Mayon: Magayon!

Mayon Volcano

I was able to see the beauty of this volcano a week before it's eruption in 2009. Mayon was one of my sidetrips when we went to Caramoan. From Naga City, we took a bus ride bound for Legaspi. We dropped off at the junction of the highway and the road going to Cagsawa in Barangay Busay. I've read that the best time to see the perfect cone is during the non-rainy season which is December to May. Good thing the weather was cooperative that time as the sun was shining and there were just a few clouds passing by the crater.



I just couldn't describe what I felt when I saw this beauty. Yes, I have seen pictures of this volcano on the net thousands of times but seeing its majestic cone with my very own eyes is just plain WOW. I was even more ecstatic when I finally got to see the ruins of Cagsawa at the town of Daraga. This place is the best vantage point for viewing the volcano and probably is the most photographed location in Albay. All that remains is the bell tower which reminds everyone how powerful and deadly this beauty is. During its deadly eruption in 1814, a lot of people sought refuge in this church, thinking they would be saved but all of them perished when the town was engulfed in ashes and lava.

just plain 'wow'

I always find myself in awe of its beauty everytime I had the chance to get a glimpse of it during my stay in Albay. It's like the volcano commands you to look at it. Mayon is the shortened form of Magayon which means 'beautiful' in Bicolano. The volcano truly lives up to its name and for some reason, its grandeur is inexplicably beyond words. You just have to be there to experience what it is.