TravelswithCharie

View video: Photos by Rosario Charie Albar

Photos by TravelswithCharie

Can't say enough good things about Bohol. It's hard to ignore its natural beauty, colonial history, lush tropical landscape, uncrowded beaches, all packaged in rustic simplicity. In short, this island will not remain below the radar screen for much longer. It was wise to hire a guide who drove us to the places we wanted to see. The roads to touristic spots were well paved and traveling was comfortable in the airconditioned Combi. From Tagbilaran City we went inland to gape at the Chocolate Hills. On the way we stopped at the monument of the historic blood compact between the Spaniard, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and local leader, Datu Sikatuna. So much for pacts of friendship! History can attest to that. The man made mahogany forest is the work of one leader, a former Governor of Bohol, who cared enough about his province and his people to initiate the planting of mahogany trees covering an area that spans 2 kilometers. It's taken 40 years for these trees to mature and the area...

My thoughtful cousin sent me an email that said, "Welcome home!". This reminded me of the welcome I received at San Francisco airport from Customs examiners. I was randomly picked from hundreds of passengers who arrived from Tokyo earlier this week. My one small suitcase was carefully checked as well as my handbag and handcarry. I hadn't really bought anything while abroad except 2 almerez that my Mom and sister asked me to bring. I didn't know how to translate almerez into English but one of the examiners knew what I was describing with my hands. I was pounding my right hand against a make believe stone bowl. He said it's a mortar and pestle . I had a difficult time finding these as my sister asked for a white marble almerez, the best of which come from the island of Romblon. Luckily my resourceful tricycle driver found them in the market. He had to go back and look for another one as the first store had only one in stock. Problem is these weigh a ton and my lu...

In Iloilo recently, we had the opportunity to check out Breakthrough in the neighborhood of Villa. Breakthrough is a restaurant on the beach with a view of Guimaras Island (which is famous for its sweet mangos). While the sand is a pearly grey, the beach is as inviting as that of Boracay's White Beach. No crowds and quite clean. We ate our lunch in one of the palapas rather than in the main restaurant hall. It was relaxing to sit there and watch the calm sea. We ordered sizzling crab, fish sinigang, prawns, sea weed gel, and pinakbet. My friends loved the seaweed and ordered more to take home. I enjoyed the sizzling crab though it wasn't really sizzling. We washed it all down with a mango shake. This is our favorite drink, especially on a hot day. Is there ever a day when it's not hot in the islands? * * * Photos by Rosario Charie Albar

We went to the wake of a young relative who died recently. What moved me most was the gift of seedling palm trees the family gave to guests who cared to plant them. I took one and planted it the very next day. There was a card with this inscription attached to the tree: "It matters that the world knows that we continue to celebrate the gift of life. If you wish, bring this palm tree seedling home with you and take the first steps in the journey of a new life." What a wonderful way to remember loved ones who've passed away. These trees will live on for many years to come and continue the cycle of life.

The graduation ceremony started at 1:30 p.m. but we didn't get there till 4 p.m. That was on purpose because our own graduate would not be called until 5:30 p.m. Think how long the poor graduates were seated under the searing afternoon sun just for that moment when their name is called and they could go up the stage to receive their diploma case (diplomas will be handed out in a few weeks). Over a thousand graduates waited for confirmation that they had indeed successfully completed university requirements. Our very own Barbie graduated with a degree in nursing. She also received a Special Award for academic excellence. We left the university about 7:30 p.m. after taking memorable photos of the event. The proud Mom took us to MO2 where we celebrated in a private videoke room. We toasted the graduate with strawberry margaritas and mango shake. Dinner spread included sizzling tangigue, boneless bangus, cordon bleu and nachos. How novel to celebrate in a videoke room where we c...

Finding the perfect accommodation at the hottest beach destination in the Philippines and perhaps Asia can be a bit tricky. There are native huts, five star hotels, Mediterranean inspired lodgings, boarding houses and if you’re lucky as I was, a room in a private home. I’ve written before about Filipino hospitality and how easily I’ve made friends with them during my travels around the world. In Boracay, I was once again reminded how generous and welcoming Filipinos are. My friends had invited me to Boracay for a long weekend through the first couple days of Holy Week. I was excited because I wanted to get away and see more of the island. My first visit to Boracay was on a day trip and we spent most of our time walking along White Beach. I was captivated by the colors of the sea and the missing crowds. It must have been off season then. When we arrived at the home of my friends’ friends in the neighborhood of Station 1, I was entranced by the tropical landscape, the tree house, the nip...