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A FILIPINA MOTHER & A TRAVELER DISCOVERING PHILIPPINES ONE ISLAND AT A TIME.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

The View

I am still high from last Saturday's hike (first trip of the year w/ Travel Factor) to Mt. Pinatubo.

It was 3AM when we left Manila. Stopped at NLEX to buy food and lots of food. But Nonie and I were so sleepy (coming form shift - TIBAY!) so we just slept the whole trip..as always. It was 6:30AM when we arrived in Capas, Tarlac. 4x4 trucks are lined up outside the parking area. I felt like the trucks are inviting us for a ride.

Anyway, 30min of ride going to the drop point is not really easy but the view was so beautiful we didn't mind at all.

Finally, we arrived at the drop off. A couple of orientation from Ced (Co-owner of Travel Factor) and so the trek began. I missed trekking. The last time I trekked was in Mt. Banahaw and that was like 5 or 6 years ago...whoah! hahaha!

Ok going back, trekking is really fun. Especially when you're with your friends and then they make fun of you and you make fun of them. I also learned that Pinatubo is of course until now still active. The color orange that we saw from the water and rocks were actually sulfur (well yan ang sabi kasi ni Ced...I trust him! ^_^). What's interesting is that they have "Bukal ng Buhay" in the middle of the mountain and may cup na sha!hahaha! The water taste really good. Nung ininom ko saka ko lang naalala "ay uhaw pala ako.." nyahahaha!

A couple of minutes more and there's a staircase right in front of me.
"Kaya ko to! Buti nalang di nako nagyoyosi!". Wala pa ko sa kalahati when I heard Nonie screaming her heart out! and I was like:
Leslie (shouted): "Ayan na ba?!?!?!!?"

When I finally reached the highest point, I turned to my left and then I saw this huge crater, the sky was so blue you can see the reflection from the water!
Nonie: "L.A!!!! ANG GAAAAAAAANDAAAAA!"
Leslie: "Whoah! God You are SO GREAT!"

The view was so perfect. Perfect for the photographers to take a snap shot of the crater.

I couldn't imagine that this was the volcano that errupted 18 years ago. That has killed thousands of people and had sufferred many lives. But come to think of it, after that they opened the Pinatubo to the public and for those travelers like us who likes adventure and site seeing, Pinatubo is giving the locals a sort of "Kabuhayan" narin, giving them hope and the will to survive.

And now I just couldn't wait to explore Anawangin.

So do you believe how God works now? :-)

Sayonara!
By: Pinay Manlalakbay

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