I can’t believe we’re halfway through October already. Several more winks and it’ll be 2017! (I totally sped past December and Christmas and, yes, I intended to do that.) Time moves so fast it’s giving me whiplash, and I am just a bit worried that work will be too busy for the remaining 2 months that 2016 will end with… a whimper. Can’t help but feel like that, considering how ‘quiet’ and ‘calm’ the last half of this year has gone for me… and how hectic and eventful the first half was. 4 hours spent on an ATV, getting the closest I will probably ever get to Mt. Mayon, and then capping it off with a zipline ride? What else could top THAT when you’re in Cagsawa?
In my previous post, I talked about five things you can do when visiting the Cagsawa Ruins in Albay, and I mentioned there’s a 6th one. Well, this is the 6th one, and even a 7th!
Prior to our trip, I checked out other stuff to do in Legazpi, and saw several sites and blogs talking about going on an ATV adventure. I spotted these tent-like structures outside enclosed area of the Ruins when we went there after our Mt. Bulusan climb, and my interest was piqued.
The first and only time I rode on an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) was maaaaany years ago, during an office outing to Subic, where we stayed at Grande Island. But they were smaller, only slightly bigger than those bikes ridden by kids. But it was fun, and the terrain was… well, kid- and family-friendly.
But, looking at the photos of the Mayon ATVs, man, these machs are huge~~ Well, considering my size, they ARE huge. So that was at the periphery of my mind when we went there, and I even tentatively broached the subject to some of my companions… who were a bit on the fence about it, altho I immediately spotted a couple who were interested.
On our morning tour, we happened to pass by the Your Brother Travel & Tours ATV Amusement Center, and we stopped by for a bit to get some info. But… dang, it was quite pricey… even for two people to share a two-seater one. There was the 4×4 option, which can hold 7 people, but all their 4×4 vehicles were fully booked, and they weren’t sure if there will be an available one on the last free afternoon that we’ll have while still in town.
I was halfway to crushed when we left because, even if I was willing to close my eyes, suck it up and pay up, I knew I could not force the others to do the same.
Then, while going around the Cagsawa Ruins a bit later, we came across Mr. Regie, one of the staff members of another ATV adventure service provider based outside the Ruins. And his prices seemed reasonable. So I took a photo, just in case, and thought about how I have, like, only a day and a half to convince at least two to do it with me.
To my delight, the next morning, three agreed to join me and, in the evening, another one was convinced. So I sent a message to Sir Regie to confirm it, and he told us to be at their “office” at 2pm the next day, so we can be back before it’s dark.
(Oh, the next morning, Tita Claire, the eldest in our group, told me she’d join us too because, apparently, she is “already there, and it’d be a shame to let this opportunity pass her by”. (Me: that’s what I’ve been telling y’all the whole time I was convincing you to join!” It was cute how she said the thought kept playing through her mind since she went to bed the previous night, and how she came to the decision when she was in the shower. XDD
So, at 1:30pm that Friday, the six of us who are going on the ATV Adventure, accompanied by 4 others who decided to just hang around at the Cagsawa Ruins and wait for us, hired a jeepney that brought us to Cagsawa. It was just several minutes past 2 when we arrived, and Sir Regie was waiting for us at the parking area and brought us to their office.
Their company is called the Majestic Volcano ATV Adventure Travel & Tours (check out their Facebook page here) and, among their offered trails, we picked their most advanced one, the “Black Lava Trail”, which will bring us to 2100 ft elevation of Mt. Mayon. It is the lava bed during the most recent eruption of the volcano back in 2006.
While their staff were preparing the machines, we were given a short welcome-slash-pep talk, and an overview. We changed into “clothes that we can afford to get dirty”, grabbed our cameras and water, and stashed the rest of our staff in their safekeeping.
They gave us around 5 minutes hands-on instructions and our two guides (Tope and JR – I can’t be entirely sure I still remember their names right, but I think I at least got one correct. XDD) drilled the cue words and hand signals to us.
Excited bubs are excited!! Oh, and we also gave our camera to the guides, because they said they’ll take care of it, and all we have to do is enjoy the ride~
And, at 2:30pm, we’re about to set off!
My dad is an excellent driver, and so are all my uncles. But… I don’t know how to drive. One, I was never interested to learn, and two, I don’t think I have a need for it. (If you’re aware of the traffic situation where I live and work, you’d probably be nodding your head in understanding).
So, unless there is a pressing need for me to learn how to drive in the future, this is probably the closest I’ll ever get to driving, and I like how uncomplicated it is (as compared to real driving, I mean).
We had to steer our way out of the Ruins, cross the highway and then go down a dirt road. I think that was the practice part, because so far, no bumps yet. We were just getting the feel of the machines.
And then the terrain gradually progressed into non-concrete, rougher territory.
As you can partly see in the pic above, Mt. Mayon was partially hidden by clouds, and I was hoping it clears up when we arrive at the lava bed later.
