Senior on a backpack (Sabong News)
Author
Joseph Bautista
Date
APRIL 27 2022
I recently went on a solo backpacking tour of Bohol. Nothing extra ordinary about this as have already did hundreds of backpacking adventures for more than 30 years, but this was my first after turning 60 a couple of months ago, and also after staying mostly at home for two years because of the pandemic.
People who retire from work often also retire from active lifestyle. They mostly stay at home, read books, watch NETFLIX, take care of grandchildren. Nothing wrong with it, but I feel that there are other ways to spend free time such as trying new things or even travels. Activities that will enrich seniors physically, even mentally.
I have been travelling all my life. Did basic camping before it evolved into glamping. Went on backpacking hundreds of times before it became content click baits. I always travel on a budget and my new senior status cannot stop me from continuing.
So, when many local destinations started re-opening, I decided that I should go back to travelling again. Bohol has always been one of my favorite destinations because you can do island hopping, trekking, nature tripping and heritage tours. Airline companies are also offering discounted tickets in order to help spur domestic tourism. I was lucky to get a roundtrip ticket to Bohol for less than ₱2,000 and a three-day stay in a hostel Alona Beach for about ₱1,400 during Holy Week – a bargain compared to the prices before the pandemic.
For transportation around Bohol, it is always best to rent a motorcycle, which costs between ₱400 to ₱500 a day. But I don’t know how to drive a motorcycle, so I did the next best thing to do: arrange for a tuktuk with driver to take me around Bohol. I was able to get in touch with Bohol-based Trikecab in Panglao FB group and I was able to arrange for an airport pick-up with Panglao Island tour for ₱900.
The day before the flight, I packed my bags like a true backpacker veteran: three sets of lightweight clothes for the four-day trip (I can always wash), very thin towel, toiletries, my cameras, extra slippers, biscuits and empty drinking bottle, all weighing less than the maximum seven-kilo hand-carry allowance. Everything the same as before, except I now have to add my maintenance medicines.
On the day of my flight, I went full public transport as usual. With a very light pack, it was easy taking the jeepney to Baclaran and then walking to Airport Terminal 4. At the airport, there’s a special lane for seniors where getting my boarding pass after showing my ID and vaccine card took less than five minutes, despite the long line for Holy Week travelers.
The flight to Bohol went smoothly. At the airport, I was met by my tuktuk driver. We immediately went on a tour after agreeing on a revised itinerary. The driver understood when I explained that I need not go to all the places on their Panglao Island tour. After the tour, I asked the driver to take me to my hostel, took a brief rest, then hopped on a jeepney to Tagbilaran to visit the cathedral and the museum, try balut in Plaza Rizal, and get a local haircut (something I always do when I travel).
The next two days I did the same arrangements. I booked a tour with the tuktuk driver, and went on a DIY adventure around Bohol. Gone from the itinerary were the usual python visit and ATV drive, and replaced with more time to explore the old churches of Bohol. Of course, I cannot miss the tarsiers and the Chocolate Hills, which I was able to explore now on a much leisure phase.
I almost got stranded on my second day. After my tour was finished, I asked my tuktuk driver to take me to the central bus terminal so that I can go further up north to Tubigon. Once I arrived in Tubigon, I was able to see how their church has been fully restored after the 2013 earthquake. From Tubigon, I went to Calape, then Loon, and then Maribojoc, where I saw all their churches back to their former glory.
It was already dark when I started waiting for a bus to take me back to Tagbilaran in Tubigon. Most parts of Bohol including Maribojoc still has no electricity at that time due to typhoon Agaton. As it got darker and no bus passing by, I was getting worried. I could get stranded in Maribojoc! Then, I realized that this was what I signed up for: a backpacker’s life. I’ve been in situations far worse than this, and I always find ways to get out.
They say that travel does not become adventure until you leave yourself behind. Choose to be an adventurer at any age.
