HYDERABAD: Every time the fish-like aircraft soars into the sky, especially during those late nights, a glittering Hyderabad slowly comes into view in all its nocturnal splendour.
In the deep dark night, lights shine like dazzling diamonds set in gold. Precisely at this moment I feel closest to my city as I leave it for a while…this feeling repeats unvaryingly, every time I fly out to see the wonders of the world.
This time I was going to Philippines: going eastwards has always made me a bit wiser. But I wasn’t too sure if going at a time of terror attacks, unrest and martial law was wise. But my gut ruled out all the possible hazards and I went ahead and returned unscathed, laden with rich memories. Danger lurks everywhere, but more in our hearts!
For many, visiting Philippines starts and ends with Manila: after a brief stay in the capital, they tick one more in the list of countries to visit. With more than 7,000 islands, most of them beautiful and some even unexplored, can a nation like Philippines be represented by the megacity alone? To do justice to true travel, my itinerary of the Philippines differed - offering various vistas with exciting experiences and interesting insights, mostly outside of Manila.
Pampanga Pleasures
After a three-hour drive from Manila airport I reached the happening Angeles city, noted more for its nightlife and partying. Adjacent to my hotel (Clark-Pampanga) are the biggest shopping malls and exotic food joints. It was just what I wanted: I freaked out on a shopping spree followed by a high voltage gastronomic delight in one of the nearby restaurants!
Carlos joined us the next day, bringing him with him a wry sense of humour and vast experience of guiding. His digs at the American cavalry and the history of their presence in Clark had us in splits. The scenic route to Puning Hot Spring at the foothills of Mt. Pinatubo was dotted with small villages inhabited by the indigenous Aetas, the original inhabitants of Pampanga region. Set amidst rock formations, hot spring water flows naturally from the mountaintops here.
A Deadly Drive
The adrenaline-gushing ride in a 4x4 vehicle is something that will stay in my mind forever. We rumbled through the lahar-laden wasteland, a result of the devastating eruption of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 that has killed many lives and destroyed thousands of livelihoods. But the enterprising Filipino has turned it to his advantage and made it a popular tourist spot with exciting experiences.
For the first time I saw lahar, the debris from a volcanic eruption. The dusty landscape in all its starkness was simply stunning; fragile karst-like cliffs formed from pyroclastic materials loomed over the horizon, almost ready to collapse any minute. We passed through amazing gorges that reminded me of similar gorges in Petra (Jordan): with cool air blowing and a faint light peeping from far above its narrow walls, as the 4x4 splashed through its shallow streams, our excited shrieks echoed in the valley.
Blow Hot - Blow Cold
We reached the stone-clad Puning Hot Spring Resort that rests on a cliff, surrounded by the lush and ancestral domain of the indigenous Aetas who run the show. The huts are fashioned after the traditional ‘Kubo’. With eight spring pools of hot and cold, the water comes from the thermal spring of Sacobia River. The water is brought to boiling by the volcano and is filtered through the catch pools of the resort. Temperature peaks at a high 70 degrees and gradually tapers off to 40 degrees on the lower pools. The water runs constantly and disperses like a waterfall at the foot of the resort. I tried from warm to warmest until I couldn’t stand the heat anymore. Then I plunged into the cold pool and rested there like a mermaid.
Sand Spa and Mud Pack
After a change of clothes - ill fitting, baggy that almost looked like the ones from vintage films, we were led to the outdoor sauna. We were made to lie down in hot volcanic sand and were covered with it from neck to foot; in other words, we were properly ‘buried’, save our faces.
My heart started racing, pounding with a loud “dhakdhak”. Meanwhile light-bodied Aeta girls walked on us, giving a gentle massage, while we were still buried under the sand. The sand steam is supposed to lower cholesterol, relieve body pains, and improve blood circulation.
Below the sand-filled hut was a massive oven heating the sand to a mild warmth, just enough to make one sweat. After the volcanic ashes penetrated our bodies and we perspired considerably, we were moved to the recliners.With sulphur mudpacks lathered all over our bodies, all of us lying in a row, we joked that we were being ‘embalmed’, after being ‘exhumed’ from our previous ‘burial’.
More than the benefits on the body and skin, throughout the experience we were having fun, cracking jokes and laughing our hearts out. It made us enjoy every moment of pampering and our non-stop laughter made us lighter in spirit and soul. Isn’t laughter the best medicine?Thus buried, exhumed, and embalmed, we all trooped in for a cold shower. After a thorough wash, I felt I was born again, and with a baby skin!
(The author is a documentary filmmaker and travel writer; she blogs at vijayaprataptravelandbeyond.com)