Lunch on the Lazy Loboc

After sightseeing in Bohol, it was arranged that my tour group would have lunch on, not along, the Loboc River. The Loboc is a popular tourist spot where guests can appreciate the river, mini waterfalls, and riverbank vegetation via motorboats or floating restaurant barges. Diners can enjoy delicious Philippine cuisine native to the province while lazily floating up and down the river. Our barge came equipped with a bar and, of course, a singer and keyboardist. Let the good times roll.

a floating restaurant

fresh coconut water

What I ate

Halaan & Malunggay Soup – This clam (halaan) and moringa leaf (malunggay) soup had such a beautiful aroma. It gave off a scent similar to a cross between ginger and horseradish. The tree that malunggay leaves come from is actually known as the “horseradish tree” due to its roots, which are shredded and used in the same manner as horseradish.

delicious

Lechon Manok – BBQ chicken. You bet your sweet booty this chicken was marinated in delicious flavors like soy sauce, brown sugar, calamansi juice, sprite (yup), salt, pepper, stuffed with onions, garlic cloves, and lemongrass. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.

Lechon Baboy – BBQ Pork. Same deal as the chicken, except it takes much longer to roast, thereby being much more delicious. Cebu province is known for their lechon preparation.

Shrimp, diced papaya, rice, pancit canton, and …

squishy

Kinilaw na Guso at Lato – Seaweed Salad. This looks nothing like the pieces of nori wrapped around sushi. It’s made from a gelatainous seaweed (guso), blanched and dressed with vinegar, ginger, tomatoes, and onions. The guso had an unfamiliar texture, like a savory, cunchy gummy bear if that makes any sense at all.

dessert

There was a lot to choose from, but I didn’t have much of a sweet tooth that day, plus I was stuffed. From the left, ube halaya, a thick sweet paste made from large purple sweet potatoes. Center, bibingka, a dense cake made from rice flour, coconut and condensed milk, and sometimes cassava. Right, puto, a sweet, spongy steamed rice cake.

Pia and the coconut

server swatting the flies away from the food

lil baby chili in a bath of vinegar

mini waterfalls

Not only did we have a flavorful lunch and spectacular views of the riverbanks, but great entertainment as well. Midway through the ride, we slowly floated toward a group of people on the riverbank wearing bright costumes. They greeted us with a hearty “Welcome!” and much more. They sang, danced, and played instruments. Their song (from what I could understand, which wasn’t much since they were singing in Visayan), was a warm-hearted greeting to us from the people of the area. They even sold local Loboc Honey. I purchased two bottles, only to break in my duffel bag a day later.

If you watched the video all the way through, they danced the traditional folk dance, tinikling. When they were finished, some of the guests wanted to give it a try. They had a hard time keeping up, but were still having lots of fun. The locals enjoyed watching them fumble as well. My mom looked at me and said, “C’mon let’s try it!” Okay, sure. Little did anyone know, I’ve had my share of tinikling performances.

My mom and I showing our skills

One of the Filipino guests asked me how I learned to dance tinikling. I responded, "College." At least I learned something.

The ride ended with some karaoke and line dancing. I would say, many Filipinos enjoy performance as much as they enjoy eating.

We had more sightseeing to do, churches and what not, but all I wanted to do was go back to the bungalow and relax. It was a long and enlightening day.

bungalows

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