As Mark Twain said:
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the things you did.”
I thought a lot about it. I thought hard. I thought long. But reflection only got me nowhere. During a course field trip, I figured out what I have to do. And so, my adventure began.
THE FIELD TRIP
Principles of Geology was my first major course as a geology student. I took it and failed. I was pretty determined to ace it on the second time. So I tried so hard. Because of this, I was too stressed. I couldn’t relax. Then, my awesome professor, Ma'am Jonie Villareal announced that the class will be having a field trip at Taal Volcano, the second most active volcano in the Philippines.
Affiliations
The activity was a partnership with the Association of Geologists and Geological Engineers of Mapúa (AGGEM), the only organization of geology students in Mapúa Institute of Technology. Our class (Principles of Geology) also went with the Mineralogy class as well as the students of Dr. Arturo Daag from Adamson University.
The trip was also associated with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) that's why we need not to have a guide. Dr. Daag works at the PHIVOLCS. He and Ma'am Jonie lead the class. He knows Taal more than any of us could imagine.
The Budget
Being a girl from the island, coming to the city was huge. I’ve never lived far from my family and I’ve never managed my every day allowance. I’ve constantly thought before that travelling is very expensive. That’s why I stayed at home as much as possible to avoid spending on my first few months in Manila City.
On my first major subject, I had my first field trip. I was excited but I was also concerned about how much I would be spending. Then, my professor posted on our group that the budget for the trip would be no more than Php 1, 000. A thousand pesos is a huge amount of money for a 17-year-old. Thus, I was shocked when we finished the trip because I only spent more or less Php 700.
The Groupings
There were no assigned groupings before the field trip; thus, we occupied the van depending on the seats available upon our arrival at the assembly area. I was with the group composed of Material Science Engineering (MSE) and geology students.
On the way to Taal, we have to travel by boat so we grouped ourselves into 6 with an AGGEM member to guide and teach us a little bit about Taal Volcano.
Upon reaching the Taal Island, we have to trek to the crater. My professor advised us to have a buddy. She said that even if we were a group, we should always have a buddy. Your buddy should wait for you, assist you and learn with you. Naturally, you should do the same for your buddy. Dion Canlas was my buddy and ever since then, we've been calling each other, "Buddy".
The Boat Ride
The lake was calm during the morning. We enjoyed the view as well as the breeze on our way to Taal Island. We also listened to the trivias and geological facts given by Kuya Mon. Some things, we already know of and some, stunned our little brains. Regardless, we learned a lot.
As we were passing by, I was astonished to see the people living in the island. With their houses built on the lakeshore, it's as if the volcano is just a normal island.
The boat ride back to Talisay was rather amusing. I didn't know exactly where the wind was coming from or how it affected the water on the lake but the waves were really huge at that time in the afternoon. Most of the my classmates were dripping the minute we arrived at the dock. And they were dumbfounded to see me all clean and dry. Well, I happened to be sitting at the end part of the boat. Because I enjoyed the swinging of the boat so much, I asked our boat captain if I could stand. I just promised I'll hold on tight. And voila! I wasn't soaked.
The Trail
After the boat ride, we arrived at the jump off. We set off as soon as everybody arrived and ready. Ma'am Jonie reminded us to take notes of the lecture. She also told to try to draw the route we were taking along with the time we arrived at a specific location. We were also told to greet anybody we meet on the trail, locals or foreigners. This was the basic courtesy in hiking.
I didn't expect the dust and dirt throughout the trail. We were blessed to have a fair and sunny weather but as noon approaches, it became really, really hot. It was difficult to find a nice shade. A little after noon, it became cloudy but it was just for awhile.
Aside from Taal Volcano Crater, we also visited Mt. Tagbaro and observed the eruption site. The views were majestic. Dr. Daag let us stop at some really fascinating outcrops to have a short discussion before proceeding to the next break.
The rocks observed at Taal are mostly Basalt and Scoria.
I’ve never imagined that Taal Volcano is indeed the bigger and more flatter island behind the iconic volcano that’s always been pictured in books and can be observed in Tagaytay. This dormant volcano also famous as "The Taal Volcano of Postcards" is actually called Binintiang Malaki. This mound collapsed making the photogenic volcano-like crater. Although Binintiang Malaki had numerous volcanic activities long, long time ago, it doesn't have the infamous crater lake inside it. I can vividly remember telling myself when I found out:
"My whole childhood was a lie."
My Realizations
The trip was supposedly on the 1st of February 2014 but it was moved on January 31st, a holiday (Chinese New Year). It was only a day hike so we didn't need to bring much.
As a beginner, I was ashamed of my outfit. I wore jeans for trekking. Though I was comfortable, it wasn't advisable. (I learned that later in the Basic Mountaineering Course.) My footwear were running shoes. And they weren't just shoes. They were WHITE running shoes! They were really dirty when we arrived at the other side of the island. Since it was my first time, I forgave myself.
I was used to walking when I was in the island so climbing up the steep trails wasn't a problem. My only opponent was the scorching sun. Thanks to the wind, my long sleeves, hat and scarf, I survived. The traverse was exhausting because of the heat even with the water I had.
The thought that the volcano might erupt while we were there didn't leave my mind, too. Even though I was enjoying, part of my brain was thinking of the things we should do when that happens. I was imagining chaos and a lot of lava. Crazy, right? As the crater lake was approaching, my excitement grew and I started to forget the unpleasant notions.
When we arrived at the crater, I was mesmerized by the crater lake. The lake looked enormous when I was there. I understood right away why it was called the "Lake Within an Island Within a Lake Within an Island" but what was more entertaining was the Vulcan Point. It's the little island within the lake within the island within the lake within the island. I could also see the steam coming out from the ground which was exciting, by the way.
The fulfillment I felt in just looking at the breathtaking view was incomparable. Standing there, I deeply thought, it was a meaningful encounter. I was grateful that Taal let me experience it. The long and tiring walk was easily relieved with the incredible sight. I would definitely, gladly do it again! I would undoubtedly climb mountains higher than Mt. Taal! I decided then and there, I was going to be a mountaineer!
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