Exploring Philippines 111 - Taal Volcano Crater (Post 3 - Taal Church)

It was already four in the afternoon when we visited Taal church.  This landmark is one of the must-have places to visit while visiting Taal.  We inquired at their information office if we could be at the bell tower at this time of the day while waiting for the sunset.  That particular time, the church was undergoing a major repair and we were actually amused when the lady receptionist told us that the donation would be 50 pesos per head.  I guess you know why we laughed.  Anyway, after paying the said amount, we were escorted by a guard towards the bell tower.  We passed through a balcony where we could see almost the entire church towards the altar.  Up here, we saw more clearly the deteriorating state of the ceiling of the church which we mistook as concrete but it turned out to be made of wood.  With each current state, the church terribly needs a huge amount of funding for its restoration purposes.

The steps toward the bell tower were not well lighted and the space was too narrow that it can suffocate someone with claustrophobia. Actually, I was uneasy as I tried to squeeze myself within the walls of the bell tower.  I felt like the walls were too narrow that anytime I could no longer pass through.  As we made our progress ascending towards the bell tower, we were greeted by a huge open space with the gigantic bell tower hanging above our head.  There was a steep ladder at the base of that space leading towards the view deck of the bell tower.  



The sun was still hot when we got to the view deck of the bell tower.  Up here, a 270-degree view of the Taal town and its neighboring town can be seen.  At this particular time, the town looked serene and there were not much activity from our vantage point.  We asked the guard if we could further explore the open space but we were told not to because the roof of the church was under renovation.



Our plan to enjoy a good sunset in this sweet spot of the church was cut short when the guard told us that we need to get down because the afternoon mass will soon start and they no longer allow visitors in the bell tower during the late afternoon.  As much as we would like to stay, we were obliged to descend.  And like the rest of the faithful, we attended the mass that afternoon.  Before the mass was over, we saw that golden hour.  It would be a magnificent view to indulge with at the bell tower upon the setting of the golden sun and illuminating the entire town of Taal.  But we could only sigh at the missed opportunity.

Our last order of the day was to find a good spot to enjoy our dinner.  We hopped from one open eatery to another, trying to find out the pride of Taal.  We were unhappy because the eateries are offering the same “silog” thing and the rest of the food were too common like we never left home at all.


Our search was finally over when we chanced upon Don Juan BBQ restaurant near the town’s public market.  We ordered pork tapa with atchara, a hefty serving of pancit canton with broth and topped with vegetables, ground pork and tofu, and mixed vegetables.  That’s what we call good and rewarding food to end a tiring yet fun day.


We returned to Casa Punzalan before 7:30pm.  Since we were the only guests that time, the receptionist patiently waited for us.  And some minutes passed 8 in the evening, we retired to our bed happy and somewhat tired

 

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