April 18, 2009 — I was still in the Philippines for my vacation and after weeks of countless things to do to make up for my seven year absence from my hometown, I had nothing to do. I have other things planned but not until the next few days or so. And there I was, struck by complete boredom. After a day of photo walk through Angono, visiting my old house, my cousin’s old house and other important Angono landmarks, I decided that the next morning, now that the spirit of nostalgia is alive in me, I will climb up the infamous Village East and take some SUNRISE photos.
Why infamous you might ask? Back when I was younger, me, my family, my cousins and their family would climb up this mountain, if we have time, for an early morning exercise during the weekends. We would wake up at around 4:30 am to get ready then off we go. It was such a great experience growing up. After you persevere and fight through the pain of climbing this very steep mountain, at the end of your journey, you are welcomed by the warm smile of the morning sun and the gentle breeze of the wind.
April 19, 2009, 4:30 am– And so, bravely I did the same. I asked my aunt to please wake me up to climb up Village East. This time, I will climb
only with my camera by my side, one small bottle of water and an extra shirt. No family member with me; my cousin Roi and Bryan wanted to come along but it was too early for them and I believe they have work that day. Also, I insisted on going by myself. This was something I had to do because of two things: first, at that time, I felt that I was gaining so much weight because of eating too much and splurging on food I haven’t had for seven years. Second, I wanted to practice photography and it would be really nice to do some sunrise photos, something I haven’t done before because I hate to wake up early.
And so my journey began. As the cock crowed, I walked as fast as I could. Before, we used to stop at the halfway point of the climb, but that day, I climbed on. I wanted to catch the sunrise. While walking, I was thinking about where the sun would be and how I would compose my images. It was such a mistake that I only took one small bottle of water. Three quarters of the way there, I almost finished the bottle.
And so I reached the top. It was a gratifying feeling to be able to accomplish something you set out to do. While I was looking at the sun, a group of teenagers came up to where I was. They also took the same journey as I did. Woke up early, admired the majesty of the morning sun, and was just enjoying the company of each other. They did not know who I was but they were generous enough to ask me to join them to share the little food they brought along the way. They said “kuya kain tayo”. They didn’t care if I was a good person or not, they just wanted to share what they had. This made me feel even more joyful and grateful to share that moment with those kindhearted teens. My adventure was really worth it!!! Well, I hope you enjoy this little adventure story of mine. I was exhausted but very happy at the same time. Below are some of the photos I’ve taken. Please enjoy.
Share
Asin at Paminta 