Illuminating New Friendships At Cape Bojeador Lighthouse

After being on the road for more than 15 hours, our 2-car convoy finally pulled up on a semi-full parking lot. Not a bad day for tourism, I thought.

My butt has been numb from the long, albeit scenic, road trip to Ilocos. I could feel the blood rush through my premature varicose veins as I emerged out of the car.

High above the steep hill, the lighthouse stood out like a lone torch held by a maiden waiting for her beloved to come back from seafaring.

As we approached the structure, I felt some sort of familiarity; like I've been to this place before. 

Maybe I've read about it one time too many in blogs and magazine spreads. And then it hit me -- the architecture of this lighthouse was similar to Faro de Punta Capones (Capones Island lighthouse in Zambales).

The place which was over a century old has obviously seen better days, and it is disappointing to see it in disrepair like its many counterparts around the country. Even so, the Cape Bojeador lighthouse remains to be a popular tourist stop this side of Luzon.

The heat of the midday sun reflected on the ground below us, and I could see its mirage-like radiation above the cliffs facing the South China Sea. Waves crashed into the land, as if to cool it off, and I thought I could hear the their loud crashes.

I squinted my eyes into the horizon. Nothing. The next land mass is either Taiwan or mainland China. I was starting to feel like a stranger, being this far away from my family and my usual circle of friends. I came here with fairly new found friends; new faces if you will.

But instead of copping out, I took a leap of faith. If there was anything I learned on friendships from years of mountaineering, it was that the best bonds are formed on the campsite. In this case, the setting is quite different but the idea held true. 

As the day grew longer, I was overcame with the same sense of familiarity as when I first saw the lighthouse. The exterior may be a little different here and there, but something far bigger glued it together. Maybe it was purpose.

I have sensed our same passion for travel, and that very thing kept me from being an outsider looking in. The trip to the lighthouse has illuminated my friendship with the members of PALMC. Since this trip in 2009, our friendship has grown to great heights. With that, I leave you with this parting shot - taken at Bagui Windmills (our next stop after Cape Bojeador).

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This is my contribution to the Pinoy Travel Bloggers Blog Carnival for March 2012 on the topic "Leap of Faith: When Traveling Changed My Life" hosted by Reiza of Wander If You Must

Here are the past blog carnival topics: PTB Blog Carnival