halfwhiteboy

Remnants of a once glorious past. Forgive me for the rather depressing title but that's exactly how I would sum up my impression of the Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery in Nagcarlan, Laguna. It was my first time to visit. (I know, shame on me considering it's not really that much of a drive from Metro Manila.) But at least I finally made that trip. We were comfortably holed up at  Sitio de Amor in San Pablo at the time but managed to force our butts out of bed and drove to Nagcarlan and later, Liliw. Nagcarlan is a 45-minute or so leisurely drive from San Pablo and you'll reach the cemetery before hitting the town proper. It's on the left side of the road right across a Shell gas station. Declared a National Historical Landmark in the 1970s, the cemetery dates back to Spanish colonial times and is regarded as the only underground cemetery in the country. Following the declaration, no more burials were allowed in the cemetery; the last one was in the early 80s. ...

The Fuente Osmeña fountain, with remnants of Christmas in the foreground. Never really thought much about it. Throughout my college years in Cebu City, Fuente Osmeña  has always been just one of those places that's just...there, hardly an attraction to me, though we did loiter around there several times before. But one night while in the city recently, I just thought of taking a stroll there with Kwittiegirl after a filling dinner at Larsian . Suroy-suroy 'ta! (Let's go take a stroll!) The night was a little chilly, perfect for a leisurely stroll. Because it's a rotunda and traffic is therefore free-flowing around it, crossing the street to get there takes a bit of courage and timing. At one of the gates I noticed this worn-out marker with a QR code:

Remnants of the Baluarte at the town of Oslob. I haven't been to Oslob , a fourth class municipality in the southern part of Cebu province. But I probably know Oslob because of Sumilon Island and regrettably, the whale shark feeding in Tan-awan, of which I'm totally against. Little did I know that the town also has a few historical places of interest, thanks to My Bibe's Instagram photos from her Southern Cebu trip some 2 months ago. And might I say they made me want to check this town out myself.

Angels standing guard over the entrance to the church grounds at Boljoon. Poring over Kwittiegirl's Instagram photos of her little trip to the southern part of Cebu province last May, I'm filled with this yearning to really go visit these places she's been to. After Aloguinsan , where she enjoyed a simple yet lovely cruise along the Bojo River , I'm now sharing with you some of her smartphone shots of Boljoon (pronounced bol-ho-ON, or bull-hu-ON in true-blue Cebuano accent). A fifth class municipality, Boljoon may be as simple as it gets but it does offer some nice views. It's a coastal town bordered by limestone cliffs and hills and has a lush mountain backdrop, making it a really picturesque place. Moreover, the people here are really nice and warm, to which Kwittiegirl can attest.

See related posts: Backpacking in Siquijor Kiwi Dive Resort: Where 'The Backpacker' stayed in Siquijor To most Filipinos, Siquijor is usually associated with shamans, potions and whatnot, and wrongfully with aswang and such mythical creatures. Those who know better, however, regard the island province for its white sand beaches and excellent dive sites. But what else is in Siquijor? I'll attempt to answer that by going on a day-long motorbike ride around the island and with my driver/guide Matt, sample the many sights that Siquijor has to offer. Sandugan Beach Found north of Larena town, this was where I set base for my backpacking trip . It's a quiet strip with only three resorts (although there's one more far up north), some mangroves, and a couple of fisher folk. It faces West, so it's the perfect spot to watch the sun dive into the horizon. Church of St. Francis of Assisi and Bell Tower Located right at the heart of Siquijor town, it...