Journey to the Crater

Journey to the Crater

Story by Karen 

Bolilia Photography: Filbert Kung & Glenn Peter Perez of Blackfox Photography
Styling: Mike de Guzman & George Palmiano (MGP)
Hair & Makeup: Nanan Villaba
Model: Carlo Ian Adorador

DON’T GO TO PINATUBO.

Don’t go if you’re expecting a run-of-the-mill tourist experience. Don’t go if you don’t want your endurance and patience tested with muscle cramps during the long hard trek. Don’t go if you think it isn’t going to take you at least half a day to actually get to your destination.

But hey, here’s another don’t: don’t knock it until you try it.

It’s been almost 20 years since the most significant geological event of the 20th century, Mt. Pinatubo’s eruption, and along with it came a decade’s worth of substantial environmental collateral damage. But perhaps, what nature has taken away, it gives back through breathtaking landscapes, covered in Mt. Pinatubo’s ashes – majestic, postcard-perfect deserted lands clawing their way back to life, rugged, raw, and determined.  Under the heat of the summer sun, the scenery is bursting with the hopeful hues of ‘feast-your-eyes-on-this’ kind of promise.

If you were to explore this promise, you might as well do it the right way.

On all fours

We were ushered into the first leg of our Pinatubo adventure by rugged 4×4 trucks. Travel Factor’s use of the hardwearing vehicle provided an intimidating yet accessible ride.  The 4×4, a master of all terrains that seemed to recognize the topography like an old friend. Once you get over the mandatory jolt, thump and crash, it’s unlike any other terrestrial transportation you’ve ever been on. It’s the ultimate compromise between the tourist and the adrenaline junkie, which appeases both the sightseeing and the thrill-seeking requisites of the trip.

Sheer printed top and harem pants, both by Gerry Katigbak; leopard-printed shawl by Tango; silver chain necklace, dried waterlily sandals and striped blue shawl used as waist wrap, all by AC+632; silver cuff and red Ifugao band, both by Tesoro’s

At our truck stop mid-way, we were able to admire the beauty on standstill; untapped and wild. 

 Here, one can’t help but be in awe. Some of the locals may have already pegged us as peculiar, for taking photos in a place they consider merely as home. Halfway through our journey, we encountered an incline, a treacherously steep one, and even before we could weigh in on the odds that our trucks won’t plummet downwards, we were back on our seats, moving towards the aptly named route, the Skyway.

It was a one-way alley that could only fit one truck, sandwiched between elevated plateaus. The repetitive uphill-downhill movement makes one think that the excavated road is limitless or maybe a result of some paranormal activity where you just keep going back to where you came from. It could be that the ashes had obstructed a portion of our vision, but doubt inevitably creeps in when, for over 25 minutes, there was you, your companions, and your truck-against the vast territories of nature, impeded by the limits of the human senses. Thankfully, the endlessness did have an end.

 

Denim pants by Jeffrey Rogador; skeletal necklace and tusk necklace, both by OS Accessories by AJ Omandac; brown leopard-printed shawl  and brown braided belt, both by Tango; leopard-spotted scarf by AC+632; black native bracelet by Edmir Lagui at Bobon; wooden clasp bracelet by Tina Bonoan at Firma

But Pinatubo isn’t just about to let you get away with it so easily. 

After lahar composites clung all over your body, and you’ve adapted to the robust springing up and down (and even sideways), you leave the ‘comforts’ of that hour-long ride, to stand on your own two feet, and embark on a Trek to Remember.

Trek-wrecked

Once you begin on the (supposedly) hour-long hike to the crater of Mt. Pinatubo, a very strange thing happens. The concept of time, communication and technology gets left behind in the truck – all those 21st century appendages we’ve come to identify ourselves with are well, gone.

 

Ten minutes turn into 30, and time seemed as boundless as ever, as you tread the tumultuous terrain. The absence of any network reception was unnerving at first – but with it came the price of unadulterated liberty – the strange feeling of willingness to disconnect from the entire world, even for just 11 hours. It was as if Pinatubo held us all hostage, keeping us in a bubble where only a few things mattered, but there was no ransom – you were your only way out.

The arrest, though, is a gift that kept giving. But Mt. Pinatubo heeded a two-way relationship, in which you’d have to give something back, too. In this case, it was every fiber, every inch of muscle in your body, fighting their way through all kinds of rocks, altitudes, formations and slopes; and with every trickle of sweat came the reward of getting closer to the destination, the pinnacle and purpose of the entire journey in the very first place.

It takes at least another hour of treading rocks, mud, water, and the possible serpent cameo to get to Mt. Pinatubo’s crater, and on its last stretch, a strenuous path that resembles a staircase posed as the last roadblock to victory. “You’re getting closer when you start seeing the sun,” one of the tour guides said. And as we begin to see prickly shafts of light streaming through the leaves, we knew it. “It” wasn’t some abstract concept, a sun-induced delusion, or a figment of our imagination that we’ve been trying to reach for hours, it was here. It was now.

 

The sum is crater than its parts

The sun hit the mountains around the crater perfectly, creating contours and shadows that highlighted its best assets: the ash-filled tops resembling the Alps, and the lake that designated itself as the queen bee attraction of Mt. Pinatubo. For a moment, the pain and dehydration cease to bother, as you gasp and marvel at the majesty of it all. And there it is: the proof of your burden in all its glory, generous in its charm and allure – Mt. Pinatubo’s invincible crater, something so stunning beyond human comprehension. It was daunting to see something so potentially destructive that serene, like it could do no wrong.

