Exploring Philippines 100 - Taal Volcano (Post 3 - the Crater)

With the sight so rewarding, we could not help but to take photos right away.  I guess, for excited explorers like us, a rush of excitement would mean taking as many pictures as possible since we had the place all by ourselves that time.

After a while, we tried to explore the left side part of the view deck.  Actually, we were trying to find out if there is any trail because we had this eagerness to go down to the main crater.  When we covered a short distance, the trail that we tried to follow was leading us into an unfamiliar territory with bushes and some trees covering the trail.  And from that perspective, it would be a long way and a bit dangerous to go down to the crater where the slope is steep.  Though we did not argue on the possibilities, what we saw there was already enough for us to back out and return to the view deck.

To the right of the view deck, there is another trail.  Since we were up for an adventure, we explored the area likewise.  After several meters and after brushing aside the tall grasses along the way, we found ourselves on top of cliff and we had a better perspective of the crater below us.  From the looks of the trail, I guess this is a busier part of the mountain.  Though it look a bit dangerous because there are no barriers to safeguard someone from falling to the crater, still, people and animals are using this trail for more often.  Some of my friends tried to explore that area further but after awhile they returned.  The trail simply leads them to another set of trails and who knows where those trails end.  Once satisfied, we returned to the cottage on the view deck.

We spent some time on the cottage, to cool off while enjoying the cool wind.  We tried to enjoy every moment of our stay here while filling our memories with the picturesque Taal volcano crater.  We knew that this could be another once in a lifetime experience to cherish.

We asked one of our guides, the mature and experienced one who knows the ins and outs of this place, for a possible chance of landing on the smoky ground below.  We knew that there is a path that leads to main crater below because we were able to learn and see on local travel shows that people can actually set foot on the crater ground.  The guide told us that he knows the path but for a particular price.  He was asking for an additional 5 hundred pesos per head.  Upon hearing the price, we turned down the idea right away.  It was not a good bargain and it was too expensive.  We just tell ourselves that we will find a way to go down to the crater in the near future. After staying for an hour, we decided to call it a day and head towards our waiting guides and horses.