I may have travelled to heaps of astonishing landscapes of the globe, yet I almost missed this once holocaustic topography and now a view of serendipity....that is Mount Pinatubo...
and the place is just two hours away by car from my place..Bustos, Bulacan.
But first how to get there....
(as I am so amazed by its glorious aftermath, that I am eager to share it.)
Capas, Tarlac is the most popular drop off area.
I called the tourism office and talked to Ms Mai 09473912134.
She gave me the ongoing rates and another contact person Mr Wendel 09196084313 for further instructions.
Rates : 4x4 vehicle rental 3,000.00 for group of five
envirovmental fee 900 per head
tour guide 500 for 5 person
Total of 8000 @ 1600 per head.
Enter NLEX and SCTEX and exit at Concepcion turn left going to Capas .
When u reach the market place, take a right turn to brgy. Sto Rosario and negotiate the 25 km. countryside road passing along barangays Aranguren
Then turn left at the Iglesia ni Cristo church then 3 more barangays and the last frontier which is brgy Sta Juliana. Right after the cemetery is Wendels parking area.
Attire:please wear/bring the ff.Cap/hat,sunblock,shades(for the dust)small backpack,extra clothes,short n sandals with straps or kind of rubber shoes or sneakers.You will be passing through streams.
Food/drinks:drinking water(at least 1liter),trail food/packed lunch.
There is no cell phone signal for the whole trek starting with the ride on the 4x4.
Its best to place all valuables inside a plastic or ziplock especially during rainy season.
Itinerary(based on departure from our place Bustos, Bulacan
3:00AM Travel to Tarlac
5:00AM Option for stop over/buy breakfast at McDonalds in Capas Tarlac 24 hours or better...packed your own food and drinks to keep you hydrated.
5:30 AM we arrived at tourism center and parked at Wendell Parking area.
6:15AM Arrival at registration hall and paid our dues @ 1600 each. There were so many tourist arriving in vans so better come early. They will assign a guide and driver for your group.
6:30 AM start adventure with 4x4. they are usually old land cruiser.
Along the way we had photo op at the mountaineous lahar ...what a rare sight. This one they call "toblerone" as it mimics the shape brought about by rains and erosions.
It looks like natural mountains, but they are actually lahar mounds from the eruptions.....
It was a bumpy ride of morethan an hour passing thru several river streams, rocky roads and uneven
terrain. Our driver was so good in maneuvering our vehicle esp at the numerous river crossing. It drizzle a bit so we got wet.
The weather was great as it rained the night before. No dust from Pinatubo lahar . We passed by a valley with its huge ash fields and stony river of various colors and sizes.
8:30 AM we arrived at the jump off area to start the trekking.
This is one family activity I look forward everytime. Be sure to bring lots of water.
I think it was a 3 km trail relatively flat. The ascent was only 1 km and it was an easy one as we were enjoying the sights taking pictures. Smelling the fresh newly cut grass along the way. The tourism office is doing their job to keep the area passable. Met some Aeta children.
9:00 AM we arrived at the Mt Pinatubo crater. Surrounding area was well maintained with mini park. Theres even a picnic and rest area. A tour guide accompanied us all the way...feel free to ask
question to learn more about the place.
Finally... postcard picture perfect sight to see. 26 years after Mount Pinatubo brought devastation to its environment and people ... she left a marvelous sight to behold after.
We explored the area , had late breakfast and dipped into the lake as swimming is not allowed anymore because of the previous drowning incidents.
Words and pictures in this blog would not justify the beauty of its crater and lake. It made me wonder with amazement that how such majestic sight brought havoc and destruction.
…how mother nature could be very appealing and lethal.
It was indeed a majestic sight...serene place..mint green water..cool mountain air...dreamy landscape ...
cloudy sky. what a treat!
11:30 AM we started the trek down. same as we did before and boarded to our 4x4
arrived at the drop off area after two hours.
And if you are more daring and adventurous you can take the ATV at a higher price. This is just photo op.
Another check off our bucket list.
This is one outdoor activity I would highly recommend for the whole family.
I hope you take this adventure. Not to be missed.
