Alburquerque: Of Snakes and Birds
Onwards we forded our circular route. And from Loboc, on the way to Loay, it rained. Argh! I really wanted to take a peek at that town’s center - like its church, as I heard from a friend it is also of the ‘era’ type. But our drivers suggested we move on amidst the rain to maximize daylight. Hah, and the camera was dead anyway, so I said okay (pouting)! Oh hey, any pics from here onwards are c/o the dear omnia that took the place of F200 until it also ran out of power!
Okay fine. And as we neared Alburquerque, the rain became a misty drizzle. So we continued on to the snake – a planned stop in our itinerary. Yeah yeah, I myself wonder why it is now part of the “must see” places during a Bohol countryside day tour. Been there once and I thought it was just an added bonus that my tour guide inserted. However, knowing this time, that it was ‘added’ to our itinerary by my first-timer companion, I surmised this must already be a regular thing to see for tourists – for where else would he have known about it than tourists who came here before, right? I was not wrong.
On arrival at the small neighborhood where the python is caged, there were too many visitors queuing up to pay their entrance fees. Call it donation whatever, its a fee. And I think any private entity that owns an almost 30 footer of a python has the right to charge fees hehe! Lucky for us, rain has subsided so it was not as muddy on the dirt paths. Am no fan of serpents. Maybe I really was a cat big or small in my previous life hehehe. Anyway, the companion and the two drivers had fun looking at that big reptile and they in fact queued up and waited for their turn to go inside the cage and touch that “sawa”, “bitin”, “halas” whatever!
As for me, I busied myself ogling at those red beaked birds with yellow and black plumes. I think I overheard a foreigner say those are Orioles. Hey, I don’t see them often anywhere in these islands as compared to the brahminy kites that are always present in any zoo or aviary. Big enough birds by the way, about the size of pigeons or even bigger and longer. And their yellow color is really attractive. I saw some kids teasing them brids and trying to make them talk. I wonder, do they really talk? Orioles? But looking at them, by size and shape, they look like mynah birds except that they’re not ‘all black’. Reason probably why kids and adults alike think they can talk. Ah who knows, maybe those darlings can really do imitate sounds that I have just not witnessed. Interesting birds!
Now this next picture is not of a bird. But “he” does have a bird, am sure of that. And that is not a cage. Rather its her, er… ‘his’ stage. This is just next to the python’s cage. Taking advantage of the “paying” crowd, this gay impersonator plays several original love songs by famous singers on that machine then she lip-synchs to make it appear she’s the one singing. Not a simple feat I must say as it includes her (ooops, him) crawling under that green monobloc chair and “splitting” on that wooden beam near the chair. Plus of course, you see where she is on one of the pictures haha! You are expected to toss in whatever amount you feel like ‘donating’ in appreciation of her whacky prowess. She commands attention mind you! And I saw that not a few gave paper bills! Adroit talented bruha! Am sure his fafa is proud of him raking in the cash hehehe!
We inched forward by my request when the light drizzle stopped, co-incidentally soon as the diva impersonator decided to cease and desist hahaha! Along the way, I asked my driver to stop and I snapped a shot of Alburquerque’s church. It also looks ‘ancient’ and must be interesting to see the inside. But when I said “let’s go inside”, the companion and his driver were nowhere to be found. My driver hesitantly said they already went straight past, probably not noticing us, and were heading towards Baclayon. Oh well, both did not have phones as those were placed inside my driver’s plastic pouch due to the pesky on and off drizzles. So we had no choice but to zoom through and follow them lest we lose track of one another. Hay naku! Anyway, my fault probably, since I did not specify Alburquerque’s center-of-town in the itinerary. All we had listed was just the snake as suggested by the companion. Argh!
Another place to come back to, at least.
If you want to read the chronology of all stories on this tour, click the following:
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34
Okay fine. And as we neared Alburquerque, the rain became a misty drizzle. So we continued on to the snake – a planned stop in our itinerary. Yeah yeah, I myself wonder why it is now part of the “must see” places during a Bohol countryside day tour. Been there once and I thought it was just an added bonus that my tour guide inserted. However, knowing this time, that it was ‘added’ to our itinerary by my first-timer companion, I surmised this must already be a regular thing to see for tourists – for where else would he have known about it than tourists who came here before, right? I was not wrong.On arrival at the small neighborhood where the python is caged, there were too many visitors queuing up to pay their entrance fees. Call it donation whatever, its a fee. And I think any private entity that owns an almost 30 footer of a python has the right to charge fees hehe! Lucky for us, rain has subsided so it was not as muddy on the dirt paths. Am no fan of serpents. Maybe I really was a cat big or small in my previous life hehehe. Anyway, the companion and the two drivers had fun looking at that big reptile and they in fact queued up and waited for their turn to go inside the cage and touch that “sawa”, “bitin”, “halas” whatever!
As for me, I busied myself ogling at those red beaked birds with yellow and black plumes. I think I overheard a foreigner say those are Orioles. Hey, I don’t see them often anywhere in these islands as compared to the brahminy kites that are always present in any zoo or aviary. Big enough birds by the way, about the size of pigeons or even bigger and longer. And their yellow color is really attractive. I saw some kids teasing them brids and trying to make them talk. I wonder, do they really talk? Orioles? But looking at them, by size and shape, they look like mynah birds except that they’re not ‘all black’. Reason probably why kids and adults alike think they can talk. Ah who knows, maybe those darlings can really do imitate sounds that I have just not witnessed. Interesting birds!
Now this next picture is not of a bird. But “he” does have a bird, am sure of that. And that is not a cage. Rather its her, er… ‘his’ stage. This is just next to the python’s cage. Taking advantage of the “paying” crowd, this gay impersonator plays several original love songs by famous singers on that machine then she lip-synchs to make it appear she’s the one singing. Not a simple feat I must say as it includes her (ooops, him) crawling under that green monobloc chair and “splitting” on that wooden beam near the chair. Plus of course, you see where she is on one of the pictures haha! You are expected to toss in whatever amount you feel like ‘donating’ in appreciation of her whacky prowess. She commands attention mind you! And I saw that not a few gave paper bills! Adroit talented bruha! Am sure his fafa is proud of him raking in the cash hehehe!
We inched forward by my request when the light drizzle stopped, co-incidentally soon as the diva impersonator decided to cease and desist hahaha! Along the way, I asked my driver to stop and I snapped a shot of Alburquerque’s church. It also looks ‘ancient’ and must be interesting to see the inside. But when I said “let’s go inside”, the companion and his driver were nowhere to be found. My driver hesitantly said they already went straight past, probably not noticing us, and were heading towards Baclayon. Oh well, both did not have phones as those were placed inside my driver’s plastic pouch due to the pesky on and off drizzles. So we had no choice but to zoom through and follow them lest we lose track of one another. Hay naku! Anyway, my fault probably, since I did not specify Alburquerque’s center-of-town in the itinerary. All we had listed was just the snake as suggested by the companion. Argh!Another place to come back to, at least.
If you want to read the chronology of all stories on this tour, click the following:
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34
wow. those snakes look scary! i visited avilon zoo where i had a chance to hold snakes that huge..i ALMOST did it but chickened out in the end! great pics!
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