Sunday, November 11 -- Day Trip to Taal Volcano

Several of our Manila colleagues were very gracious and took Eric, Mike, and myself on a day trip to Taal Volcano, a "lake in a crater in a lake in a crater".  By the end of the day we would have travelled by car, boat, and horse to the Taal crater.  Taal is pronounced "Tah-ahl"

Here's our route.  It's about 30 miles south of metro Manila. Nine of us in a van we eventually leave the city and pickup some of our coworkers along the way -- at a Starbucks and a Jollibee (the Phil's version of McDonald's, but just to be safe they have the American version of McDonald's too).

Taal is still considered an active volcano.  Now and again over the past 500 years Taal erupts.  In 1991 or so it erased from the planet seven districts that had been large enough to hold elections for local government.  So around Taal the figurative scientific ear is pressed to the hillside listening for rumblings and escaping gas.  So far so good.

In case you forgot your Philippine Star.

On the way:  "Sharing the road" in the Philippines means sharing it with people you could talk to after rolling down your window.  You're not with "other drivers", you're with your Filipino neighbors.  You can meet folks and share family snapshots while you all move 40 kph in the same general direction.  Meet my neighborhood: 

On the way.  With Typhoon Yolanda passing nearby, all the billboards were rolled up (they are huge sheets of vinyl), leaving being their steel frameworks.  

An unusual church near the Starbucks where we stopped to pick up a colleague. There are churches about as often as there are empty steel frameworks that once displayed billboards.

We eventually leave the expressway for smaller roads that lead to the city of Tagaytay.  The billboards in this part of the country did not fear Yolanda.








After a few miles there was much sweetcorn to be purchased, which Ryan did.

These guys just had hard work ahead of them.

Everything you see around this motorcycle is connected to this motorcycle, including the roof. This fellow can sell you a hat, a bowl, some light up devil horns, a wicker beach mat, something that passes for "candy", and many other things.  Then without warning, he can move to a new location without needing to pack up anything.

Stationary vendors appeared along the road.  This one sells the "signorinas" -- the tiny bananas.

First cow of the day.  

We're first heading to the city of Tagaytay, where we'll pick up another colleague, and then find someone who's willing to ferry us to the island where you can get to the famous lake in a crater in a lake in a crater, which we can see from a coffee shop in Tagaytay.  The dots you see near the near shore are fish pens for Tilapia, milkfish, and the famous bangus:

Everyone is hawking their boat-taxi skills, and this guy is among the most driven.  He holds up a sign (as they all do) that reads "Boat to Taal".  Holding his sign he sprints after the van until the van outrins him.  So then he gets on a scooter and pursues us with his sign.

Heading down to the water front, we pass through several small towns... 

... and find someone we hire to take us across the lake.

My shipmates -- Ruth, Jan, and Janelle.  We are riding in a motorized outrigger boat that with the wind at its back, is stable.  It's cool the water, which is a nice change from metro Manila.

Here we go:

Arrival...

A squadron of dogs welcomed us to Crater Island.

There's a village on Crater Island, complete with a school and fast-food joint.

Everyone is supposed to get to the top of the mountain by riding a pony.  Ryan, ahead of me in our pony convoy.

Should you not know how to ride a horse, these guys point that out in two languages.  

My trail guide, Arnold:

The daughter and wife of my trail guide:

The village we rode through.  

Unlucky horse.

Volcano steam.

At the top.  I vow to walk down.

At crater lake, the group.

Imagine this line up with the previous photo to create a stunning panorama.

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