Current location:	Apartment
Current mood:	tired
Current music:	It's Only Us - Robbie Williams
Entry tags:	family, hiking, nature, taal, vacation

Conquering Taal Volcano
My last update was made before I took a completion test. After that I was too depressed that any good attempt to write an entry just escaped me. In short, I pretty much failed the whole fcuking thing. No, it wasn't because I didn't study. I did. I read and understood all the review materials I was supposed to read and understand. But I still fcuking failed because the exam didn't include even half of what I forced myself to learn. I was prepared for the exam but I wasn't prepared for a Tumanan exam. (Tumanan would be my professor's last name.) I just got back from quite a long hiatus, from all the chains of academics. Seven months of ignoring text books. Seven months of dealing with life without the interruption of needing to read even a 500-word article about the trends in the food service industry. There was an item that required me to organize a menu and I handled it but to suggest fcuking wine accompaniments including the grape variety and vintage year?! I was told the exam would be difficult but nobody told me it was going to be out of this world! I took Beverage Mgt. two semesters ago! How the fcuk could I have remembered? I don't drink wine for breakfast!

It was difficult because I took that class months ago and only had to take the exam now. The exam was based on the current semester's discussions. And I failed to get a hold of any lecture notes. It shocked and threw me back to the world of UP {University of the Philippines} students. Back to where easy dreams are made difficult to grab. UP rocks at inventing all kinds of methods to induce anguish on poor students.

But THE UP PEP SQUAD ROCKED THE FREAKING ARANETA COLISEUM!!! Okay, okay. I wasn't there. We watched it on TV. But the performance was pure awesomeness! All the suspense and excitement and routines! And I loved the costume. Tribu, dude, tribu. They made a few mistakes but they were still not less from impeccable. Haha. I just feel really proud and good about my school. It was a great victory. Still #1! I just wish the basketball team did a better job themselves. I really don't carry any trace of interest in this UAAP {University Athletic Association of the Philippines} thing except in the cheerdance competition portion. And sure the Maroons are great in all the other sports but it's always almost as if there's only basketball in UAAP, as if it's the only thing that matters. Anyway, I should stop talking about this, the whole cyber Philippines is doing the same thing.

We did plan to watch the competition in Araneta but we didn't. Why? Let me tell you why...I just climbed a freaking volcano yesterday. And went inside its crater. Yes, dammit, yes. My whole body is currently undergoing extreme muscle development. My whole face is sunburnt, it feels tight and ready to peel.

When my sister asked me if I wanted to go mountain climbing, I didn't hesistate. The exam was already filling my head with all these thoughts of anger, I needed diversion. We left Manila at around 7 o'clock in the morning. Initially, there were 7 of us in the car. We met Kuya Al {eldest sister's boyfriend} in Calamba. Manay Cho and Spencer transferred into Kuya Al's car. Then, we headed to Tagaytay.

Left-Right: Louie (Ate Ana's Boyfriend), Ate Ana (cousin),
Spencer (Manay Cho's fiance), Manay Cho (sister),
Grace (cousin), Liza (cousin), Kuya Al (eldest sister's boyfriend)


We got on a boat that crossed
Lake Taal to take us to the volcano.

Taal Volcano is located 50km south of Manila. It has erupted several times in the past and is still considered active. It was thought to be named as "a volcano inside a volcano" because many believed that the lake that circles the volcano was once a crater or mouth of a volcano.

When we got off the boat, locals instantly surrounded us to sell overpriced beverages. A lady approached us and suggested that we rent her horses to get to the top. For a very cheap price of PHP300.00 per tourist. But who the heck would fall for that? Kuya Al was with us, he had been to Taal a couple of times and knew what to expect and do. He told us that it was possible to hike. So we did. But the horse lady and six of her pets tailed us, assuming we would get tired and change our minds.


A view of the lake after a few minutes of climbing

It wasn't a rough hike. The horses had long made a footpath, so the trail was very easy to follow. And we enjoyed avoiding the mountains of horseshit. Liza, Grace and me all had energy to run up and down, and joke and laugh our lungs out.


Thirty-five minutes after: I'm almost there!

Yes, I was wearing a jacket. Even if it was so hot. I didn't have sun block on. And everybody knows how I hate the sun so much. No sunburning please.

It took us roughly an hour to get to the top, 5km. And the sight was beautiful.


