Mt Mayon near Legaspi in the Philippines is restless and has been burping lava and smoke for the past few days.
A major eruption is expected any time but the evacuation centers are preparing to house displaced people for up to 4 months.
pic at left from Dec 18 2009
Mt Mayon
Mt Mayon – I didn’t get any pictures of the lava which was bubbling from the top the previous night. I just didn’t think it would show the magnitude and beauty of the event. Wish I had tried but wasn’t thinking clearly after my 14 hour motorbike ride up from Ormoc.
The next night was overcast – oh well!
This postcard girl has been selling postcards at the Cagsawa site for the past 10 years. I bought a set of 4 postcards from her – with the hope that she doesn’t get caught up in the eruption, if it does indeed happen.
Virgilio, the t-shirt man, is such a sweet guy and was clearly tense with the whole situation. He has built up a nice little gift shop over the years and there is a good chance that it will all go up in smoke.
I just hope that he has time to get away if Mayon blows in this direction. I did buy a few shirts from his because he is one cool guy and has a good product at a good price. He just couldn’t stop thanking me because he had not had any customers that day.
This is the Cagsawa site where the town was covered in lava in 1814 and over 1,000 people perished. The bell tower of the church is still standing.
pic taken Dec 1 2009
This is the river that runs past Cagsawa. On the 18 of December, workmen were still digging sand and gravel from the riverbed. It’s really a tough call to know what to do because everyone has to eat and pay the bills.
Mt Mayon at dusk in mid 2009 – seen from the highway on the way to Manila.
Mt Mayon
from
Capul Island
Mt Mayon as seen from Capul Island in northern Samar – it’s the perfectly shaped cone in the center of the picture in the above right photo.
Mayon
Cagsawa , Mt Mayon Feb 2009
Picture display in the observatory at the Mayon Resthouse about a third of the way up the mountain. Closed at this time.
Dec 31 2009 – I went back to Daraga to have another look at the volcano. The best lava flow was on the Dec 24 and 25 but I was celebrating Christmas down in Leyte and missed it. The best vantage point seems to be from the road leading to Tobaco from Legaspi – the lava flow seems to be heaviest on that side of the mountain and runs down almost to the base.
There is not much activity now but the top still glowed the past few nights and there is the occasional trickle of lave – it’s still beautiful!
Workmen are still gathering sand and gravel from the river by Cagsawa.
Cagsawa
I took a ride up the river.
Mayon
Vic Ajero has decided to make the best of the situation and set up shop selling sculptures that he makes from lava rocks left over from previous eruptions.
Lava
Cagsawa
Mayon
Tourists don’t seem to be deterred by the threat of an eruption – it just doesn’t seem menacing.
Cagsawa
I decided to make one last trip up the mountain on New Years Eve.
Mayon Observatory
Mayon
Dec 31 2009 3pm
Mayon
Happy New Year! 2010
Mt Mayon.
Minor Eruptions
Climbing Mount Apo
General Santos
Growing Orchids
Judy's Resto Bar
Logging with Motorcycles
Balabac Island
Biri Island
Calbiga Cave
Capul Island
Mangrove Swamp Palawan
Mikes's Resort
yeah bounty – I share your respect for the power of a volcano as well.
My friend, Mrs Larsen told me about watching the 1912 Katmai eruption in Alaska from a hundred miles away in Larsen Bay . man – what a story. A hired hand led them through the mountains in the darkness of the falling ash to the village of Kodiak where they were rescued by the US Navy. People familiar with Kodiak will realize what a task that was – leading 3 kids through the darkness of the falling ash. She says that they had to hold hands because they could not see the trail. No one remembered the name of that hired hand but he was one tough dude!
The radio station had burned down and Kodiak had no communication with the outside world for 3 days.
To this day you will find a thick layer of ash under the moss on Afognak and Kodiak Islands.
Mrs Larsen witnessed that eruption from 100 miles away, yet the farmers near Cagsawa are were still tending their crops, less than 8 kilometers away, when I was there last on Dec 18. Wow!
I really am fearful for the town of Daraga as it is right at the base of that volcano even though it is outside of the 8 k “danger” zone.
dp
Great report DP, this is one of my favourite places in RP. having climbed the volcano about 2 years ago I can testify to the majestic beauty of same. lets just hope the authorities have managed to clear the area OK. My one wish if it blows would be that it retains its beauty of the almost perfect cone, how ever unlikely.
My favourite spot was the restaurant opposite the daraga church, sitting on the terrace enjoying a wine and just watching the shear magnificience of mayon. Great memories.
Hi bruce,
That must have been quite a climb – I hear it is a slippery ascent, because its like walking up a hill of gravel!
…keep sliding backwards!
Can you tell the story?
cheers
dp
ps – I hope to go back to Mayon next week for an update! Those lava flows at night are spectacular! The thing is though, that it is hard to get good pictures without a telephoto lens.
Hi again DP yeh would be happy to put it down, just need a bit of time.
I am also thinking of a trip back to Albay aroung febuary, depending if beautiful mayon has blown or not. I am a little familular with the area having been there many times and know some great vantage points to watch and get pic opps.
Will follow your site with interest to get the latest updates.
Hi bruce,
…any tips you can put up will be appreciated – thanks!
ps: I am heading back to Mayon tomorrow – watching lava run down the mountain sides will be a memorable way to bring in the New Year!
cheers
dp
Wow DP, this is quite the interesting perspective in contrast to the news reports we’ve been getting from the other side of the world. And you’ve got some incredible photos too! I particularly like the one of the caribou with Mt. Mayon in the background.
Enjoy the beautiful sites, but please be careful! That church bell tower poking through the ground is a sobering reminder of the devastation caused by the eruption in 1814…
this page uploaded from the McDonalds in Daraga.
dp
Hope you were able to get a bed OK DP, according to reports the city is all booked out.
What about the old church in Daraga, is it still possible to go there, it offers in my opinion about the most spectacular view of all of mayon, especially sitting in the restaurant opposite with a red.
Don’t forget the unpredicability and the power of Mayon, be careful, no risks, your site is to important to many for you to take risks na lang……
Hi Bruce,
No worries getting lodging – I think that was govt. pr to keep tourists away.
The volcano is quiet now…maybe the pressure is building…who knows. The alert has been lowered to level 3.
Volcanos are a mystery which is one of the reasons that they are so enticing.
Most people living in this area are going about their lives with out much concern, but as you say the results of a major blow would be catastrophic!
cheers
dp
Hi dp great story and pics of Mayon,we were staying
in a hotel by the airport in legesspi with a perfect view of mayon.early in the morning what a site we say
just the tip of mayon showing threw the fog with a little steam shooting stait up,what a perfect way to start a morning.that was mid nov.2008 and we plan on staying the same place on our next drive to samar.
katmai is still poping its cork from time to time
in fact one trip from kodiak to anchorage the airplane pilot came on the intercom to say we were detouring as katmai had erupted,we could see the grey sky as we passed by.
Hello Wayne,
Very cool! Thanks for the story.
Mt Pinatubo in the Philippines, and Katmai of Alaska were the two biggest eruptions of the last century. Wow.
dp
Very nice post..love it
Hello
Well hoping that the flood in Bicol will be stooping.
Bicol is very nice place for the tourist.