Sunday, September 04, 2005
UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH TAAL
Our mini-adventure to the mouth of a volcano
LAST SUNDAY (August 28), our group in Video Post-Production gathered at 7-11 at the Dasmariñas hi-way around 8:30 AM. Required to produce a 28-minute educational program for Video Post-Production, we decided to do a show on volcanos.
Aside from being happy that I'm in a more progressive group, the idea of doing a program that involves going to a volcano made it twice as exciting. I have this concept that it is important to triple our efforts in producing quality documentaries and programs during our college years. It's simple, when we apply for a job in the future who would buy mediocre shows and amateur concepts?
This is our revised grouping in Video Post-Production.
Let's get physical, physical!
Team New Journallers
Len Barcelo (vidcam 1)
Hermie Capili (digi 1)
Mark David (vidcam 2)
Abbie Mendiola
Aya Nismal (vidcam 3, digi 2)
George Putong (vidcam 4, digi 3)
Joyce Velasco
Extras
Lovely Guiritan (Our extra energy)
Mark (Len's Boyfriend)
Kim (Hermie's tropa/transpo)
Friend (Hermie's tropa/transpo)
We sped up the road in an open-air van into the Tagaytay Highlands only to take a wrong turn and end up at the outskirts of Nasugbu. We passed by several biker convoys while munching down on Piknik potato strips.
After asking for directions to get us into the right direction, we were speeding in the right direction towards a tricky turn beyond Picnic Grove. The turn was for Talisay, Batangas. The route was a road filled with twists down the mountainside.
Eventually the breaks started to burn so we took an emergency stop half-way down the mountain. Of course, yosi break for the others while I whipped out my cellphone to send a few txt messages.
Joyce, Mark (Len's Boyfriend), and Hermie during the pit-stop.
Our trip resumed and eventually we were on sea-level with the mysterious lake that housed Taal Volcano. The lake was actually a crater of an enormous volcano in prehistoric times.
Just before our van started to smell like burnt rubber again, crowds of locals approached our van like ants on chocolate. We parked at a nearby dirt parking lot where a tourist scene developed.
The group got out and started making a deal for two boats that will take us across the lake and onto the Volcano Island. Eventually all of us bargained to pay just Php 300.00 per person.
We divided ourselves into two groups that would be taking two boats. We divided the camera and the equipment evenly.
The bridge to the boat from Talisay.
Crossing the street and walking a few meters to the boat docks, we boarded and took pictures of our little adventure. The boat ride reminded me of Puerto Galera, except this time, we wearn't at sea, we were nearing a decade volcano.
A decade volcano, in the science community, is known as an active and dangerous volcano because it sits near highly populated areas. In the case of Taal Volcano, Metro Manila and the highly-populated sub-urban provinces of Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas sit nearby.
The boats on the shore of Volcano Island.
Approaching the shore, we were overwhelmed by the number of ladies selling hats. This wasn't exactly a commercial tourist destination, which made it more interesting. Everything looked make-shift.
A horse ranch and a carinderia was in front of us. We sat down and started to assess our expenses. Apparantly, every move we made cost us something. From using a drawbridge to get us from the boat to the shore (Php 5.00 per head) to getting a tour guide to go with us (Php 60.00 per head).
We all decided to rough it out and eat the carinderia food (of course, I was very conscious since my stomach might not be able to handle it). I shared a meal with Hermie and used Pepsi to down it.
Abbie, Lovely, and Mark David.
As a group, we decided to take on the adventure and not hire a tour guide. Instead, we decided to just follow the trail up the slopes of the volcano. It wasn't difficult actually, since all we had to do was follow the dirt route and the horse poop.
Video Capture: Dahil dito may nahulog.
The hike would last more than an hour. It would take us from the humidity at the base of the volcano into portions that reminded me of a jungle. The route wasn't always smooth, it also became rough and steep in some portions.
Every inch of the route made me excited. I was actually hiking, something I've always wanted to do. Since, being the senti and taking extra pictures, I was at the back of the pack with Aya and Abbie M.
Me and my hiking buddy.
I didn't wear clothes suitable for hiking, I wore something I would be found wearing on any casual washday back at La Salle. The others, like Aya, had it all prepared. From mineral water bottles to video camera tripods.
