I had my first encounter with the
world-renowned Mayon Volcano eight years ago while I was on a trip to
visit a friend (now my wife) in Legazpi City, Albay. I think it had
been almost a 12-hour busy trip from Pasay City to my destination. I
was almost on the brink of wanting to go back and never do that trip
again. If I only knew that there's a one-hour flight from Manila to
Legazpi City I would have taken that option.
I was asleep most of the time during
the trip and was glad that I was already in Naga when I woke up. I
took another nap (bus trips can be so tiring, I know) and look out at
the window. I couldn't help but be mesmerized by the beauty and
magnifience of what I saw: standing more than 8,000 ft tall with a
perfectly-formed cone volcano. For the rest of the trip I found
myself awake and staring at the volcano, to the point that the
passenger sitting beside me asked if it was my first time to be in
Albay. What he didn't know is that it is the first time that I saw a
volcano.
