Surviving Mt. Pinatubo

From the time I saw how the area around Mt. Pinatubo was converted as a tourist destination a few years back, it became one of my bucket list destinations. The way it was promoted was that it was a fun place to go and I always feel bad that I who have lived in the Philippines all my life have not seen such tourist destinations. I felt bad knowing that foreign tourists are always the first to explore and enjoy the hidden wonders of my country.

So when a friend came home from abroad, the wandering trio decided to scratch Mt. Pinatubo off our bucket list. We invited some more friends since touring Mt. Pinatubo is cheaper when you are in a group of four or five people.

Our meeting place was at the Victory Bus station in Cubao at around 3AM. We boarded a bus going North and got off McDonald's in Capas, Tarlac. Travel time is around 2.5-3 hours. We had breakfast first, then took the tricycles parked in front of Mcdo to take us to the tourist office for our Pinatubo adventure. The trike ride will take about 45mins to an hour.

At the tourist office, we registered and settled in for the briefing. The group was on an all time high, smiling and excited. Little did we know of the hardship we had signed up and paid for! haha

After the 30min briefing/orientation, we proceeded to our designated 4x4 jeeps. The (bumpy) ride to the trek jump off point will take also about an hour. Our eyes feasted on the surreal surroundings, with lahar towers everywhere. Our tour guide told us that during the rainy season, the whole area becomes a river.

We reached the trek jump off point at about 9AM. Someone in my group said that  7kms is a piece of cake, since we did trek Batad and that was 6kms. Oh, how wrong we were.

In order to get to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo, one has to cross lahar (volcanic ash), small rivers, stones of every shape and size and the last part would be a lush jungle path with slippery stones. For city dwellers like us who are on the heavy side of the weighing scale, it was pure torture! Plus the fact that we only look young for our age, but all of us were pushing 40!

Don't be fooled by the 2km marker that serves as a rest stop. It's like a cruel joke, because we were walking for about an hour or so to reach the crater, and we knew in no way it was 2kms. Walking from the Mansion in Baguio to the Botanical gardens is 2kms. Anyway, when the place was first opened to the public, this was where the jump off point was. Typhoons and time had made the trip via 4x4 jeeps to this point dangerous, that's why the jump off point is now at the "7KM" mark.

You'll know that you are near the crater when you see a cement path.

Swimming in the lake isn't allowed. They used to allow it but because the lake is very deep and the numerous drowning incidents of tourists, they have banned it.

After an hour or two of resting, we headed back. It was about to rain and the lahar paths become raging rivers once the rain pours.Our group was the last ones to leave since we were so tired, we were literally dragging our butts on the trail. The 4x4 ride that we enjoyed in the morning felt like being in a blender on our way back. Once we got to Capas, there was a restaurant beside Mcdo where we ordered sisig, bulalo, and inihaw na baboy and tons of rice. Our bodies ached for days, but if asked if it was worth it, I'd say yes.

Our tour guide told us that nature is slowly reclaiming the area around Pinatubo and soon it will be back to how it was before the mountain erupted in 1990. This is also one of the reasons why they are encouraging people to come and see it before the lahar towers crumble.

Visiting Sagada

The wandering trio's trip to Sagada has been a source of amazement to their friends. They could not believe that we were able to visit Batad, Banaue, Sagada and Baguio for only P4000 (that's roughly a hundred dollars). That amount already included transportation, food and lodging.

First, how to get there. The route we took is the Manila-Banaue-Bontoc-Sagada route since we wanted to see the Banaue Rice Terraces and visit Batad for a day. The Banaue rice terraces is the most famous one adorning many posters and is even featured on our P20 bill. Or, you can also try the Manila-Baguio-Sagada route. This is where the big chunk of your expenses will fall. The bus from Manila to Banaue is P400 ($10), then P150 for the van to Bontoc ($4), then P45 for the jeepney ride to Sagada ($1). To get back to Manila, you can catch the bus to Baguio for P220 ($5), then take any of the Manila bound buses from Baguio. Fare for Baguio to Manila ranges from P450-400 ($10-11)

Now, where to stay. There are a lot of inns in Sagada, the one where we stayed is George's guest house. For P200 ($5) per person per night, it's a good enough deal for us. The rooms are clean and comfy, and they offer free wi-fi. What we love about this inn is that on check-out, they will drive you to the bus station. No hassles of walking with heavy bags. Oh, in case I forget, wear comfortable shoes. There are no cabs in Sagada. You have to walk. The inn or tourist office can arrange a van to take you around the sights, but it can be expensive because not only do you pay for the services of the vehicle, you also pay for the day tour rates of the guide.

Where to eat? There are a lot of restaurants in the main street, our favorite one being Sagada Lemon Pie House. They serve good coffee and lemon pies, and they also serve rice meals. When we visited in 2012, we were fortunate enough to visit Haddeku cafe. They serve great meals within our budget of less than P150 ($3.50) a meal. Unfortunately when I went back last year, the cafe is no more. In it's place is a new George's guest house annex. Haddeku served Sagada cooking or dishes. It was our first time to try sinigang sa kamatis (pork stew with tomatoes. Traditionally, tamarind is used as the souring agent) and we loved it.

