Boljoon: More Reasons to Return




8 and 9 June 2007. When editor Kristin Llerin asked me to write about Boljoon for the Cebu Yearbook, I asked, "Why ME?". I'd just written an article on it a few months before for the Lifestyle page (supposedly, it was what inspired the Yearbook editors to feature Boljoon in the yearbook), and I felt I had written all I had in me to write about Boljoon, after years of yearning for it. I'd explored all I wanted to. It was a closed book, as far as I was concerned.


"Because you like to travel!" she said. Fine. It was MY Boljoon, after all, so I thought it might as well be me.


When I got there on a Friday morning (the first weekend of the schoolyear, and I was already on another "vacation" :P) to interview some government officials, I discovered that there was an archeological dig going on in front of its historic church, and that there were actually still a couple of places I hadn't been to...which some of the locals hadn't even heard of, either.


So, what with my penchant (addiction?) for adventure, off I went to a restored watchtower on a cliff, a Mediterranean hotel-in-the-making, some new pretty picturesque resorts in town, the old dating place by the beach behind the high school. Then the next day, down into the gulleys of Boljoon in search of two waterfalls with a group of guys I'd just met the day before, then into the town to check out one of the oldest houses. Not bad at all for a two-day stay in one of my favorite towns in Cebu ;)


*my gratitude to Ronald Villanueva and the Goulds for their unparalleled hospitality

Comments

  1. Bugoy Traveler PHSeptember 11, 2007 at 5:06 AM

    pagka anindoOot sa life~

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 11, 2007 at 5:12 AM

    hehehehe. i count my blessings, as always :) but i've had to stay put lately...meaning day trips lang usually, or overnight at the most. need to focus on my research and my papers lest i forget i'm a student now instead of a traveling raketeer-bum :P

    ReplyDelete
  3. bon vitoSeptember 11, 2007 at 5:13 AM

    these are awesome pictures...

    ReplyDelete
  4. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 11, 2007 at 5:14 AM

    thanks, bonn :) too bad you're not in them, no? ;) wala man gud ko nag-pose hehehe.

    ReplyDelete
  5. bon vitoSeptember 11, 2007 at 5:20 AM

    hehe... mao ra jud untay chance nako nga ma-photogenic.... :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. Aileen GuirnelaSeptember 11, 2007 at 9:17 AM

    they're all breathtaking Jeneen!...i envy you ;)...how could one possibly go there? is it still part of cebu? pls inform me, salamat!

    ReplyDelete
  7. kitty galoreSeptember 11, 2007 at 10:03 AM

    nasuya ko..

    ReplyDelete
  8. mariarica .September 11, 2007 at 10:31 AM

    neen, directions pls! i have a long vacation leave planned this end of october. was thinking of going to siquijor. baka pwede din ako dumaan dito since i have a business trip to cebu next month.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Mimi Herrera VillaruelSeptember 11, 2007 at 12:01 PM

    wow! nindota ani oi. beautiful boljoon and beautiful pics you took, jen. thanks for sharing :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Jean USeptember 11, 2007 at 1:49 PM

    I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEE mangoes......I wanted to pick some in Maui but didn't want to go to Jail.....hehehe

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jean USeptember 11, 2007 at 1:51 PM

    Yummy....funny how big papayas are in the Philippines. It's so tiny in Hawaii, just a tad bigger than the mangoes.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Jean USeptember 11, 2007 at 1:52 PM

    lovely art! Can I print this?

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jemi AquinoSeptember 11, 2007 at 5:27 PM

    man vs boulder.

    lovely, lovely.
    no wonder they wanted you to do the piece.

    HUGS,
    jemi

    ReplyDelete
  14. glenn glarinoSeptember 11, 2007 at 7:33 PM

    hello jeneen, =)

    ReplyDelete
  15. glenn glarinoSeptember 11, 2007 at 7:34 PM

    hello jeneen, =)

    ReplyDelete
  16. glenn glarinoSeptember 11, 2007 at 7:36 PM

    hello jeneen...I havent "seen" you for some time=)

    glenn

    ReplyDelete
  17. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 12, 2007 at 4:27 AM

    thanks, aileen! yup, it's still part of mainland cebu, just 2 1/2 hours from the city by bus. you can't miss it. it's the only town within a cove :) check out my other boljoon albums so you'll recognize it when you see it ;) when you coming here?

