Another Amazing Race: Bohol, Cebu, Leyte, and Samar in 1 Day

Our 15-day Philippine tour was almost coming to an end. And we intended for it to be a blast.

Meeting our couchsurfing host in Bohol, finally!

On our last evening in Tagbilaran, we had dinner with our couchsurfing host, Malou. She’s a bubbly lady who was very helpful to us for this entire Bohol leg of our trip. We met at one of the malls in Tagbilaran, and when I saw her, I knew she was the person we were supposed to meet.Meeting our host couchsurfers for the first time was both weird and pleasant experience for me. I got this vibe from Russell, our host in Sabangan, Malou, and would get this from Fernz, our host in Samar. They exuded this open, accommodating, generous, and adventurous persona. It’s like we all share this love for life, experiences, and travel.

We had dinner at Acacia de Bubu, where they served grilled food. We ordered pork barbecue, chicken barbecue, and Tara, the vegetarian, added chorizo, of all things. We shared the stories from our travels with Malou and laughed through most of the night. It was great having that chance to meet and talk with her.

Goodbye, Bohol!

In the morning, we bade goodbye to Malou, her caring mother and funny father. Tara and I headed to the port so we wouldn’t miss our 7:00 AM ferry ride to Cebu.

Hello again, Cebu!

Once in Cebu, Tara and I found our way to my buddy Therese’s restaurant, Casa Verde’s main branch. She was supposed to join us in Samar but decided against it when we learned how much tickets would cost her for an overnight trip. It would not be worth it.We had lunch at Sugba, Tula, Kilaw (STK), a restaurant owned by one of Therese’s relatives. There, we got to sample their super tasty scallops. It was so delicious that I savored every bite I took.

We got to the airport an hour before our scheduled flight. We planned on hanging out for a bit more and having conversations about the travel and our plans for the next few days.

But, a few minutes after checking in, we heard a call for Cebu Pacific passengers going to Tacloban. The captain requested for an early fly-out. It was so weird for me because, uhm, early departure in Cebu? Again?

Anyway, we left Therese at the airport, where she was going to wait for her flight to Manila, scheduled an hour after ours. Later on, we found out that it got delayed by an hour. Poor buddy. It’s a good thing she brought a book with her!

Touchdown, Leyte!

The flight to Tacloban from Cebu took just a few minutes. In my mind, our plane had just taken off, and then a few minutes later, the crew announced that we were already descending. Tara and I were looking at each other and, almost simultaneously, blurted out, “Are you kidding me?” Haha!When we got to Tacloban, we hopped on a jeepney that took us to the main highway. They told us to ride another jeepney to the mall where we were supposed to meet our host, Fernz. But Tara and I decided against it. What’s another walk along a busy highway to add to our list anyway?Tara went to Western Union to withdraw money that she would use to buy banigs or woven mats in Basey. But there was an error in the transfer, so she didn’t get any. I had a few extra bucks to lend her some to pay for the bus, dinner, and beach. But we would need more to buy lots of the beautiful creations of the people of Basey. Oh well.We took a jeepney to the terminal and waited for a bit for the van going to Marabut in Samar to leave. So, we took this time to get more acquainted with our host.

Enjoying time with our couchsurfing host in Samar

Fernz is a nurse in a public hospital. He’s been a couchsurfer for a while and would usually host other couchsurfers visiting Leyte or Samar. According to him, his province is the road less traveled. So, he takes every opportunity to show anyone interested in its beauty. He also practices yoga and climbs mountains. He’s writing a book about their region and is almost nearing visiting all provinces part of it!We crossed the famous San Juanico Bridge at night. It was stunning. And, long. Then, we got to our fourth province for today, Samar.We stayed at French Kiss Beach Resort. We were the only guests. We walked along the highway to a nearby but more expensive resort, where we had dinner.

We spent the rest of the night conversing about life, love, and adventure over coffee and bread – a great way to cap our last night of the trip.