Weekend Trip

Tomorrow after school me and several teachers are driving up the coast for a weekend adventure. We're heading to 100 Islands National Park for a weekend of island hopping, bonca rides, snorkelling and beach relaxation.

The best part of this is that I, Dana Hoit, am packed by 8pm the night before we leave. This never happens! That's a full 20ish hours before we leave. I'm impressed.

I'll post pictures when I get back!

Also one month until I'm back in Canada.

Guess What I Found In My Class?

TERMITES!

I went to go pull out the stretchers for canvases for my student who are starting a painting unit only to discover that they were all falling apart and covered in termites. By the way for those of you who have not seen them before they're gross.

So now I have no stretcher and my class need to be fumigated. Oh the joys of living in the tropics.

Bohol Day 5: Whale Sharks!

This isn't my picture, I don't have an underwater camera, but this is what they looked like!

On our last day of vacation we did the one thing that I have been looking forward to and was terrified of since I first started to look into the Philippines. Whale Sharks! They are the biggest fish in the world, and completely gentle however their size is still something to be concerned about.

Before I left for the Philippines my sister and her husband gave a gift of the Lonely Plant Philippines to aid me on my travels. One of the fist sections of the book were the top 10 things to do while there. The picture that immediately caught my eye was that of people swimming with the whale sharks. People dwarfed by these massive creatures, and apparently it was perfectly safe... 

So as I've done my traveling slowly things from the top ten list have been crossed off the list, but the whale sharks still remained. So at 5am we set out on a bonca boat, leaving behind Bohol, heading to Oslob, Cebu to experience the whale sharks. Our boat was filled with two people from Germany, an older Irish man who had left his wife behind on Bohol for the day and a young couple from Singapore. It was a 2 hour ride to get there, it was rather peaceful as the sun began to rise and take full force on to the day. By the time we arrived at 7am to our destination the you could already tell that today was going to be hot.

We made our way to another smaller bonca where we paddle the grand 5 minutes down the beach to the main station where were given the rules, no touching, keep 4 meters between you and the whale shark, make sure to stay away from their tail and don't wear sunscreen. The other rules were all about safety, the sunscreen didn't make a whole lot of sense to me, especially considering what other pollution went into the ocean i doubted my SPF 50 would really do much damage to the whale sharks. So all though I didn't put any more sunscreen on, I didn't shower off the sunscreen I had already applied that morning.

We paid our fee, got our gear, then set out to see the whale sharks. They were close to shore and were attracted by the once man in a bonca throwing krill into the water. As we got out there you could see the large black shapes that would pass you under the water. Then a head would emerge. It had a moth like a giant cat fish, minus the whiskers. I was one of the fist ones from our boat to jump in, and as I turned behind me I saw a 20 foot long whale shark, pass beside me. Everywhere I looked I could see them I was in a middle of the group. They're friendly and do not attack humans, they're rather indifferent to us, but it is their size and getting hit with their tail that you have to be careful of. At this point I was clearly not following the 4 meter rule at this point. So I tried to move away from the pack, which I was clearly in the middle of to what I would consider safer water.

It was at this point that I noticed that the mouth piece to my snorkel was not working correctly, it was way to large for my mouth and therefore I kept getting in mouthfuls of salt water and krill, which makes it more salty and disgusting. So I swam back to the boat dodging whale sharks, and managed to swap out my gear for a better fitting one.

I began to explore breathing freely and enjoying the view, the largest whale shark the I saw was around forty feet, the smallest around twenty. They were all breath taking. I would swim around and see one watch it for a while, trying to stay the safe distance, but i feel like I was always around 2 meters away, despite my best efforts. Then i would look to my left and realize that there was another whale shark headed straight for me, mouth open looking for krill. As fast as I could I would swim away. But this became a constant problem given the number of whale sharks around us. I was entrance by them, following them through the water. I lost tract of time and another bonca boat driver had to get my attention, apparently it was time to go back. Everyone else was back in our boat and ready to go.  Feeling bad for making them wait, but also feeling cheated out of whale shark time I swam back our boat and head back to shore, where I finally got a chance to shower off and we started the next part of our journey, the bus ride to Cebu city.

