Panglao

Bohol

I went to Panglao Island for the heavily-advertised underwater attractions but ended up staying on land the whole time; a sign advertising motorcycles for hire changed my plans. Panglao is mostly flat and doesn't have much traffic, so I knew it would be an easy place to drive. And it didn't hit me until the moment I had seen that sign that I hadn't actually been behind a steering wheel in months. I had been a passenger in countless taxis, vans, minbuses, full size buses, and planes across thousands of miles in the Philippines, so the idea of being completely in control for a change sounded wonderful. I wasn't sure which I should be more alarmed by, the fact that the fuel gauge didn't work or the fact that I was now propelling myself forward at 80 kph without having to show any ID, driver's license, or credit card. I felt strangely free, like I could just point the motorcycle to the horizon and keep going forever. Sometimes it's just nice to simply feel the wind in your hair. To smell freshly cut crops. To hear a friendly "Hey, man!" shouted by a kid walking in the opposite direction on the side of the road. It was nice to just chuck everything this one weekend and enjoy some of life's simpler pleasures.

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Panglao lies just off the southwestern coast of Bohol; the two are connected via two short bridges. Here is a view looking back at Bohol just after making the crossing.

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A reminder from one of the province's "moving bibles" (motorized tricycles with scripture scrolled across the back) that one does not travel alone in these parts.

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A white banca offshore at the Alona Kew White Beach.

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Some shots from Panglao city, its church and watchtower.

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A stop at the Dumaluan Beach Resort for lunch. Freshly picked flowers grace each tabletop while a view worth dying for shimmers offshore.

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The resort's gigantic pet monitor lizard cools off from the midday heat in his water dish
while a nearby rooster looks paralyzed by indecision whether it would rather have me or the lizard have him for lunch.

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After lunch, time to hop back on the motorcycle and hit the open road again. Livestock are a constant roadside presence, as are people heading off to perform various tasks.

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A random shot of a random house in the middle of nowhere. Who wouldn't want to have a yard that looks like this?