    ReplyDelete
  18. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 12, 2007 at 4:30 AM

    hi rica! yup, from cebu city, you just take the bus and get down in boljoon. then from boljoon you just take the bus again, then the 20-min boat ride to negros, pass through dumaguete, then go to siquijor na. cheaper pa :)

    ReplyDelete
  19. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 12, 2007 at 4:33 AM

    thanks, mimi! this is a good place for a weekend trip with your family :) not as crowded as moalboal or the other more popular tourist spots.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 12, 2007 at 4:34 AM

    me, too! i will always believe that God smiles on the philippines because we have something a s delectable as mangoes available the whole year round. man, they do that in hawaii? :(

    ReplyDelete
  21. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 12, 2007 at 4:37 AM

    sure, jean :) thanks :) nice to know my photo will be dispalyed somewhere in the US hehe

    ReplyDelete
  22. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 12, 2007 at 4:43 AM

    awww..thanks mwah! now you really have to go there :)

    ReplyDelete
  23. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 12, 2007 at 4:47 AM

    hello, sir! finally! welcome to the wonderful world of Multiply :D

    ReplyDelete
  24. Sus ubb622September 12, 2007 at 6:32 AM

    Uy uy! I was there this past holy week! loved the place. I'll share my photos...when i get to find them. Hahaa!

    ReplyDelete
  25. Jean USeptember 12, 2007 at 1:17 PM

    Thanks Jeneen, i will have my husband print it, blow it up, and have it framed professionally. it's perfect for my tiny kitchen. Then i will post the finish product. i like collecting nice photographs. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  26. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 13, 2007 at 4:56 AM

    ha! talaga! you didn't tell me you were in the neighborhood! =P i was actually in cebu city that time, right after siquijor. did u stay at club fort med? sino kasama mo?

    ReplyDelete
  27. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 13, 2007 at 4:58 AM

    wow, sounds great :) let me know if the resolution's too low. i usually resize everything by batch for easier uploading.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Mimi Herrera VillaruelSeptember 13, 2007 at 7:43 AM

    mao gyud akong plano jen. is there a resort where we can stay in?

    ReplyDelete
  29. roland dcSeptember 13, 2007 at 9:35 AM

    nice..
    asa ni dapit neen?duol rani sa boljoon church?

    ReplyDelete
  30. noemi romeroSeptember 13, 2007 at 8:34 PM

    whew im from boljoon too... but havent got the chance to see this things for real....

    ReplyDelete
  31. clint plandoxSeptember 13, 2007 at 8:43 PM

    payter!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  32. noemi romeroSeptember 13, 2007 at 8:49 PM

    asa ni dapit sa boljoon?

    ReplyDelete
  33. noemi romeroSeptember 13, 2007 at 8:51 PM

    this picture is coolll.... nice shot...

    ReplyDelete
  34. clint plandoxSeptember 13, 2007 at 8:54 PM

    hahahaha, ive been here!!!

    ReplyDelete
  35. clint plandoxSeptember 13, 2007 at 9:27 PM

    heheheh, been here too....

    mam, puyd sd ko grab og pics dri....

    ReplyDelete
  36. noemi romeroSeptember 14, 2007 at 1:09 AM

    nice...

    ReplyDelete
  37. noemi romeroSeptember 14, 2007 at 1:14 AM

    layo ra oi... pwerting lauya...!!!

    ReplyDelete
  38. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 25, 2007 at 12:03 AM

    hi mimi! try cebu club fort med or medjong seaside resort. the owners are actually related. the two resorts are the best suited for family outings, i think, because of the space and the facilities. call 482-9050 to 51, or 262-9147 for fort med.

    ReplyDelete
  39. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 25, 2007 at 12:05 AM

    nope. this is up in the mountains. have to take a habal-habal to lower becerril, and then find a trail going down the into the river.

