MANILA, Philippines—The jeep rumbled through a flat gray desert dotted with tall grass. Whenever we crossed muddy streams (some with 1-foot drops), we were met by sprays of the cold water. I had a feeling that the driver purposely splashed us with water so we would have a wet and wild ride.

The jeep soon ascended up the mountains, from where we could see the beaches of Zambales in the distance. Next, we reached a path strewn with boulders and volcanic rocks, some stained yellow from sulfur.

It was not too tiring as the ground was level. What was a bit tricky was tiptoeing and balancing on rocks as we crossed the rivulets along the way. On our side were towering lahar canyons. Think Mordor in "Lord of the Rings."

We turned into a trail through a thicket. Cool mountain streams cascaded through the rocks; at one point, our guide even drank from the stream. Along the way, we met fellow travelers coming down from the crater, and they encouraged us by saying the view was all worth it.

After some 50 minutes of hiking, there was a steep flight of stairs. Finally, we were on top of the ridge overlooking the crater lake. The view was spectacular, prompting our Kapampangan friend Janina to wonder out loud how Mt. Pinatubo, the same volcano which had buried her hometown, could be so beautiful.

Of course, we had to try swimming in the waters. Thankfully, the serene waters were blue-green, as sometimes the water could turn murky when it rained.

Two feet into the water, I could no longer stand on the rocky sand bottom. We were told that the middle of the lake could be 5,000 feet deep. Out of curiosity, I tasted the icy cold water, and then promptly spit it out. It was slightly salty.

The trek down was a bit faster, probably because it was already nearing lunchtime and we were all hungry. The hardest part of the whole hike, though, was climbing up the slippery lahar slopes, which I think had an angle of around 50 degrees.

At the restaurant, the fare was a bit ordinary: chopsuey, pancit, chicken, potato salad and bananas. But we were so famished that we settled for whatever was laid out in front of us.

Jovi suggested a side trip to the Capas National Shrine, where survivors of the infamous Death March of World War II were incarcerated. But we were too tired to go anywhere else.

Spa treatment

Of course, I couldn't leave Pinatubo Spa Town without trying any of its treatments. The Shiatsu and Thai massage (P500) promised to remove certain "blocks" in tired muscles, but I figured I could get the same massage treatment from any other spa in Metro Manila.

The mud bath (P500) was all about covering yourself with what looked like ordinary mud. I settled for the volcanic ash spa treatment (P500). I lay down on a grove in the middle of this huge sand box, an attendant covered my face with a towel, and sand was soon shoveled on top of my body up to the neck.

I felt like I was being buried alive. After getting over the eerie feeling, I felt the warm ash enveloping my body. The treatment supposedly releases toxins and fats from the body.

I didn't feel much more relaxed after, but I guess this was one of those things you had to try out for yourself. Besides, if you're not availing of any of the spa treatments, you have to pay P100 just to use the shower rooms.

After I had taken a bath though, I noticed my hair had become dry and stringy, no doubt from swimming in the crater's waters.

All in all, I think climbing Mt. Pinatubo should be on every Filipino's things-to-do-before-I-die list. The gray, desolate landscape and the serene blue-green lake seem so different from each other, and yet both came from the same crater.

To see how such beauty could come out of the Pinatubo tragedy was just surreal.

The Mt. Pinatubo hike package costs P1,500, inclusive of the guide, 4x4 ride and lunch. Contact Pinatubo Spa Town at (045) 6150454, 0928-3410402 or 0928-7813556.