Mt. Mayon is Magayon !

Yours truly is still reeling from the experience of actually seeing the majestic Mayon Volcano down in Legazpi, a city which is about an hour away from Manila by plane.  I was able to get a reservation when Air Philippines had super discounted rates last summer and had it scheduled last week when monsoon rains were pouring in Manila.  It was cloudy and humid in this area of Luzon.  Despite the dry weather, we still could not see the perfect cone of Mt. Mayon, which was a damper to many excursionists that were also in Legazpi at that time.  But, as the locals would say beautiful, "Magayon" is not enough to describe how awesome and breathtaking a lady Mt. Mayon is. Like a woman, Mt. Mayon is regal, cool and collected, but also mysterious and there's no telling when she will explode, scary thought, right?  Mt. Mayon is the major landmark of the province, rising tall and proud at 2,462 meters.  It can be seen from at least 8 neighboring towns.  How wonderful it must be to wake up each morning seeing its almost perfect cone and knowing it is in a good mood.

Mt. Mayon is located in the town of Daraga in Albay which is about 15 minutes ride from the City of Legazpi.  From my hotel, I simply took a tricycle and told the driver to take me to where I can get a ride to Cagsawa Ruins in Daraga.  The very honest driver, fortunately for me, dropped me at a corner where i can get a ride to Daraga Market.  That tricycle ride cost me P10.  From there, I took a P10-jeepney ride  with a signboard Daraga, and I got off at the Daraga Public Market.  From there I took an Oas jeepney, where I got off at the junction that would be the entry to the Cagsawa Ruins.

The Cagsawa Ruins is actually the remaining structure of a Franciscan Church that got buried in the mudflow when Mt. Mayon erupted violently in the year 1814, roughly 200 years ago.  It's a constant reminder of what could happen to the areas close to the volcano if it would erupt, a legacy that will forever be imprinted in the history books.  When Mt. Mayon erupted in Feb 1, 1814, about 1200 people died and the town of Cagsawa got buried.   Now, the site of the former Franciscan church  was converted into a park and a resort that people can come and view the volcano at a closer distance.   The park has been a venue of many events and gatherings also such as weddings, etc.

Cagsawa Ruins is one of the main attractions in the province of Albay.  Aside from seeing Mt. Mayon with your own eyes and not just in photos, there are other attractions in Cagsawa itself.   If you are adventurous and like extreme sports, you might want to try the ATV adventure where you can ride an all-terrain vehicle from a minimum of 1 hour to a maximum of 2 and half hours.   The ATV adventure has different trails and different durations.  You also get to choose the size of the ATV, of course, there is a corresponding amount for each trail and size of ATV.     You will feel "oragon" when you come out of the adventure unscathed!  Diyos Mabalos!