Glenn and I recently extended our "mode of exploration", usually including car, sail boat, SCUBA gear, or hiking boots, to bycicle saddle! An experience that definitely calls for more!

Preparing for our weekend get-away to Cebu we pondered the usual options: diving in the west, whale shark watching in the south, or island exploration in the north. Each of these options include a minimum of three hours in a bus... We simply didn't have it in us.

Instead, we decided to explore Olango Island, just off of Cebu. Not in a car and not by foot, but by bike! Through "bugobikers", a Cebu-based outdoor adventure organizer specializing on bike tours, we were quickly set up.

Sunday morning our guide Laurence picked us up from the hotel. Together we went to Mactan Island, where our bikes were already waiting for us. We plus our bikes boarded a small bangka over a narrow plank. (We thought we were brining special items on the boad... we changed our minds when we saw furniture pieces being loaded onto the boat!).

After a 15 minute boat ride we disembarked on Olango Island. What's great about the island is there are no cars allowed. The only motorized vehicles we had to bully with were motorcycles and trycicles.

Olango is a rather small island. It can be circumnavigated in less than 2 hours. Still, it's home to 25,000+ inhabitants. On top of the human head count, Olango is home to various bird species.

The Olango Wildlife Sanctuary, a 1,000ha area, is the summer residence for migratory birds, escaping the winters in their homes. Needless to say the Sanctuary is, at least once a year, an attraction for birdwatchers.

We had missed the migration season by a few weeks. Yet, we enjoyed walking out to sea to get closer to the mangrove-covered wetland, a perfect nesting place for birds. The tide was coming in so we waded through belly-high waters to reach the outlook.

After a refreshing coconut juice we paddled on along the well maintained asphalt road around the island. We stopped at a German-run resort for lunch and even dared to stick our heads underwater to explore the marine wildlife in the Mactan channel. Spoiled divers as we are we concluded this snorkel experience to be a great way to cool down.

From there we decided to bike along the roads less traveled. Slightly uneasy because he hasn't explored the area yet, Laurence prepared us we "might get lost". Well, it's an island.

We turned off road and found ourselves in the middle of small communities in the back of the island, away from the nice resorts facing Mactan Channel. Children greated us and chased our bikes. Clearly, not many bikers pass through here. We got a glimpse of a relaxed Sunday afternoon in the fishing communities.

25 kilometers later we were back at the pier, loading our bikes once more on a bangka. Our pick up received as back on the mainland and by 5pm, we were back at our hotel.

Our suggestion: if you really want to explore the Philippines (not the tourist hubs), go on a bike tour! You are faster than walking but slower than rushing through the place on a motorbike. It's a great exercise and a low carbon footprint activity!

The hidden beauty

When I hear about beautiful waterfalls in the Philippines I'm... let's say... rather skeptical...

I've seen a few which have been promoted as tourist attractions and usually I'd find one of the two realities: a) a 2-meter drop which, depending on wet or dry season, does or does not carry any water, b) a nice waterfall that has been turned into an amusement park with entrance fee (camouflaged as "environmental fee"), tubes, rafts, food stalls and a lot of trash floating in them.

The Inambakan Falls in southern Cebu taught me yet another lesson: there is beauty out there which is responsibly developed to enjoy it!

To get to the falls it requires quite some local knowledge. The narrow trail passes by small huts where old men offered us Tuba (local rice wine) while guiding us into the right direction. The walk is not difficult, just hidden. We crossed seven rivers (or was it just one river which we crossed seven times?) but did not come across any other "tourist".

When we finally walked up and down a few man-made concrete stairs (the kind of development which provides for accessibility and safety but doesn't spoil the experience) I almost didn't believe my eyes!

There was actually a curtain of water falling into a turquoise pool of water! The surrounding smoothed rocks were covered in lush green moss. The falling water was received by a mushroom-shaped rock, which crushed each drop of water into fine mist, creating this fascinating draft inherent to waterfalls. Swimming against a fairly strong current we discovered a cave behind the waterfall. For years and years drops of water have been eating their way through the rock!

After a refreshing dip we decided to explore the source of the waterfall. Climbing higher and higher, against the stream like salmons, we discovered truly untouched nature and a couple more water slides and steep falls. Careful not to slip we dared to challenge the stream and cooled off in the current.

As careful as we were we have to lament one casualty: Glenn's nice gecko shirt got sucked into one of the plenty whirlpools... never to be seen again. In swim shorts he made his way back to the car... Truly a tourist attraction!

About hoops and loops and fiery connections

I met Bernadette during Planet Zips’ August SpinDependence in Manila. She not only impressed me with her height but especially with her fire-hooping skills! Almost effortless she whirled a flaming hoop up and down and around her body. I was truly impressed and ready to extend my Poi skills into hooping (let’s skip the fire for now). Ready to sign up for classes with Bernadette I learned she is Cebu-based. Too bad!

During my latest trip to Cebu I met her and more Cebu-based Poi practitioners. Over a truly Pinoy dinner (crispy pata, which I as a vegetarian only looked at from afar) we shared our experiences and frustrations learning the art of “fire handling”. It’s great to connect with strangers through a commonly shared passion!

My next trip to the Visayas will surely include a fire spin with the Cebu crowd. I can’t wait!

The lazy life...

How could we reject Matt and Grace's spontaneous invitation to spend the weekend at the family's beach house in Ginatilan? Saturday morning we stuffed the car with good food, beach outfits, toys for Saana, and were on our way!

Ginatilan is a cute little town in the most southern tip on the west coast of Cebu island. After his retirement, Grace's father returned to Ginitilan, a place dear to him, to build a beach house for the family to enjoy.

135km from Cebu City, we traversed the mountain range of Cebu, stopped for a "carabao milk" mango icecream to stretch our legs and sat on the beach mere four hours later!

The tranquility of the place was contagious! Used to the buzz of the city and the daily routine of office work we let go of all of this and just relaxed! We played with Saana on the beach and immersed ourselves in the beauty of discovering the world with the eyes of a tow-year old: a shell, a leave, an odd-shaped pebble, a hermit crab trying to outsmart us and hide, small black ants exploring our arms and legs...

In between we enjoyed Matthias' self-made German bread with cheese and grapes, Grace's stunning salad, and fresh coconuts which Glenn "plugged" for us climbing a 20 meter high coconut tree. Quick like a monkey he conquered the top of the palm tree, earning the respect of all the bystanders! Grace admitted they never eat the coconuts because they don't know how to get them down. They would sometimes pay a boy from the neighborhood to climb up there to harvest.

At night we went to the town center which impressed me with the tallest Acacia tree I've ever seen and a 200 year-old well-maintained church! People enjoyed themselves sitting in groups chatting, kids were playing at the promenade which the setting sun tinged in the most bizarre colors.

After dinner we talked about Grace and her family, her childhood and upbringing. The many framed family pictures all over the house gave us a unique glimpse into her life. What a treasure!

Thank you again, Matt and Grace, for inviting us to spent the weekend with you and Saana!

When was the last time you spent a nice and relaxed weekend with friends? I suggest you plan it out!