It was without a second thought that I took my Holy Week vacation in Bicol with some friends from the Church. It's a great time to see old as well as long-lost friends, discover new places and best of all unwind from the hurried pace of city living.

A trip to Bicol should start at Legaspi's Cagsawa Ruins Park, an enduring reminder of the volcano's history of deadly eruptions.

From the park, you will see the magnificent Mayon Volcano. Beautifully called and truly so - with a threatening, deadly allure. Mayon volcano takes its name from "Magayon" or "beautiful" in the Bicolano dialect. Mayon has erupted about 47 times - and recently as of February 2000, a wisp of smoke continually whists around the cone's top, suggesting that this mountain is really a sleeping beauty.

Gear used: Olympus c-750 with 10X optical zoom.