Pandoraspace

The Ruins of Cagsawa: A Testament to the Filipinos’ devotion to God

Mr. Ketel took Boktor and me to Cagsawa, Daraga, Albay (a ten minute drive from Legazpi) where the ruins of what was once a huge church is located. According to the memorial plaque, the church was built in 1724 by Fray Francisco Blanco, OFM (Ordo Fraternum Minor, otherwise known as the Franciscans). The church stands at the foot of Mt. Mayon. When Mt. Mayon erupted on 1 February 1814, most of the church was submerged in lava. The only part of the church  that was not buried is the belfrie and the top most portion of the church pillars. According to this article, there were about 1,200 people who sought sanctuary in the church and were buried alive there when Mt. Mayon erupted in 1814.  If you want to read more about Cagsawa, click on this and this.

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The Zip

Mr. Ketel took us to Lingnon Hill from where you can view Mt. Mayon and Legazpi City.  As Mt. Mayon was elusive that day, Mr. Ketel suggested we try the Zip. What is the Zip?  The ends of two parallel steel cables are attached on a post on one hill while the other ends are attach on a post in another hill.  You are then asked to wear a harness.  Carabiners are clipped on to the harness and on the rollers that are attached to the cables.  After giving a thirty-second explanation on what to do,  your are pushed off to zip over the trees.  Weeeee… is what I said in my mind when I did the Zip.  Such fun!!!

If you want to see Pandora doing the Zip, click here.

Boktor (not his real name) and I went to Legazpi, Albay.

It was Boktor’s first time in Legazpi and he was excited about the trip. It was my second time in Legazpi. I was not excited. We were to stay in Legazpi only over night and I did not expect to see much of the place.

Also, my memories of my first Legazpi trip were not so good.  At that time, I was forced to take a ten-hour land trip from Manila to Legazpi as my flight was canceled due to bad weather. After that long trip, I only stayed in Legazpi for less than an hour.

This time, I was really not exited about the trip.

The flight to Legazpi

On my way to the airport, I got a text message from Boktor telling me that the client representative, Mr. Ketel (not his real name), advised us to bring jackets because it was raining in Legazpi. Oh, no!!! Thoughts like “Will the flight be canceled?” and ” Will I be forced to take a ten-hour land trip again?” immediately came to mind. I was really really not excited about the trip.

When I got to the airport, the ground attendant told me that our flight would not be canceled. Phew.

Meanwhile, I learned that before the plane lands at the Legazpi Airport, it flies along side Mt. Mayon, a perfect cone-shaped active volcano and the main attraction of Albay. I was assigned a window seat on the left-side of the plane and discovered that this is the best place to get a view of the volcano. Unfortunately, clouds shrouded Mt. Mayon and I was only able to see its tip.