One of the new restaurants we tried was Sagada Brew. The prices range from P200-250 ($5-6) and the servings are generous. I never go to Yoghurt house. Not because the food is bad, but their prices will kill my budget haha!

I will make another entry for the sights in Sagada. Most of them, you can explore without the need for a tour guide. But if you plan on exploring the caves of Sumaguing or do the cave connection, hire a guide from SAGGAS. You can find their tour package rates here.

The Wonders Behind the walls of San Agustin Church

San Agustin Church in Intramuros is the oldest church here in the Philippines. It is also one of the four baroque churches declared as a UNESCO heritage site. Founded in 1571 by the Agustinian friars, this church remarkably has withstood numerous earthquakes and is one of the building spared by World War II bombings.

The Church is located in Gen. Luna St. in Intramuros. The cobbled stone courtyard has remained unchanged. I wasn't able to take a picture of the facade because of the crowd. It used to have two bell towers adorning its facade but an earthquake in 1880 damaged the left tower. Restoration was done, but the tower was removed.

The trompe l'oiel adorned ceiling is a wonder to behold. It also adorns the columns and wall within the church. The altar is a simple one, but beautiful. The 14 side altars also serves as the resting place of priests and the elite of the Spanish period, such as Miguel Lopez de Legazpi the founder of Manila. Juan Luna's remains can also be found in the church's crypt. The crypt is also said to be haunted, and some other parts of the church since it served as a prison and garrison during World War II.

Entrance fee to the museum is P100 for adults. Museum hours are from 8am-12nn, and 1pm-6pm. The museum closes for lunch but you can come back as long as you have paid for the entrance fees. How to get there? If commuting, ride jeeps or FX taxis bound for Mabini (Ermita). They will pass by the Intramuros gate near PLM (Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila). From the gate, just walk straight a few blocks down and you will see the church. After touring the church, one can proceed to either Fort Santiago, Manila Cathedral or just walk the parapets of Intramuros' walls. Or you can simply stay in Father Blanco's gardens within San Agustin Church, providing it doesn't rain or it's not too hot and humid.

Traveler tip: wear comfortable shoes since you will be walking a lot. The streets are narrow, and there is vehicle traffic so watch out for manic drivers who will run you down. For foreign tourists, be cautious of pedicab drivers or people coming up to you offering to tour you around Intramuros. Intramuros is part of Manila, so don't flash your expensive cameras around or make them your necklace.

Taal Basilica in Taal, Batangas

Taal Basilica or San Martin de Tours is the biggest church in the Philippines and in Asia. The church was founded by Fr. Diego Espina in 1575. An earthquake destroyed the original structure and the church that we see today was built in 1849.

We decided to visit Taal town after our Corregidor trip. We were bitten by the history bug and wanted to visit places that have withstood the ravages of time and war. Vigan was a good choice, but we did not have that much time, so someone suggested Taal in Batangas.

So one rainy day we all hopped on a bus bound for Lemery, Batangas in order to explore Taal. When I told my companions where we were going, there was confusion over Taal in Tagaytay and our destination, Taal in Batangas.

This old church may look gray and old on the outside, but inside one can see the trome l'oiel adorning it's ceilings and walls.

What I love about this church is that the baptistry is still in use. Very few old churches like these still use them and it's nice to see this one preserved.

The antique bell, now sitting in the courtyard. I'm not sure how to get access to the bell tower, but when we were there I saw some people up there. It must give an awesome view since structurally, Philippine churches have been built on high ground where you can see the whole countryside from it's bell towers.

I wasn't able to take a picture of Escuela Pia beside the church because there was a program going on during that time. One thing I love about Taal is that there is rarely any vehicle traffic which makes it ideal for walking around the quiet town. There are a lot of heritage houses, some have been converted into museums and some into bed and breakfasts. The museums were closed since it was a Sunday, and we had no plans (or budget haha!) to stay overnight. So after a quick munch of street food from the town plaza in front of the church, we headed home.

Taal is also famous for it's balisong or hand crafted knives. They have been commissioned to make swords for some famous Hollywood films, like the Lord of the Rings. We were able to buy a few for gifts and they were quite inexpensive. For international travelers, I don't know if you can bring them out of the country though since they are considered deadly weapons.

Now how to get to Taal in Batangas. Hop on a bus going to Lemery and tell the bus conductor that you are going to Taal. The bus will drop you at a junction and from there you can ride a jeep going in Taal town proper, or you can ride a tricycle to drop you off San Martin de tours. Travel time will take around three to four hours if you are coming from Manila. We just rode from Turbina, in Calamba and it still took us two hours to get to Taal. There really isn't much traffic, it's just that the bus makes a lot of stops along the way.

For budget, if you're not staying overnight you will spend just for the transportation since there isn't any entrance fees that you need to pay. For Food, there are a lot of eating places and there is a 24hour convenience store near the basilica. A must try is the tapang Taal (cured beef) and empanadas (small pastries) filled with sweet potatoes (kamote). Also, wear comfortable shoes and clothes since the best way to explore the town is on foot.

