One More Adventure Then Back to Work

 Exploring Another Island

On September 8th, we set out on another adventure. One of the elders serving with us in the temple had served his mission in the Philippines and was eager to revisit his old stomping grounds—Bacolod City on the island of Negros. He and his wife invited us, along with another missionary couple, to tag along.

This trip was a little different because we were mostly on our own when it came to planning and scheduling. Elder Stirland arranged for a driver to take us to our destination, so we didn’t have to worry about navigating unfamiliar cities or figuring out local transportation. Unlike our previous trips, where a tour guide would not only get us where we needed to go but also provide background and information before leaving us on our own, this time the driver stayed with us as part of the group. At times, I’ll admit, it felt a little awkward.

Our driver picked us up at 6AM and we headed north west across the Island of Cebu to Toledo City where we would catch a ferry to San Carlos on the Island of Negros. Getting on the ferry was an adventure and let’s just say the accommodations were a bit different than our accommodations on the  way to Bohol. We finally got to San Carlos and check into our hotel and soon we were on the road to see a popular destination - the Century Tree. This tree is said to have been a living landmark even before Ferdinand Magellan arrived in the Philippines.  

It really was a beautiful tree and it was fun to see it, the only problem was that our driver took a wrong turn and what was supposed to be and hour drive turned into a two and a half hour drive and it was quickly getting dark. However, the landscape was beautiful and we saw fields of sugar cane and rice.

In addition to the Century Tree, we were also able to see an active volcano - Mt. Kanlaon. It was pretty cool to be so close and see steam rising from the top. It is the tallest mountain on Negros and the highest point in the Visayas region. 

It’s a little hard to see the steam in these pictures but it was pretty visible from where we were. At about 4AM I received an emergency alert on my phone. I couldn’t read it since it was in the local dialect. Later, when we went to breakfast I asked the hostess to translate for me, she said  that the volcano was erupting. Apparently it was spewing steam and ash so much so that the hotel ask that the visitors not open any windows. Just a little excitement for the trip. 

Monkeys, Weavers and a Temple

The next morning, we were up bright and early and on the road again.  Our first stop was a Monkey Sanctuary. There were monkeys everywhere and only one (who had been a bad boy) was in a cage. We ended up in a caged building where we were given bananas and jackfruit that we could feed to the monkeys. They were a little crazy and apparently very hungry. One of the mommas had her baby with her and it was so cute.

After watching and feeding the monkeys we continued our journey towards Bacolod City - our final destination. On the way our driver stopped by an out of the way place where we were introduced to some weavers who were busy making woven bags and purses they ship out to shops around the island.  We looked at so many bags but in the end, all three of us sisters decided on the same bag. 

We headed out and this time instead of making a wrong turn, our driver missed the turn off to the east of the island and we ended up driving around the northern tip of the island instead of cutting across the countryside.  In the end, it turned out pretty good because we drove straight to the Bacolod Temple site before we reached the city. The temple is still under construction and should be completed sometime in 2026. The temple was our actual destination- we were looking forward to seeing the temple but we also have a friend whom we work with in the temple. She lives so close to the temple she can see it from her upstairs windows. 

Sister Herbolario is just the cutest lady and she just couldn’t wait to have us pay her a visit. She actually called me just as we were approaching the temple. We told her we were just about to the temple and she sent a friend to meet us so she could lead us to her house.  When we got there she invited us in and she had prepared a beautiful, huge lunch for us. She gave us the royal treatment and made us feel right at home in her beautiful house. 

The view from her upstairs balcony

After lunch and a nice visit, we headed to the hotel where we rested for a while, took a walk through the mall, and then met up for dinner. Afterwards, we returned to our rooms for a good night’s sleep so we would be refreshed for one more day of sightseeing and adventure.

We started our next day at “The Ruins” in Talisay City. The Ruins is the majestic, ruined ancestral mansion of a wealthy sugar baron, Don Mariano Ledesma Larson. The mansion was intentionally burned during WWII to prevent Japanese forces from occupying it, leaving only the concrete frame. The mansion is surrounded by a beautifully landscaped park and event buildings visitors can explore. 

After visiting The Ruins, we drove around to see if we could find some of the places Elder had served. We stopped by the Bacolod Mission office, where we met some cheerful missionaries who helped him get directions to the chapel he had attended. From there, he was able to find the house where he had actually lived during his mission. We felt it was both a fun and successful day.

As with all vacation trips it seems like time flies by and before you know it, it was time to head back to our little apartment in the patron house!

On our way back to the ferry, we drove through the country side where we were able to get a good feel for the daily life of the people who live in the area. 

Little markets line the side of the road side by side. I always wonder, how do people choose which store to go to and how do they all survive when they all seem to sell the same thing.

It’s unusual to see a house that doesn’t have laundry hanging out to dry. 

It doesn’t matter if we are in the city where we live or in the country. 

Rice fields were everywhere

We also saw lot’s of rice drying either in fields or on the side of the road

We saw so many fields of sugar cane

And we got to get up close and personal with a Carabao. A domesticated swamp-type water buffalo found here in the Philippines. When Bethany was here on her mission she actually rode on one but this one was really dirty and we didn’t wan to get smelly and dirty. The Carabao is considered a national symbol of the Philippines, representing perseverance and hard work.

Eventually we made it to the pier and found the only transportation home was the Lite Ferry. We were quite surprised to find that there were no chairs or benches on this ferry, only beds. 

