Finding Bojo

After discovering the Baluarte Heritage Park just behind the municipal hall of Aloguinsan, I was back on the road for my main goal – the Bojo River cruise. Now, just a couple hundred meters from the hall, I saw a sign which indicated that the river was only two kilometers away. Two kilometers is pretty close when you’re on a bike. So, I must be really close. The sign was standing in between two roads – the main road and a smaller concrete road. Since there were no arrows in the sign, I never gave the smaller road a second thought. Also, when I asked a young boy on a bicycle where the river was, he pointed out that I was in the right direction. I kept driving for a couple of minutes hoping that in the next turn, I’d see a sign that would welcome me to the site. Before I knew it, however, I was driving up the mountain and trying my hardest to keep my bike from slipping off the road and down the rocky slopes near the Barili-Aloguinsan border. The road was extra slippery due to the early morning showers. “There is no way that I’m going to see a big ass river in these mountains,” I told myself.

The road was just horrible. And not to mention scary! So, I decided to drive back to Aloguinsan proper. I’d rather go back to Toledo City (a good 40 kilometers away) than risk getting all bloody in the mud.

I saw an old lady sitting under a tree by the road. I drove towards her to ask for directions (actually, I almost ran her over because the road was just too slippery! Sorry!) And when she told me that I was around 20 minutes from my supposed turn, I couldn’t help but let out a rather loud “That kid!!!!!” Haha.

But was the Bojo River cruise worth all the trouble? Heck, yeah!

After talking to that old lady, it started to rain really hard. I had to stop for a few minutes to keep my things dry.

Wet road to Bojo.

Twenty minutes later, I was back in Aloguinsan.  And before I could make a turn towards the real direction of the river, I once again saw that kid on his bike. He didn’t recognize me but I sure did recognize him! I wanted to do something. Maybe talk to him to tell him that he gave me the wrong direction. I don’t know. I just felt that I needed to do something! But deep down, I knew that it wouldn’t even matter. So, why make such a huge deal out of it? Heck, I’d rather waste my time looking for this river than talk to this kid and possibly get in trouble. Maybe he just didn’t know where it was. Or maybe he thought I was going somewhere else. Hehe.

So, after letting it all pass, I took the smaller road. Ten minutes later, I finally saw this!

I started my short trek to the reception center.

This way to Bojo River! Woohoo!

Cold spring along the way. Nice!

Finally reached the reception center!

I was greeted by a friendly old guy who asked me if I wanted a river tour. I told him that it was exactly the reason why I went there. With a gentle smile, he began telling me all the details of the tour – including how much I had to shell out and how long the trip will last. He was very accommodating. Even the other guys who were sitting beside him had this really welcoming smile on their faces.

After paying Php 300, the old guy got a life vest and put it on me. Cool! I’m getting the royal treatment here! Hehe.

He then led me to one of the boats and made sure that I didn’t get my shoes wet and that I was seated comfortably before he gave my ‘driver’ the go signal.

Immediately when the boat left, my driver introduced himself. Lolito Alvarado, he said. He said that before this whole tour thing, he was a fisherman. He’s very thankful to Governor Gwen Garcia because he and his fellow fishermen were given a wonderful opportunity to become tour guides and, you know, earn more.

Bojo River is marvelous, by the way.

Manong Lolito said that the ‘boardwalk’ is around 400 meters long. He promised to take me there after the boat tour. Cool!

Along the way, Manong Lolito gave me various pieces of information about the river, their community, and even the municipality. Cool!

This type of mangrove, for example, according to Manong Lolito, is a baye (female.) He even explained why roots stick out of the water and how these trees ‘breathe’ through pores.

You know what’s surprising? Manong Lolito shared that he never even finished elementary. He quit school before he could reach the fourth grade. Awesome, right?

Another view of the boardwalk. Nice!

Another type of saltwater tree. Manong Lolito gave me the English name, the local name, and even the scientific name of this stuff. And yeah, of course, I forgot the names immediately after the tour. I should’ve paid more attention! Haha.

Awesome view, isn’t it? By the way, half of the cruise fee goes to the municipal government. You know for maintenance and stuff.  The other half goes to the tour guides.

