We arrived in Los Baños last Sunday afternoon. After an unsuccessful search for lodging in the downtown area, we proceeded to the University of the Philippines and found a very nice hotel at a very quiet part of the campus at the foot of Mt. Makiling. Next door was a little but quite popular student canteen and we had them cook for us chopsuey, bihon and French fries. They were also selling soymilk.

Early the following morning, Monday around 7, we packed our bag with bread, bananas, tangerines and water and we started our climb to the three peaks of the dormant volcano Mt. Makiling. It was a very easy, gradual ascent. On the way, we met two avid birdwatchers, who shared with us some of their shots of the birds they were able to spot that morning. At the trail head, we were advised not to go beyond the Mud Springs, about half way up the mountain. Reportedly, recent heavy monsoon rains had caused a lot of landslides and fallen trees which damaged the pathways. Indeed, there were many places were trees were uprooted and boulders had been swept down the mountain and portions of the pathway had been obliterated, but the rest of the pathway was easily spotted and we were able to continue well past Mud Springs. Other than the occasional struggle to walk over or around the landslides and trees the hike was very pleasant. We were refreshed by the profusion of birds singing and flying around, and the many, many beautiful butterflies, huge and tiny, black, white, yellow, orange, brown, and blue, fluttering, their wings like fairies. The trees were enormous and magnificent and flowers were radiant.

The descent was as slow as the ascent because of fear of overworking our knees. We reached the Mud Springs three hours later and were rewarded with an eerie scene. It was a big pool of hot and bubbling mud with steam rising into the air. We heard a sound very much like someone drumming. We walked towards it and found out a couple of big steaming fumaroles filled with thick, boiling mud. The drumming sound is produced when the mud bubble bursts. The air was heavy with sulfur.

On the way down, past 4 pm, we met the birders again. They were still at it!

Back at the hotel we showered and rested our aching feet for a while. Then we went out for dinner at the same canteen. Afterwards, we went back to our room and watched the Oscars.

Today, we got up before 7 am hoping to have a massage, but the masseuse was late. When she showed up, we were packed and all ready to leave. Needless to say, we were disappointed.

We headed back up the mountain to the Makiling Botanical Gardens, located in a dramatic site where two creaks converge, and spent a couple hours meandering through the enormous trees, a picnic area by the streams, through palm trees and, finally, the Philippines Raptor Sanctuary. This is where they have a collection of the different hawks and eagles found in the islands. It was sad to see these magnificent birds just perched on a branch inside their cages looking forlorn.

We checked out of Searca Hotel and headed out of town. First stop was in Calamba, Laguna, the hometown of the country’s most famous national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal. It was most meaningful for Maitri as she had been reading about him all her school years. We toured his house (now a local shrine) where he grew up along with his 9 siblings. Maitri found it to be a pretty cool feeling to be walking on the same grounds where this famous person used to run around when he was a boy.

We also stopped at a nearby church and were granted permission to climb the stone belfry tower accessed by a spriral stairway. It had a very good view of the city and Mt. Makiling.

After a couple of jeepney rides, we arrived in this little town called Talisay at the very edge of Lake Taal, the caldera of a temporarily dormant volcano, whose most recent eruption was in 1965. We checked into a modest resort on the beach of the lake near the center of the town and walked a few blocks to the public market where we were able to get dinner. We are planning to take a bangka ride to Volcano Island, the largest island in the lake. From the shore the steam can be seen rising from an opening on the side of the mountain.