Nagcarlan Underground Cemetery

It was a rainy day in October last year that we decided to visit Nacarlan's underground cemetery in Nagcarlan, Laguna. With little to no budget and stress levels nearing the brink of insanity, we figured that it will take just an hour or so of travel since we will be coming from Calamba, also in Laguna. How wrong we were.

Nagcarlan's underground cemetery was opened in 1845 by Father Vicente Velloc. It is the only one of it's kind in the Philippines and the crypt also served as a meeting place for Katipuneros in 1896.

Some of the tombs in the crypt are empty, with families opting to transfer their deceased loved ones to the new public cemetery. But it was quite fascinating to see some dating as far as mid 1800's when the cemetery was first opened.

The place reminds me of Paco Park, minus the lovebirds frolicking in the bushes. There aren't benches where you can sit and just watch the the afternoon go by. And since it was raining, the stone steps were all wet so we couldn't sit on them. But it was a fun afternoon experience. Entrance is free, so what we just spent on was the transpo fare to Nagcarlan.

Now, commuting to Nagcarlan. There are two ways to get there and I will say the easy route first. Ride a bus going to Sta. Cruz, Laguna. Get off Pagsawitan and ride the jeep to Nagcarlan. Or from Calamba, ride a jeep bound for San Pablo, Laguna. Once in San Pablo, ride a jeep to Liliw, Laguna. The jeep pass in front of Nagcarlan's underground cemetery.

As to where to eat, we ate at San Pablo, Laguna where you can find a lot of fast food restos. There is a restaurant at the back of the gas station fronting the underground cemetery, but we haven't had the chance to try out their food. I guess the food there is good since even if you can't see the restaurant from the road, it was packed with diners. And if you have a car and a few more hours to spare before heading back to Manila, visit Liliw which is the next town.

Batad, Where our Journeys Began

We wanderlust friends started late in traveling around the Philippines. It was after a day trip trek at Mt. Batulao that we all decided to explore our wonderful country and we were already pushing 40. So it was decided that our first official wanderlust destination would be Batad.

I was ignorant of Batad, of where it was and what it looked like. When asked about the Ifugao Rice Terraces, the idea that comes to my mind is the often pictured rice terraces of Banaue. My friends sent me the itinerary with instructions to pack light. We searched the various bus companies that supposedly plied the Mountain Province route, but only found one that really operates which is Ohayami in Sampaloc, Manila.

It was raining the night we were to go up Banaue, and we learned that the bus leaves at 10PM and takes only one trip daily. The rain in Manila we later realized would be the least of our worries once we started our trek to Batad.

Our friend who got the tickets just texted us what bus number we would be taking. As my other friend and I stepped inside the bus, I had that sudden urge to step out and run. We were literally shocked to find that every seat on the bus was taken up by western foreign tourists and the only Asian and familiar face that we could see was that of our friend on the back of the bus. It took a while for my friend and I to move to take our seats at the back.

The trip to Banaue takes about 10hours from Manila. Even though we were seated at the back, it was comfy and cold enough that we had to bring out a blanket for us to be able to sleep. By around 6AM, passengers started to get excited and brought out cameras and cellphones to take pictures of the view outside our bus. Unfortunately for me and my friends, we could only stare in utmost envy at them because we could not see anything from our seats and the lady in front of us closed the curtains and peeked the view from behind it.

We got off the main town in Banaue. Unlike most of the bus crowd, we opted to have breakfast first and try to find transportation to Batad Saddle. Luck was with us because a resident of Batad was also at the restaurant eating breakfast and was in town to pick up supplies. Thus, instead of the uber-expensive fee the tourist office was quoting us, we only paid P150 each for the trip.

From Banaue, it will take another two hours to get to Batad Saddle. The Saddle is the jump off point to Batad proper. The trip to the Saddle in itself is an adventure and we admire those brave enough to do toploading to get to Batad.

At the Saddle, my friends had to employ two local kids to porter or carry their things. They, who reminded me to pack light did not heed their own advice. We rented walking sticks and started our 6km trek to Batad.

You will know that you are near the village once you get to a cement path. And when you turn, the magnificent view of Batad will be in front of you.

We stayed at the Hillside Inn for P200 a night per person. The room is clean and comfy enough, but the best part is that you have a great view of the rice terraces from your room and from the veranda where they serve meals.

After lunch and a short siesta, we explored the village. We were able to get to the rice terraces, but it is a slippery trek (for me at least). We did not go to Tappiya falls, since my friend and I get dizzy with heights and I was scared of either breaking my neck, or being chased out of the village if I fall in the newly planted rice shoots.

By evening we slept early since we were told that the jeeps to Banaue leave at 9AM. Traveller tip: if you are like us who are city dwellers not used to physical activity, eat something first before leaving the inn. It is a 6km uphill climb and I brought a friend last year who hooted with laughter as I told him how we found the climb difficult, he called us fat. When his time came, he understood how difficult the trail was.

If asked if I would go back again, I certainly would. While the terraces are still there. This UNESCO heritage site is slowly dying because the younger generation no longer want to farm. The village now relies on tourists who do volunteer work on the terraces in order to maintain it. The trip in itself is an adventure, the destination a wonder to behold.