We had such a fun and interesting trip, filled with many unexpected opportunities. I still find it hard to believe that we were able to take advantage of the temple closure and travel this much while on our mission. Serving a temple mission has turned out to be very different from what I first imagined. When the temple is open, our days are full as we work hard and give our all to the Lord’s work. This time away has been refreshing, but we are also eager to return, roll up our sleeves, and settle back into the sacred routine we love.

We love you all and miss you so much,

Love,

Sister Mom/Beth

Our Next Adventure was to Bohol

 We Traveled West to Bohol Island

On Monday, we began our next adventure. We had heard about so many fun things to do on Bohol Island, and really wanted to visit. Bohol is located to the east of Cebu Island and we could actually see the island from where we had lunch on the day we swam with the whale sharks. 

Our day started early  - at 6AM we were out in front of the patron house where our ride picked us up and took us to the pier where we boarded an Ocean Jet to Bohol Island. The ride took about an 1 1/2 hours. 

When we arrived in port, our cute tour guide Marylou was there to meet us.

She loaded us in the van her husband was driving and we headed to the Loboc River for a river cruise on a “floating restaurant”. It was so much fun.  

We enjoyed cruising along the river and enjoying the scenery. The Philippines is such a beautiful place…so lush and green. It was just so nice to relax and enjoy the surroundings and each other’s company. Shortly after embarking, they served a wonderful lunch with so many food options. We were definitely well fed.

Then, to our surprise we came upon a native village where they had us exit the boat. I wasn’t sure what was happening but followed along. We were greeting by the native people with flower headbands and drums sounding the in the background. 

They got us to play drums with them, watch a fire breathing guy and rock out with the locals. We had a fun time as we played along with them. In the end of course they wanted us to give them money, which we did. I’ll try to include a couple videos for your enjoyment. 

When we finished our river cruise, we headed out into the countryside to see the Tarsier Sanctuary. Tarsiers are tiny primates - one of the smallest in the world actually and only found in the Philippines on Bohol. 

Tarsiers are nocturnal so we were lucky to get to see a few of them that were awake. Their eyes are enormous compared to their small bodies. Their eyes cannot move in their sockets so they have a special adaptation in their neck that allows them to rotate their heads 180 degrees in each direction. They were cute and a little creepy at the same time.

After the seeing the tarsiers we were given the option of going on a zip line or gondola over the river. Since we had recently done not one but two zip lines we opted for the gondola. It was a nice peaceful ride with beautiful scenery. 

Our last adventure for the day was the Chocolate Hills! The Chocolate Hills are a geological formation consisting of over 1,200 grass-covered mounds that turn a chocolate brown during the dry season. Because we were there in the rainy season, they were pretty green but still very cool. 

As you can see, we made a visit to the gift shop

I always try to pick up a tee shirt everywhere we go so I can make a tee shirt quilt when we get home. 

The view was spectacular 

Just as we were getting ready to leave and head to our next adventure - riding an ATV around the Chocolate Hills, the rain began to pour. We had to make a decision, should we take a chance that the rain would stop or should we head to the hotel and get checked in? We opted for the hotel and it was a good choice, the rain did not let up and we would have been in a muddy mess. 

 The hotel was a beautiful resort right on the ocean front. The view from our hotel room was amazing!!!

In the morning, we were scheduled to swim with the sardines. Everyone went except me. I wasn’t feeling great so I decided to have a slow morning and stay at the hotel and take it easy. They all had a great time and saw lots of sardines. As you swim around them, they scatter in every direction. They said there were thousands of them everywhere. 

The next morning we headed out for another day of adventure - since we didn’t get to ride the ATVs around the Chocolate Hills, we asked if we could go do that and I’m sure glad we did, it was so fun. I had never ridden an ATV before so it was a fist for me. Also, we didn’t exactly ride around the Chocolate Hills but they were there in the background.

We got our helmets on and we were ready to go. 

During our ride we took a break to take a few fun pictures. The only thing that would have improved this adventure would be if we had driven faster. We had a guide out in front of us and he kept us as a crawl. He probably thought we were too old to go fast.  Haha! 

Before we left the ATV place, Jill wanted to try some coconut water. 

Neither of us cared for it much.

We really appreciated our tour guide bringing us back to ride the ATVs. It was way out of the way of what she had planned for our second day on Bohol. After our ATV adventure we visited a local place called the Bee Farm. Apparently there are no bees at the bee farm because several years ago a typhoon destroyed their hives and the bees never returned. It is still an interesting place with lots of other things to do.  There is an organic garden, a wellness retreat, a boutique resort and a culinary experience. Our tour guide reserved the culinary experience for us and it was so fun, interesting and delicious. 

Almost all of the food had edible flowers included. We weren’t that excited about eating flowers but they sure looked beautiful. 

We later headed back to the river where we were going to watch the fireflies. While we waited we had the option of paddle boarding or kayaking which none of us except the Stirlands really wanted to do. By this time we were all tired and it was actually a little cold and we didn’t want to get wet since we would be even colder when the sun went down. The firefly cruise was ok, we had been on one before and we had all seen firefly’s before and oddly enough, we didn’t get any pictures. 

The next day we had some free time and spent it exploring the resort and enjoying some time to relax. We walked on the beach and took a few pictures. 

Jill fed the coy fish and boy were they excited to get fed. The hotel keeps little bags of fish food near the pond and you can just put a few pesos in the box and grab a bag. 

We headed back to the pier and once again boarded the Ocean Jet headed back to Cebu. It seemed like the past three weeks just flew by and now it was time for Jill to head home. It was so fun to see her, spend time with her and show her a little of what it is like for us here in the Philippines. We still have one more adventure that I will share in the next blog. 

Sending all our love to you our family and friends,

Sister Mom/Beth