A December Wednesday Walk With Sunset

Aside from December giving me the Christmas feeling and the warmth of nostalgic days, I noticed I often encounter sunsets on the coast whenever I visit it. I know there is no science between Christmas and sunsets, but I guess the season really is a season of beauty and gems, when all things symbolizing hope and memory come out from concealment. In fact, I feel December as the real gateway to our souls, bringing us to often-overlooked things and bringing out the extra-ordinary from the ordinary. How lovely it is to be knowing this and writing about this now, alongside my belief that everyone can relate when they read this.

I cannot count the number of times I featured sunsets in the north of Cebu on this platform. I remember I had my first one when I was under the onboarding program and the last one was with my niece. There are things that get boring or common the more often we do or see them. But sunsets are an exception. They occur almost every day but every day they show differently. You cannot see the same sunset in the same place on different days. They dress like gold and they leave like memory. And the next day you see them, they wear orange or pink or red. Not the same, not even a bit.

Earlier, I got out of the house to walk around the town again and then head to the coast where my favorite beaches are nestled. I cannot get myself out of this sea because it brings me the comfort of the day whenever I get frustrated and stressed from paperwork. Nature is deceiving, they say, but sometimes it does therapy (without manipulation). When I arrived on the coast, the sea and the horizon were already dressed in golden lights and little waves. I was shocked to be seeing this kind of sunset again. I mean, how fortunate a man is to see this phenomenon, not to count the fact that I live on this coastal island and experience paradises for free. This is not to inspire but to drag (insert sarcasm). Well, you do have a gift there. Your life is beautiful enough.

So where is this blog heading? Sorry for the dilly-dallies, I just want to entertain you. I just want to show you the sunset I had earlier when I took a walk along the coast. Do you love sunsets? This one’s for you.

I always start my walk from Amancor, always, a ruin that used to be a park in our town, and then walk past different beaches including Lapyahan sa San Remigio and La Mer. This is the first sunset I saw at the start of my walk. A sunset that is breathtaking, beautiful, and perfectly occurring. A fiery view over the sea and a sky painted with neons, dark clouds, and silhouette. By the time I saw this, I was really amazed at the golds and reds sinking toward the horizon. The depth and the overall atmosphere, which I say almost looked like an eclipse, gave this odd warmth and farewell mood to me. As if it is a friend saying goodbye. Lol. If you look closer, the sun was intense in glow with vivid negative colors. You can also see a boat floating still below without even a little movement. It was a paid supporting actor for my shots. It gave another subject and variety. When I was looking blankly at this sunset, I secretly wished for it to turn more intense and give me another appearance, although it was already evocative and peaceful to me.

I descended on these ruins because behind me there were approaching visitors and I didn’t want to hear their loud noises which I heard even from afar. I wanted to experience the scene without disturbance and aside from that, I wanted to focus on the camera settings because I am still not an expert at using it. This photo is below the ruins and I took just a shot to make sure I would leave the spot with remembrance.

I continued my walk to find another spot that would give me the best angle toward the sunset. I passed by different beaches until I reached the spot in the second photo. There were coconut trees on it so I sat under one, but I made sure first if there were coconuts above that could break my skull if they fell on me. And guess what, there were, but I didn’t mind. However, I still sat away from it. LOL. I sat in the nearest part of the water to listen to the waves.

By this time, the sunset turned sublime and more peaceful. It was totally relaxing to my eyes even if the lights were so bright. It was so perfect, from golden atmosphere to a darker one with orange and red hues. The waves were not intensely rolling so they were calming to my ears. What I also like about the sunset phenomenon is its way of putting different colors on the water. It is really mind-blowing and I always feel amazed when I see it.

I sat there for hours until the mosquitoes flew above me and that sound they make disturbed my personal time like a man that years. A man that yearns?! (This is an inside joke). HAHA. Now, enjoy the rest of the photos.

After my sunset hours, I still continued my walk to reach Lapyahan and take photos of the view from the road. I seldom visit this place by sunset because people flock here and I lose focus on my shots. But earlier, I did visit because I wanted to challenge myself. Comfort zones are comforting for real but they won’t make us get far from the present. We have to step outside and break this box we built for years only to encage us and ruin our potential. Let’s get that dream, that weirdness, that shot, and that skill even if others are watching. No one is judging us. And if they do, we don’t have to listen (except if we are the real problem).

I left the coast when it was already dark. On my way home, I was stuck in a long procession happening on the road and it took me fifteen minutes before I finally crossed. The night felt slower, like the world was still carrying the last colors of the sunset with it. I guess this whole walk was not just about catching sunsets but catching myself too, in all the little moments I tend to forget. And somehow, December makes it easier to remember what truly matters.