"...the most noticeable of all is the beautiful sunrise over the mountain ranges that seemed like I was the only one who cares."

[TANAY, RIZAL, PHILIPPINES]▬ Spending the night inside a running bus hurts the butt but I think it is much better than heartache. Still, it hurts. 10 hours of sitting almost made me forget how does it feel to stand. Pee breaks are occasional relief. Inside the bus is very cold and I've wanted warmth as soon as possible. Poor me, the warmth of love life could have helped, but no, only literal warmth can help me this time.

[TANAY] ▬ SUNRISE FROM THE HIGHLANDS OF RIZAL PROVINCE, CALABARZON

▬ Good Morning Tanay, Rizal!!! ▬

THE BUS STOPPED BUT IT WAS STILL dark. I had this vibration telling me that we've reached the destination but everyone seemed to be sleeping still. So, I actually continued to sleep. I woke up seeing some empty couches so most probably some have alighted. My excited travel spirit compelled me to go out immediately not wasting any second for bitterness and hopia-ness.

[TANAY] ▬ A SUNRISE AND A WARM WELCOME

[TANAY] ▬ HIGHLAND VIEW WITH NO TRACE OF BITTERNESS

So I went out thinking it will be a warmer morning but I was wrong. Uh, it's the same. The chilly air was better though because it was all natural. It's so much different from the air inside the bus infested with air freshener that sometimes make me vomit. I think I'm liking the natural cold air.

The natural light from the heavens above has appeared and to my surprise, I am in the place that seemed to be in a high altitude and I was able to confirm that this is our destination. There were mountains, mostly grass-clad. In fairness, those covered by trees were noticeable too. But the most noticeable of all is the beautiful sunrise over the mountain ranges that seemed like I was the only one who cares. The rest are busy sipping a coffee sold by early-bird vendors sprouting from different locations on the shoulders of the snaky road.

▬ Trespassing for a Better Sunrise ▬

WHEN THE MORNING CAME, I SAW TWO farmers who are, in this very early part of the day, already worn out with sweat while I still cannot move on with the early morning cold air that I've started to love. There are blockages of the sunrise view so I was not contented. I wanted to take a nice photo of the sunrise and a nice selfie. So I entered this fenced property so that I can enjoy the view clearly that morning. At first, I didn't see anyone whom I can ask for permission. Well, this is the first time that I witnessed a sunrise in Rizal province and I want to romanticize it.

[TANAY] ▬ VIEW FROM THE PROPERTY I ENTERED

[TANAY] ▬ ME AND THE SUNRISE

A few meters pass the fence, I saw someone standing and asked him if I can enter. Gladly he permitted me to continually roam around inside the property. So these highlands have charm. By the way, this is a portion of the Sierra Madre mountain ranges. Yes, I'm in Sierra Madre!

____________________

When the sun has fully risen, I went back in the place where the bus was parked. I saw a road leading to somewhere and a lone woman is walking on that road. Where is she going?

[TANAY] ▬ WHERE THIS WOMAN IS GOING?

[TANAY] ▬ THEN THE CROWD APPEARED FROM NOWHERE

Upon coming back to the parking area, a crowd has appeared this early. So what's happening? Where are these people going and why they are waiting here? Are they going to follow the woman walking alone on that road? What's in the end of that road? What's waiting for us there, or is there any? ▬ to be continued...

► BLOG SERIES: "FACES OF PILGRIMAGE SITES - TANAY AND QUIAPO"

Part 1 | |

This is the first episode of this travel drama blog series (travel blogserye) entitled "Faces of Pilgrimage Sites - Tanay and Quiapo". To follow the flow of the story, watch out for the upcoming episodes to be published soon or follow our social media accounts for the latest updates.

INDEX: INSIDE THIS BLOGSERYE - STORIES/TOPICS INCLUDED IN THIS SERIES

[UP NEXT] ▬ WATCH OUT FOR THE NEXT EPISODE (PART 2).

► FOOTNOTES, DISCLAIMERS, ACKNOWLEDGMENT, ETC

[1] This post is filed under the category "Sunrise and Mornings" This category is a collection of stories and insights about any sunrise I've seen and morning experiences during my travels. So far, this is the first post for this category. More posts from this category will be added soon.

[2] The stories here happened on 14 March 2015 in Tanay and Quiapo.

[3] All maps I used on this post are the works of Eugene Alvin Villar and Mike Gonzalez published on Wikipedia. Source: 1 | 2