Pink tribal printed barong, carved wooden idol mask used as necklace, both by Tesoro’s; wooden choker and wooden bracelet, both by Tina Bonoan at Firma; silver coin ring and dried waterlily sandals, both by AC+632; leopard-printed shawl by Tango; corded belt by George Palmiano; dropped-crotch pants by Gerry Katigbak

Choirs of angels seemed to ring in my ears as I took the final steps back to our 4×4 truck.  

Parched and nearing fatigue, I tried to recall how we all ended up looking like we had such a dreary predicament (that was only partially true). Our journey began in Capas, Tarlac, by a security checkpoint called “Garden of Eden.” Little did we know, the noncommittal biblical reference was every bit prophetic, and with surprising accuracy.

So here’s something you hear often: if there’s anything we humans can’t resist, it is trying something for the first time – even going as far as wandering through that Garden of Eden.

Conquer Mt. Pinatubo through Travel Factor

Travel Factor has been providing accessible adventure tours since 2006, and with its current lineup of Surfvivor, Dive, Backpacking, Foodtrip, Photoholic and Conquer, one is provided maximum adventure through maximum variety. The Mt. Pinatubo Conquer adventure begins in Capas, Tarlac, and covers all bases, including roundtrip van transfers, 4×4 vehicles, and local guides – ensuring that the only fuss you’re left to worry about are the clothes off your back, the contents of your backpack, and the physical limits you’re willing to overcome during your excursion. For more information e-mail tours@travelfactor.org or phone Team TF at +632-746 5119, +632-964 2527, +63917-847 5341. Also check-out thetravelfactor.wordpress.com

SHOPPING GUIDE:

AC+632 – Greenbelt 5, Makati City
Edmir Lagui at Bobon – Markatti Palazzo at The Podium, Ortigas
Firma – Greenbelt 3, Makati
George Palmiano – +63 917 351 8646
Gerry Katigbak – +63 918 941 7189
Jeffrey Rogador – +63 917 208 0227
Nico Agustin - +63 916 259 9945
OS Accessories by AJ Omandac – +63 916 209 5872
Tango – Glorietta 3, Makati
Tesoro’s – Arnaiz Ave., Makati City
Terranova – SM Mall of Asia, Manila
Tina Bonoan at Firma – Greenbelt 3, Makati
Traffic – SM Mall of Asia
Ulysses King at Bobon – Markatti Palazzo at The Podium, Ortigas

 

My Pinoy Life in Essex

Marvelin Madridejos

Since when have you been staying there? Can you recount briefly why you moved there?

I have moved here in June 2005. I was based in Singapore previously, but was also involved in the Taiwan High Speed Project in Taiwan for four years. After the project finished, I went back to the Philippines to take a breather and to consider my next move. After a few months, I decided to go to England because I was always fascinated with the country, especially every time I saw English movies like Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill and the Full Monty – I have always wondered what it was like living here. I packed my luggage and headed here and told myself that this would be my next destination.

 


Tell us something about your place?
I am currently living in the Southeast of England, the county of Essex. It is excellent for road and train transport links, with commutable access to shops, the town centre and central London. There are three main National Train Stations nearby where commuters take a thirty minute train ride to London.

My location is very close to Basildon Town Centre with travel time by car of approximately five minutes and on foot by about 10-15 minutes.  This town center is filled with small shops and restaurants, and two major retailers Marks and Spencer and Debenhams. There are also two large supermarkets, and a few shops for computers and other electronics. It is complete with amenities, parish churches and post offices. There are also various primary and secondary schools nearby. From what I’ve heard, Basildon also hosts the biggest car boot sale in the UK where you could find a lot of cheap second hand items in good quality, even antiques that sometimes, people sell very cheap without even knowing the real value to find out that they actually cost thousands of pounds.

The surrounding district is not densely populated, hence, there are many green areas surrounding the vicinity. This provides a healthy and safer environment of fresh air, low noise, and less traffic compared with many population centres. Moreover, the natural surroundings provide greater opportunity for relaxation and recreation outside work and school hours.

What do you do for a living?

I am working in London as Senior Cost Consultant (which is equivalent to a Cost Engineer in America or the Philippines) in one of the biggest engineering and consulting firms here in the UK.

Is there a Filipino community there?

Where I live, there is a Filipino community here but I am not a quite active member, to be honest. I do attend Filipino gatherings when convenient and when my schedule permits. Most of the Filipinos here are nurses.

Tell us about your life there?

My life here in the UK is actually not so different from my previous life, probably because I have already met a lot of people from different walks of life. I have adjusted very well and very fast – I guess that’s what Filipinos are known for. I have made some friends at work and through other acquaintances. It’s a typical nine to five for me from Mondays to Fridays in the office in front of the computer and drawings and other papers, meetings or discussions. I think English people love to talk – it’s the one thing one would notice after living here for some time.

What cultural practices/behaviors have you acquired from your host country?

I have developed the habit if drinking a lot of teas, especially English tea which I was not very keen about when I was in the Philippines or any other part of the world. And every Christmas I always make sure that I have a least a bite of the popular Christmas pudding and English roasted chicken. One thing that I like here is the country’s richness in arts and culture, and I have learned to appreciate the works of European artists like John Constable, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso and many others. I have also started collecting some antiques – a very popular hobby here in England, and I now appreciate theatre more and have watched a few plays. Unfortunately when I came here, Miss Saigon had long gone so I was not able to see our own Filipino artists performing in the capital.