Eventually we reached an area which was wider and the view was more panoramic. The wind was blowing and it felt good.
Me with Mark and Joyce on the trail.
Upon reaching the summit, we sat down at the kubos that overlooked the mouth of the true Taal Volcano. Taal Volcano isn't that crater that is obviously seen from Tagaytay, Taal Volcano is actually embedded in the island behind that crater. The crater that we see is acutally the old one.
Video Capture: Feeling the breeze from the top.
Shirts off and feeling the breeze.
Hearing the distant thunderstorm in Batangas.
Seeing the sunny and hazy Tagaytay Ridge.
Reflecting.
The crater of Taal Volcano.
Time for shooting.
We decided to format the educational show like Journallers, the program we made for Development Broadcasting last semester with our trip to Calauan, Laguna.
We did our individual testimonials and each member of the group had their own creatively composed spot. On Mark David's spot, we decided to go to the nearest steam vent which involved a 10 minute hike away from the kubos.
Joyce, Hermie, Mark, and myself gathered at the very end of the trail on that part of the mouth of the volcano. I was conscious that we'd get struck by lightning since there was light rain, and the conditions had lightning striking places in the distance.
Little did we know it, we would be candidates for lightning.
Joyce: "Hermie, ang cute ng buhok mo."
(everyone turns to look at Hermie, strands of her hair are pointing at the sky)
Me: "Guys, let's get out of here!"
Video Capture: Running away from the scene.
The four of us packed up our things and made our way back down the trail to an area that didn't jot out towards the sky. Eventually the static on our bodies became normal again and we returned to the kubo area to tell the rest of our escape from lightning.
Video Capture: Packing up and leaving the summit.
Eventually, as sunset began, the group started to descend the volcano. The last individual testimonials, Mark and myself, was taken on the slopes during our hike down.
Video Capture: My testimonial about the adventure.
The hike down was far different compared to the hike going up. The conditions during the hike up was the hot weather, the horse traffic, and all the tourists both local and foreign that were going up and down the trail.
The human and horse trail.
This time the weather was cooler and it was raining even if you could see the sunset over the horizon. There were barely any horses and tourists, it was just us.
We wearn't all bunched up, we were in groups of two or three. I'm not sure what everybody else was thinking about, for me, I was reflecting and already starting to miss the adventure.
Hiking down the slope (Aya in the background).
Eventually I was with my hiking buddy Lovely followed by partners Aya and Abbie Mendiola. As we reached the base of the volcano, we took a few more pictures as the rain started to get stronger.
With Abbie Mendiola at the foot of Taal.
But while it was raining, you couldn't just help but take notice of the brilliant sunset at the tip of Tagaytay ridge. Awesome!
We were all quiet on the boat as we returned to Talisay and away from the volcano. On the return trip I was with Mark David, Joyce, Aya, Abbie Mendiola, and Lovely. It was for strategic reasons, I reckon.
Video Capture: The rain, slapped onto our faces.
The feeling that we accomplished going to a volcano in the midst of deadlines, projects, and swamped academics at La Salle felt great.
The sunset that was overlooking the lake.
The moderate rain hitting our faces as the boat sped across the water.
Video Capture: I love chasing sunsets.
Video Capture: Another boat in the distance.
I believe we were all lost in thought. I took my video camera and did a pan-right on my classmates. Everybody was serious.
Video Capture: Lovely, deep in thought.
On my mind at the time was the summary of the adventure. I was asking myself if the shots we got were sufficient. Would we need to go back there, would we be able to edit and come up with a nice educational program.
But outside the working atmosphere of production and deadlines, I was also thinking about life as an adventure and how to shape my career towards adventures. The best job in the world, in my eyes, belongs to those working in educational programs that tour the world. Much like Lonely Planet.
Of course, who to share those adventures with. But that's another story worth telling another time.
Upon arriving back to the rocky shores of Talisay, we took out our wallets to submit our due for the boat rides. All of us returned to the dirt parking lot and boarded the van.
The sun completely set and it was darkness as our open-air van sped down into Taal, Batangas and onto the Star Tollway which would connect us later on to SLEX. We stopped by TOTAL and enjoyed dinner there.
Afterwards we returned to our normal lives in Dasma.
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