Way back in highschool, we were asked to identify one historical place in Zambales, visit the site, make a presentation and paper about it as a part of our final requirement in History. This shouldn't be a problem since there are a lot of historical places in the province that are accessible, plus written sources are readily available. However, our group wanted to take it to the next level, so we rooted for Mt. Pinatubo.
Geographically speaking, Mt. Pinatubo is situated at Botolan, Zambales, which is just about an hour away from our hometown, San Narciso. Going to the actual site from Botolan proper is another story. We were told that the trail was only known to the Aetas and that it would take us days to reach the crater. With that being said, we opted for our Plan B. Not a bad choice actually, we still got a high grade. Hehe
Anyhow, it was not until 2013, when I resided in Clark, Pampaga, that I learned about the alternative route to Mt. Pinatubo --- via Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac. The route is safer and easier that the trek can be done in a day. I told myself I have to go ASAP while I'm still not that busy. I intended to travel DIY style, as always, but this time it turned out to be more expensive to travel solo, so I searched for the cheapest public tour online.
Gladly, I found TriPinas! They were offering the cheapest All-in Pinatubo public tour so I booked immediately. My transaction with them was uber fast and hassle-free, I must say.
Anyhow, it was not until 2013, when I resided in Clark, Pampaga, that I learned about the alternative route to Mt. Pinatubo --- via Sta. Juliana, Capas, Tarlac. The route is safer and easier that the trek can be done in a day. I told myself I have to go ASAP while I'm still not that busy. I intended to travel DIY style, as always, but this time it turned out to be more expensive to travel solo, so I searched for the cheapest public tour online.
Gladly, I found TriPinas! They were offering the cheapest All-in Pinatubo public tour so I booked immediately. My transaction with them was uber fast and hassle-free, I must say.
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| (Grand) Canyon de Pinatubo? Look how happy he is. :) |
Ms. Ann herself, the head/founder of TriPinas, was our tour coordinator that day. Everything was organized and in accordance to the itinerary. Kudos!
Considered as a minor hike, the trail's easy and beginner-friendly. Perfect for those who want to try hiking or trekking for the first time. We used the old way so it took us more or less two hours to reach the crater. The first part of the trail was a lahar (lava) area so almost everything's just dry and hot, hot, hot. For me, the scorching sun had to be the biggest hurdle in this terrain, as there were no trees or huge rocks to seek shade to. Good thing there were some small stream crossings which helped us cool down a bit. As we passed through some lush vegetation, we knew that we're just a few steps away from the crater.
Upon reaching the crater, Ms. Ann gave a quick lecture about the history of Mt. Pinatubo. She also explained why the color of crater lake differ from time to time. Apparently, we were eluded by the blue green algae, the ones responsible for the turquoise color of the lake. The lake was somewhere between dark green to blue green when we were there. Nonetheless, it's just as rewarding.
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| I wasn't expecting to be this chilly here, so hello for a sunbath! :) |
Upon reaching the crater, Ms. Ann gave a quick lecture about the history of Mt. Pinatubo. She also explained why the color of crater lake differ from time to time. Apparently, we were eluded by the blue green algae, the ones responsible for the turquoise color of the lake. The lake was somewhere between dark green to blue green when we were there. Nonetheless, it's just as rewarding.
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| The Majestic Mt. Pinatubo, February 2014. |
Adieu, Your Majesty. Hope to see you soon in turquoise. :)
(All photos were taken by yours truly. Self portraits were shot with the use of an improvised tripod.)
