Day 28

Up early and out of the room by 6am to avoid the mid-day heat. Motorized tricycle to the bus terminal, then regular bus to Chocolate Hills, Carmen for lunch of mixed veggies (cabbage, squash, beans, eggplant), coconut milk and ginger, then on to Tubigon by aircon minivan, guayabano snack, then regular bus back to Tagbiliran City, Bohol’s capital. Marang fruit snack, Maitri’s first since Mindanao 1983. Passed by many huge nipa swamps. Ole did not put on sun screen and, despite the lack of direct sun, got very red. It was overcast virtually the entire day. Saw dozens of Caucasian tourists at the Hills. Did not have time to see the Philippines tarsier, the world’s smallest monkey – or so the locals claim – in nearby Loboc. Will check internet for image.

They are called Chocolate Hills because in summer when the grasses dry up, they turn brown making the hills look like giant mounds of chocolate. From the view point, we watched 4 carabaos (water buffalo) plow a field.

A quick word about costs. We did a rough calculation today and found we are spending a little less than $20/day for the two of us. It is easy since costs are quite low. For example, all kinds of baked goods start at $.02 per item. Transportation is also low cost: 2 hours ferries are $3. Bus rides cost about $1/hour. A 15 minute private motorized trike ride this morning was $.40. We typically spend $5-10/night for lodging. Lunch with rice and veggies is $1-2 for both of us. Mangoes and other fruits are about $1 per kilo (2.2 pounds). All kinds of bananas are 2-4 cents apiece. Internet is $.20-.40 per hour. Actually, our airfares to get here will cost considerably more than our daily expenses.