In the decade that passed since I first explored the seven lakes of San Pablo City in Laguna, my wanderlust expanded beyond the Philippines and to several countries in Asia. I considered my initial journey to the city of lakes as one of those earliest moments on the road that had led me to choose a life of traveling.
Revisiting the 7 Lakes of San Pablo City | Laguna
This was the reason why returning here ten years later also became an opportunity for retrospection — both on how the place and I had evolved or remained unchanged over time.
Gone was the presence of Cathy and Abigail, my companions when I went here in two thousand twelve; they were then replaced by a small group of travelers I had known since then. Travel writers and heritage advocates alike who loved organizing trips to nearby provinces.
Our party of seven was composed of George, who came with his wife Pura, herself a former travel writer. Known as Manilakad, he organized walking tours in heritage districts all over Metro Manila and adjacent provinces. Joseph, our designated driver because he owned the SUV we rode in, was newly retired and was then documenting his trips through his YouTube channel Senior Biyahero. There was also Ferdz, a fellow travel writer with whom I had traveled on numerous media trips, Stephen, a heritage advocate who traveled all over the country mapping out historical landmarks, and Johann, an avid mountaineer and backpacker.
Our two-day itinerary aimed to cover all seven lakes in San Pablo City before heading to Dolores, Quezon to spend a night at Bangkong Kahoy Valley and capping it off by witnessing the Pahiyas Festival in Lucena.
Twin Lakes of Yambo and Pandin
The road leading to Lake Pandin had undergone massive changes. The lake's once-calm appearance was marred by new concrete structures. Ten years ago, the area around the lake was nearly barren, but this was no longer the case. We decided to drive to its sister lake, Yambo, because the way leading there seemed more enticing.
The twin lakes along with Sampaloc were the most popular among the seven lakes of San Pablo. Guests could board a bamboo raft and even enjoy a lunch in the middle of the lake. One could simply hike over to the opposite lake, which was separated by a round hill.
Structures appeared more regulated in Yambo. The nipa huts mixed in nicely with the lush surroundings, which were highlighted by a large lawn that led to the lake. We rented one bamboo raft, that was around eight to ten by five to seven meters in size and could accommodate a long table and wooden seats for a dozen people, for a morning cruise.
We stopped by some rock formations and took turns on a tall swing tied to a branch of a giant tree before hiking on the trail leading to Lake Pandin.
Our group stayed here for a couple of hours discussing other fascinating places in Laguna and planning for our next group trip. Afterwards, we drove to the other lakes, stopping at each of them.
We witnessed children playing in the rain jump off a bridge into Lake Palakpakin, hiked a hundred steps down to Lake Mohicap — to which we referred to as the “Last of the Mohicap” —, hid from the rain under the canopy of Lake Calibato's trees, and gorged on street fare by the banks of Lake Sampaloc.
Last Stage of Grieving: Nature Tripping
Since our trip happened a few days after the May ninth elections, I considered it as my last stage of grieving from the result. It was also assuring to learn that we were all heartbroken by the Presidential poll’s conclusion. In a way, going on a nature trip with old and new friends became the final stage of being anguished.
While I mourned for my country, I knew that I had no right to be angry with the rest of the world so long as I was able to live in and explore the land I called home with complete freedom.
A lot had happened sandwiching my pair of journeys to San Pablo City. From a newbie traveler being in awe just by dipping in the waters of Lake Pandin to a travel writer who had gone to many places since then. In the end, despite the time in between, nothing much had changed in my sense of wonder and zest for wander.
As we drove toward a pitch-black road to Bangkong Kahoy in Quezon, I realized that coming back to the seven lakes of San Pablo City made me more absorbed by it. From the lake's beginnings as ancient volcanic craters to the present day, it continued to foster the growth of native flora and fauna and stimulated the economies of the people in its immediate vicinity. Ten years after, the seven lakes of San Pablo City remained as picturesque as ever, most especially when stared upon on a beautiful sunny day.