We went onto the road and had to flag down the bus to Cebu. It was a holiday weekend and we were in the province so there was little room and no air conditioning. The bus took us along the coast through amazing scenery, stopping every now and then to pick up more people or drop some off. The seats were full and soon there was no standing room left. Still the vendors still managed to squeeze on trying to sell their pork rinds and green mango with shrimp paste. It took us three hours to travel 100 km and when we arrived at our destination Dad and Terri were both relived and frustrated. We grabbed a cab to the airport, first going through the MacDonald's drive through to get a snack before we flew back to Manila.

In Manila I left Dad and Terri behind so they could explore the city for a couple of days, and I then headed to bus terminal where I managed to just miss the last express bus to Subic and instead took the milk run to Olongapo city. I lucked out without having anyone sitting beside me, I was able to sleep for most of the 3 and half hours home. After a trike, then a taxi I managed to get home at 1 am where I checked my email and then went to bed knowing that the next day was going to be long, but the whale sharks were well worth it. 

Bohol Day 4: Exploring the Interior

On our fourth day in Bohol we went to explore the Bohol interior on the actual island of Bohol. This was one of the things that I was looking forward to the most. Tarsiers. Cute, cuddly, smallest primate in the world, head rotation like an owl, and can jump 5 meters. I was very excited. So we drove to the Tarsier sanctuary first through rice fields and small villages. 

And then we saw one! And then another! In total we were able to see three of them. As much as I wanted to put my hand out and hold it, and then put it in my pocket and take it home with me, I wasn't allowed. Apparently because of their size their bones are very fragile and likely to break from improper handling. Plus the whole wild animal thing.  However, when I went into the information pavilion I was a little disappointed to see that there were images of the British Royal family holding them, along with major Philippino celebrities and politicians. Famous people get to have all the fun. 

After our Tarsier experience we went to a hanging bridge. This bridge was created by woven bamboo and stretches over the length of the Loboc river. It was beautiful, but because it was raining we quickly continued on to the next part of our tour. 

The Chocolate Hills! This is one of the must see destinations of Bohol. They're given the name because in dry season they turn a deep chocolate brown colour and are supposed to look like Hershey kisses. Right now at the end of the rainy season they are a lush green. Oddly, the hills can only support grass on them. These hills are actually the result of uplifted ancient coral deposits that then through weathering and erosion have taken on this identical look.Over the Island of Bohol there are well over 1000 of these formations. However, the local legend is that they are teardrop of a heartbroken giant.

Our next stop was the Loboc river cruise. We had a lunch of traditional Phillipino food, on the boat and set down the river. 

We docked at a hut on the side of the river where we were treated to some traditional dancing by both children and adults. 

Here the children do a traditional dance/game where they jump over the bamboo sticks are they are slide back and forth to the music. If the kids aren't quick enough your feet can get snapped up in the bamboo. Think of it of double dutch but with bigger stakes. 

As we left the boat there was a group of men playing some traditional music, the Spanish influence was clear in their music and songs.

Our last stop before going back to the hotel was a statue honouring the Blood Compact. In 1565 there was a treaty of friendship between the Spaniards and the Phillipinos. It was a tradition in which both parties would cut their arm with a dagger and poor the blood into a cup mixed with wine, which was then drank. It was a sign of good faith and a connection between the two parties involved. A statue was erected in the spot where the compact took place, just up from the harbour where the Spaniards anchored. 

That night we had dinner on the beach where we were amazed to see one of the most beautiful sunsets ever. It was an early night because the next morning we were headed to Oslob, on the island of Cebu to see the whale sharks. From the tiniest primates one day to the largest fish in the world the next.

This Past Weekend

I'm sure many of your are well aware of the Typhoon that hit the Philippines recently. While we were safe in the northern island of Luzon many areas, including where we had just vacationed, Bohol and Cebu, where greatly effected. We ended up with no more than a thunder storm and some winds. We had power and there was little interruption here, Manila had some flooding and got more of a hit, but still remained fine. 

I was supposed to go down to Manila on Friday after school to meet a family friend, however I decided to stay in Subic incase things got bad, as it turned out I probably could have gone, but it's better to be safe than sorry. So this weekend consisted of catching up on tv shows and baking. 

Thanks to the Pumpkin I had specially shipped in from Canada (Thanks Dad and Terri!) I was able to make Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting. My friend Erin and I undertook this baking challenge and it was amazing!

