Nothing breaks the monotony of endless rows of houses and greens on a northbound Cebu trip than a firetree that blooms, or burns--as Judge Simeon Dumdum poetically says it, all summer long.
Firetrees were such a sight after the siesta drive today, en route to the 1904 Lighthouse in Bagacay point in Liloan town, about 18 kilometers north of the Queen City. After missing the landmark in the junction, I found myself in the mouth of Silot Bay—where a couple of yachts were docked and old ships abandoned. The aquamarine water was very inviting. Story has it though, that a lot of lives have been pulled into the bottom by the whirling water, never to be found alive again. So, I changed my mind. Silot Bay is where the town got its name. “Lilo” is a Cebuano word for whirlpool. So goes a little history.
Finally, after the fear of getting on the wrong way, the snaking asphalt road becomes familiar. After a few minutes drive, the arresting sight of the lighthouse beacons. The place is well-kept already. I still prefer the rustic feel of the place three years back. It was more like a piece of Batanes. The first time I stepped on the place, it was before sunset, and suddenly, I feel the itch to bring that special someone for dinner. So much of romanticism, a noisy videoke bar already operates nearby. Tsk! Several meters from the ridge where the American-built lighthouse stood is the centuries-old Local Light. Built during the Spanish time, it used to guide navigators and fishermen passing through the Mactan channel, I suppose. When I arrived at the site, it was in dire need of preservation. The wear and tear of nature’s elements and perhaps treasure hunters, left rubbles all over the place. As soon as I get back to the ridge, there were a handful of aged Japanese tourists. I overheard their Filipino companion said he and his Jap friends used to jog here. So goes stories of WWII wartime Philippines. Then a father and son bikers came and went. Then a family. It was an eclectic mix of Saturday visitors. It was almost sunset already, and traffic is expected to be horrible in the bottleneck Jagobiao road, so it was about time for homeward-bound.
Firetrees always remind me of great summer days in the countryside. Strangely enough, it burns only once a year, so I’ll just have to keep the amber to last until next summer. (see related pics)
