#64 A View from Lignon Hill

Once known for its perfect cone, Mayon is the most active volcano in the country today.

We flew into Legaspi City in Albay and were greeted by the most incredible view of Mayon from the air. Up close, the first thing you realize is how massive this volcano really is.  Its fuming cone and bulging ridges are testament to both its violent origins and its future menace to those who live in its shadow. The perfect cone itself is gone but the scars of past eruptions remain. Do you see the dark trail of scorched earth meandering from the volcano's tip all the way down to the rice fields below?  That was the path of the lava flow. Those among us who are not privy to Mayon’s destructive past marvel at its beauty today.   How anything can be so destructive yet beautiful, that's the paradox of our times. Enjoy.

(Pixel-peepers: Early afternoon light is usually too harsh but the surprisingly three-dimensional look of this photograph can be explained by the presence of side-lighting. Me thinks that huge plume of steam coming out of Mayon acted like a giant reflector, illuminating the landscape with horizontal light, giving it that added sense of depth and enchantment. 28mm at f/8, polarized and gray-balanced. Enjoy.)

Sign-up to receive new postcards weekly 

Past postcards at www.PostcardsFromManila.com 

Say hello: Bobbyw59@yahoo.com