'Another Trip, New Stories'

I was not aware that flights to Tagbilaran are almost always delayed. The reason they tell us is 'air traffic'. I do not know a thing about that except that it wastes precious time. The landing was not 'landing', the plane bounced on the runway. I wanted to slap the pilot. Anyway, we arrived safely so the landing, I can forgive him for. I was told landing was that way in Tagbilaran, a 'wind thing' they said. One cannot hide disappointment with the way the airport is upon arrival at Tagbilaran. It looks like a bus station with a luggage carousel. Got me thinking, Bohol is a popular tourist destination, why was the airport to the place not developed?

Our ride to Panglao from Tagbilaran took about 45 minutes. There was nothing special to see around along the roads: just motorcycles cutting their way through any inch alongside vehicles, people walking, but Aidan did see a smart signage of a bakery, 'OurDeliBread'. Whoever thought of that is a genius. The route to the resort areas of Panglao indicated we have entered the tourist spots. Business was bustling for small resorts and restaurants, construction was on-going for new ones. I saw only one bank, though, and is located about five kilometers away from where the tourists are meant to stay for their visit. I also discovered there was only a small drugstore by the bank; I sent the kids to buy something for my headache and they came back with just one piece of mefenamic acid. I saw no hospital, or at the very least, a small clinic for emergencies. 

The hotel we stayed in, Vanilla Sky, ia small, a restaurant fronting it so we were confused if we were in the right place. The main business of the owner is the production of mozerella cheese, and Italian dishes served in the front restaurant. Their menu is priced steep, and I thought, a family of average income like ours will cringe at the costs of the food and the beverages. There was no convenience store from which we could buy cheaper food. Our options were other resort restaurants which have the same steep prices or more expensive even. But the food they served was good, presented really nice, and we ate our meals by a small pool and a little garden of green grass, white and pink flowers, and a hammock tied to a tree. There was free purified water in the rooms though during our stay. That, at least, saved us a little money. Breakfast was also free, Filipino and Continental. They served that with fruits, watermelon sliced about a sixteenth of a whole piece, and a half of a banana. The kids wondered out loud why they had to cut the banana in half. Their staff were very courteous, polite and charming. They looked after us like family, and we really felt at home.

The kids explored the pool, the beaches, and other resorts. The one where we stayed was quite all right. The rooms are clean, towels are white and smelled faintly of fabric softener. The sheets, pillow and blankets were kept clean and simple. The bed is set high, a headboard of the bed in brown cloth stuffed with feathers, like a doily. The bathroom is spacious, with hot and cold showers. The unit we booked was like a pad. It had a mini-kichen, a small dining area, a sink, a refrigerator, an electric fan, an extra bed positioned outside the main room, instead of a sofa, (that did seem more practical). They make up your room upon request. But the unit is squeaky clean so there was no reason for us to have it made up everyday. In fact, the whole place was clean. Not bad for the costs we paid. All in all, it was a homey place. Many foreign tourists frequent the restaurant for a couple of beers and dinner each night we were there. It seemed they liked the food there. 

It was humid all throught out stay but we expected that. Our unit was equipped with a good-functioning airconditioning unit, and a flatscreen tv. Their wifi service is also efficient. But we were in Panglao, Bohol for an adventure, so our times in the unit if we were not eating cake or pasta, we spent on our facebook accounts, our music, our baths and our sleep. We looked forward to our trip to the Chocolate Hills which Bohol is famous for, the Loboc River Tour, the visit of the habitats of butterflies and tarsiers. That tour, and our adventure to Balicasag Island is another story altogether.