Looking down Crater Lake (the lake within the erm crater)


"Whoa. I'm like on top of the world!"

After a few minutes of resting, Spencer decided he wanted to climb down the crater and asked who wanted to go. I thought to myself, "that isn't a very good idea." But everybody else wanted to go and I didn't want to be left alone so I raised my hand and nodded my head, "me too!" And that was the beginning of our 5-hour long adventure.

The first hour was easy. Nothing but the high grasses and the sun to irritate you.


My cousins even had time to pose

Came the trees. A climb down and a climb up. Then, reaching a small resting area. By this time, I was already having difficulty carrying the camera to take pictures so I decided I should just hide it in my bag.

Then, came the final trail to Crater Lake which was the steepest part of the climb. With no trees to hold onto. Just short, thorny blades of grass, and rocks ready to fall off. Liza, Grace and me got left behind with a single guide. To our left was a cliff and to our right was another cliff! And it was a climb down! The heat from the sun was burning our faces. Liza and Grace had nothing to protect theirs and to top it all off - Liza was wearing flip-flops!

Even before starting our way down, we had already fallen and tripped more than a couple of times the hour before. Liza's arms were already full of cuts from the tall, sharp grasses -- Grace and I were left safe because of our jackets.

The rest of the group already reached the ground and were resting while we were still battling with the heat of the sun and our fears. It was so steep and scary, one wrong move could have sent us tumbling down to our gruesome deaths. Grace was the first one to come up with the awesome idea -- of sliding down! Sure I would have to sacrficie my shoes and trousers but it was to save my precious life. Liza later did the same thing. While we were mountain sliding, we still had energy to scream and joke. And I thought about my laptop and the Internet and how I should've just stayed home -- bored but safe, reading blogs and just having my own idea of fun with StumbleUpon. But nooo...it was no time to daydream, I could lose my life any minute. And we reached the ground!!!


Icky trousers.


This is what we went down for



I was so exhausted, I didn't have the energy to enjoy the scenery and take pictures.

So what do you do inside a volcano when you're bored?


You play Tekken!


The spot where we first rested
See how far we hiked?!
And how steep the freaking volcano is?!

I was able to see a mudpot for the first time (and probably for the last) in my life. A mudpot is a highly acidic hot spring with not much water, instead there is this pool of bubbling mud. The high amount of hydrogen sulfide gas gives off a foul odor that smells like rotten egg. I don't have a picture of it but Ate Ana has one.

After around 30 minutes of resting, we started our way back. I thought the climb down was the worst part, it wasn't. The climb up was the most frightening thing that has happened to me in the past few years of my life. Sliding down the mountain without anything to hold onto was easier than climbing up without anything to hold onto. Everybody was quiet during the whole time. Nobody joked because everyone we were all busy keeping our butts safe.

I was starting to get the hang of it. I was learning. Soon enough I began finding the right places to put my foot on. I learned to regulate my breathing. And I started guiding and helping Liza and Grace. I pwned!~

Kuya Al fell behind, we had to wait for him and Spencer had to go back twice for him.


This is what happens to you when you climb
a volcano without eating breakfast and lunch

Nooo...we didn't have lunch, I only had a can of soda and two cookies for breakfast. And only had two hours of sleep the night before.


Grace and me, sunbrnt but still smiling

Guess what? The horse lady followed us the whole time. They only stopped and waited when we went down the steep part of the climb. When we got back there, we found them carrying cold sodas. And it was the most delicious Pepsi I've ever had in my life! But we still refused to ride their horses.

When we reached the final resting area, we had another batch of beverages. After around 30 minutes, we climbed back down.


I conquered Taal Volcano!

We had dinner at Josephine's at around 8PM. Great ambiance but mediocre food for a very expensive price. But not a sad dining experience. I was so hungry, I didn't care if the food wasn't so great.

I spent the night at Grace's. Got back home at 6PM yesterday. Tried to update, wrote half of this entry then fell asleep.

Tips for your next mountain visit:

1) Eat a good meal a few hours before the climb;
2) Carry enough water;
3) Wear appropriate clothing;
4) Ready yourself physically;
5) As well as emotionally; and
6) Think twice before your do it.

I love nature so much that I went inside a volcanic crater for it. *sarcastic face* I won't be visiting one anytime soon.

More pictures here. (I've also uploaded the engagement pictures.)

And hello to all my new LJ friends! :D