Breathtaking Bohol 2012

Flight from CDO to Cebu, and then a boat ride from Cebu to Tagbilaran.

Bohol's version of the ubiquitous tricycle. 

The ceiling of the Baclayon Church (aka Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary). The church, founded in 1596 by Jesuits and one of the oldest churches in Bohol, was built our of coral stones. 

Detail of a door in Baclayon church.

A sleeping Philippine Tarsier (Carlito Syrichta), one of the world's smallest primates. 

Bougainvillea in bloom.

Panglao beach at dusk.

Bol-anon kids in costume, holding bayawaks.

The Bilar man-made forest, 2 KM of red and white mahogany trees. A result of reforestation efforts beginning in 1947 to help restore the Loboc watershed.

A butterfly specimen in the Bohol butterfly garden.

The view from our hotel. Sunset and the Tagbilaran shoreline.

The pristine Loboc river.

WOW. The chocolate hills are conical karst hills made of limestone. There are more than 1,200 hills around the areas of Carmen, Batuan, and Sagbayan, Bohol.

Monument of the Blood Compact (Sandugo), commemorating the March 16, 1565 ritual of friendship between Spanish explorer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and Datu Sikatuna, the chieftain of Bohol. 

Our Loboc river cruise boat came with its own mechanical turtle head.

Inside the walled city at Agra, India 2013

A moat and high red brick walls to keep pesky invaders at bay. 

Inside the Agra Fort. The red sandstone is not only amazingly pretty, it also keeps the area cool inspite of the scorching heat.

The Diwan I Am, the hall of public audience.

White marble buildings, with intricately carved walls and ceilings, inside the fort.

Ladies enjoying the view of the gardens and the Sheesh Mahal (the glass palace), built by Shah Jahan for his baths.

One of the highlights of the trip. We were led inside the Sheesh Mahal through dark passages, with only a small flashlight guiding our way. Inside was damp and cool; it felt much like being inside a seashell. We were asked to stand by a wall on one side of the room, while the man with our guide lit candles across from us. Suddenly, the walls and ceilings became alive--a thousand fireflies dancing around us.  

Entry walls of the Agra Fort.

Our tour guide telling us about the many emperors that the fort has outlived. Today, a part of the fort is still being used by the Indian military (the Parachute brigade).

Another angle of the Sheesh Mahal.

Columns and walls inlaid with semi-precious stones such as turquoise, malachite, lapis lazuli, etc. 

A family picture outside the Jahangir Palace, the largest part inside the Agra fort. The palace was built by Emperor Akbar in the 16th century  for his son, Jahangir, and his son;s wife, wife Nur Jahan.

About the Agra Fort from Wikipedia:
The present-day structure was built by the Mughals, though a fort had stood there since at least the 11th century. Agra Fort was originally a brick fort known as Badalgarh, held by Raja Badal Singh Hindu Sikarwar Rajput king (c. 1475). It was mentioned for the first time in 1080 AD when a Ghaznavide force captured it. Sikandar Lodi (1488–1517) was the first Sultan of Delhi who shifted to Agra and lived in the fort.

The Ruins at Ephesus 2011

Closer look at the Library's facade.

The Library of Celsus, originally built ca. 125 AD in honor of an ancient Greek who served as governor of Roman Asia (105-107) in the Roman Empire. The library used to house nearly 12,000 scrolls, and faces the east so that reading rooms could make best use of morning light. (wikipedia)

Ancient Christian icthys, carved into a marble slab. According to creationtips.com, the word means fish in Greek, but the letters are also the initials of 5 Greek words that mean, "Jesus Christ Son of God Savior" (Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter).

Mama and Papa in our tour bus. This tour around Ephesus was one of the most interesting along the Mediterranean, especially for history lovers like us. 

A family picture outside Mother Mary's house on Mt. Koressos, near Ephesus. This was taken after hearing mass, concelebrated by Msgr. Text Legitimas, whose birthday is also on Dec 8.

Gladiator actors playing out what could have been a common scene during the Roman period.

Ancient Roman latrine.

The Odeon, 

What's left of the Temple of Hadrian. Hadrian was Roman emperor in 117 to 138 AD.

The terrace houses, which according to wikipedia, shows how the wealthy lived during the Roman period.

The road leading to the Library. Our guide said that Mother Mary and St. Paul had most probably walked these streets sometime in history. It took a while for me to process this, aka my mind was blown.

Our tour guide, a certified archaeologist, who is involved in the excavations in the area. Ephesus, which began in 10th century BC and abandoned in 15th century AD, is now an active excavation site and it is said only 15% of the ruins have been unearthed.  

My Tita Mimi with an ancient version of a Nike billboard. The stone carving is of  Nike (or Victoria in Roman), the winged goddess of victory and daughter of the Titan Pallas and the goddess Styx.