SIDE TRIP 21: Lake Caliraya

“Take nothing but pictures
Kill nothing but time
Leave nothing but footprints
To show you came by”

When John Kay sang these words in “Nothing But”, he must have been thinking of some place like Caliraya. For truly, the lake is one of those freak man-made things that turned out almost a natural paradise. Experience has taught us that man is nature’s worst enemy. We have been exploiting, defacing, depleting, degrading the Earth without much regard for future generations. Lake Caliraya is one model I think by which development can co-exist harmoniously with the natural environment.

Built in the 1940s to supply water to the Caliraya Hydroelectric Plant, the lake sits 1,200 feet above sea level on the fringes of the Sierra Madre mountain range and is surrounded by lush forests. Today it remains one of the cleanest lakes in the country.

While swimming on the lake is discouraged, the Lagos del Sol resort where we went yesterday had a good-sized pool and several water sports to occupy your time. I wasn’t interested in them, though. The placid lake and the cool breeze made me want to curl up and sleep under the trees instead. And that’s just what I did. Aaaah, bliss!

LAGOS DEL SOL RESORT