Wisdom from the Road #27

On sunsets

They're beautiful.

(Well sunsets are always beautiful anywhere.)

But, when in remote areas, never forget to bring a flashlight.

In Anawangin, Zambales, we decided to go up the little hill on one end of the beach to wait for sunset. Oh, we had a grand time up there taking in the reds and oranges of the sky and freezing it with our cameras. But when we realized we didn't have a flashlight with us, we hastily picked our way through tall grass and loose rocks, careful to avoid going over cliffs, back down to the beach while there was still a little light left. In our haste, we didn't notice one of our friends disappear (instead of going down, he went higher up the hill). When it got dark and he still hadn't come back, we all started to worry. We were all relieved when he came stumbling towards us out of the gloom. It was with a racing heart and sweaty armpits that he gingerly crawled his way down the hill. He, too, was worried about stepping into nothing and plunging into the sea.

In Laoag, back when there were no 4x4s to rent to get to La Paz Sand Dunes, my friend and I had to walk. It was quiet. It was deserted. It was beautiful. Especially during sunset. But the walk was long and the walk back felt longer than it really was when we had to walk in the dark because, yes, we hadn't thought to bring a flashlight.

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