Gloria at 'Chocolate Hills'
Gloria and Makanoa's on boat
Tarsier
Monday, October 10, 2005
We were up at five, quickly dressed, ate a delicious breakfast Edita had prepared for us, and taking the lunch she had prepared also, we headed out. We first stopped by a large hotel to visit its store so Sister Makanoa could get film. While there I found two straw hats I liked, one cost 25 pesos – about 50 cents and the other cost 85 pesos – about $1.60. I was very glad to have them the rest of the day to keep off the sun. We then drove up to Luboc to see the Tarsiers – tiny monkey-like creatures indigenous to Bohol and very fragile. They are rarely, if ever found in zoos because they die if contained in cages. They are nocturnal and live on the hillsides around Luboc. A family has a business of raising them for showing to tourists. The Makanoas have made friends with this family so we were permitted to hold them and take many pictures. Usually tourists can just look at them in the plants and take pictures. They are not in any kind of cages – just live in the potted plants near the river. The family cover the entire area with netting at night to keep out cats – their major predator. They have very big eyes and on the ground hop like frogs. They can jump quite long distances and can also swing and climb in trees like monkeys do. They live to be 15 to 20 years old; have one baby a year; and eat all kinds of insects in the wild. The family feeds them crickets.
We then took a boat ride up the Luboc River to see the hills where they live in the wild. Of course we didn’t see any of the tarsiers in the wild, it was daytime so they should have been asleep, and they are so tiny that they are hard to see anyway. The river was quite muddy – looked like cocoa – and has a small waterfall and then rapids. The water was low or we could have gone a little further. Very interesting bamboo houses were along the bank and we saw an old man in his old canoe, but he did not want his picture taken. We also saw a pool of clear water off to the side where a spring fills a large cavity in the rock. People were bathing – in their swimming suits. I really enjoyed the boat ride. Bob took pictures and was intrigued by the use of Clorox bottles with small rubber tubes instead of a gas tank.
From there we headed up to the town of Carmen to see the “Chocolate Hills.” These are large mounds – quite symmetrical – hundreds of them that are brown in the dry season when all the vegetation on them dies. It is the rainy season now so they were very green, but still looked very unusual and interesting. The Makanoa’s took us to a resort where we could drive most of the way up one of them and then climb 214 stairs to the top (or take a winding path up and the stairs down – which we did.) Beautiful plants lined the path – most of them in bloom and the view from the top was lovely.
From there we drove (Elder Makanoa likes to drive fast, but is very used to the Philippine drivers and safely navigated his way around and past them) up to almost the center of Bohol Island to the little town of Pilar where we have a lovely little Church building and a small branch of members. We took a quick look at the building and at the missionary apartment, then went to visit the Branch President Orapba at his rice mill. He was quite busy as it is the harvest season and many people were waiting in line with their rice to be milled. We had seen people out harvesting the rice and then spreading it out to dry on the highway – often taking most or all of one lane of the two-lane road. Everywhere rice was drying – in towns and villages as well as on the open road. Unfortunately, our picture of an old grandma spreading the rice to dry did not turn out. Hopefully we will have other opportunities to try again.
Just out of Pilar we stopped just off the highway under a big tree and ate the wonderful lunch Edita had packed for us. She is the Makanoa’s “house help”, a member of the Church and a very great help to them as well as a friend. Seeing her in action, I wanted an “Edita.”
After lunch we drove over a lot of gravel highways back over to the west coast of Bohol and then up to the towns of Tubigon and Inabanga. In Tubigon we checked out the chapel and the elders’ apartment. We have been impressed with the nice houses and apartments provided for the missionaries. Parents would be relieved, I think, if they saw where their children live. In Inabanga – the furthest north branch on Bohol we again visited the meeting house – the worst one we’ve seen so far – a couple of large rooms at the back of a house. They were clean and had nice fans, but very dark….maybe it is cooler that way.
We then drove all along the west coast of Bohol – very pretty – back to Tagbilaran, where we had started. Along the way I saw many variety of orchids growing in people’s yards. Nearly every house, no matter how small, has flowers around it and many times, they are orchids.
We passed right by Makanoa’s little street and went back out on to Pangloa Island to see the elders’ apartment in Dauis, to visit the chapel again, and to visit the underground pool. We went to the pool first. A spring in an underground cavern has created an interesting and cool pool where children like to swim when they are not in school. The water was very clear – you could easily see the very rocky bottom – and cool, but not at all cold. It has two openings to the sky that let in a little light (and let the bats fly in and out.) There were stalactites as well. The whole island of Pangloa (as are most of the islands here) is volcanic and this was very clearly seen by looking at the rock in the cavern. They have made steps and a path to walk down inside and charge a very nominal fee – I think 20 pesos. ($.40) After the carvern, we drove by the elders’ apartment and the Dauis Branch chapel – one of the oldest in the area and scheduled to be demolished and completely rebuilt. Then it was back over the bridge and through very, very heavy tricycle traffic to the Makanoa’s house, where Edita had dinner ready. Afterwards we sat at the table and talked for a long time, then some of the Elders (who live next door) came over and visited and enjoyed candy and fresh fruit called lanzones.
Tuesday, October 11
We were up early again – five – breakfast at 6 and packed at visited and were at the ferry before 8 to head back to Cebu. The Assistants to the President called to confirm the time we expected to arrive in Cebu and said they would be at the dock to pick us up. They are great and work very hard to help everyone in the mission. The morning was lovely; the water was glassy; the ferry arrived from Dumaguete and then departed for Cebu on time. Again we spent the entire trip up on the observation deck thoroughly enjoying the views of the water and of Bohol and several other small islands. The sun was bright, but there was a haze to the west so we could barely see Cebu until we were very close. We couldn’t see Negros at all. We arrived back at Cebu feeling very rested, certainly well fed, and happy about the work we had been able to do for the mission – speaking and teaching, meeting the District leaders and then checking on all the apartments and church buildings.
