My Share for #BeautifulSunday initiated by @ace108
This is our journey to the second most active volcano in the Philippines the Taal Volcano.
Our travel starts from Tagaytay City going down to a port which will take us to the island volcano.
Once reaching the island we would be taking a 45 min to 1 hr hike to the mouth of the volcano.
We traveled 2 hrs to reach the city from there we rode this hybrid motorcycle taxi like to the condo we rented for the weekend.
We reached our place and was a bit worried because it has been raining and the fog was really thick. I was worried our trip to the volcano the next day would not push thru.
Since there was nothing to do and could not do a photo walk that day. Just spent most of the time indoors and on the rooftop. I could say up here this is where the clouds meet the fog it was a sight we don't see everyday. I could get used to this sight.
The next day we called our contact and guide and asked if our trip would still push thru. To my surprise he said that the weather was a bit cloudy but there was no rain on the island. Our adventure was good to go.
We reached the port that would take us to the volcano our boat was ready.
One of the mistakes that visitors make is thinking that this is the volcano but was told it is just a mountain and part of the big island where the volcano is.
We reached the entry point of our destination and there were a lot of horses on the island. One source of income for the locals is taking tourist on horseback up to the volcano. This is one option if you don't want to hike going up. You can even buy a horse for like $400- $500 according to our guide. Looking around the houses we passed on our way everyone had a horse tied up. This is the main transportation if you lived here.
That is our guide leading us up to the trail. Lots of horse poop so be careful and the tail is a bit slippery due to the rain from last night.
We also encountered some crosses along the way. This is one of the stations of the cross which they observe during holy week.
Almost there we could see Steem , some lava trails and red soil.
Since this volcano is still active there is Geochemical station to monitor the activity of the volcano.
Finally rest stop on the summit station where you could catch your breath before viewing the crater.
Now feast your eyes on the crater of this volcano. Looks just like a lake but don't be deceived by it's calm scenery as it is still very much active.
As you can steam coming out from the cracks you can feel a little heat once the steam blows your way.
This area is called Red Lava and we had to pay a little extra to go thru as it was the best spot.
This adventure was long and a bit tiring but was all worth it. Being inside an active volcano was an experience I would never forget. Being able to observe one of mother nature's wonders gave me a feeling that we are just a tiny speck in this world. Live life and live each day as if it were your last. Life is short better make the most out of it.
Before I end this adventure on the way down this is our reward a coconut to celebrate our success in conquering the volcano.
Thank you Steemians for taking this journey with me I hope you enjoyed. If anyone is also interested in this climb. If ever you pass by Philippines just let me know and I'll point you to the right direction. Cheers!
