Our last stop before returning to the Tagbilaran docks was to see the largest python in captivity. Prony the python lives in a concrete and steel cage in the middle of the jungle. A long and rocky, winding road leads to her enclosure.

The family that keeps Prony has a small business selling Bohol souvenirs, exhibiting the snake and other small animals and birds indigenous to the area. Besides Prony we also saw what looked like crows, myna birds, some lizards, a couple of smaller snakes, a beautiful white headed hawk (might have been an eagle), and several flying lemurs, which were hanging upside down in their cage.

Lisa with Prony

As we approached the cage I saw a huge snake coiled up in the corner. Her body was bigger in diameter than my thigh. There was no way to tell how long she was but this is without a doubt, one big snake.

The owner came, opened the cage and went in. She then invited anyone who wanted to come in and “get personal” with her pet. With some hesitation I entered and slowly stroked Prony on her head. All I could think about was JLo in the movie Anaconda and how quick that snake could move. Luckily Prony wasn’t hungry and let me admire her.

Lisa, Fe’s sister, also came in for a picture.

When we exited the cage we saw another amazing creature. MariMar is the nephew of the owner and is what is known as a Bakla, or gay female impersonator. He/she had long black hair, was dressed in a sarong and wore full makeup. She gave a 10 minute speech about the capture of Prony and how the snake will eat a full pig once a month. She also said Prony hadn’t eaten in 2 months because she is about to moult. If only I’d known before maybe I wouldn’t have been so quick to enter the cage!

I have since learned she doesn’t do it for everyone but I guess our group seemed cool because MariMar then asked if we would like to see her show. Why not? We were game. She led us to a small covered stage that was built next to Prony’s cage. Plastic chairs were pulled out and she turned on a karaoke machine.

MariMar of the Jungle

What followed was one of the most amazing, unusual and surreal experiences I have ever had. Here in the middle of the jungle, on a rough homemade stage next to the worlds largest python we enjoyed a drag queen lip sync concert on par with anything shown in New York, San Francisco or Paris. We were informed MariMar had recently won the title of Miss Gay Bohol.

To Mariah Carey’s “A Hero Lies in You”, MariMar exhibited great sho-womanship. But the kicker was her “Hanging Lemur Finale!

I smiled, I laughed till I cried.

Here’s Marimar:

We came for the snake, but we got so much more.

Not everything is as it seems in the Philippines.