The view around us was fascinating. It was like a mix of green and black-gray everywhere. During our trek to Mt. Pinatubo, it looked like a wasteland – so stark and unfriendly, even – and you’d be hard-pressed to find signs of life while walking or riding on a 4×4 offroad vehicle. Here, there are more greens, probably because the Pinatubo eruption was more recent than the one that covered this particular area of Daraga? *shrugs*
It was quite a warm afternoon, and I was glad we started at past 2 pm, because the heat is probably going to be ruthless if we were doing this in the middle of the day. There were parts where we had to go through small streams and puddles, and they were a thrill, especially the splashing part. The rocks and stones hidden under the water that resist the wheels, however… not so much.
After about an hour and a half of riding, maneuvering and practically wrestling with the machine when I overshoot acceleration or turn too far to the left or right, I can feel my upper arms burning. But yeah, that one I can tolerate easily.
What I had trouble with, however, was how the fingers on my right arm were aching painfully, especially my thumb, because it’s the one pressing the lever for accelerate. For a moment there I thought it was gonna fall off and I won’t even notice it happening.
By the way, more than a couple of times we found ourselves following a concrete road, since the trail/route brought us past a couple of barangays (Mabinit and Matnog). We even stopped by one store to buy cold water, then we pressed on.
In these parts, we had to be cautious. Keep an even speed, move in a straight line, and not disturb the community too much. I think the locals were used to these tourists on machines passing by, though, because mostly they just looked at us, some even ignored us, while the kids openly waved and greeted us as we passed by.
Oh, Tope and JR also stopped us at several points so he can take pictures. XDD
At 4:20 pm, we arrived at the final stop of our ATV Ride: the Lava Front. Finally, after almost 2 hours riding, we could stretch our legs (rest our fingers) and be comfortable.
There was a large shed that served as reception area, washrooms, some snacks for sale, and the sign-up form for the Zipline.
The Zipline costs Php300.00 and it’s one way. It’s also 300 meters long, and relatively…. sedate, from what I could see. That’s like Php1.00 per meter…. Hmm. Pricey, I thought, but then I went, I’m already here darnit.
Before we could zip down the line, tho, we have to go up the Lava Bed, and this requires some walking. Five minutes, tops. It’ll require some scaling and clambering up these large black rocks spouted by the volcano.
And then you’ll finally arrive at the top.
It is actually a helipad up there, and this is functional, which means people who frequently monitor the volcano use it. Click pic below for larger photo.
This is at 2100 ft elevation of Mt. Mayon, which is roughly 8,081 ft in total. So if you look outward, you can spot nearby towns, and even the ocean, sprawled in the distance.
According to the guide (yes, there is a guide here, too. Our ATV guides remained at the reception area) this lava bed covered what used to be a vast coconut plantation, producing primarily copra (dried meat or flesh of coconuts). Where the lava flow stopped and hardened to these rocks, the remaining coconuts are still thriving.
And then, of course, there is Mt. Mayon herself, making a slow and teasing reveal as it seemed to push the clouds covering it to the side.
It was funny how we seemed to enter our own private worlds, doing each our own things. Taking photos and being random. Or just staring. And staring.
We were having so much fun doing absolutely… nothing, then we realized we’ve been there for more than 45 minutes already. EEEP. So we decided to head back to the Reception area… and three of us are doing it via the Zipline.
Now this isn’t a thrill ride. I personally thought the Php 300.00 was a bit steep for it. And it was quite low and slower than the ones I tried before, even the one at Lignon Hill. But HEY. It’s a Zipline. And it’s by a Lava Wall. AND CLOSE TO MT. MAYON.
I rest my case.
We stayed too long at the Lava Bed that, by the time we set off, it was already 5:30pm. Our ride back took the same route, and we stopped less for photos, because we didn’t want to be caught in the middle of the trail when it’s already dark. We met several other ATV riders on the way back, but our guide said that they might turn back before reaching the Lava Bed, because it’ll be pitch black by then.
It was past 7 when we got back to the basecamp of MVAATT, and our four other companions were waiting, complete with their shopping hauls, haha! All six of us felt gritty and grimy and dirty, and we barely washed our hands before bidding the cool guys of MVAATT, with Sir Reggie, and heading back to town to join the rest of our companions for dinner at Sabel’s. Yes, even in our disheveled and not-all-that-clean states, haha!
Absolutely no regrets doing this adventure. Throbbing arms, sunburnt legs and feet, and numb fingers notwithstanding.
Thanks to Sir Reggie for being patient with me and my questions. The staff at MVAATT for calming nerves all around, Tope and JR for being troupers and jokesters, and thank you to Mt. Mayon for, again, spoiling us when we were there.
Most importantly, thanks to these five other lovely human beings who indulged me and made it possible. I am not gung-ho enough to go at this all by my lonesome, see, so thank you for allowing yourselves to be convinced to join me.
Admit it, though… YOU HAD A BLAST, TOO.
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