By Jacky Lynne A. Oiga
February 13, 2011, 2:42am
The breathtaking view of Mt. Pinatubo’s crater-lake (photo by Jacky Lynne A. Oiga)
When we finally reached Mt. Pinatubo’s crater-lake, everyone else was already reaching for their cameras, gushing about the breathtaking view before us. My thoughts, however, were somewhere else.
I was thinking of a different Mt. Pinatubo from another time. It was the largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. It’s almost impossible to think that this was the same place. As if the volcano evolved to seek atonement for its destructive past. Only after musing did I get my camera, and basked in the crater’s astonishing beauty.
Our early trek started in the town of Capas, Tarlac, the gateway to Mt. Pinatubo. Here, we rented 4x4 all-weather vehicles that took us to the foot of the volcano. Our trek to Mt. Pinatubo was an anthology of experiences. The 4x4 ride was the first of them. The bumpy ride through the rough lahar wasteland dotted by shallow waters was a thrilling prelude to what was waiting for us on top.
The hour ride was backdropped by clear blue skies and rolling hills. There was a chill in the air in spite of the late morning sun. Our driver stopped at a clearing. Some days, because of bad weather, the roads get badly out of shape. On those days, what was meant to be an hour trek becomes an hour and a half. Unfortunately for us, that day was one of them. This was the second experience.
The trek entailed a rocky descent downhill, a slippery walk past cool mountain springs, and a more relaxed ascent amid lush foliage and towering lahar canyons. Then, just after breathlessly asking my nth, ‘Are we there you yet?’ we saw a sign that said: ‘Welcome to Mt. Pinatubo. Your trek starts here: for young age, 15 minutes; for middle age, 18 minutes; for senior citizen, 20 minutes. Where do you belong?’
The sign, of course, was a little condescending. After, maybe, 40 minutes, we arrived at the crater. If I were to consider the sign, then I’m probably an ancient, unfit, old lady. Nonetheless, I still survived the trek and although I could feel my knees shaking from exhaustion, no sign could ever take that away from me.
The crater-lake was like a resort of some sort, you’d forget you’re inside a mouth of an active volcano. There were landscaped gardens, a bar type grill that served lunch and refreshments, there were boats for rent, and an area for campers to spend the night.
They said it was a must to try swimming in the lake. But the sulfuric blue-green water was more than 300 feet deep. So while others changed to their swimsuits, we decided to take the safer activity which was boating.
The crater was 2.5-kilometer wide. Riding the boat was probably the most serene experience for me. The splashing sound of the paddle hitting the water was very calming. The weather granted us a cloudy afternoon so we didn’t have to worry about sunburn. And for some reason, we didn’t bother to talk among ourselves during the boat ride. As if a faint noise could ruin the moment for all of us.
The other side of the lake looked very different from the public area. The volcanic sand was more ashen and coarse. There was a spot where the sand and the water were hot. This was the active side of the volcano, according to our boatman. Personally, I like this side better than the other one.
We sat for a couple of minutes by the shore. We buried our toes in the warm sand and enjoyed the steam from the water like people would in a sauna. This was the last experience for me and by far the best one. The clouds were gathering when we decided to head back. I took one last glance at the smoking sulfuric water and made a silent prayer that this majestic volcano would remain a paradise and never again reveal its destructive nature.
The trek to Mt. Pinatubo was part of the Lakbay Norte media fam-tour sponsored by North Philippines Visitors Bureau and Victory Liner.
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