The mistaken Taal Volcano

I had been  misled after all.

This is what I realized after our trek  to  Taal Volcano in Batangas. This happened during our three-day teachers recreation in Tagaytay City. It was an impromptu trek. We got to the office of Tourism and were offered  trekking. The tourist guide brought us to a certain resort in Talisay, Batangas which was almost an hour away from the office.  There we were provided life vests and motorboats, which could accommodate eight passengers, to board.

We sailed in a calm lake for less than an hour. When the boat docked at the foot of the mountain, the sun was at its peak. Thus, we rested for a while. After a few minutes, the weather changed and there was a sudden rain. As it stopped the sky was still cloudy, so we took advantage of the chance to trek as the sun was still covered with clouds.

We were supposed to climb with horses but the price P350.00 for each person prevented us.  The trek was difficult for the trail was bare (There were no trees and bushes were so few in terms of number)  and muddy. Along with us were Korean tourists who hiked with horses. Since the trek was unplanned, only a few of us wore rubber shoes. I myself was wearing my white doll shoes.

As we approached the volcano, the temperature got warmer  which could have been caused by cracks emitting white smoke upon the ground. I felt the smoke with my palm. It was hot, the kind which comes out of the rice cooker as what is being cooked boils.

The crater was reached at last and it appeared like a park to me rather than the usual mountain summit I have seen.

Everyone was thirsty and to quench our thirst we approached the buko (young coconut) vendor.  The fruit amounted to P50.00 each and thinking that we were in a place surrounded with coconut trees we couldn’t help wondering. Nevertheless, we gave in to our craving for the fresh coconut water.

The call of nature followed. We found toilet cubicles whose caretaker required us to pay P5.00 for a pee and P10.00 for those who felt like defecating. We never had a choice.

We regained strength after thirty minutes of sitting down the bamboo benches near the crater. Thus, we explored the top of the volcano. Walking to the other side let us see the red rock which emitted a hotter smoke. The stone’s surface itself was hot. We got closer to the crater whose edge has been fenced. From the top we could see the lake in it and some animals grazing in its grassy bay. The presence of the nipa hut near the lake in the crater only confirmed that people in the place do not fear the volcano’s activity.

The sun was already setting when we started our trek down the volcano. As expected going down was easier, only that one needed to be cautious for there was the probability of sliding down the muddy trail. To my disgust, my favorite doll shoes went all worn out by the time we reached the foot of the mountain. 

Back to Elim’s  House I couldn’t help wondering why  no  teacher  in my student days has ever made an effort of correcting what has been taught about  Taal volcano. I mean the picture presented in Social Studies books  and brochures of a mound with a crater and which is located in the middle of the lake is not actually the volcano but a mere pile of soil and nothing more.  

http://www.google.com.ph/imgres?imgurl=http://eos.higp.hawaii.edu/ppages/pinatubo/8.taal/3.jpg&imgrefurl=http:/

The volcano lies in the mountain, forty-five minute trek away from its foot.  I fell asleep with a thought : “Is this another proof of inefficiency  among Filipino authors  of Social Studies books or a fact which has been disregarded for nobody ever  cared anyway?”  or “Is the scene presented  a symbolic representation of the  spot?” Whatever could be the purpose, all the same, a lot of people including me had been misled.   My only edge is that I, together with my fellow teachers, had the chance to get to the spot and discover the truth.