Myles Chen talks about his weekend trip at Mt. Pinatubo and Hundred Islands National Park.

This is the fourth week of my study in Monol. I just finished my monthly exam and I had attended a graduation party (it takes place once a month) this week. Finally, I chose the IELTS course in the new term. The reason and the result of the decision will be elaborated in the next article. This time I will mainly describe the entertainment that Monol provides. The school trips are organized every two weeks and the destinations are voted by the students. It’s always on the weekends and I have participated twice.

Hundred Islands: I joined the school trip in my first week

The agreed destination was the Hundred Islands. This is a famous tourist spot in the Philippines. Nine students participated in this trip. We traveled at 5:30 am on a Saturday and arrived at Alaminos at around 10 in the morning. After lunch, we hurriedly went into a boat rented by the school that brought us to Hundred Islands National Park.

The shapes of the islands were beautiful and unique as we go near. Everyone on the boat was talking and laughing. We took photographs and ate snacks and bonded together, etc. After ten minutes, we were able to see the group of islands.

On one island, we hiked to the top where we could enjoy a panoramic view of the whole Hundred Islands. Then we went to another island for swimming. When other students were having their time, I took a banana boat. The banana boat was fast, suitable for anyone looking for a stimulating experience that is necessary for an unforgettable activity. Everyone was screaming because the boat sped off too fast among different islands. It only took approximately 20 minutes but it is really cool.

After that, we went to another meaningful island which was recorded a lot of stories. But I didn’t remember the specific one. Into the eye is a large hole, there are many gunshot marks on the wall of the battle. Passing through the wall of the cave is a place to take a rest. Everyone dived here, took pictures, and ate some snack. After a half-hour break, we started to walk back for taking the boat. We could have a fresh water shower on the shore and it was finished within half an hour. Then it took a long time for the return. Of course, all of the students were asleep. The driver was driving for a long time; I thought that he was more tired than anyone on the bus. When we arrived at Monol, it was around 10 p.m. The activity is worth to attend. It just spent about RMB400. I hope that l will visit there again since everyone said that diving there is really great.

Mt. Pinatubo: The second time I had joined was last week.

The US military base cross-country and watch the volcanic lake. The US military base blocked the entry after 6 o’clock. So we set off on the school bus at half past one a.m. and we slept on the bus. At 5 o’clock in the morning, we arrived at Clark’s US military base. After completing the relevant information, we rented two JEEP cars with drivers. The road was bumpy but cool and we were able to enjoy the beautiful view. The driving skill of the drivers is also good. If the road condition is good, they were driving extremely fast (the feeling of cross-country vehicles crossing the river. You can understand right? Ha ha ha). It took around an hour to arrive there and we were ready to start hiking. Turn on the phone to find the signal is completely shielded.

Walk to the volcanic lake for a total length of 10 kilometers, about 3 hours away. However, because it is really popular, there are many tourists visited here into groups. We needed to pass uphill and across the river. So some people wearied slippers and sandals. My sneakers were broken on the return journey. Finally, about 3 hours later, we arrived at the volcanic lake. It is extremely beautiful. Especially, it is followed by the difficulty that we arrived there step by step. This sense of accomplishment is stronger. The process of learning English is also the same. On the way back, I think that walking is like the learning way from Monol. Anxious is useless. Your responsibility is only working hard; the remaining things are depended on the passing of time. Trekking is very charming, and the process of walking on foot is the ideal time for thinking.

Later, on the halfway route of our return trip, we encountered a military maneuver; hence, everyone needed to stop for 2 hours and turned to rest. I inadvertently walked into a small village that had shocked me. Whereas it is not related to the topic today so I will share this experience next time if I have the chance. I think this world is beautiful, but it does not mean that the world is not cruel.

by Myles Chen