It's the journey. And most of the time, it's the destination too. You can never tell what surprises await you when you go on a journey. Our trip to Anda, Bohol does pack a big surprise for me even before we get there.
The journey begins in an SUV in a dark port in Cebu City. It's eleven o'clock in the evening and there are six of us. My brother Dominic is in the driver's seat and his wife, Marisa, beside him. Inday and I on the second seat. My nephews Dominic the second and Dominic the third in the back seat. We drive straight onto a RORO vessel and settle ourselves in the luxurious interior of the ferry in no time.
Inside the ferry
The RORO ferry is fast. In a little more than an hour, we reach the Port of Tubigon, Bohol. It is still the witching hour as we disembark and proceed to the town of Maribojoc.
It is a long way to Punta Cruz Watch Tower, Maribojoc, and it is still almost total darkness beneath the tall coconut trees when we get there. We ask the guard if we could stay inside the watch tower compound and wait for daylight. He says yes.
The Punta Cruz Watch Tower in the early morning light
The sun is beginning to rise behind the hills.
This structure was built in the late 18th century by the Spaniards as a defense against marauding Moro pirates. How come I only know this now? This is certainly a big surprise for me. This is like a miniature Fort San Pedro.
The sun is up now. It is officially morning. First a breakfast in a carenderia near the Maribojoc public market, then off to a dive shop owned by a Japanese national. Believe it or not, we have bought a second-hand solid-body electric bass guitar from the dive shop. Yes, we did. The Japanese-Filipina couple can't operate a dive shop anymore because the sea has moved about two or three hundred meters away after that last devastating earthquake in 2013. So they diversify into selling Japanese surplus musical instruments. Nice collection.
This mangrove used to be on the water's edge. Now the water is about 200 meters away.
Next stop is Tagbilaran City where we make a delivery for my brother's trading business. We then proceed eastward along the coast towards the direction of Anda.
Everybody is up for lunch before lunch time. The town of Jagna is just perfect. The kalamay capital of the world. We buy several packs of the sweet sticky kalamay for pasalubong, then we eat a very delicious lunch with a wide choice of Bol-anon cuisine.
We are back on the highway, and this time going nonstop to Anda. About the last three kilometers is a dirt road. Anda White Beach Resort, here we come!
A breath of fresh and salty sea breeze
The hotel bed is a heavenly cloud after almost twelve hours on the road.
Inday and her 100% buko juice
Well rested but hungry now, it's dinner time with the whole Anda expedition team.
The after-dinner dip at the pool and jacuzzi is a luxury for me. We enjoy a great warm night weather relaxing at the poolside until sleeping time.
The next morning is a stroll along the beach. The tide is too low for swimming, but I don't feel like swimming anyway. We are enjoying the quietness of the beach. The sand is unbelievably white with a lot of sea shells near the edge of the water.
Inday is a plantita even before plantita became fashionable.
The view, the peace, and calm. It's all worth the trip.
Anda in the early morning
After lunch time on the second day, we make our journey back to Cebu. This time we take the mountain route passing through the towns of Candijay, Alicia, Pilar, Carmen, Sagbayan, Clarin, and on to Tubigon where we take the ferry back to Cebu. The brief stop at Carmen for some roasted chicken is unforgettable. The meal at the tiny carenderia is deliciously satisfying. I can't get enough of the lato seaweed salad and the raw fish kinilaw. And whoever roasted this chicken is taking his job seriously.
Standing at the Port of Tubigon, I can see the white tower of the SM Seaside, Cebu City. So near...
You may get to know me more and read my intro blog article.
And if you still have time, please feel free to read other travelogues I've written:
- The Rocks of El Nido
- Maya, Daanbantayan - Gig and Dip
- From the Other Side of Malapascua
- Enticing Bantayan
Thank you so much for dropping by, and hope to see you in my next post.
