Day #2 & Day #3 in Bohol – Highs and Lows again…
A beautiful sleep for Amy and I that was much much needed after the exhausting day #1 (see previous blog). Here is our Day #2 & Day #3 in Bohol – Highs and Lows again… All the highs came from the amazing Bellevue Resort, Panglao, and J&R Residence, Anda, the lows came from our house at Chateau de Paz, sadly – more on that in a moment, but dear me this place can love and hate you in the blink or an eye sometimes.
Amy and I only had a morning at the Bellevue Resort, so up early for a cracking brekkie, quick change to get on the beach and pool, another quick change, pack, check-out, book car, lunch with a couple of cold ones, a car to Chateau de Paz to meet my Mary and Jude (missed them massively), then a supposed handover for the house, then a LONG drive to Anda to our next hotel for a few nights. Read on.
Wee caveat that some photos on the 35mm and some on crappy iPhone, one did not want to get 35mm wet of course!!!
I cannot rate Bellevue Resort, Panglao enough – this is a MUST MUST visit again resort for me/us. One of the best, and I have told the world so on TripAdvisor – it is an absolute CRACKER of a place with some of the very best staff I have encountered. If you are on Panglao, make sure you get here, even if just for day trip to have a few beers watching the sea and people meander past. It truly does not get much better than this place – you saw that yesterday and now again today. This is one of the HIGHS of today!!!
Amy and I could not help but take this picture and send to Mum. She LOVES dried fish, and I HATE dried fish – it’s a ying-yang thing. And there was a sh*t load of it here, and she was not here – catch my drift, ha ha ha…
A stunning buffet breakfast at Bellevue Resort – I go local-ish. Pilipinas Chorizo (sublime), with garlic rice, fried egg, some local sauce, squeeze of calamansi and OK OK some crispy bacon!!! Ding Dong Delicious!!!
Infinity pool – “Yep I’ll have some of that thanks…” Said Amy.
One had to enjoy the beautiful beach – well no-one else was. Mine all mine!!! OK apart from the random behind me!!!
Ever so lonely, la, lonely….
Hmmmm – what to have for lunch. So many decisions to make. Dear me!!!
I tell you what is The Bellevue Resort a cracker or what. We’re off on the pontoon to check the sea out. Let’s have a looksie…
Amy is now helping me to decide what to have for lunch. What you think Princess? “Hmmmmmm, give me a moment Dad!”
Have a look at this place… WOW!!! Apparently, I hear from Chai Chai, this is where all the TV and Film Stars come to vacation from Manila and Cebu when they want to get away from it all. I can see why – this place is awesome…
All artsy like with the camera – here is a panorama…
Cracking on with some work now and Amy practicing her song for the wedding on Saturday. We’re all packed, eaten and awaiting the bus to go to Chateau De Paz for the handover. Cold one in tow. Chilled sounds beating. People meandering. Waves a lapping. Hell Yes!!!
I am going to do a separate food blog for all the wonderful dishes so far consumed at ferry terminals, Bellevue Resort, J&R Residence to date and beyond – but a call out to Bellevue Resort – one of best Sisigs ever – great work!!! So so so good!!!
I love this – can we charge our phones please? Then like an acrobat up he jumps to the top of the counter to plug in to the TV way up high. He could have said no ha ha. Top man!!!
Then to the LOW. Notice no photos. Our supposed key handover of our new house at Chateau de Paz, Panglao. We walk up after 2 months of being there last and not one single thing has been done to the house re the ‘snag’ list I sent through – as in NOT ONE THING. I am getting angry. OK let’s walk through and create the official ‘snag’ list on their little form. We do that and after 2 hours of much debating and back and forth we are there. Standing on the balcony upstairs they are all chatting in Filipino and I hear the word September mentioned and Mary explains that this is when the architect thinks it will all be done.
BOOM!!!
Yep I went mental. F’ing and blinding, shouting and screaming, red in face, bulging veins and clenched fists. “We’re only here for f’ing you and the bloody key handover, which is supposed to be today!!!” “Everything is supposed to be f’ing done!!!” “I cannot come back in f’ing September!” “Your crowd committed it would all be done f’ing latest 20th!!!” “I have f’ing $10k SGD of f”ing furniture coming on 21st!” “OK you are f’ing paying for my flights/hotel now, and you are f’ing paying for new flights/hotels September. You are f’ing paying for aborted delivery!” “You are f’ing paying for storage!” “You are paying for the f’ing assembly charges again in September!!!”
Yes I was not nice, but I was in the right. Classic building developer that now has your money attitude from them.
They shit themselves I think. Mary did confirm they were scared. “We’ll have a team meeting in next two days Sir and get back to you!!!” “Just f’ing make it happen, and deliver when you promised and committed to us, hence booking this f’ing trip!!!”
Then a three hour bouncy bloody bus ride to Anda – NOT A HAPPY CAMPER.
My battery and network also dies. I am not speaking to Mary because I was expecting more help in local dialogue to make things happen. So ANGRY with everything and everyone.
