Taal Volcano

[indigo_rose99]

texpenguin told me to go see the island within the lake within an island within a lake within an island.... When we got here, it was the top thing on everyone's suggested list of things to do.

It was a well rounded adventure.

The bus with four other tourists and our guide, Jun, picked us up at the hotel at 9 am. We took the scenic drive to Tagatay, stopping to take pictures, eat boku pie (young coconut, very tasty), and use a bathroom. The bathroom was completely typically Filipino (no toilet seat, no toilet paper), with the added bonus of a full bucket of water where my left foot would normally go.

Jun dropped us at a boat dock, introducing us to Jun (yes, another one), our guide for the rest of the way. We climbed on board a small boat in what must be a traditional shape. It barely held the seven of us. T and I shared a very narrow wooden bench in the back. It had a roof and outriggers to keep us from tipping over. Jun lent us a plastic blanket to prevent us from getting too wet. I was worried about my electronics, but the spray was mild and the wind felt nice.

I took pictures of the other boats as we raced across lake Taal to the island.

Once on the black sand beach, Jun set T and me up with our horses (I'm convinced they doubled the price for us -- 1000 pesos per horse?!), but the others decided to walk it. I was open to walking, but T didn't want a repeat of Death March 2012 or 2006.

Once on our horses (led or with a person behind each of us), I did not feel the slightest bit stupid in overplanning what to wear and bring. We read the blogs, and they have excellent advice.

• Tilley hat


• Sun screen, bug spray


• Long pants


• Sturdy shoes (T has hike boots), something that will repel sand


• Sun glasses. Steampunk-style goggles would have been better to keep out the sand.


• Breathing mask


• 1 liter bottle of water

It was hot. No shade during the trek. The dust was quite bad, as it was volcanic sand on the whole path there and the horses kicked up a lot of dust.

I took this from the top. The sandy horizontal line? That is the path we took. It was supposed to be almost 3 miles each way.

It was about 30 minutes on horseback to the top. Our walking companions joined us in about 15 more minutes.

The view from the top was AMAZING. I got my own pictures of the island within the lake within the island within the lake within the island within the ocean.

One of our fellow travelers did not make the correct choice in walking. The sun and dust were brutal. She collapsed when she got to the top. They put her on a horse for the way down.

I had a blast on the horse. It was my kind of adventure! My horse person didn't speak much English, which was fine with me.

The boat ride back was almost too short, in spite of our narrow bench. On shore, our package included a meal, which was family style and quite tasty. Rice, fresh fish, chicken, and vegetables. All drinks were extra.

We washed our hands and piled back in the van. T and I were evidently the last to get picked up, the first to get dropped off. Score!

Comments

[texpenguin.livejournal.com]

Yay! Glad you enjoyed it. I'd feel sorta bad if you hated an adventure I suggested! Looks amazing. Tell me, did you fill a Dixie cup with water and a bit of flotsam, so you could have an island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island in a lake on an island in the ocean?