Pinatubo,a volcanic mountain dormant for More than 400 years,erupted in 1991.This time it.shook not only the Philippines, it rocked the world. Its prowess could still be witnessed by a thick layer of lahar laid over many miles across the surrounding provinces.
Marathon man and his gal fren woke up this morning, both from the wrong side of the hotel bed, and couldn't agree on almost everything. He wanted eat breakfast in the hotel, she prefer ed mc donald. He was happy with shower facilities. she complained the water was not hot enough. but one thing they did agree on and did not renegade on their earlier agreement - to pay the supreme Mt Pinatubo a visit.
They arrived in tarlac and checked in jason inn, the 600 peso per nite(12hr) basic motel. And they booked the trip in a privately-run agency in barangay sta juliana, each 2000 peso. And 250 peso for the boat ride in the crater lake. marathon man thot it expensive, because the local guy told them It cost 2800 peso for a 4-person 4-wheel drive to take tourists up the crater. Maybe the guy's info is out of date, or perhaps it was for locals only. Anyway since they were already here, what's 2000 peso to miss the chance to the notoriously famous volcano.
The next morning, Marathon man and his gal fren woke up to a rocky start of the day; both from the wrong side of the hotel bed, and couldn't agree on almost everything. He wanted eat breakfast in the hotel, she preferred mc donald. He was happy with the shower facilities she complained the water was not hot. but one thing they did agree on and did not renegade on their earlier agreement - to pay the supreme Mt Pinatubo a visit.
They started at around 8.45am. There's a driver and another man, the tracking guide, sitting beside him.after about 10 minutes ride, they reached the police check point where all vehicles that are allowed to go into the mountain(with a sticker issued by the authority) had to stop for checking.
A short distance from the check point, the view widened up to a wide stretch of almost flat land, surrounded by mountains and hills. Though the land was flat in a macro sense, micro features of pot holes, ups and downs, strewn with stones, big and small, originated from the volcanic rocks. The place was covered with a thick layer of lahar. Where the wheels of the jeep rolled over, plumes of fine dust exploded into the air. They had to put on their masks. At some points in their journey, they had to tell the driver to slow down or pull over, because they were tailing too close to another vehicle. The landscape was spotted with sometimes a small creek flowing across the wide, grayish plain, sometimes a criss-crossing network of water streams.
One thing you take away from the journey - it's a rocker coaster ride.
The jeep rocked so much that marathon man's gal fren, being a reasonably endowed lady, couldn't help to cross her arms tight to lessen the impact of the rocking on her bouncing assets. sport bras are definitely recommended. Marathon man's wallet dropped from his back pocket, without him knowing, giving him some scare, though he found it later on the jeep. At one pointed he felt his backbone nearly cracked when it hit against the back of the seat so hard. The rockings were so violent, that marathon man's eye-balls nearly fell out from their sockets. They had to hold on to the seats in the driver row, real tight.
But to the guide who was is the front seat - he just closed his eyes and slept like a baby.... rock a by baby....
The grey lahar looked like cement. When in powder form, it's very fine. When in clumps, it's still amorphous, though. Accordingly, this stuff is good for the crops. But, in this lahar plain, hardly any plant grew. Perhaps not so fast. Perhaps after twenty more years, when the acidity wears off some more, then it's good for the plants to grow. And for now, its a no-man's land.
When you think no man would ever want to live in a hostile environ like this, they did see a family or two of the native peopel(dark and skinny, bared bodies) actually had their homes near the tracks. These must be the Aeta, who had lived on the slopes of the volcano and in surrounding areas for several centuries, having fled the lowlands to escape persecution by the Spanish. They were a hunter-gatherer people who were extremely successful in surviving in the dense jungles of the area. These people also grew some staple crops such as wheat, barley, and rice.
Then about half way into the journey, the jeep started the climb. Some slopes were so steep(up n down)that marathon man thot the jeep could not make it when it's roaring hard, ascending, and they could have fallen into the bottom when it was descending. The view changed to mountian tracks, with plants lining both sides, and hills and mountains close by. Streams flowing thru ravines, birds chirping, though still hardly meeting any people.
Then finally after more than an hour of journey on the moon, they arrived at the base station. They have to start tracking up to the crater from here. The driver after having his arms wrecked by the rocking wheel, deservedly took his rest and it's the guide;s turn to lead them in the tracking. He took them thru streams, rocky paths, shady tracks, not so much of any steep climbing. It was an enjoyable climb; placid surroundings, goggling sounds of the flowing water against the pebbles and rocks, birds' tweetings, fresh air.
After 20 plus minutes of tracking, they stepped onto the final steps which were man-made concrete steps, climbing over them opened up the view. They had arrived!
The lake was not very big. But it worthed every minute of the journey. The turquoise-blue surface of the lake, surrounded by the crater walls, the blue sky with cotton-white clouds above, the mildly cooling air, the greeneries and the serenity of that all immediately calmed the wretched souls. They took some pictures went down to the shoreline, took a boot to ride in the lake. The oar man, marvin was a cheerful, helpful and easy-talking guy. Not many tourists for today, he said, though dec to feb was the peak season. Weekends should see many more.
The lifeless lake not only supported the boat willingly, it also wrapped round marathon man's being in layers of warm and soothing liquid shrouds. Taal in tagaytay was beautiful, and more activties to engage oneself in, Pinatubo lake is ever so serene, ever so pristine and so sacrosanct, one could hardly help not to instinctly put it up there that deserves the utmost cherish, like walking into paradise.
The boat took them to the shore on the other side of the lake after 15 minute ride. There were small puddles of hot springs near the shore, making the near-by lake water quite warm. Dark brown sand paved the shore. Above it strewn piles of stones and rocks, of different colors, grey, black, red and yellow, purples and shades of them. Behind all, the vertical, folding, wrinkled crater walls, jutted into the blue skies starkly. trees and shrubs grew on most the surfaces of these walls,and some parts were exposed with bare, ash-grey lahar.
They relaxed on the shore for 30 minutes, picking out some interesting stones, Taking some pictures, frolicking with the lake water and just gazed at the whole masterpiece of God's creation. They left the shore with lots of reverence for the beauty that's found in nature.
They left pinatubo at 1.30pm. the return journey was as rocking. But marathon man and his gal has made their day; starting with rocky feelings towards each other, went thru the rocky journey, and finally ended up rocking each like mad in the hotel bed.
Like they say, a couple"s life is rocker-coaster, learn how to reach the Pinatubo together, that's how you build a rock-hard relationship.watch video here
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