    ReplyDelete
  40. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 25, 2007 at 12:06 AM

    hi! this is at the gould's residence, where they're building a hotel. baluarte granada. there's a big sign by the highway in south granada, going to oslob :)

    ReplyDelete
  41. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 25, 2007 at 12:08 AM

    wow, i'm glad someone else has been there :) nangita ra man mig trail gikan cam-amno paingon sa taas. first time pa pud ato sa akong mga guide na mo-agi didto, maski taga-boljoon sila :P

    ReplyDelete
  42. Mimi Herrera VillaruelSeptember 25, 2007 at 2:00 AM

    thanks jeneen :)

    ReplyDelete
  43. Caprice YangSeptember 26, 2007 at 5:58 AM

    ask lang nako aha sa cebu ang boljoon? sa north o sa south? tnx

    ReplyDelete
  44. Caprice YangSeptember 27, 2007 at 1:48 AM

    ngutana lang ko if nagkuha ka ug guide sa boljoon para magtour sa place? tnx

    ReplyDelete
  45. Jeneen GarciaSeptember 29, 2007 at 5:42 AM

    boljoon is in the southeast--take the bato-oslob bus at the south terminal. you can go around boljoon by yourself, but if you're going to the falls, i suggest you have a guide. look for ronald villanueva at the municipal hall :)

    ReplyDelete
  46. Caprice YangSeptember 29, 2007 at 10:25 AM

    tnx kaau! :)

    ReplyDelete
  47. Voltaire CernaOctober 7, 2007 at 9:57 PM

    maayo gyud nimo pagka promote ang boljoon dah.. =) Nice pictures...
    I miss boljoon... it's been a long time...
    wala pa ko ka suroy sa bukid diha... puhon kng maayo ang lawas ug panahon.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Jeneen GarciaOctober 9, 2007 at 7:28 AM

    mao gyud hehe. free advertising. just giving back what i got from the place :)

    ReplyDelete
  49. Jasper PoDecember 12, 2007 at 10:35 AM

    BOL-JUNE!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  50. ximeone +October 9, 2008 at 5:51 PM

    hi your pictures where just great..
    could we used some to our website..

    www.boljoon.net

    thanks

    ReplyDelete
  51. ximeone +October 9, 2008 at 6:05 PM

    you really have kewl pictures..
    hope we can use it our website..

    www.boljoon.net

    ReplyDelete
  52. mikel .October 11, 2008 at 9:07 AM

    layo ni sa karsada neen??

    ReplyDelete
  53. mikel .October 11, 2008 at 9:08 AM

    wow! karon pako kakita ani nga album da sushh!

    ReplyDelete
  54. Jeneen GarciaOctober 12, 2008 at 11:10 AM

    di man. sakay lang habal-habal sa merkado. kalimot na ko ron unsa to nga barangay, pero along the road, naay trail panaog sa falls. pangita-a lang si ronald villanueva sa munisipyo para mahatagan kag instructions.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Boljoon Cebu PilipinasJanuary 25, 2009 at 1:47 PM

    Daghang salamat sa pag bisita sa among lungsod..
    ikalipay namo ang imong pag apil kanamo sa
    lista sa imong mga higala.. !!!



    ug kung aduna kay igong panahon gi awhag ug giimbitaran ka namo
    sa pag patik sa mga kuha ninyong hulagway sa

    http://boljooncebuphil.multiply.com

    mao kini ang groupsite sa BOLJOON...
    balik2x kamo!!! among dakung kalipay
    pag abi abi ninyo!!! daghang salamat!!!.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Boljoon Cebu PilipinasJanuary 25, 2009 at 1:47 PM

    Daghang salamat sa pag bisita sa among lungsod..
    ikalipay namo ang imong pag apil kanamo sa
    lista sa imong mga higala.. !!!



    ug kung aduna kay igong panahon gi awhag ug giimbitaran ka namo
    sa pag patik sa mga kuha ninyong hulagway sa

    http://boljooncebuphil.multiply.com

    mao kini ang groupsite sa BOLJOON...
    balik2x kamo!!! among dakung kalipay
    pag abi abi ninyo!!! daghang salamat!!!.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Boljoon Cebu PilipinasJanuary 25, 2009 at 1:48 PM

    mam nag post diay mi ug pics gkan sa imong mga
    kuha sa among site sa boljoon..

    tara oh..

    http://wowboljoon.multiply.com/photos/album/26/BOLJOON_httpneenerish.multiply.com

    thanks..!!! add mi mam.. salamat!!!

    ReplyDelete

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