"The adventures on board
the 4x4 vehicle, through lahar lands and lahar-covered mountains, the trek to
the crater lake is an adventure by itself. It brings about a realization
of how small we are in this world, how much powerful nature is and how God is bringing
all things into place and into proper balance. I can truly and proudly
say this is THE highlight of my travels, so far, in or outside the
Philippines. We appreciate a lot of things we see abroad but this
is one work of nature I am really blessed to see in my lifetime, and in
my own land at that!"
Who would have thought
that two decades ago, in 1991, Mt. Pinatubo destroyed people, crops,
and properties?
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| Photos of the eruption in 1991 (web photos) |
Who would have thought
that a thing of natural beauty caused so much destruction? Or on the other
hand, who would have thought such destruction could turn into this serene,
peaceful and breathtaking mysterious beauty?
This is the view from
the crater of Mt. Pinatubo, an active volcano taking its majestic place in the
borders of the provinces of Tarlac, Pampanga and Zambales.
Mount Pinatubo is most
accessible from Tarlac. Our trip started at the Sta. Juliana Tourism
Office in Tarlac, crossed town borders and ended up in Zambales where the
volcano is nature at its best while asleep.
From the tourism office,
we rode a 4x4 vehicle across lahar land and steep mountain climbs up to the
point where the trek to the crater lake starts. The bumpy ride would have
been for a little more than an hour had our vehicle not stalled...on an uphill
steep climb at that! But our very efficient driver remained calm and our
rescue vehicle arrived in less than 30minutes. These things happen and
our vehicle, driver and guide were all capable and ready for such incidents.
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| Sights going to the foot of the volcano |
There's a space on the
way to the trek that is called the "skyway". This was cleared
for vehicles to pass through and therefore shortened the way to the volcano.
Before the skyway, trekkers had to spend overnight in the mountains
before they reach Mt. Pinatubo.
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|
A movie scene? Nah...just our 4x4 vehicles!
|
|
We reached the foot of
the volcano, where the trek starts. The trek takes 15-45minutes,
depending on one's fitness, stamina and physical capability.. this is where I appreciated the tourist guide so much. The tourist guide waited for me, brought my things, and made me feel at ease with the silence of the
nature around me. It is advisable to pick a walking stick along the way;
it is very useful going to and coming back so don't leave your stick until you
come back to the start of the trek.
I was last in our group
to reach the crater lake, after a lot of panting and heavy breathing! On
the way to the top, I really thought of going back but was glad I didn't coz
the view of the crater lake is one you see only once in a lifetime (well at
least for me, coz I don't think I can make the trek again!), a trip that I won't ever regret making, one that I'll always remember, one that I will
never tire of telling about....
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|
Sights along the trek and the beautiful reward at the top!
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|
When we arrived at the
crater lake, we took some photos, breathe in the natural air, and ate the
sumptuous lunch we brought with us. This is one place you feel very
peaceful and far from the worries of day-to-day living. The water in this
side of the volcano is cool and can be bathe in. Kids can have a swim but
just don't allow them to go towards the middle - even the guides don't know how
deep the water is! One can ride a banca to the other end of the crater -
that side is hot enough to boil an egg in! Wow!
After three hours of
communing with nature, we decided it was time to head back down. Going
back down to the start of the trek, the way is more familiar therefore easier,
though harder on the knees. Along the way, we passed by a spring... the
water from the spring is cold and so refreshing and of course, natural...it's
the best water I've ever tasted!
Again I say "The adventures on board
the 4x4 vehicle, through lahar lands and lahar-covered mountains, the trek to
the crater lake is an adventure by itself. It brings about a realization
of how small we are in this world, how much powerful nature is and how God is
bringing all things into place and into proper balance. I can truly and
proudly say this is THE highlight of my travels, so far, in or outside the Philippines.
We appreciate a lot of things we see abroad but this is one work of nature I am
really blessed to see in my lifetime, and in my own land at that!"
------------------------------------------------------------------------
How to get to Mt.
Pinatubo and how much will it cost?
1. From Manila,
ride the bus going to Capas, Tarlac. This will take around 2-3 hours and
will cost USD3 per person.
2. From the
intersection in Capas, Tarlac, the ride to the tourism office takes almost an
hour and cost us an additional USD22 for one service vehicle carrying six of
us. We paid the additional to the tour package we got in #3.
3. Our tour
package was from Wendell Mercado (contact numbers +639196084313
and +639323616249), at these rates (1USD=Php45): USD83 for one 4x4 vehicle,
USD11 for one guide per vehicle, USD11 for skyway toll fee per vehicle and USD1
per person for conservation fee.
The 4x4 vehicle seats
4-5 persons. If you are in a group of 5, you need to spend only USD22 for
an exciting, exhilarating and rewarding experience!
(Computation of
USD22: vehicle rental USD83+guide USD11+toll fee USD11= USD105 divided by
persons = USD21 + conservation fee USD1 = USD22 per person.)
Foreigners pay an
additional USD11 per person.
How many hours do you
need to get to Mt. Pinatubo and back?
3 hours from Manila to
Tarlac
1 hour from Capas,
Tarlac to the Sta. Juliana Tourism Office, where all tourists have to register
(tour starts)
1 hour from the tourism
office to the trek (give 30minutes allowance for photo-ops)
15-45minutes trek to the
crater
2-3 hours Nature trip at
the crater lake
30 minutes going back
down
1 hour going back to the
tourism office
(tour ends)
On your next vacation,
include Mt. Pinatubo in your itinerary... you will not regret doing so!
Next stop is the
Pinatubo Spa Town, where all our body aches were given a royal treatment!
