One of our favorite places to take overseas visitors is the town of Tagaytay sitting on a ridge at 640 m / 2,100 ft above sea level. It's palpably cooler there, it's close to home - only about an hour's drive through pretty countryside - and it offers a picturesque view of one of the smallest and lowest volcanoes in the world. This panorama of the volcano in the middle of the lake is better viewed enlarged.
Tagaytay, 2008
Taal Volcano is also one of the world's most dangerous and most active volcanoes, having erupted at least 33 recorded times since 1572, the latest in 1977. Seismic activity continues to be reported, and as recently as this past June, the alert level went up to two (on a scale of 0-5). It is forbidden to live on the island; nonetheless you can see the fish farms in the lake and people still risk their lives by fishing and farming nearby.
This is a different angle to see the volcano.
It's time for ABC Wednesday and the letter is V.