Mount Mayon

Several years ago, work sent me to Bicol for two weeks.. yes, two long weeks of not being able to sleep in my own soft, fluffy bed, 14 days of not being able to type on my beautiful, newly assembled pc (naks!), and half a month of not being able to see my wonderful friends... but in exchange for all that seemingly sad occurrences, i got to see Mt. Mayon again after so many many years...

I remember first seeing this Wonder of the World a decade ago while on board a passenger bus. It was around 6 in the morning and i can vividly recall that day when i had barely slept because i was not really accustomed to travelling by land overnight. I was suffering from headache, my limbs were numb and my stomach was now growling from my 7-hour trip that already seemed endless! I was growing impatient and was sooo dead tired. Thus, i took a peek from the window on my side to see where the bus had already taken us.. Lo and behold! There she was, Mt. Mayon in full glory!

 

Twas a clear day, not a cloud obstructing my view of Mayon.. I could very well see her crater and that perfect cone-shape that has made her famous worldwide! She actually looked graceful and mighty at the same time.... oh how could that perfectly shaped, natural wonder be so wrathful as to bury a whole town (Cagsawa) with its massive volcanic eruption?.. yes, beauty and strength combined; serenity and ferocity in one... I was in awe. Seeing Mayon at that moment made me forget all the discomforts i was experiencing.. I wanted to see more, but ironically, the bus, which was previously travelling at a snail's pace for 7 hours, had suddenly acquired wings and was now soaring like an eagle, leaving behind the magnificent view of Mayon, much to my dismay.

That was more than a decade ago.. too bad, camera phones were unheard of back then. But Mayon's beauty was imprinted on my mind like no other 10 mega pix camera could ever capture...Fast forward to the time when, after so many years, i was sent to Bicol because of work... But this time, I was already equipped with my ever ready cam-phone and certainly, i wouldn't let the opportunity pass me by the second time around.. Here she is, a bit cloudy, but still, our world's ultimate wonder, Mt. Mayon...



Only the belfry of the Cagsawa Church can be seen after Mt. Mayon mercilessly engulfed the whole town with its lava following a massive eruption some two centuries ago

Me and Mount Mayon