2013 Jan: Philippines: Albay: Faces of Mayon

Use to be part of the lessons in grade school days, seeing this in reality checks one entry in my unwritten bucket list.

Famous for its perfect cone, Mayon Volcano is also known to be shy among the locals.  It is a normal scene that you will see it covered with clouds.  Since Legazpi or Bicol is located close to Pacific Ocean, weather is totally unpredictable in the area (In the morning it is sunny, then it will suddenly rain, then back to sunny weather, v.v.)

We are lucky to see it clearly upon our arrival.  We never thought that it would be the last time during our three-day stay in Albay.  

From Airport: 

From Embarcadero:

Just few minutes from the airport, the volcano is already covered by the air.  All the succeeding days of our stay, Mayon is already covered by clouds. 

From Cagsaua Ruins:

 From Daraga Church:

From Lignon Hill:

On our third day in Legazpi, from Embarcadero we took Loop 1 (Legazpi-Daraga) jeep at 10php/each.  Try to be at the area the earliest that you can. The entrance is free of charge if you'll be jogging by 5:00-9:00am.  Motor vehicles will be allowed to pass by the road at 9:00a-4:00p MNL.  So there is no way to take a tricycle if you want to be at the summit on early morning.

Prepare yourself for a challenging stroll, there would be a lot of stiff road and sharp curves.  Bring yourself with a bottled of water and chocolate bars for you to grab and eat on the resting points.  At the summit, there is a souvenir shop, mini bar and comfort room.

It took us 30 minutes by walking uphill and 20 minutes downhill.

due to the unpredictable weather , rainbow is very visible in Legazpi  sky

my favorite photo for the trip for the foreground vs background effect

For anyone who is dreaming to see Mayon, hope you meet your lucky day to see it clearly!