The first time I was here the weather was taking a full swing at us. We've waited for a chance to learn surfing, after we finished inspecting the library we sought to fill with books. The cloud turned darker and the wind whistles from our spot to yonder, we thought the chance of hooking up with a surf board has gone to dust. Then came the green light - from the local surfers who've seen swells forming a half a kilometer away. like caged animals now out on a prowl we headed towards their direction. The rain though didn't just showered us, it stabbed us through our skin. Needling out of the sky at around 20-30 degree angle, it hit us like tiny darts, doubling its intensity and with no shelter nearby, we had no choice but to proceed. We ran forward and backward just to give each side of our body a reprieve until we reached the small nipa hut where the surfboards lay aground.
That was my first impression of Rizal Beach, in this quiet municipality fronting the Pacific Ocean in the province of Sorsogon. Relentless as its waves - Rizal beach is now gaining popularity as a surfing destination. I wasn't much of a surfer, not even in the beginner's class, but I love watching surfers paddle out almost out of sight and then seeing them reappear standing over their board floating fluidly over the waves. It's like a graceful dance repertoire only done on water.
The time we went back was the day we finally celebrated the opening of the library of Rizal Elementary School. Aboard a chartered bus filled with the project's organizers and volunteers, we again, settled in Rizal Beach. The project was a huge success. The time has come for the school kids to read.
For us, we were rewarded yet again with some rest and relaxation by the beach. While most of us was able to surf the next day when the waves came into a respectable swell, the unforgettable image I had of Rizal beach was the stunning landscape that greeted me the next morning. Waking up from the sounds of the waves, along with Lauren and Christine - we hurried to the shore and saw the stark skies filtering the desolated-like landscape with a mixture of blue, gold and red.
The long shore of Rizal beach provides a panoramic view while the sun continues to rise up slowly in the sky and blasted the vaporous surroundings. One by one, people starts riding their surf boards, and soon the swell becomes bigger and we took the chance to spend the whole morning just swimming around and lounging by the beach-side.
After the overnight bus ride the previous night, the excitement of seeing the a new library open up for the first time, enjoying the celebration with both old and new friends. The place usually becomes an afterthought. Not this time though. With the ragged simplicity of Gubat, Sorsogon, There is always a reminder that each day starts gloriously, as evidenced by the skies over Rizal beach that morning.
It is a fact we usually ignore, even though we all live under one sky, in the vastness of the Earth. From everywhere, we can witness such sightings of Lucy in the sky with diamonds. If you recall the Beatles song - with its childhood theme, wherein a kid is almost more than able to distinguish a beautiful thing or moment than adults do.
For the school kids of Rizal Elementary School, their appraisal of a beautiful world is always there, they may lose it along with their innocence like us grown-ups. However, there is always a way to go back to that world of simplicity. Waking up one morning and witnessing how the sky turned fiery red, not blowing fireballs but magical rays of light. Child-like wonder or grown-up mind, we will never miss it for the world.
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