The Beauty after the Beast

Mt. Pinatubo Crater Lake

I never really thought I'd actually be able to see something so beautiful from something that had been remembered as one of most tragic times of Philippine history.

Going back, some 7 hours ago; I boarded a van in Manila to see the majestic Mt. Pinatubo. It wasn't even supposed to be happening for me since I had so much work to do, but my friends convinced me otherwise.  We made our way Capas, Tarlac, a 3 hour ride from Manila.  By the time we were nearing our destination, the sun had crept up the morning sky.  The first destination was the registration area at the Pinatubo Spa Town.

Welcome sign

Getting ready to go

After we registered at the camp and slathered on our much-needed SPF, we were broken into groups of four to each 4x4 jeep.  Our jeep was first in the convoy.  Due to our lives as hard-core urbanites, living in the concrete jungles of Manila, any activity that was out of the ordinary was always enjoyable.  So, we immediately were elated when the 4x4 decides to go over the concrete dike to pass through the lahar desert.   The trip itself is breathtaking, although dusty, except for the parts where the jeep passes through the streams.  During our trip, we pass by a small group of soldiers as there were Balikatan exercises that day; a group of people making their way through the lahar, including a man walking, three children on a horse, and a family on a bamboo cart being pulled by two carabaos; and cattle grazing whatever little vegetation that was growing.

The lahar highway

Our 4x4 ride.  Photo by Jeffrey Lui

Locals' daily commute

Our jeep breaks down in the middle of the lahar desert and I almost fear that we have to walk, or worse, go back, but our driver assures us there is nothing to worry about.  It gave us the opportunity to step down the jeep and watch the vast nothingness the lahar from the Pinatubo eruption had made.

We stretch our legs out as our designated jeep breaks down in the middle of the desert.

Son-j, Allen, and Me

Penny for your thoughts?

Attaboy, Son-j... not sure if that'll work though!

 
Once our jeep is fixed, we re-start our journey, passing through more streams, lahar, and views of the Cabusilan mountain range.   Then, we stop for a while at the foot of the mountains before the jeeps begin their ascent.  This could very well be “Part 2” of the trip, as the 4x4 passes through steep up-hill climbs and sometimes steeper down-hill descents, a trail very different from that of flat, lahar fields.

The road into the mountains...

More rocks and lahar along the way.

 
This drive takes an hour to the last stop.  We pass by a small Aeta Village, one of the indigenous Philippine Tribes and the original inhabitants of the Mt. Pinatubo area.   From a dusty mountainside, we shift to a rocky trail.  Our 4x4 jeep finally stops where the walking trail begins, where we passed over rocks, streams of water, and thick vegetation.  The last part of the journey was a climb over 20 or so steps leading up to the Mt. Pinatubo Crater Lake viewing deck and its welcome sign.   Then, we finally see what we came to see.

Jump-off point

The trek up to the crater

Like I said, the sight was just unbelievable.  The trip is definitely worth the sand in your hair and sweat on your back the moment you get a glimpse of the beautiful crystal waters down the crater below.

A shot over crater lake.

Welcome to Mt. Pinatubo

It’s so ironic that something this beautiful came from something so monstrous.  As a brief history lesson to those that do not know or have forgotten, the great Mt. Pinatubo eruption happened on the 12th of June 1991, when huge avalanches of searing hot ash, gas, and pumice fragments (pyroclastic flows) roared down to fill once-deep valleys with fresh volcanic deposits.  The eruption removed so much magma and rock from below the volcano that the summit collapsed to form a large volcanic depression or caldera.  Over the years, rainfall filled the caldera with water, creating this sight to behold, the Crater Lake.

The Caldera

We descended to the bottom of the crater for lunch.  There is a roofed, cemented resting area and nothing else.  Some visitors had brought tents while some, mostly foreigners, enjoyed sunbathing. Due to the enticing waters, some of us decide to go for a swim.  The water is shivering cold, despite the fact that the day was so hot.  .  I later read from the internet that the lake was previously hot and acidic with a minimum pH of 2 and temperatures at 40 °C.  The lake temperature later lowered to 26 °C while the pH rose to 5.5 by 2003 when the lake became diluted due to abundant rains.  Despite its “safety”, swimming is not advised if you are not much of a swimmer – the water depths are unpredictable and sometimes you can sink into the un-compacted sand.  Plus, there are no life guards around.   We decide to camp out on the smaller and unpopulated beach on one side of the lake’s shoreline. 

Swimming is allowed at your own risk.

You can also take a boat to cross the other side of the lake.

If only all park benches had this view.

Our campsite, as viewed from above.

By mid-afternoon, we decided to made our way back to Spa Town.  Despite all of the bumps along the road, I managed to catch some sleep.  When we arrived at Spa Town, I took the free time to take a shower. Before we went home we took advantage of the roadside eats we had missed from our not so distant childhood – ice cream, fishball, halo-halo, and grilled hotdogs.

I'm eager to grab my grilled hotdog...

Best paired with halo-halo.

We settled into the vans in the late afternoon, thankful for the comfortable seats and air-conditioning.  By the time we get to Manila, it is dark again.  I say my goodbyes to old friends and new acquaintances, looking forward to seeing them again on the next big adventure.

A gloomy sky won't dampen experiences like this.