Also there were monkeys on my walk home from Erin's. And I know how everyone at home loves the monkeys, so I thought I would get a picture for you guys. 

Recipe for your very own Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Frosting 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 (1/4 ounce) package dry yeast
• 2 cups bread flour (you can use regular all purpose flour but bread flour makes them lighter)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons melted butter

Icing

• 4 ounces of Cream Cheese
• 1/4 cup of butter softened
• 1 1/3 cups of icing sugar
• 1 tsp of vanilla 

Instructions

1. In small saucepan, heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter just until warm and butter is almost melted, stirring constantly. In large mixer bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, nutmeg, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Add milk mixture and beat with electric mixer until well mixed. Beat in egg and yeast.
2. Add half of the flour to pumpkin mixture. Beat mixture on low speed 5 minutes, scraping sides of bowl frequently. Add remaining flour and mix thoroughly (dough will be very soft). Turn into lightly greased bowl, then grease surface of dough lightly.
3. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch dough down. Spray a surface with cooking spray or turn onto floured surface. Knead a few turns to form a smooth dough, sprinkling with enough additional flour to make dough easy enough to handle. Roll dough into 12x10 inch rectangle.
4. In small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush surface of dough with melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar mixture. Beginning with long side of dough, roll up jellyroll style. Pinch seam to seal. With sharp knife, cut roll into twelve 1- inch slices. Place rolls, cut side up, in greased 11X17 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, 30 to 45 minutes.
5. Bake rolls at 350 degrees about 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from pan to waxed paper-lined wire rack. Cool 10 to 15 minutes. Drizzle with Cream Cheese frosting. Makes 12 rolls.

Bohol Day 3: Dolphins, Snorkel and Sandbars

On our third day we woke up early and took a 6am bonca boat out to go see some dolphins. This was Dad and Terri's first bonca boat ride of the Philippines and we did it in style: seats, shade cover, this wasn't your typical rustic bonca boat. 

We drove out for about a half hour were we meet up with several other boats, all there for the early morning viewing. We lucked out and came across several pods of dolphins, one of which was right beside our boat. 

After our dolphin watching we headed out to a reef where we got to go snorkeling. As we approached the reef the water shallowed and I began to see coral underneath the waves, doted with bight cobalt blue starfish. We put on our gear and then I was the first one to jump off the boat.  It was beautiful. Once the bubbles cleared I could see a world filled with colour that stretched along the reef cliff. As I swam along the reef the coal become more and more vibrant and the fish more plentiful. I would find myself in the middle of a school of small fish bright silver, they all moving in unison, still always aware where I was, always donging my movement. The clown fish were my favourite, where all others ignored my presence, they would look right at you. There territorial nature made them very cute as they would come towards you and look right at you, charge almost. There were lion fish, bright blue and pink stripped ones, brilliant purple ones, red and blue, like Dr. Suess, but even greater. I could have stayed there all day. 

But there was other things to go see and do. So we went back to the small island, the shore littered with fragments of dead coral and shells, some still home to various crustaceans, others abandoned. We had a brunch of fresh fish. Then back out the boat and off to our next spot. We went to a sand bar which was covered and red star fish and several sea urchins, causing me to be on high alert when walking. 

Then we went back to the resort, laid by the pool, read my book and had a quite afternoon. That night we meet my friends Sam and Lehd for dinner where we enjoyed beautiful sunset views on top of a cliff over looking the ocean and great food.

Bohol Day 2: Alona Beach

The second day I slept in a little, got up had breakfast, then wondered the beach which is where I came across some local children playing on the bonca boats. I read my book and had lunch with Dad and Terri. 

After lunch we had the hotel drive us to Alona beach, also on Panglo. It's the tourist hotspot, with nice beach, hotels, restaurants, bars and massage places on the beach.  

After sunset we went to Bohol Bee Farm for dinner. The food was amazing and Dad and Terri got to try their first Halo-Halo. Its a very popular filippino dessert. Halo-Halo literally means mix-mix and it is and ice cream dish with shaved ice, fruit, gummies, sugar, other stuff. The only 2 things that need to be in there is ice cream and shaved ice, the rest changes on the location.