Look how calm and serene the river is.

Manong Lolito said that the whole place is protected and that locals are not allowed to build houses in the area. These fishing boats are owned by fishermen who live outside the protected zone.

More ‘tourists.’ One boat can accommodate a maximum of three persons. You still pay ‘per head,’ though.

According to Mr. Lolito, hundreds of monkeys used to live in this forest.

A small delta. Manong Lolito even explained how a river delta is formed. Hehe. He’s awesome like that!

Fantastic view! By the way, in case you’re wondering, the Bojo River is a very small river. In fact, the water that flows towards the sea is not enough to make a small boat float. In short, the thing that makes Bojo River HUGE is seawater. If you want to check out the place, please give them a call. You wouldn’t want to go there when the tide is low. Trust me. Hehe.

(Aloguinsan Municipal Tourism Office: +63 32 469-9312)

And, NO, there are no crocodiles in Bojo River because when the tide is low, the river disappears. Hehe. I was actually lucky that the water was still a little high when I got there.

That hole is not natural. Treasure hunters did it.

This is just fantastic!

I actually felt like we were in Palawan. Hehe.

Finally reached the open sea. Wow!

View of the ‘bojo’ from Tañon Strait. Cool! Bojo, by the way, means hole.

He said there’s a nice white sand beach on the other side.

Heading back to the river.

Marvelous! The good thing about this ‘solo’ tour is that you can actually order your ‘driver’ around.  I told him to stop a couple of times so that I could take shots of things I see along the way. Hehe.

I remembered that I still had two slices of pizza in my bag. I gave Manong Lolito one slice. He refused but I insisted. Hehe.

Pizza on a boat. KICK ASS!

Manong Lolito doing his stuff.

This part used to be an ‘asinan’ (place where salt is made.)

Cool and Clean! C2! Hahaha.

The reception area. Looking lovely.

Green boats!

So peaceful and fresh. Notice the kid swimming in the shallow water.

Then, as promised, we went to the ‘board walk.’

This looks very similar to Alcantara’s boardwalk.

This one is a little more well-made, though. Hehe.

Cutting through a thick mangrove forest. Cool!

View of the mountains of Aloguinsan.

150 steps to the viewing deck. I didn’t count. Manong Lolito gave me that information.

The hut on top of the hill offers a 360-degree view of the protected area.

Shot of Mr. Lolito Alvarado. He was a bit shy but I got him to pose. Haha. If you’re going on a river cruise, please look for Mr. Lolito. He’s an excellent guy!

Going back to the reception area.

The river. Awesome view!

Lovely.

Local kids enjoying the water.

When I reached the reception area, they gave me a good-looking receipt. They also gave me a nicely-made brochure. Awesome!

By the way, I also gave Mr. Lolito a little tip because he was awesome. But let’s just keep it a secret. I don’t want him to get in trouble because of me. You know, the management might not allow it. But, I’d readily defend Manong Lolito and tell them that I forced him to take it. Heck, it was only 50 pesos! I would’ve given him more if I had extra. Haha.

Anyways, after thanking Manong Lolito and promising him that I’d surely come back, I was on my way.

I decided to try the ‘muddy’ path again as it had stopped raining. Also, it would save me time to take the Barili route instead of the Toledo-Balamban route. Fortunately, the road was now dry.

Thank God!

An hour later, I was in Barangay Mantalongon in Barili. And of course, Bibingka for pasalubong!

Another full hour later, I was back in the city.

As usual, this trip was very memorable. Sure I got lost a couple of times along the way. But at the end of it all, I found things. I found that kid on a bike, I found the Baluarte, I found Manong Lolito, and I found Bojo. But most of all, I found joy and a sense of triumph. This wasn’t just an ordinary trip. This, for me, was another fear conquered. Another thirst quenched. This was one more item crossed off my bucket list. One more tiny step towards fulfilling my dreams. Towards real happiness. Towards world domination. Bwahahahaha!

Visit Aloguinsan today!

Hope you enjoyed this post. Til then, folks! Payt Bisdak!