We discovered this place purely by accident. My uncle, who was was driving at that time, saw a rundown sign pointing towards a dirt road. We didn’t know where it would be leading us and a few minutes down a very narrow and isolated path had us wanting to go back to the main road going towards the Bangui Windmills.
I was glad that we didn’t turn back. We saw a few people up ahead of us parking their own cars at whatever space was available and disappearing down a flight of stairs to another path surrounded by tall thorny bushes.
After a short hike with my sister in tow, we finally saw what the attraction was. A rock. Well, the rock itself wasn’t particularly spectacular. It was most probably a limestone outcrop shaped by the waves. What was amazing was the large stretch of tidal pools and the spectacular view of the South China Sea.
I guess it was low tide that day because the pools were very dried up and we didn’t get to see any marine life not until you walk a little farther away towards the beach itself. We saw a wild baby goat though. I guess that counts for something.
Something cold is in the air, an aura of ice and phlegm. All day I’ve built a lifetime and now the sun sinks to undo it. The horizon bleeds and sucks its thumb. The little red thumb goes out of sight. And I wonder about this lifetime with myself, this dream I’m living. I could eat the sky like an apple but I’d rather ask the first star: Why am I here? Why do I live in this house? Who’s responsible? Eh?
The Fury of Sunsets by Anne Sexton
There is always something melancholic about old lighthouses. Imagine a centuries old structure standing alone on top of craggy rocks while the waves crash against it below. Imagine a thick mist swirling around it, coldness creeping through your very bones. The light inside the cupola finally flickering to a dim light as the sun is revealed on the horizon…
My romantically sad musings was interrupted by a fresh wave of chattering and camera trigger happy tourists coming up the lighthouse to have a look at the view on the top. I sighed. What can you expect from the most visited lighthouse structure in the Philippines?
Cape Bojeador could be found in the town of Burgos approximately 35 kilometers north of Laoag. The lighthouse serves as guide for ships in the South China Sea sailing towards the Pacific Ocean. The building of the lighthouse complex was originally undertaken by Engineer Magin Pers y Pers but was reconfigured by Engineer Guillermo Brockman. The structure was completed in the year 1892.
(I came across an article which mentioned that the Punta Santiago lighthouse in Batangas was also constructed by the Engineers Magin Pers y Pers and Guillermo Brockman. Anyone out there who can confirm this?)
Most of the blogs I encountered say that the structure was preserved quite well. I disagree with that claim. What is preserved is merely the structure of the building and not the outer and inner facade which was somewhat rusty and in much need of decorative detailing. Still, it’s functional and is still being used by the Coast Guards to guide ships along the cape and that is what’s more important.
If I spread my arms facing the wind and the sea that afternoon at the Bangui Windmills I could have been blown off quite easily like a dandelion seed. I feel so humbled amidst this force of nature and I feel so happy that we can harness it’s potential for energy through windmills.
I saw the Bangui Windmills while driving to Pagudpud that morning and I thought they were so picturesque, but I didn’t realize how large these windmills are until I was standing in front of one.
The Bangui Windmills, officially known as the Northwind Bangui Bay Project, was created to introduce renewable energy sources to the Philippines. The windmills’ stored energy supply could power around 40% of the electricity of Ilocos Norte. Amazing, right?
This is the kind of project that the Philippines need. It’s something that should be fully supported by the government and should be introduced to other parts of the Philippines. Instead, the government is so focused on the popularity polls that they don’t realize (or don’t really care) that energy crises are happening all over the country.
The sea was so peaceful that afternoon hardly any large waves marred it’s serenity. My sister and I sat down on the beach the whole afternoon just relaxing and building sandcastles (or sand women with big boobs). It was a very nice way to end the day.
My sister played with the camera settings. I grabbed a handful of sand and asked her to take this shot. Wonderful, isn’t it? The sand is made up of broken down corals. I didn’t find any shells and that’s what I miss the most about going to the beach. Somehow, shells at the beach are disappearing as soon as they’re washed up on shore.
There is a certain time of day when the sun’s rays hits the beach at just the right angle and, somehow, make everything look perfect (Even my face, haha! My sister did lots of portrait shots of me. We wanted to take advantage of the light).
