Drenched in Bohol - Visayas Travel Guide

The Philippines is not a desert where you go months without rain. Although at times, you would think that you are in a desert because of the incredibly hot climate. If you are coming from a country located in the temperate zone (a country with four seasons: summer fall, winter and spring), then the Philippines would indeed be a hot place for you. It is, after all, a tropical country. And, like all tropical countries, rains would come almost everyday. But we are not talking about heavy pouring rains that appear to start another great flood. Sometimes, the rain comes with thunder and sometimes the rain would be a soft drizzle.

Visayans have a peculiar way of describing two types of rains, “bayê” and “lakî”. Bayê means “ladylike” and it refers to the kind of rain that pours gently but would last for hours and hours. Lakî means “manly” and it describes a downpour that lasts only for a several minutes.

Thus, one fateful day, the day when we plan to dine in the Bohol Tropics Hotel, there was one bayê rain. Some of us were already having second thoughts about going out. Perhaps it would be more cozy and comfortable to just order food and stay warm in our rented apartment. And do what? Watch cable TV? We have done that “staring into the cathode tube” stuff everyday of our lives. And this is, after all, a vacation. A drizzle cannot melt our skin. And so, encouraged by the thought that we are like brave souls undaunted by seemingly insurmountable obstacles, we got cleaned up and marched out of the apartment. Armed only with baseball caps (enough protection against a soft rain), we hailed tricycles. The tricycle is the major mode of transportation in Bohol.

Suddenly, the rains shifted character while we were on our way. There were strong gusts of wind. The tricycle is not an effective barrier against the slash of wind and rain. Though we huddled as deeply as we can, we were not spared from the water, lots and lots of water. The hotel restaurant seemed so far away.

Then we arrived at the gate. Normally, passengers get off the tricycle at the gate and walk the rest of the way inside to reach the restaurant. Tricycles are not allowed inside the premises. But Filipinos are free thinkers and don’t blindly follow rules and regulations. The tricycle driver brought us beyond the gate up to the hotel entrance where the hotel employees are ready with enormous umbrellas. They escorted us to the restaurant area and they brought little towels for us to pat ourselves dry. We were quite impressed by the hospitality and consideration given to us and they certainly earned their tip that day.

As we took our lunch, we watched the nearby sea appear again as the fog brought by the rain thinned. The downpour stopped as suddenly as it started.

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