Apparently on the way we got a FB Messenger from them, stating that they were all very sorry, they had spoken and would still execute as committed on 20th. Since then we have been drip fed photos of progress, so I am now like “Wow looks awesome guys, keep up the good work, can’t wait to see the finished place blah blah.” I tell you if it is not done I have yet to pull the social media slag fest they will get – that card is in back-pocket – bring it on Chateau de Paz, if you dare!!! Also we since hear that all the guys we met on site, and have been FB Messaging too are now under investigation from management because they have pissed off and misinformed a client – go f’ing figure.
Anyways we then arrive at this little oasis in Anda, the beautiful J&R Residence. Another cracker!!! Another HIGH today. Owned and run by Ralf and Jilo, it is simply stunning. Perched up on a cliff top with beautiful breezy view of the turquoise sea below. In fact even the restaurant is called Sea Breezes. Food is ace. Price is bloody brilliant. Clean, ever so clean. Staff simply superb. Brilliant. Bring things to do though is only caveat here. It’s a little remote, with a few things to do tour-wise, and no TV’s for example. I actually sat down and read a novel in two days, even with the kids I had some time on my hands. Really nice actually. We were super busy though with weddings and re-unions so we were off-site and very busy and knackered when we got back – so more than covered re things to do. 5 rooms only, so this is double exclusive – come say hi to them, it’s super!!!
Food I will covering separately in Philippines food extravaganza blog – coming soon. Suffice to say it was bloody good!!!
I love it when you walk in your room and you get this welcome. How cool is this. Coconut palm leaf welcomes and animal shape towel sculptures. Just brilliant!!! Love it.
Ouch says Jude! It’s really cute actually – there is shells and fish motifs/sculptures everywhere – like everywhere. Kids loved it. So much so we had to walk around I had to explain all the shells to Jude and then get on line to do some science classes to show more on them when living.
Sea Breezes Restaurant – see what I mean – beautiful views, lovely food, and ever so ever so breezy!!! Beautiful!!! Even Dave the Parrot loves it clearly – Jude is having to hold him to stop him flying off I think.
A very nice sleepy night – all were so tired and stressed. Much needed. Up for a lazy day – off to the local shops to get a white t-shirt for under my Barong. Swimming pool for Jude Jude with Daddy. And then a MASSIVE storm, which stopped play and we again all sat round entertaining ourselves, eating and having a couple of beers – early night as wedding tomorrow and leaving at 0730 am to get to the church – more on that tomorrow.
Day+3 after a nice night of sleep rest and book reading (for me). Gordon Ramsay is a tad of an arrogant bugger it has to be said, and I don’t just mean TV persona – anyways a good read. Baby Jude clearly enjoying brekkie – I went with local local Tocino – oh yeah baby!
Nice cooling and relaxing dip for only Jude and I – the girls decided not to for some reason. Sadly only lasted for about an hour as the wind picked up like a bugger and BOOM a tropical stork kicked in. Rain did indeed stop play – you’ll see that in a short while.
Yeap we’re enjoying ourselves. So so nice, sitting on this seat playing, and then looking over the waves crashing over the sea. Hmmmmm, nice.
Yeap it is a raining – ok let’s shift to the other side of now VERY SEA BREEZE RESTAURANT, ha ha. Chatting to Jilo and Ralf soon – wedding night organisation and preparation needed!!!
In comes the storm – whoa this was boomy – hoping this is it ahead of the wedding tomorrow – fingers crossed!!!!
“What you think Jude, shall we just stay here for dinner and not face the wind and rain?” “Yes Dad, makes perfect sense to me, and then we can have an early night ahead of the early start for the wedding, what think you Dad?” “I agree Baby-Jude, I 100% agree!!!”
A few little funny things to close;
- As you drive through the Barangay and provinces of The Philippines you see loads and loads of little fires everywhere. For the first time I asked Mary what they were for – go figure, they are to stop the mosquitos – makes sense! And if you want to step up the performance of said fires you throw on dried coconut husks;
- When we went to Gindulman to get my t-shirt it was really weird – stares continually. They’d look at me, look at Jude, look at Mary, then look back at me, then look at Amy, then look at Mary and then look back at me. You could hear the cogs whirring inside as they tried to work out the WTF happened moment;
- Wherever you go in Barangay and provinces you get all the little kids stopping in their tracks and waving to the white bloke, it’s so so cute, I love it. Reminds me of Cambodia days;
- Amy left us for a whole night to go and stay at Chai Chai and Bao Bao’s house – being bridesmaid she needed to be there for hair and make-up in a big way bless – missed her;
- When we pulled up to J&R Residence I realised (I think) that the resort next door, Anda White Beach was the very first one I stayed in 9+ years ago for my first stay in Mabini – small small worlds;
- Ralf and Jilo are a German/Filipino couple – used to work together in China and moved out of the smog to clean air and relaxation, kept getting asked if their place was a guesthouse to which no was the answer – but more and more pressure so they built two guest houses and grew from there. Beautiful little oasis – just a little remote, but relax you surely will!!!
And that was that folks two days in one. Highs and lows as you’ll see. Standouts were BelleVue Resort and J&R Residence, bloody good. Chateau de Paz you are NOT on my Xmas list at the moment. We shall see later on this week if that get rectified!!! Still a great couple of days in Panglao and Mabini. Still love it here, you can’t not. It’s such a beautiful place. As always we keep a coming back because we enjoy, and if you do too you are certain to also – ENJOY!!!
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