Cam Sur, here I come!

I’m both psyched and apprehensive about going to Camarines Sur. But I’m going. And I’m going alone! Ok, so maybe officially, I won’t be alone. I’m going with other wakeboarding enthusiasts. But they’re all strangers. I’m not going with anybody I know! There’s an organization here in the Philippines comprised of young professionals who organize adventurous treks, hikes, surfing events, and wakeboarding events all over the Philippines and in some other parts of Asia. Even though I knew my best friend and my wakeboarding recruit couldn’t make it to the wakeboarding event, I didn’t want to let the opportunity pass me by. So I went ahead and signed myself up for it. I have made the reservation, sent out the forms and everything. So I am definitely going. But I’m apprehensive because I won’t be with anybody I know!

Let me repeat that to myself: RA, you’re going alone. To tell you the truth, I’m really excited about traveling alone. It’s just that I’ve never done it before. I’m a social person; I’m used to being surrounded with friends and familiar faces. Hence, the apprehension about being with strangers in an unfamiliar place. A guy I’m dating might be available to join me, I think, but he’s already a wakeboarding/surfing expert. So I don’t want to invite him. I’ll wakeboard in front of him when I can already show off my moves. Haha.

Bottomline is: I’m going alone. Let me repeat that to myself, for the nth time: RA, you’re going alone. I’ll use the opportunity to improve my moves so I can maybe one day become a wakeboarding champ. Also, I’m thinking of it as a chance to meet other people with the same interests. I’ll probably make some new friends on the tour.

I am getting more and more excited the more I repeat the statement to myself!

Just a brief background on Camarines Sur: It’s one of the provinces in the Bicol Region. It’s near Camarines Norte and Albay. The wakeboarding capital of the country is in this province, the Camarines Sur Watersports Complex. That’s where I and the other wakeboarding enthusiasts will be staying.

Wish me luck!

My Mount Pinatubo Adventure: A hellish journey to paradise

Mount Pinatubo's crater

Your writer, having an FHM moment in Mount Pinatubo's crater

I think it’s obvious from this article’s title that the trek to Mount Pinatubo’s crater was not easy as pie. It took 3 hours, give or take. We hiked through rocks and sand and several small pools of water, in the heat of summer. The 1 liter of water I took with me was not enough to quench my thirst. We had an option to take the “skyway” on a 4×4, which would have cut our trekking time to just 20-30 minutes. But being the adventurous and eager souls that we are, we chose the long way and trudged to the crater. And boy, did we regret our decision! By the time we reached the entrance to the volcano, we were sweaty, grimy, and breathing laboriously.

But the moment I saw what the volcano was hiding within its crater, I felt that it was all worth the effort and the sweat. This sight welcomed me:

One of the most awesome things I've ever seen in my life (and I have seen the Grand Canyon)

But wait! I’ll start from the beginning. Here’s the story of our Mount Pinatubo trek, told through pictures.

In Capas, Tarlac

Mark, our patient tour guide

What they call the old way

4x4's taking tourists to the point of no return

Gi and I, eager to start trekking

Gi and one beautifully shaped rock

Other trekkers

Batis

The rocks look majestic, don't they?

An image that might convince some trekkers to take the old route instead of the skyway

A warning near the entrance to the crater

The lake

Mamamangka na kami!

Did you even know that a volcano's crater could be this breathtaking? I did not!

Ang mga mamamangka

Yet another view of the lake...we just couldn't get enough of its beauty

Our boatman

Our fellow bangka-riders

The view from the other side of the lake

About to swim on the other side of the lake

Your formerly photophobic writer, sunbathing

Campers' tents

Taking the 100 steps back to the crater's entrance

In the 4x4 that would take us back to civilization

Passing a group of Aetas, the indigents of Zambales, on the ride back

The spa, back in Capas, Tarlac - a massage costs 500PHP

In front of the place where they slather people with volcanic ash (cost:500PHP)

An oriental wishing well?

Just in case you’re wondering, we DID NOT take the long way back. We were so freaking tired, we would have slipped or fallen if we had chosen to ignore the skyway again. We just trekked for 30 minutes to where 4×4’s were parked. I slept on the way back to Capas, but it was a rather turbulent sleep. Man, that was one bumpy ride! The road that they call skyway is still rather unpaved. But the ride back was still heavenly compared to the trek to the volcano!

If you want to have your own Mount Pinatubo experience, you may want to join a tour group. That’s what we did. Here’s a breakdown of the damage:

• Tour fee: 2000PHP (Lunch is included.)
• Boat ride: 350PHP
• Skyway fee: 1500PHP

With regard to the skyway fee, it’s not 1500PHP per person. It’s 1500PHP per 4×4. 5 people can fit in the 4×4, so if you can get 4 other people to join you, you can divide the fee amongst yourselves. With regard to the tour fee, you will be charged an extra 500PHP if you’re a foreigner. I have no idea why. But that would make your total tour fee 2500PHP.