Persistence combined with the luck evidently brought by Jule's on-going presence in December eventually paid dividends. At the 4th time of asking, I finally made it to the crater lake at Tagaytay, reputedly the smallest active volcano in the entire world.
We both agreed it was a just reward for every ounce of energy we had sacrificed to get there.
The first time I went to Tagaytay, I got within a few kilometres of the crater lake before I was enveloped by one of the thickest blankets of fog I'd ever seen in my entire life. Trying to go further was pointless.
My second attempt was likewise foiled by the elements. It was Nicky's last full day in Manila and despite the lousy weather forecast we decided to chance our luck by driving through torrential rain in the early hours of the morning. As we sat like 2 drowned rats in Starbucks on Tagaytay ridge, we found ourselves staring out into a complete void. During one very brief break in the cloud cover, we rushed outside to take a quick picture to convince ourselves that there was actually a volcano out there somewhere.
The third attempt was cancelled when it coincided with the weather which caused the massive flash floods which cost almost a thousand lives further south in Mindanao in the run-up to Christmas. Luckily the weather was fine for Kathrina's wedding a day or two later, so consequently we decided to try again on the return trip, and this time luck was on our side.
Lake Taal is itself a volcanic crater and at the centre of the lake is an island containing two further craters, one of which harbours the so-called lake within a lake. After travelling 30 minutes by boat to reach the island, upon disembarking we were inundated by local hustlers trying their utmost to convince us to make the trip to the top on horseback. As forewarned, we were continually told that it was too far too walk to the summit, whereupon Jule and I just smiled, sweated a little more and then continued on our way.
Apart from a French guy who rapidly overtook us, we were pretty much the only ones who did.
The entire pathway was congested with Korean tourists, a lot of them rather portly it has to be said, who had shamelessly paid for the privilege of being carried up and down the steep hill on horseback. I say on horseback, but on the back of a donkey would be a more appropriate term, given the animals' puny sizes. The so-called guides, often too lazy to walk themselves, would then hang on to the creatures' tails and allow themselves to be pulled up by the mule, already struggling to cope with the oversized Korean ensconced on its back. I hope you'll pardon the pun, but it certainly wasn't difficult to tell which one was the true ass.
Having seen how terribly animals are treated at markets in Vietnam, I can't say I was shocked by this. However, as a tourist I didn't feel the need to contribute to this peculiar form of eco-sadism, but then perhaps we Brits are just over-sensitive animal lovers.
With regard to the actual path to the top, after spending several months in Manila, it felt truly liberating to be able to walk in an open space surrounded by greenery and water on all sides. There were even spots on the way up where the fissures were smoking due to the volcanic rock beneath.
Both Jule and I were sweating profusely by the time we reached the top, but it was well worth it. The view was amazing. The crater really is a lake within a lake, and it was breathtaking.
Once at the top, Jule and I walked along a narrow path around the rim of the crater, where you can get dangerously close to the crater's edge.
Caution is a necessity as it is a sheer drop of several hundred feet to the lake below if you lose your footing. But Jule couldn't resist the temptation to sit right on the edge.
Our return trek to the boat was equally pleasurable as we could enjoy a different view to the one we had on the way up.
Shortly afterwards we reached our boat for the return journey back. While crossing the water minutes later it quickly became apparent how quickly the daylight was fading and it made for a dramatic back-drop.
We arrived back at the car just before darkness descended. It was interesting to note that as we did so, cut-throat hustlers were still shepherding yet more tourists into the boats to start their journey to the island, knowing fully well that it would be impossible for them to proceed even a few metres after disembarking on the island due to a lack of visibility. There is certainly no shortage of people hustling to make a quick buck here any way they can in order to survive.
All in all, it was well the effort Jule and I invested in getting to the top and I'm just sorry I wasn't able to experience it with Nicky as well. However, I'm hopeful there'll be a next time.
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