Our first trip began the day after her first presentation. See, I met my girlfriend in Hiroshima while she was studying to get her Master's in music education. During the time of our visit to her home country, she was working with several private music schools around the country to test her book - a piano book for young beginners. So, on the trip, I would set up her Power Points for her and meet many of her friends along the way. Between presentations, we would go to places like Bohol. Bohol is an island east of Cebu famous for its beaches, jungles, wildlife, and calm way of life. Here, we went on a day tour around the island to experience many of what makes Bohol so desirable. Also, keep in mind that, like many places in southeast Asia, solo itineraries can be quite complex. Booking tours are some of the ONLY ways to see the sights. Private tours are totally affordable and recommended. 

Our tour began at a butterfly sanctuary in Bilar. Most of our time here was spent admiring and feeding the butterflies in their enclosure. Being my first time in a butterfly house, it was captivating to experience so many at once. It was an interesting stepping-stone toward the Tarsier Conservation Area, which is an observation area for observing wild tarsier. I was relieved to hear that they weren't captured and caged, but observed from the borders of their natural habitat. This does, however, make it impossible to promise a sighting. Some days they come; some days they don't. We were lucky to get some time with a curious wanderer, and it was mesmerizing! This little guy was motionless for minutes, but he gave us one slow head turn that blew us both away! It was really something to experience. 

This was followed by the Loboc River Cruise, which seemed to be a favorite of many of the locals. Loboc River is a lush emerald river, and the cruise enhances the scenery with a delicious Filipino lunch. It was both relaxing and enchanting. It made me wish I could take a kayak in, but paddle-boarding is also an option here. 

Our tour ended with a long drive to Carmen to observe the Chocolate Hills - a geological wonder of more than 1,700 grass-covered limestone hills. Looking out into the vast landscape of Hershey Kiss hills was other-worldly. We caught them in just the right season as they are only brown in the summer. I'm sure they're amazing any season. 

Another post-work morning led us to southern Cebu. This tour began from the city at 4:30 AM. Not an easy start, but we were excited to get to Oslob on time to swim with whale sharks. Who wouldn't be stoked about that? Timing was crucial, however. The sharks graze near the coastline every morning for only about four hours to feed, and Oslob is a three-hour drive from Cebu City. We made it, and it was unforgettable! Whether experiencing it in Oslob or other parts of the country, it's a must-do! This was best documented in the attached video at the end of the post. 

Afterwards, our tour brought us to Tumalog Falls. Once arriving, the only way to the falls was by motorbike. These falls are several tiers of light falls that lead to a shallow moss-colored pool. It was something out of fairy-tale, but better observed than in. The water was freezing! Swimming was better experienced on the way back to the city at Kawasan Falls. This one takes a little trekking to get to, but it's a much heavier fall above a beautiful blue pond (which is surprisingly deep). Our smiles were glued to our faces the whole time! Swimming around the fall was a wonderful experience.

A few days before this trip, we met up with some of my girlfriend's friends and drove to the small mountain town of Toledo, two hours west of the city, to visit an orphanage known as Lingap. That day, Cebu Music was hosting a concert for the strings students and choral group. It was incredibly humbling to spend a few hours there touring and learning about the facility from the owner (an American) and interacting with the kids. It's a real oasis for children who have been through the unimaginable. Since that visit, thirty college graduates have been produced from Lingap, and I'm sure they'll continue to succeed. 

I know she was excited to show me her hometown, and Cagayan De Oro in northern Mindanao was reached for that reason. Sure, she had another seminar, and I was happy to help, but meeting her family was definitely the bigger purpose. It was a pleasurable few days of home-cooked meals and time together. I also enjoyed getting to do a bit of teaching at Psalms Music Lab myself and was reminded of how much I loved teaching music before. It was so rewarding to notice how my pedagogical skills have improved since teaching in Japan. I really look forward to teaching music again one day. I gained a lot of good from my time there, and I recommend hanging out down town if you're ever in the area (although I hear the whitewater rafting is the real gift of the city). Until next time, CDO!

Another early misty morning brought us to Tagaytay in southern Luzon, an hour and a half south of Manila. Kate, myself, and a group of her school friends all boarded a bangka boat that morning headed to Taal Volcano - a volcano within a lake with a crater lake with an island in its crater lake (did you get that?). We hiked up this heavily active dude with a local guide and good conversation. The closer we got to the crater, the more we would notice smoking vents beneath the clay. Kicking the soil away with your boot would reveal even larger vents, and eventually the entire path started to steam. The smell of sulfur was heavy, but the top greeted us with a nice breeze. The crater revealed itself to be a massive lake with a tiny green island near the center known as Volcan Point Island. Many of the corners of the lake were boiling, but I heard that some parts of the lake were swimmable.

Overall, Tagaytay is a lovely holiday town. The views are spectacular, and the climate is cool (rare for the Philippines). It's no wonder why people treat this place as an escape (we even looked at properties while we were there). Sadly, the Taal we experienced last summer is no longer there. The recent January 12th eruption left the island an ashy mess. As far as I know, the crater lake was blown through and is now completely dry. Volcan Point Island must be long gone. I look forward to hiking the volcano again some day, changed and all. That's just what nature does.