Dear Couchsurfers: How To Reach My Place - Complete Instruction

Dear Couchsurfer/s,

This is for you.

Upon going to my place unassisted, please follow these instructions.

From Tagbilaran City port or airport:
Take a tricycle from the port/airport to downtown Tagbilaran to City Square, B. Inting St. Terminal IF before 5:30pm. Regular fare rate at the port is Php15.00 per person as a joiner (capacity of tricycle is 3)

Warning though: Many tricycle drivers will ask for more (scammers/they will rip you off)
So make sure that you ask first before you hop unto the tricycle.

If you are coming from the port and you are not amenable with the rate that he is giving you, then walk a little bit up to Gallares St., from there, hail a tricycle for the same rate Php15.00 and go to the location of terminal, see below reference.

If you are coming from the airport and you are not amenable with the rate that he is giving you, then try to negotiate, or if you can wait, befriend other travelers going to downtown Tagbilaran and join them, that can mean cheaper ride. Check for terminal location below based on your time of arrival and tell the tricycle driver where you will go.

TERMINAL LOCATION:

Baclayon Terminal: City Square, B. Inting St. Tagbilaran City, Bohol. City Square is near BQ Mall and Alturas Mall.

Make sure to ask if it is for Baclayon town, usually you can read it on the sides of the vehicle.
Fare is Php 10.00. Travel time is 5 minutes or less. The most is 8 minutes. Stop at Baclayon Bed and Breakfast and cross the Hiway to Lambo St.

Very IMPORTANT: Since Tagbilaran City is just like 5 minutes from Baclayon, please MAKE SURE that you have talked to the driver or asked other passengers that you will only be at Guiwanon (Bed and Breakfast area), or else, they will assume that you will be going to Baclayon town proper. Unfortunately, that is already far from my place.

If you think that you are not properly understood, show this message to the locals (other passengers) or to the driver.


"Kuya, ihunong ko palihog sa unang eskena human sa Guiwanon Elementary School, tungod sa Baclayon Bed and Breakfast".

This is crucial. When I mentioned "CROSS", I mean it. From the moment you alight from the mini-bus or jeepney, CROSS the street and check the sign board that says "ASA Philippines Foundation". 

One wrong turn and you will end up at the beach, not at my place :D It happened to two couchsurfers already :)

House on the left side.

Walk some more.

And you will see this too.

A few minutes more/

A waiting shed at the left.

A beautiful house with a neat lawn at the left side.

You're almost at the end of Lambo St.

Walk until you reach the end of Lambo St. Turn to left.

Walk a little bit farther until you notice a  store to the left. 

A few meters away from the store.

The store.

Almost there. This is the house in front of the store.

This is the Purok Caimito.

Look up! See that small green house? :D

That short steep walk up there.

Closer to the green house now.

Finally, you've reached it! WELCOME!

Good luck!

Jikjik

The Buzzling Town That Is Jagna

While growing up, the town of Jagna was famous for, well, being the pier that my family has to go to during the times that we need to travel to Nasipit. My mother is from Agusan del Norte, and many times, we have visited Mindanao via Jagna to Nasipit route through  a ferry.

However, many improvements has been going on in Jagna. This has become a town of so many activities from Commerce/Retail and even Tourism.

I tried visiting the place and this is what I saw.

The Can-uba Marble Beach at Brgy. Can-uba, Jagna. Cottage rental is at Php50.00

This place is actually fun to visit, because there is a certain area where someone can take a picture at the top of one of the rock formation with a decent stairway to climb to pick the best spot. 

Someone has to explore more to see this part of Can-uba,  this is like a hidden cave-like place where there are certain cliff-like rocky spots where locals dive from to the greenish water. 

The village of Can-uba is just close to the main town of Jagna. 

This is the Kinahugan Waterfalls in Sitio Karapagan, Cabungaan, Jagna, Bohol.

Lonoy Cold Spring - at Lonoy, Jagna, Bohol.

The statue of the valiant fighter Capt. Goyo Caseñas during during the Philippine-American War in 1901. 

Ching's Calamay is where you can stop to buy some Calamay, the famous delicacy of Jagna town. Calamay is sticky sweet delicacy that is popular in this town. It is made of coconut milk, brown sugar, and ground glutinous rice. They can also be flavored with margarine, peanuts or ube (yam).

A tour to the production area is a bonus where tourists can watch men actually cooking Calamay on big woks.

The staff in this corner are preparing for the coconut shell that they use for the cooked sweet mixture.

   As I asked on this blue thing. This is where the staff will place the empty coconut shell, and this keep and hold the shell when they pour the sticky mixture during packaging.

Calamay can come in a form or use of a coconut shell.

Or  with the use of plastic container, just like this one. Ube (yam) flavor for the purple color sweet treat.


How to get to Jagna?

From Tagbilaran City, take a multicab at B. Inting St. bound for ICM at Php8.00, stop at Dao Integrated Bus Terminal.
Take a bus for Php57.00, or a van at Php100.00, and stop at Brgy. Can-uba for the Marble Beach.
After Can-uba, take a motorela for Php8.00, stop at Ching's Calamay at Brgy. Can-upao.
After Can-upao, take a motorela once again to Poblacion Jagna for Php8.00
From Jagna Proper, hire a habal-habal driver for Php100.00 to Php120.00 to see: 
Kinahugan Waterfalls and 
Lonoy Cold Spring. 

Actual amount to pay is actually based on your negotiation skill. Giving of tip is up to you.

So for that next town to explore, go to Jagna.

Carpe Diem :)
Jik

Fooled By The Pool

Many times, I cannot count anymore, I have traveled to the northeastern part of Bohol and many towns due to my work and for this, have been noticing this pool-like place near Poblacion, Baclayon.

To my surprise, this place is not just an ordinary place but actually a SPRING. Oh well, I never thought of this to be such until I found out from many locals who are really coming from this place that this is indeed a Spring. However during high tide, the seawater can mix into this Spring thus creates a salty taste on the water. Even if I'm not so fond of spending a day in a shallow spring for a swim, I give it a try for my niece so she can practice her swimming prowess ;) Not just swimming, but even her attempt at jumping and diving too :)

When finding a good spot, it is also a place to capture quiet moments and daily lives of fishing, as observed through this small boat.

From where I was sitting, I can even see the snails almost playing with the small crabs. Simple moments like this is such a source of delight to my shallow self :)

The cemented walkway is where anyone can bring a stool to sit on and/or spread a mat where a prepared food can be readied for lunch. Also kids can walk around and find shelter from the heat of the sun.

Parents can feel confident that kids can play around or make funny pose, just like what Dara is doing :)

Sure enough, when I look around, armed with a book to kill my time and be entertained, I found my perfect spot here :)

When 3:00pm struck, I have to say goodbye to the place, even if it means a grumbling niece who doesn't want to heed my call of "let's go home". She still wants to stay until evening, I guess. But my stomach is screaming for "LUNCH!" With hesitation, I have to move and say bye for now Baliaut Spring :)

How to get there:

From Tagbilaran City Proper, take a multicab or jeepney at the City Square with Baclayon at the sign board. Fare is Php8.00. Stop at Baliaut Spring. This place is just very close to the highway. Every driver to the town of Baclayon knows this :)

Easy, right? When are you going to go?

Until then. Happy Travels. 

Carpe Diem.

Jik