Dotted with historical landmarks, Tagbilaran seems rustic and culturally rich. My hike down to the Peir revealed a view looking back at the town which resembled a Picasso painting. After the sun went down I eventually found myself at a park in the town center, where the local Tagbilaranians were gathered to enjoy a barbecue with a live band playing. While the adults drank and ate, their children hopped around on a miniature scale version of the chocolate hills in the center of the park.
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| View from the pier |
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| Mini Chocolate Hills |
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| Cathedral of St Joseph the Worker |
When I rose the next morning, I booked a cab to take me up to visit the chocolate hills. Along the way I visited the famous Tarsier preserve, took some snapshots of the Loboc river and got to know my cab driver. The feeling at the top of the chocolate mountain was one of empty accomplishment, it's good to know you've made it to a place you recognize from a post card, but after hike up to the top and spin around in a 360, it's all over in about a minute. On the plus side there weren't thousands of tourist crawling over one another here, so it was a relaxing destination for the day.
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| Tagbilaran from the roof of my hotel |
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| Loboc River |
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| Lunch from a stall next to the river |
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| Tarzier |
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| Chocolate hills |
After about an hour long drive back southward, I arrived at Alona beach on Panglao island.
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| Alona |
