Day Five: Taal Lake and Volcano

It was an early morning start as we woke up at 4:30 for a 5:30 coach trip that lasted for about 5 hours. Many of us got to catch some Z’s (sleep), whilst others did not. As the coach we were to go down the windy road, he had the opportunity for our first ride in a Jeepney, which is like a small bus, and is a traditional Filipino transport vehicle, converted from the jeeps left by American army in World War II. Upon arriving at our destination, we caught traditional Filipino fishing boats across Taal Lake, which lead us to the volcanic island. It was an intense 40 minute hike up the volcano and many of us found it challenging. When we finally reached the top, there was an incredible scenic view of water inside the caldera of the volcano, as well as an island inside this body of water. On one side of the volcano the water is hot and considered to be therapeutic because of the chemicals from the active volcano, however the other side of the lake is not as hot, much cooler.

After we caught our breath for a few minutes, we hiked back down to the bottom of the island and drank local grown coffee. It was life changing for coffee lovers. On the way back, the waters were raging and many of us ended up drenched, although it was a fun experience. What was super exciting was riding in jeepneys, back up to the coach. At this point we were very hungry, because we hadn’t eaten in about 9 hours. 

We had a late traditional Filipino lunch at 5:00pm, which comprised of many interesting Filipino delicacies, including Pork Sisig: pork meat and pig ears, fried fish, beef marrow soup and garlic rice. The view at the restaurant was breathtaking and provided us with a great team photo opportunity. We thoroughly enjoyed our lunch, and everyone was willing to try the food.

It was then back to the bus for the long journey back to YMC. On the way we stopped at Starbucks, enjoying our frappuccinos and coffees. On the bus we passed time with a game of charades and other work games, whilst others slept or chatted away. All of a sudden, our bus broke down and we ended up having to change buses amidst the hectic Filipino traffic.  We arrived home looking forward to a pleasant night’s rest, after a long day.