The Thrifty Wanderer: May 2013

I thought that last weekend @ Bojo river was the last summer outing with family but 3 days before another weekend approaches my dear cousin tagged me with a new place to explore...called ESOY HOTSPRING!!!

We traveled from South of Cebu to North since Esoy Hotspring is located in Catmon, the northern part of Cebu City.

Along the highway you'll find signage, direction to reach the spring. Its 2 kilometers away from the highway. According to our guide if you're going to take a single motorcycle (a lot to the place it cost 25php per head. Entrance fee is 100/pax, kids are free of admission.

From the entrance, you have to pass through these stairs (I don't know how many steps).

We were not able to count the steps because we were busy with the pictorial, as usual.

We forgot to take pictures of their cottages, it's included in the 100php. The pools are not that big they only have 3 pools, 1 for kids and this one for adults.

This one is the smallest but hottest pool :D My brother and I.

This hanging bridge and trekking to the falls excite us all that after we ate our lunch we set for another rocky and extreme adventure. If you're planning to visit the place? Bring your own soft drinks/drinks. Their 8 oz soft drinks cost 20php.

You have to rent a life vest for 50php. If you'll cross the hanging bridge and visit the falls, they'll require you to rent/wear a life vest. So, our adventure begins when we crossed the bridge.

My cousin and I conditioning our knees for the rocky trail.

Rocky road...

We traveled on those rocky ways to the falls. The falls is 200 meters away from Esoy Hot Spring.

You must have strong knees :)

We appreciated the importance of life vest when we crossed the river with a strong current.

That's one of our guides; by the way, the guide is included in the 100php entrance fee you have to pay at the entrance.

One of the deepest trail, we've passed through.

The picture was taken after we survived the strong current that gave us a hard time crossing.

So that's the falls...Not high but 147 feet in depth.

One of our guides helps us circle the falls. The three of us did it, especially Claudine who doesn't know how to swim. I'm aware that it’s more than 100feet in-depth but I did not inform them.lol!

Fighting the strong current just to take this shot for this blog.lol!

You may bring the kids along but by your own risk.

That's Matthew and Gian my two adventurous nephews, believe it or not, but they came along with us with those big smile.

After our trekking to the falls, we visited this spot just under the hanging bridge.

Good thing our guide was patient enough to tour us around and showed us the places where hot water flows.

We're enjoying the hot water...

Heading back to the entrance, where our car was parked.

My cousin is thinking how she's going to survive the stairs back. Another adventure was completed by the thrifty wanderer. Ensoy Hot Spring...Check!

Early this year, we were planning to go to Palawan. Tickets were booked, but because of an inevitable circumstance we have to rebook our trip. We were so disappointed, good thing my cousin found another place for us to explore, just like Palawan. Just like any other thrill seeker...We researched about the place, I've read blogs about it and saw a lot of wonderful pictures online and I know I'm in for another exciting adventure.

Two ways to reach Alonguinsan, if you're from Cebu City a bus from South bus terminal to Toledo City and another ride to Bojo River; or you can take the road thru CarCar and pass through Mantalongon. We took the second option since we're near that area. It took almost 2 hours before we reached our destination with all the stop-overs with the delicious bibingka along the way and all some food thingy...

When we reached our destination we were 3rd batch to arrived, and they called us walked-in customers because other guests called in advance and booked their cruise. If you're going to book ahead, it's with a buffet for only 600php/pax. If just like us walk-in, you have to bring your own food and 300php/head you can use all facilities for free. I mean you can use the bathroom, a table but separate from those who booked with buffet. You can climb the top of the hill with 150 steps and walk on a bamboo bridge. If you just want the trekking(some sort of a sweaty walk I mean), you just have to pay 30php. Kids 7 years old and below are free of admission. Very reasonable, right?

So, here we are since walk-in, asking about everything. Good thing the people are accommodating and was not tired of our questions. Before the river cruise started, an orientation with one of the members of the community about the policies and brief history of how they came up with such idea. Mind you, the people there, are all friendly (one thing I like about the place), they never took advantaged of their guests. Kudos to the people and the government of Alonguinsan!!!

Boho- a Cebuano/Visayan term for whole.

Bojo- a Spanish word for coastal

This was explained in the orientation.They were center of trade a long time ago. I like the idea of their government that they had this project to give the fishermen additional income aside from fishing and it's a wise idea to involved the people in protecting the area.

Souvenir made by the community. I bought a native wallet for 50php only.

One guide per boat. Along the cruise they're narrating the history of the place even the mythical stories. That captured my attention...

Guests must wear life vest and reminded to just lower their voices and avoid touching birds nests. Haaayy...cuz we have to zip our mouth and behave, okay.?

The guides memorized the scientific names of mangroves.

I've learned that there's a male and female mangroves, different kinds of mangroves and the most unforgettable info I've learned was that mangroves have breathing organs.

The mangroves are where the fishes laid their eggs and those leaves that fell on the water serves as the fishes' food. I did not know that, until then..I might be sleeping on my biology class...lol!

The length of the river is 1.4 kilometers.

While my cousins were busy with their photo-shots me and Kuya "guide" (so sorry forgot his name) were busy chatting about the history of the place.

When he heard me whining about the picture thing he offered to take pictures of us. He even looked for a perfect background for our photos.

There you go Kuya guide/historian/photographer...lol

Mini Palawan, right?

We went out to the sea to see the corals. The water is crystal clear.

There's a spot where in according to Kuya that there's a cave under the water. I saw the color of the water changed and you can see the mouth of the so-say cave..

We docked at one side of that place where we took some pictures but we were all in for the swimming at the mouth of the river, so we did not stay that long on that area.

So excited that we even helped with the paddling.

View while getting back to the river...Some of those people you can see on photo are residence of the place but not part of community protecting the river according to Kuya, because some of them did not survive the training.

You can rarely see floating plastics around the area. They have members in-charged of collecting those garbage. Even Kuya while rowing our "banca" was busy gathering floating plastics.

Other guests...

Kuya again took pictures of us while enjoying the crystal clear water.

For real...It's really me, enjoying the coolness of the water...Just last week, I'm just looking at the pictures of this place but now it's really me who's enjoying the view and savoring the water.

Kuya was the one who choreographed this...

Hmmm...enticing...

See that look-like a door of a cave? According to stories, passed through generations, that was an open door before, and residence of the town used to borrow utensils from the cave. All they have to do is write the thing that they want to borrow, the time that they're going to pick it up and time when they're going to return it. But some people failed to return the things they borrowed and some even broke it. The mythical creatures living inside the cave close the door. That's why part of the orientation before the cruise starts, is to lower our voices. We might disturbed the "not like us" peacefully inhabiting the place.

A lot of stories shared by Kuya guide all throughout the cruise; stories about the monkeys, treasure hunting around the area and even the bombings during the Japanese colonization. See, I've really listened well to Kuya guide...lol!