Taal Adventure # 3

Taal Lake # 3

So we took the banca ride across Lake Taal, the mini-horses to the top of the volcano, and then walked along the ridge of the volcano. It was then time to mount up and ride back. Oddly, no one really wanted to ride back. Randal had hated the ride up with his guide squished onto the saddle with him; plus his guide had cantered along causing Randal to fear an immediate crash. I feared my mini-guide would race us down hill and the mini-horse would stumble onto its head. Carol worried about me. She suggested that we walk down and I was tempted. But we had more adventures planned and I thought walking would take too long. So we all mounted up, this time my guide on back with me, but I held the rein too.

Randal was up ahead of me. Then both Randal and the guide were off the pony. The guide looked to be fixing the saddle, or so I thought. The next thing I knew, Randal was walking down the mountain. Randal had given the guide this choice, “either you walk or I walk.” The guide told Randal to walk, so walk Randal did! No tip for that guide! C.C.

Here we are. Me, Gabi the horse, and my sidekick, Junior. C.C.

We slowed down so Carol could pass us and take a photo of me from the front. The man in the maroon shirt is Michael who drives for Carol. To Michael’s right you can see Randal walking along. I can’t even remember if I asked him why he was walking. Though I might have asked if he wanted us to walk too?

If you are wondering how Carol took this photo while riding along in front of us…

I love it! If you can’t see it, she is holding her camera up over her head and aiming it back at me.

Back at the ranch. My “guide” said his name was Junior and he was 14 years old. C.C.

What a cutie! C.C.

While I was trying to make friends with this cutie, my phone rang and I received a text message…….

I lost you, walk to the boats. Sender: Randal 26 April 2008 15:44:59

We are here! Sender: Me 26 April 2008 15:45:25

Oh Sender: Randal 26 April 2008 15:50:55

I thought he was kidding, but then I got a little worried! Randal had lost sight of us so had followed a different group of riders down the mountain ending up further along the lake shore than we were. No problem, we just all got into our banca and went to pick him up.

Faster, Faster! Somehow this turned into a friendly race and we wanted to win. So much for worrying about slow and cautious C.C.

I’m still learning to use paint. Within the red dots is a white dot. It is a water drop. As we were racing along, water was coming over the side of the banca. Randal kept getting it in the face and Carol was determined to capture the little water drop hanging from his ear. I was sitting in back of Randal with Carol. Every time we would hit a wave, water would come over the side and I felt like the guy on

“Laugh-In” who was always having water thrown at him. Laughing while water is thrown in your face is not wise, but impossible to stop.

Our next adventure was a trip to the Tagaytay Highlands.

Ruth Johnson

DoraMac