I gazed out the window of PAL flight PR847 (0730H flight time) bound for Cebu while flying over Bicol and I was dazzled by the beautiful view of the volcanic mountains of Bicol lining up, all in one view their bases covered with fog and low lying clouds: Mts. Isarog, Iriga, perfect Mayon and a slight distance, Bulusan and the Irosin ancient caldera.
Too bad, I didn’t have my camera with me 
Bicol has lots and lots of surprises. The butandings (whale sharks) in Donsol, Sorsogon were just awesome! Never mind if what we saw that day were the baby sharks, but what the heck, they’re still whale sharks. Fast and elusive, I missed my first shot when one swam past a little under our motorized banca but I just made me shout with joy. Add to the fact that the tour was free and the delicious seafood.
Beautiful daragang magayon Mt. Mayon never ceases to astound. Just this afternoon, I had a close view of it at the Mayon resthouse and it was a thrill seeing thick white smoke emanating fast from its crater. While cruising around it, its silhouette marvels. Sometimes it cloaks itself with thick clouds then shows itself. Hides and shows, hides and shows. There’s also a part of the highway wherein besides this mountain, the other volcanoes come into view: Mt. Iriga and Mt. Isarog.
The old Spanish era Catholic churches in Barcelona, Sorsogon and those in the first district of Albay: Sto. Domingo, Tiwi, Bacacay, Malilipot and Malinao. Monuments to this land’s rich cultural heritage that are most of the time being spruced up and renovated.
And of course the food: pinangat, which is gabi leaves cooked with gata (coconut extract) and the halo-halo in Tiwi, Albay even if it is much hyped and touted but it still tastes like halo-halo.
Nearing dusk and we set off to Legazpi City in Albay province from Naga City yesterday while the late afternoon light cast a beautiful silhouette of Mt. Isarog fading into the distance. It was not really a long ride. As one can handle the Naga - Legazpi road from 1.5 - 2 hours. It would have been shorter if not for the incessant tricycles, 3 wheeled vehicles that are just slow. But it was a fun ride: just feel the adrenalin rush as one overtakes vehicles, speeding at more than 100 kph. Freedom. Maybe it would have been better to feel the wind against one’s face just like riding a motorcycle.
0700H and I left the hotel room this morning to take photos of the city cathedral and surrounding environs and as I drove away, the breathtaking view of Mt. Mayon, she with the perfect cone, with smoke billowing from its crater rose majestically as morning light bathe it with a slight golden hue. Just beautiful.
We had our team cascade by around 1000H. After that, went to the local zoo, visited the obligatory Cagsawa ruins and had pinangat for dinner. Just delicious.
9 hours on the road, driving to Bicol (Naga City) from Manila, a first time for me to continuously drive that long that I was really really very tired when we arrived at the hotel. Bicol. Have not been back here for quite a number of years now. The first time that I passed by this route was when me and Ian, a college classmate went to his homeplace in Ormoc, Leyte via this route more than 10 years ago. That trip took us around 34 hours instead of the usual 27 since the bus encountered an engine failure somewhere in Atimonan. The second time was when I did a Cebu - Samar - Bicol (Sorsogon & Legazpi) - Samar - Cebu trip when I was still based in Cebu.
Well, I actually don’t have any recollection of Naga City. Been sleeping during the bus travel when I passed here. Tomorrow, my team will be conducting a cascade/discussion with our local counterpart here before proceeding to Legazpi for another cascade, Wednseday.
The sun was just breaking out from the horizon when I gazed outside the window of the plane on my way to Davao when this beautiful sight of majestic Mt. Mayon, she with the perfect cone, came into view as smoke billowing from its crater etched the misty morn in Legazpi City, Albay.
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