The Pinay Solo Backpacker

I find it ironic that something destructive can give birth to splendor.  Apart from Anawangin Cove which was redesigned by the eruption of Mount Pinatubo (Philippines) in the 90′s, the crater lake of  this volcano is another impressive outcome of its madness.

Who would’ve thought that after all the sufferings, the tears, and the broken lives (as well as properties), something  truly remarkable will emerge out of it. Indeed, it is possible.  That’s why I  am positive that with Japan’s suffering today… something of  unexpected beauty will happen in the near future.  Like everyone else, I pray sincerely for Japan’s immediate recovery.

It was June of 2010 we were looking for good holiday deals, so I  finally decided to push though with our plan of  trekking Mt. Pinatubo to the crater lake.  According to my map, mount Pinatubo is located in Zambales, Philippines, but  the gateway for the trek is in Capas, Tarlac.  It is suggested that you visit in a group (5 pax per jeep) so you can share the cost of the trek.  The local tourism has organized the trek and permits so you have to register and pay for the environmental fee , the guide (required) and the 4×4 jeep.  The best time to do the trek is from February – May, during the dry season, it is risky to trek here during the rainy season.

Along with my sister and my friends, we rode on a reliable 4×4 jeep to mount Pinatubo crater lake.  We actually opted for the rugged-looking jeep for that “adventure feel”, but the president of the 4 wheelers association insisted on the red posh jeep with doors and windows that are closed, at the end of the day it was a good choice because it rained heavily on our way back.

The jeep swayed past a wide expanse of desert-like sands with lava rocks, canyons, hanging valley, an Aeta village, some uphill rocky drive, a photo-op before you reach the base with Mt.Pinatubo as the backdrop and  finally parking  with the rest of the 4×4′s at the jump off  base  of the trek  where one can find in amusement the towering pinnacles of  lahar and boulders of rocks.

Our guide then lead the way to a  30 minute trek, a trail that passes through a series of  streams, motley of rocks and gorges, surrounded by sparse vegetation and hanging valleys before finally arriving at base camp where the viewing deck is located.

The base camp has been developed  for trekking, notice the Korean signs (or is that Singaporean?), the huts and toilets. I was informed that the local government worked with a foreign company to develop Mt.Pinatubo. Must be the reason my good friend and dormmate, the online editor of  Businessworld, wrote after her visit:

“Staying longer might also give the visitor more time to be bothered by some of the thoughts encountered while making the trek. One would be tempted to look into the lake and into the mountains for answers on why the poor tourist guide gets only half of  what is actually paid for the service at the tourism center, why some signs are in Korean and why the tourism rates are ridiculously higher for foreign tourists.”

I think  it’s a sad reality almost everywhere, most of the time, it’s directly proportional  to the rise of tourism and commercialization.

We decided to have lunch first before we go boating.  We didn’t want to pay extra for an expensive meal with the package so we brought our own packed lunch. Our poor guide together with the other guides doesn’t even their own food, so we shared ours. So please, if you happen to visit Pinatubo, if it’s not too much of a hassle, bring extra food for your guide and better give them even a small tip. You only get to visit Pinatubo once, or maybe twice, so better spread some kindness.

My anthropologist classmate Risa was also in Mount Pinatubo, too bad my brother accidentally deleted the raw photos so these are the only memories left of the trek. We paid a hefty Php300 (USD6) each to the boatman to take us to the other end of the crater We took a dip into the crater water, some parts are extremely hot  though.
It was June, so almost rainy season, the sun is nowhere so we didn’t get to see the carter in its wide jewel of blue and green, only green.  Still, it was a magical view to behold,  green waters  with a backdrop of  towering pinnacles of  lahar  and undoubtedly, one of the best in the country but I agree with my friend, since there’s no other attraction there just like other tourist site, staying longer might have made the place banal.

Special thanks to: Marco, Joren, Spencer Ivan and my sister Bluv.

*********************************************************************************************** About the Blogger : Gael is a Filipina solo adventurer, a dream chaser and a student of life.  Her (mis) adventures are documented in this blog. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter. For advertisement, partnerships and sponsorship, click here. or email me at thepinaysolobackpacker(at)yahoo(dot)com. **********************************************************************************************

Viewed 57959 times by 20862 viewers