“ If you follow the sunset, will it ever end “
Rolling out of the city and seeing the jostling crowds and the apparent chaos in the streets – one may shudder at the wisdom of visiting yet another place that instantly looks paradise.
The roads toward this place display more of the same – small jerry-built shops standing chockablock and looking palpably symbiotic with the pedestrian commerce, sudden rows of shanties, naked brown men stroking their favorite game fowl while idling on street commerce, garbage here, garbage there. And yet, behind those high mountains on either side of the busy highway leading out of the city, lying concealed are protected enclaves where the landscape is decidedly aesthetic, and the lifestyle as soothing as anything you can find abroad.
It was almost 2 o’clock in the afternoon when the ordinary bus we were riding take off from the cold city of the north – Baguio. Sitting beside the window makes me feel cold as the sky starts to darken as if it’s going to rain. Upon reaching the boundary of Benguet and La union, wind with raindrops is sloshing in my face making me close the window.
Almost one hour of just sitting down until we reached our supposedly first stop – Bauang, La Union. The hot air with the warm rays of the sun brings my sweat out of my face and body. Wearing boots, jeans, and a cotton shirt literally made myself hot. We approached some brown men to ask where can we go like beach resorts because we are in the middle of a we-don’t-know-where nowhere to go. They advised us to take the tricycle and let them take us to a near beach resort with low rent of cottage or even none. “ Kuya, dalhin niyo kami sa basta malapit na beach na mura.” The vehicle driver then sent us t a family beach resort with a lot of cottages with no people in it.
Upon stepping out of the tricycle, my boots are going through the beach sand as my eyes are fascinated by the simple yet wonderful view of the sea having a scene of the horizon and the blue skies making the rays reflect through the waters. After settling our things and clothes, we excitedly went to the warm seawater and enjoy the escapade of stress and loneliness. The salt water making small waves made our lips smile as if we were children first time to set off our feet to an ocean and experiencing being moved by the waves.
One and only thing I am waiting for is the sun to set in the horizon. The setting of the sun always make my mind wander through the so-called paradise of my own. It makes my heart remember things that can make it stop. Holding the dslr camera, I took a lot of shots of the sunset while I am in the seaside making my body soaked and moved by the ocean waves.
T’was almost past 6 in the evening when we left the resort taking another trike going to 7 eleven. We decide to take a hook in the busy streets of central west beside Bauang Farmers trading center to taste their barbeque and visit other stands. Seeing those delicious foods with we know have a lot of cholesterol because of the visible fats like pork chop and bagnet makes our stomach crave for something not found in the highland. The inevitable experience eating their barbeque waith it’s incomparable sauce made our stomachs full and satisfied.
We almost spent one hour waiting for the bus to come and lead us back home as our tired bodies are ready to bug down. At last, the Partas came and get our butts on the chair with the cold air coming from the air-conditioned bus.
Sitting again beside the window thinking that the archipelago we went remains an endless source of fascination for everyone.
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