Apo Island in front of the house and that is a marine reserve. They could admire the underwater world and swim with turtles. That day, I preferred to rest at home and I only took the pictures when they just came back in front of the house.

(The landing from Apo Island)

On the 24, I made them see the Mabolo ferruginous water falls in Valencia.

(The stream and the  Mabolo falls)

It was after lunch in Dumaguete that fortuitously we were lucky to admire the 'real' street parade of the Buglasan.

(The second Buglasan and main street parade)

Time always passes too quickly and their end of the stay was close and as for the others, I ended with a road trip to Bayawan where we could see the Saturday market.

(Going to Bayawan)

(The Bayawan Saturday market)

It is at Funtasea Beach Resort in Basay that we took our meal which allowed them to enjoy swimming and the beautiful golden sandy beach.

(Funtasea Resort, I didn't want to pose but it is funny after all)

(On our way back home, the muddy river)

(Some road work)

(Again the Siaton rice fields at almost sundown)

It is October 28 that my friends boarded the plane bound to Manila, this time without a problem. Their international flights were scheduled the next evening to France and a return to their dear Normandy. Of course we had before their departure the traditional photo session to choose the one to be posted on the refrigerator.

(The chosen pic)

Since the end of the construction of our Mag-abo house in September 2005,it  is between 50 and 60 people coming mainly from France but also from Australia, Singapore, USA, Canada and of course the Philippines who stayed there. All, I think, delighted with the stay and a strong desire for most to return one day. It is a good promotion for this country and this region that deserve it.

PS. Recently Forbes Magazine ranked Dumaguete city 5^th best place to retire in the World

http://tenminutes.ph/forbes-list-best-cities-to-retire/