Things To Do At The Cagsawa Ruins in Albay

What is it about gloomy, dreary, cold and wet weather that easily turns most people nostalgic? Suddenly one wishes for those warm, dry days, when the sun shone so high and hot – completely ignoring the fact that, during that specific day, all they did was complain at the heat. 🙂 Not that my complaints during our last visit to the Cagsawa Ruins really had any weight. Sure, it was scorching hot, and I felt myself burning, and I was sweating like crazy, but I was still having a lot of fun, so really, complaining just ain’t right. 

So what we did was to do every touristy thing that a person visiting the Ruins should. (Check out my earlier post about our visit here.)

And here are the five things you can do when you’re in the Cagsawa Ruins.

1. Get a history lesson.

Unless you’re a sucker for history, this may just be one of the history lessons that won’t bore you. For starters, it’s quite short. And it’s actually interesting. Plus, it is “on site”, so that makes it more credible.

Plus, there are no foreign invaders involved, no Filipino turncoats to roast and, most importantly, no test to be taken that will ask for significant dates and names. See? There’s absolutely no pressure.

Instead, what you’ll get is a story about how a beautiful mountain brought entire towns to its knees, and the story of coping and survival that followed. You’ll be standing at the very center of one of those places that bore the brunt of Mt. Mayon’s wrath, with only the church tower visible, and you can’t help but be amazed at how it has remained there, persistent and proud, albeit half-buried.

2. Savor a “nature appreciation” moment.

And trust me, unless you’re a rock, or you’ve been living under one for most of your life, you won’t be unaffected by the beauty standing in front of you. Because no one can deny that Mt. Mayon is a force of nature – literally and figuratively.

Certainly, she is one of the perfect representation of how Nature is beautiful, even in anger. They say that Mt. Mayon does not herself – wholly, with the tip of the cone uncovered by clouds – to everyone. Our boss said that this was his third time in Albay, but on both his earlier visits, he has never seen her in her entire form.

I’ve been here three times… and all those times she showed herself to me.

Yes, I feel honored. Honored and blessed.

3. Play tricks… on camera.

This is probably what will take up most of your time. Of course, it is a given that you will take photos when you visit this place – you won’t be able to resist it. But why not make the most of it, and have creative shots taken of you?

When you enter the enclosed area of the Ruins, you will spot several people wearing blue shirts marked with a logo of the local tourist guide group. Some of them may approach you, holding photo samples. But I think that is no longer allowed now, since it’s seen by many as solicitation, so they are likely to just stand there and wait to be approached.

Well, these are accredited guides that can show you around Cagsawa. They will deliver the “history” bit to you as they walk you around, telling you which part of the old church you are standing on right now.

The great thing is that they are also trained in taking photos. And that is their main “offering”, in my opinion. They know the best places or spots to take a photo, and they will direct your pose to achieve the maximum effect of the shot.

How much do their services cost? It’s up to you.. They don’t have a fixed rate, so it will depend on how much you will give them. It’s a good idea if you’re in a group, so you can just chip in on the tip that will be given to your guide.

Here are some of those trick shots… in an Expectation vs Reality mode. Haha!

4. Fan your tastebuds’ flames.

There are now a lot of stalls and stores at the Cagsawa Ruins, both inside and outside the Ruins area itself. If you’re feeling hungry, you can just go to some of the eateries and help yourself with some Bicolano dishes.

What caught my eyes were the Sili Halo-Halo (Mixed fruits and treats on ice, with hot chili pepper), and Pancit Bato. (They also offer some Sili Ice Cream, but I might talk about that in another post.)

By the way, Bicolano dishes are mostly known for the high spiciness level. Case in point: the Bicol Express.

So I tried the Sili Halo-Halo… and it’s just like you normal halo-halo, but with that spicy kick. When you drink the remaining juice, it’s like a cold fire is streaming down your throat. I LOVED IT.

And then there’s Pancit Bato, which is like your regular pancit guisado, but Bicol-style. It got its name because the noodle, which was dried in a traditional manner (the lady selling it didn’t elaborate) came from this Bicol town called “Bato”. Some associate it with rocks or stones, because “bato” is the Tagalog word for “rocks” or “stones”.

Since it is Bicol, there’s some spice included in the dish. I actually purchased the noodles both times I went there, and my folks prepared it in the normal, non-Bicolano, way, and it still tasted good~

Oh, by the way, if you would also like to shop for souvenirs, then knock yourself out walking from one stall to another.

5. Enjoy quality time with friends, family, and… whoever you’re with.

This is a place meant to be enjoyed in the company of people you are comfortable with, or like being around. On my three visits, I’ve been really lucky that I was with people who were game to do all the four things I mentioned above.

No room for party-poopers in this place. Otherwise, Mt. Mayon will get mad….. yaknowwhatthatmeans~

I’d add a sixth one, but it will deserve an entire blog post on its own. It’s “Go on an ATV adventure”. And yes, that will be in my next post. See you then!