Joseph's Notes

 The world-wide pandemic has caused great economic harm across the globe. Countless millions have been adversely effected, and this is certainly true in the Philippines, and in particular, Bohol. Because Bohol depends to a large extent on tourism, it has suffered more than most of the Philippines. Bohol Provincial Capitol in Tagbilaran As stated before, Lyn and I really enjoy road trips and have travelled all over the Province of Bohol. We have seen many towns, tourist attractions, beautiful historic churches, diverse markets, and scenic views. I even saw my first monkey in the wild! Lyn and her sister Wendie walking Alona Beach From a mountain overlooking the ocean On the pier looking back toward Baclayon Cacao tree growing beside the road from which cocoa and chocolate are made I did not know that you can eat the fruit of the cacao,  the white part around the beans. It is very sweet, but of course the beans themselves are not. The last town we visited, on the opposite side  of the is

 During the early days of the Pandemic there were laws and restrictions governing safe conduct in Bohol. I couldn’t even leave the house. Only Lyn had a pass allowing her to go out to buy food and other essentials. After two or three months the regulations were made less restrictive, and over the months following, they have been further loosened. Typical rice field in the interior of Bohol Island One of the things we have enjoyed the most is exploring in our car. Even if we do not leave the car we love driving to places we have not been before. One of the nicer homes on the highway in Cortes A more common home also in Cortes The Province of Bohol has only one city, the provincial capital, Tagbilaran, and forty-seven towns. We have visited every one of them except one; two on the Island of Panglao and forty-four on the Island of Bohol. The only town we have not been to is on the other side of Bohol on a separate island, a town called President Carlos P. Garcia. The town is named after

 During the Covid-19 quarantine in Bohol, for the most part, all tourist activities, hotels, resorts, and many restaurants have been closed. However during the last three months or so, a few resorts on Panglao Island, maybe 20%, have been allowed to reopen on a limited basis. And because they are trying to reestablish their businesses, they offer deep discounts, most between 50 - 80% off the regular price. We have been able to take advantage of some of these, paying between $18 - $30 per night for full use of their facilities, sometimes including a free breakfast. Here are some of the resorts where we were able to enjoy these discounts: Positano Resort Katchajo Inn At a German restaurant nearby Greenfield Tourist Inn Resort Acacia Sunset Village Inn Resort Mango Pine or Box Fruit tree We are thankful for the opportunity we have had to enjoy these resorts at greatly reduced rate on the island of Panglao.