JVP in Bohol

Please check out this link for a background on this series :)

Bohol is one of my favorite islands in the Philippines. There's just so much to do and so many things to see. There's the Chocolate Hills, the Tarsier, the white sand beaches, lunch on a boat while cruising on a river.  I've been there many times and I could never get enough of the place.

But when a couple of volunteers were assigned there to work as teachers, I was even more elated because they were being sent to a part of Bohol that's not usually visited by tourists.  That's one of the great things about being a volunteer. You're not just a tourist but you actually get to live with and like the locals. And for me, that kind of life that's both ordinary and extraordinary is far more interesting than any tourist spot or activity.

Meet Whitz and Makoy. Whitz taught Math and Makoy taught PE and Values Ed to high school students in a small parish school. 

This is their family in Bohol. To the right is the Parish Priest who took really good care of the the volunteers.

Oh and that's Jodel who's also a former volunteer. He came with me in one of my visits.

In one of my visits, we got to spend the night a cottage in the sea. We had no beds, pillows or blankets. It was a bit chilly, but the warmth of being at home with a good people was more than enough to make up for the cold.

This is one of the things I miss most about the Philippines: our sunset.

I usually travel alone in visiting the volunteers. And what I enjoy about that is waiting in train or bus stations because I get to watch people go about their daily lives.

Oh, and I also enjoy the snacks that's sold by local vendors.

The volunteers while walking around the town.

This was the lake near the school.

Hey Whitz!

Hey Makoy!

Makoy is one of the craziest teachers I've seen inside the classroom. Never a dull moment!

Many of the students are not used to being photographed, especially by strangers, thus the awkwardness.

While observing the volunteers at work, I take pictures of my shoes. Don't ask me why.

Everything I need: camera, phone with flashlight, and notebook. 

Whitz really knows her stuff. Those things on the board mean nothing to me!Nothing!!!!

I also get to eat the local carinderia fare. yummy! The food, not the kid!

My grandmother used to burn leaves every morning under our mango tree in the belief that the smoke will make the tree bear fruit.

I don't know if you've tried this: Ice water! It's water put inside an ice bag and sold for a peso. It's the local version of mineral water!

Here's Whitz with her students.

Street food: Hotdog, chicken intestine and chicken legs. Yes, our hotdogs are red. 

On my way back to Manila, I get to eat at the Bohol Bee Farm, which serves the best organic food ever!

You actually have to eat the flowers!

These two are blind and our excellent singers! They entertain you in the airport while waiting for your flight.