Manila Sunset

It's fascinating when an opportunity like a long weekend rolls by and you haven't made plans to go out of town. 

Well, we had great plans of spending a night in the cooler side of Manila with a nice vista of the Taal lake in Tagaytay. But some plans aren't meant to be. 

The past two weeks I've been having bouts with hives. I know not the kind that needs to be shared. But I just wanted to point out that I've been having trouble getting my share of forty winks. It's so darn itchy at night. The sad news is there's really no medicine for it. Only some antihastamines that may or may not really prevent itching and a lotion that at least soothes the skin. 

Because of that and among other things, we decided to just sleep away our Friday. You'd think we'd wasted an opportunity to be outside -- shop, dine and enjoy the mall's idea of what the Christmas season is all about. 

But when the afternoon sun sets west, I happen to glimpse its incredible beauty. 

Lovely Manila sunset. (Unfiltered; iPhone shot only)

I think we were meant to stay home and just enjoy the natural wonder of what we have. Without spending so much, we have this as a backdrop while we enjoy the afternoon breeze in our tiny balcony. 

Staycation wasn't that bad at all. I got to enjoy my three great loves in one day: hang out with my hubby in my crappy house clothes, enjoy many sips of my favorite java and read to my heart's content. Thank God for iPads. But it's another story. 

Happy long weekend, everyone! Here's to hoping that you were able to spend it with your great loves doing what your heart desired.

XX

Look, it's a beautiful sunset!

I always marvel at how beautifully the sky is lit when it's almost time for sunset. Even in my limited skills at photography, I try to capture the moment, which could really be just fleeting. At the beautiful Thunderbird Resorts in Poro Point, La Union, I did not just get a glimpse of it, I was able to take a snap, as a keepsake.

Several months had passed already and yet, I still have this picture as my phone's wallpaper. In this time of insatiable desires and instant gratification, I take comfort in knowing that something beautiful and precious can still be had without spending a dime.

Every sunsets remind us that no matter how dark the night will turn out to be, it ushers in a new dawn for new and beautiful beginnings.