Friday, May 04, 2012

Marinduque: Scenic Boac Cathedral

The Belltower
Having spent almost eight hours waiting for a boat ride in Dalahican port, I finally arrived at Boac about a couple of hours after noon. Tired and hungry from sleepless waiting, my next big task is to find an accommodation for the night. Seems an easy task right? Not if you have gone to Marinduque on a Lenten Season because every nook and cranny of every hotel and lodging inns are packed to the rafters. Although I have prepared a list of possible places to stay beforehand, the list is stricken-off one by one as all of them are either occupied or reserved.
The Boac Cathedral
And as I am looking for a place to stay, I passed by Boac Cathedral and the place temporarily gave me a respite from the heat. Although visiting this Church is in my itinerary, I have planned to visit this at early morning because that is the perfect time to have a good shot of the Church's facade under a glistening morning sun light. But then again, afternoon is probably one of the better times to appreciate the interiors of this age-old beauty.
Old Century Bell
From the wooden engraved doors to the neatly designed walls, Boac Cathedral is truly admirable. Although this church have withstood the test of time, preservation seem to be among Marinduque's top priority because this Church is truly and admirably preserved. I have visited several old churches in the country and sometimes, I can't help but feel sad about the conditions of some because while some are left to rot, some are restored wrongly. Boac Cathedral is a great example of how an ancient Church should be preserved.

The Belltower Facade
Call it serendipitous but after spending almost an hour roaming around this Church, I have been offered to stay in a home of two gracious ladies who owns resorts and hotels in Boac. I have inquired for a room in their resort by the sea (which is about fifteen minute tricycle ride from the town proper) but as expected, the resort is full. I don't know if I look desperate or pitiful enough but these kind-hearted ladies offered me a room in their home right at the Boac proper where the Moriones parade will pass. Great!

Guardian Angel at the Gate
Now I have one of the best spots in town because all the activities of the Moriones Festival is just a few minutes walk away and that the Parade will pass by the house where I stay. And more importatntly, the Boac Cathedral is just a stone's throw away so I can visit the place again in the morning. And shoot I did. The exterior shots in this post was taken in the morning while the exterior shots were taken in the afternoon.

Wooden Sculpture at the Church's Door
By the way, the Boac Cathedral is Marinduque's central cathedral. Located in Brgy. Mataas na Bayan, it is a historical church where the Katipunan Flag is said to have been baptized. Our Lady of Immaculate Conception is the patron saint of Boac, while Birhen ng Biglang-Awa is the patron saint of the province.

The Simple and Neat Interior
This post is dedicated to two kind-hearted ladies who offered me their home in Boac. No amount of words can describe how this blogger truly appreciated your hospitality. Thank You!

18 comments:

  1. What a wonderful trip with a wonderful ending! I'm so happy for you! And your photos are superb as always. Such a beautiful place and wonderful history! Thanks for sharing, Oman!

    Sylvia

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  2. you captured the ladies' hearts by your charm.:p di ka naman siguro mukhang serial killer kaya nagtiwala sila. it would be interesting to know how this old bell was broken. i like the simple brick facade.

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  3. Isn't that wonderful? What nice ladies you met in this beautiful place.

    Kay, Alberta, Canada

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  4. Ang sarap talaga magbyahe sa Pinas! :) Dami pa din mababait na tao.

    That also happened to us in Batanes. Naiwan kami ng last trip pabalik sa Basco and the only lodging in town was closed. It was a getting dark and we decided to walk around to find a waiting shed where we can spend the night. From behind us, we heard a lola calling out to us. She invited us to her home and dun kami natulog sa sala katabi ng mga apo nya. :)

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  5. Ang sarap talaga magbyahe sa Pinas! :) Dami pa din mababait na tao.

    That also happened to us in Batanes. Naiwan kami ng last trip pabalik sa Basco and the only lodging in town was closed. It was a getting dark and we decided to walk around to find a waiting shed where we can spend the night. From behind us, we heard a lola calling out to us. She invited us to her home and dun kami natulog sa sala katabi ng mga apo nya. :)

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  6. Looks really glorious.

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  7. One of the most beautiful church I have seen you post. Great shots.

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  8. Wow, you're lucky!
    Kudos to the two ladies for their generosity. Sana dumami pa kayo.

    Nice shots of the church!

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  9. wow!! What an amazing experience you had. Thanks for the share.

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  10. impressive post about your Boac experience and need I say that you have a great photo collection here? I am speechless Oman when I came to read what you just shared here.

    Cheers :)

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  11. the church is impressive. but the ladies random act of kindness is even more noteworthy.

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  12. Kindness of strangers, dami talaga mabait sa province.

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  13. Ganda sana nung 1st photo kaso blurred. The first photois my favorite.

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  14. natuwa ako na nainis don sa nakasulat sa ilalim ng BELL.text me?0917.....maygad.the need for acceptance nga naman.tsk.hahaha

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  15. Euphorbia ba yung foreground. The Church looks well-preserved nga. Bravo sa mga Marinduque.

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  16. Iba talaga ang mga tga probinsiya, ang babait talaga.

    To Uno, Euphorbia nga yan kasi ang dami din dito sa amin nyan.

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  17. RENT A BOAT IN AFFORDABLE PRICE FROM FISHPORT, PARACALE GOING TO MAHABANG BUHANGIN BEACH AT CALAGUAS ISLAND JUST CONTACT ME OF THE FOLLOWING CELLPHONE NUMBERS 09486793920, 09099039214 or SEND MESSAGE TO MY E MAIL & MY FACEBOOK ACCOUNT at granhier@yahoo.com…THANK YOU

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  18. I love your shots, Sir! Especially the first photo. Traveling and photography combined, plus writing are awesome! Btw, do you happen to have fan page on Facebook po? So your followers may catch up on adventures easily. :)

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