I don't know where to begin, have a year's worth of stuff to catch up on. So let's begin with Taal.
We have always, as long as I can remember, loved LOVED Tagaytay.
Where you wanna go? Tagaytay
Where is it cooler? Tagaytay
Where should I go when I'm homesick? Tagaytay
Where shall we take our guests . . .? Tagaytay
We were always told: "Taal Volcano is unusual in that it is a recently-developed volcano situated inside a much older supervolcano that is no longer active."
And that's why whenever we had visitors, we took them to places like this. This picture was taken in November 2019 with the Marshall's, Paul and Deepti. You can see Taal in the background.
I live in Dasmarinas at the border of Silang. From Silang to Tagaytay it's just a 30 min. drive!
I have no RVs or studies in Tagaytay. It's not PJ territory. But on January 12th my service plans got cancelled and so I joined a sister who has a PJ study in Alfonso which is about 30 minutes past Tagaytay. I thought to myself, Aaaah! nice views, nice drive, fresh air! What a break from commuting in the city. Boy was I wrong. . .that day.
According to sources, Taal was raised to alert level 1 in March 2019. But on Sunday January 12th, it went from alert level 1 to 4 within hours! Which for us, felt like just minutes.
During the study, at 5pm our phones started dinging. . . messages from the brothers, Taal's Alert level raised to 2. We think, let's leave now, before the panic and avoid traffic, just in case.
By the time we prayed, said our goodbyes, more text messages - Taal's alert level raised to 3. Now I feel a knot in my stomach. I remember years ago watching a movie called Deep Impact, and envisioned that scene when traffic is so backed up no one can move. My thoughts: GET GAS! I have 1/4 tank, more than enough to drive home but what if . . .
We step outside the bible student's house and this is what we see.
(see below)
This photo (below) was posted in our group chat about 5pm. It's where I live! The ash fall has started.
As we get to the main road that lead's home we hit MAJOR traffic. Just like that stinking movie! We're stuck. We're not moving.
I NEED GAS! We pull in.
Attendant: Sorry ma'am we're shutting down.
ME: Kuya! Please! I don't have enough gas to get home! Please!
Sisters: (We are 4 - 2 speak Tagalog) They plead in Tagalog.
Attendant runs to his boss to ask for permission.
Jehovah answers our prayer! We were the last customers. Thank goodness we had gone to the ATM earlier because ATM's were shutting down too. Mask's are sold out completely.
Pictures - above and below - were taken from inside my car
That lightening is silent. It's coming from under us and goe's all the way to the other side of the street.
These 2 pictures, above and below, for me , are fear inspiring. They were taken at the same time! Above is the driver side.
Below is the passenger side.
Guess which side Taal Lake is on?!~
We got caught while Taal started to erupt.
My claustrophobia? Ain't helping.
That movie? No stinking way!
Prayer? Yes. Always.
My dear sisters? Of course! These girls were life savers!
It took us 5 hours to get home. Remember - it's just a 30 minute drive! We had to make many U-turns and take alternate routes that were unlit and muddy from ash fall and rain. We thought my car lights were off at one point, but they were just covered in ash. At one point I had no vision, no street lights, it was a very narrow windy curvy road, so Ruth, the passenger, stuck her head out of her window and told me where and when to turn. That was so scary. But talk about the need to trust each other! As a last resort we all agreed we could always turn back at spend the night at the Kingdom Hall in Tagaytay. Not ideal but if we had no choice, then.
The windshield wipers kept getting stuck because of the ash. Imagine damp sand on your windshield. So my brave companion would jump out of the car, use whatever liquid we had, Gatorade, water, throw it on the windshield, and then I would drive, less than 5 minutes before the wipers got stuck again. That went on for the 1st few hours. We found relief a few hours later when every few blocks there were guys with buckets and hoses and they would hose any that drove by. No joke, every few minutes we needed it.
I remember Dennis Marshall, the expert on windshield fixing, telling me just a couple of months earlier that a cracked windshield can be fixed, but scratches in the windshield are forever. Well, you should see my windshield now. Scratched forever.
11pm. Home! Thank you Jehovah!
Meme hosed my car down that very night.
THE DAY AFTER
Monday
It looked like it had been snowing ash for hours.
All doors and windows shut. The smell of Sulphur is very strong.
Already I am feeling nausea and light headedness. This can't be good.
This brother in our group showed us how much ash they cleaned off of his roof on Monday.
Tuesday
I have no intention of leaving. But my tummy and head do not agree. I pray. Suddenly (?) my phone rings. A dear friend of mine from pioneer school (just 2 weeks ago we attended) - not in our PJ group asks if I want to evacuate with their family. They want to go to Bataan (Butt.ah.aahn) 5 hours away. I feel guilty about wanting to leave. Our area is not part of the evacuation zone. But I know I need to leave. We cannot go out at all. No ministry. Just sitting indoors and getting sick does not make sense. I pray and do research. Principle: Better is a live dog than a dead lion.
I call the brothers.
THEY ALL CAME OVER!
We all shared our feelings, prayed and discussed articles.
I felt safe knowing Jehovah was guiding us.
Bottom line: It's a personal decision if we want to evacuate or stay since we're not in the evacuated areas.
(Below) A meeting I will always remember.
Cheetsos, Budhranis, Zaragozas, Ducons and Bona.
We even conferenced in the friends who called me.
(It felt like that basement scene from RC 2017)
Wednesday
By 8pm, we, the Zaragoza's, Sandeep and kids head out. My car was coded which meant we couldn't leave until 8pm. It was a good thing because I needed to get new tyres. We are heading to Quezon City. From there Zaragozas will head to the same place as Cheetsos and in 4 days I will head to Bataan.
Above - getting the brakes fixed in Quezon City. Ash was everywhere.
Now this is when it get's really interesting.
THE REAL ADVENTURE? Hasn't even begun.
To be continued . . .
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