The thing about Mt. Mayon… no matter what your vantage point is, whether you’re in Daraga in the South, or downtown Legazpi City in the SSW, in Tabaco City in the North, further SSW in Donsol…. and even when just passing by on the highway, IT LOOKS THE SAME PERFECT CONE THAT IT IS. It is, for lack of a better word, picture-perfect.
And, speaking of picture-perfect, you know those postcards of Mt. Mayon that are being sold? The one with the volcano, and the stone tower of a Church? Those shots were taken from the famous tourist destination known as Cagsawa Ruins in the town of Daraga, and I have had the great pleasure of having visited it three times already (which explains the title of this post).
Brief background: Although it is now designated as a park, formally the Cagsawa Park, this place is more fondly known as the Cagsawa Ruins. This is where the Cagsawa Church, (also Kagsawa and Cagsaua) originally stood. If you visit the place, there is an enclosed and protected area, which visitors may only enter after paying an entrance fee of Php10.00. That area is exactly where the Church used to be.
Where is the Church, you ask? The Cagsaua Church, which was built in 1587 by the Franciscan Order, was burned down in 1636, but was later restored in 1724. However, in February 1, 1814, the nearby Mt. Mayon erupted – its most violent yet – burying the towns around it, including the Church and the approximately 2,000 townspeople inside. All that can be seen of the Church was the bell tower or belfry, and some of the upper walls of the convent.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the picture that most of us Filipinos grew up associating with the Mayon Volcano.
I said “three times lucky”, didn’t I? Well, that is because I got to visit the place three times: in November 2009, May 2015 and again April 2016.
Take a look at the following photo. It’s supposed to be a comparison of the Perfect Cone on my three visits. Not much difference, right? Unchanged despite several stirrings in 2009-2010, 2013 and 2014.
First Visit: 2009
We had our annual conference in nearby Naga, in the province of Camarines Sur. We had a free day off, so we devoted it to visiting Cagsawa Ruins.
I can still remember the first time I saw it. I was in awe, I kid you not. It’s like… I grew up learning about this place in Sibika at Kultura and other history classes, and now I’m seeing it with my own two eyes.
We were thoroughly entertained when, one of the several tour guides working in the area took trick shots of us. I’ll talk about them in a separate post, but suffice it to say that this made us appreciate how one can play with a camera.
We weren’t able to linger long, however. You see, at that time, the volcano was showing signs of activity. In fact, we almost did not push through with the visit because there were news that it may erupt on that day, or the next. I think we barely spent an hour there. Took photos, looked around, took some more photos, then headed back to Naga City.
Second visit: May 2015
This time, I was with friends. After our Mt. Bulusan Climb (which I blogged about here, here and here), we had a side trip to see the butandings (whale sharks) at Donsol. As we were headed back to Manila, the driver of the rental van we hired suggested we stop by Cagsawa. It was a spontaneous thing, and so we went.
It was also a lot more crowded, so it was tricky trying to get photos without other people included in the frame.
It was mid-afternoon when we got there, which means the Golden Hour is nearing. We had one of the guides assist us and show us around and, while we were walking around, he’d talk about what the exact spot we’re standing on used to be.
I gotta say, the stones used in the construction of the belfry are something else, being able to withstand the forces of nature that laid siege to it over the past… several centuries. That’s the belfry, and a portion of the wall of the second floor of the Church.
And this, apparently was the doorway that led up to the second floor. It is now one of the favorite (partly because it’s shaded, haha!) photo spots.
After taking photos and trick shots, we trooped to one of the eateries/food stalls for some early dinner before taking the long trip back to Manila. At that time, we noticed the Golden Hour has finally arrived, and the sun started its descent. So what does one do? Run back to take a photo of Mt. Mayon illuminated just so.
When we left, I did not think I’d get to see it again. In fact, I already felt so blessed to be able to see it twice. And then, April 2016 happened.
Third visit: April 2016
It’s another conference, and it was held exactly in Legazpi City.
Imagine waking up in the morning – and retiring for the night – for four nights, to the sight of Mt. Mayon. Wow. Just. Wow.
Since many of our 14-strong group haven’t been to Albay, much less Cagsawa Ruins before, we just had to include it in the half-day City Tour that we negotiated with a rental van.
I was amazed at how nothing much has changed. Oh, outside, there were more shops, more stores, more places to eat, and there were other businesses, such as the ATV companies. The parking area outside was definitely more developed, and it looked more tourist-oriented.
But inside, it was exactly the same as in 2009…. and the year before. And there was Mayon, as if she’s the constant in all of these.
Even the crowd was thick. That, too, hasn’t changed. And there were more of the volunteer guides-cum-photographers offering their services to visitors.
The belfry looked the same, and so did the stone upper walls.
It was SCORCHING hot. That month, the heatwave was especially ruthless in this part of the country. In fact, the Palarong Pambansa was held in Albay, in Legazpi City and neighboring towns earlier that month, and the news was filled with bits about many athletes and coaches suffering from heatstroke.
But did the heat stop us from taking photos? Nope. Of course not.
My co-worker Jed created this collection of the photos that we took by the second floor entryway. So I’m leeching it and posting it here.
And these photos, courtesy of another co-worker, Jen‘s camera. If you’re wondering where the rest are (after all, there were 14 of us), then they already headed back to the van because it was just too darned hot.
I had nothing but wonderful memories of an even more wonderful time in all those three visits. If I get to have a fourth round at it, I definitely wouldn’t mind. There is a certain comfort to be had in seeing how, despite things happening so quickly, there are some things that remain the same, practically unchanged.
That is, of course, me praying that this place, and Mt. Mayon, will remain unchanged in the years, decades, and maybe even centuries (?) to come.
To get there, if you are a large group, I suggest you just hire a van from downtown. Or any of the public utility jeepneys or PUJs plying the Legazpi-Guinobatan or Camalig route (that’s what we did a couple of days later when we went back for the ATV adventure). If you hire the jeep, they can take you directly to the Ruins. If not, they can drop you off to the archway by the highway, where you can take any of the tricycles that will take you to the Ruins. Fare for each person on the tricycle is Php 7.00.
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