Pinatubo Escapade: A Beautiful Disaster
Are you a sneaker head and at the same time in love with adventures? Well if you are, you might as well use the shoes that you hate the most, because yeah, this is about to get real.
A 1 Kilometer 4x4 truck travel and a 5.5 Kilometer trekking isn't a joke. We went through steep roads, we passed through huge and terrifying rocks, we walked through rivers and fortunately we have reached our destination still alive and kicking. Yes, one thing is I know for sure: IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.
Mt. Pinatubo volcano exploded spectacularly on June 15, 1991. It was the second largest volcanic eruption of the 20th century. Mount Pinatubo (Filipino: Bundok Pinatubo/Bulkang Pinatubo) is an active stratovolcano in the Cabusilan Mountains on the island of Luzon, near the tripoint of the Philippine provinces of Zambales, Tarlac and Pampanga. Before the volcanic activities of 1991, its eruptive history was unknown to most people. Mount Pinatubo Volcano had been dormant for 400 years. Before 1991 Pinatubo was an inconspicuous volcano which was known to be active in the past 1000 years and was the site of a failed geothermal development.
Every tourist group is accompanied by an Aeta tourist guide. Aetas are easily to get along with. They are grateful to answer every question we formulate. They are happy telling stories about Pinatubo. I was personally amazed as I see the beauty of the said place. I was astonished by how God made this disaster (before) a stunning one. I was mesmerized by the flow of rivers, wondering where did the water come from. Haha. I was enthralled by the different kinds of trees and plants we pass along through.
You might be asking me now how to get to Mount Pinatubo. Going to Tarlac, we rented a van that can accommodate up to 13 persons. As soon as we reached our destination, tourism office of Tarlac is waiting for tourists. They entertained us upon arrival. Back then, we only paid 1,300 pesos per head. Inclusions are; 4x4 Travel Truck before the long walk going to the crater and a Tourist guide (this escapade happened about 5 months ago, I do not know any updates on how much is their fee per head now).
Honestly, as soon as we get home from Mt. Pinatubo, Tarlac, I fell in deep sleep immediately. The next morning, I cannot feel my legs (Imagine a 4-5 hour walk?! Not just a walk but it was included with challenges!! Hahaha.) I was tanned a little bit and felt like I lost 10 pounds! hahah. But In spite of my body ache, the laughter and stories that me and my family has shared mattered the most to me. As I look through our pictures and videos the physical pain I felt instantly passed away. Pinatubo escapade is an adventure of a lifetime. Yes, it may be really tiring, but once you got to the crater with whoever you are with, all you can say it: IT WAS ALL WORTH IT. SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DISASTER...
(Source: http://www.trekkingpinatubo.com/information.htm)
