SUNRISE, SUNSET

There are two events of the day that many of us associate with hope and positivity and a reflection of our worldly existence.  The Sunrise in the morning and the Sunset at the end of the day are what this storyteller is referring to. 

We connect Sunrise to the beginning of something.  In fact, we refer to Sunrise not only as a start of the day but as the beginning of a better and productive day, a hope for a bright future.

On the other hand, we view Sunset as the passing of another day, a symbol of farewell to a day full of activities and challenges. Sunset implies the end of something or the decline of any period after a surge. "I am in the Sunset years of my life when I reach 90 years old", someone said. 

Sunset is also a symbol of farewell to life's experiences, relationships, of personal growth, and when one experience a reversal of fortune, he or she would say, "I reached the sunset of my financial prosperity ."   

Parents connect Sunrise and Sunset to the growing up of their children and how they progressed throughout their lives. 

In this photo blog, allow me to share with you some Sunrise and Sunset that I experienced in a few travel destinations that I have been to. 

***Copyright photos by Henry Libo-on***

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Sunrise at Adirondack Mountain Range, State of New York. 

The Beachfront of Flamingo Beach Resort in Lake George Township, New York is one of the best locations to watch the Sunrise.  In this picture, the Sun is hidden by the Adirondack Mountain range and the next picture (below) shows the Sun as it begins to rise.  The Lake George is so peaceful and quiet.  I took this picture a little past five in the morning. 

 It was a chilly morning and there is no one to share this spectacular view of the Sunrise. I spent a few minutes Meditating on a vacant beach chair. Then, as I waited for the Sun to rise while watching the birds fly over the Lake and listening to the rushing of the tides as it kissed the beach and hurriedly left to join the vast water of Lake George, the Sunrise suddenly appears. (Photos by Henry Libo-on of Touristang Pobre).

It was a beautiful experience that I would like to call it - Divine. You just marvel at God's creations. 

Sunrise at the Atlantic Ocean. 

The most unique Sunrise that I experienced was when I was onboard a Norwegian Cruise Line in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean while we were on our way to Bermuda Island.  It was an awesome experience to see the Sunrise while in the middle of the vast sea where legends of lost ships and aircraft abound on the area known as the Bermuda Triangle. For sailors and pilots, the Bermuda Triangle is known as the "graveyard" of ships and airplanes that mysteriously disappeared there. 

This picture shows the early morning Joggers beat the chilly breeze just to do their regular exercise.  I moved around the Sun Deck and had a great view of the vast sea.  There was no island on the horizon except some clouds in the sky that filtered the sunlight from striking my eyes. 

While taking this photo of the Sunrise on the upper deck or the Sun Deck of Norwegian Cruise Line Breakaway, I was imagining if a humungous ship like this Cruise Liner is in danger of getting lost in the Bermuda Triangle, what will the 3,400+ passengers do? The thought that I immediately dismissed when I realized it was such a morbid thought when I am experiencing this awesome Sunrise in the middle of this vast ocean...it was like "killjoy"...haha...

Map of Bermuda Islands 

Source: www.worldatlas.com

Sunrise at Siquijor Island, Philippines

The best Morning that I experience is the one at the beachfront of the eastern side of Siquijor Island.  I rented a cottage in the beach resort called The Bruce. The cottage is complete with a kitchen, two huge beds, a bathroom, a dining area, and a veranda with a rattan. A family can fit in this cottage. 

I woke up very early in the morning to see the horizon and waited for the sun to rise. The surrounding was so quiet and peaceful.  The clouds have a hue of pale pink and pale crimson.  I felt sad looking at the sky but I felt happy that I experienced this kind of feeling once again. Why? Because this moment enabled me to reflect on my childhood days of fun with my siblings and cousins but I am alone now and yet happy to think that each one of us has their own lives to live just like me, and each one is happy at what they have achieved in life, and where they are now.  

One of the main sources of livelihood on the island of Siquijor is Fishing. The photo above shows a fisherman placing his Fish Net in the water which he will collect a few hours later. The Sun is still hidden by the clouds but you can already see its rays as shown by the Pinkish color of the clouds. This morning was calm and breezy.  It was one of the best mornings of my life when I went out to the Veranda, sip my cup of coffee and smoke my Philip Morris. So relaxing.  I loved this vacation of mine in Siquijor Island, an island-province near the island of Negros in the central Philippines. 

The Morning at Camotes Islands

While cruising the Camotes Sea, the Sun was hidden by the thick clouds. So, when I left the Port of Cebu, Philippines, the Sun was hidden by thick clouds all throughout our boat ride to Camotes Island.  It was one of those trips when the climate is good but the Sun shies away from us.  The whole of Camotes Sea was calm and the Catamaran glided on the sea with ease. I discovered that when the Sun is hidden by the clouds, the whole travel experience seemed gloomy too. The feeling of gloom became feelings of sadness especially when I remember my loved ones who were left behind.  Solo travel is good but it is also a lonely experience especially when you have no one to talk to about this travel adventure. That is why it is good when you are a good conversationalist because it is easy for you to open a conversation with other tourists.  

The photo below shows the Poro Port, Camotes Islands. In this travel, I left the Port of Cebu, the Philippines at 6:00 o'clock in the morning and arrived at Camotes Islands at 8:00 o'clock in the morning.  But still, the sun was partly hidden by the clouds. 

The Sun Rises at Cancun, Mexico in this photo shown below. 

I woke up just in time to see the Sunrise in this beautiful beachfront hotel in the Zona Hotelera or Hotel Zone in the world-famous Cancun, Mexico. We were billeted at Crown Paradise Club which offers a breathtaking view of the beach and the sea.  The photo shown above was taken at the swimming pool that overlooks the beachfront. There are no mountain ranges to create a drama on the rising sun. 

Source: www.pinterest.com from - images.search.yahoo.com 

The Map shown here is the Riviera Maya that faces the Caribbean Sea.  The Riviera Maya is Mexico's Caribbean Coast resort band. In other words, these hotels and resorts located on the coastal area facing the Caribbean Sea are known as the Riviera Maya. If there is a French Riviera, Mexico has Riviera Maya. OK?  The City of Cancun is located on the Southeast of Mexico and Northeast of the Yucatan Peninsula in the Mexican State of Quintana Roo. If you look at the map, there is a list of hotels and resorts.  From the bottom, you can see the name of Royal Solaris, Westin Resort & Spa, Hotetur, Oasis Playa, GR Solaris, and Crown Paradise Club, among others. Now, you will see that the Sunrise can be viewed directly from the sea and the horizon does not have a Mountain Range that can cause a dramatic effect on the sunrise, unlike the Adirondack Mountains in Lake George, New York. 

An early morning flight will take us to New York, JFK International Airport from Cancun International Airport, Mexico.  I took this photo before the sun rises on this part of Cancun. 

El Nido, Palawan.

The top photo shows the Outrigger Boat getting ready for our island-hopping adventure here at the world-famous El Nido, Palawan. It was an early morning trip to Bacuit Bay. When we reached the Bay which is located on the left side of that mountain in the background, the clouds dissipated that made the whole area sunny and bright. 

This photo was taken in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, Philippines. The sunrise is partly hidden by the trees near the Church of Iglesia Ni Cristo. 

It is about 6:00 o'clock in the morning when our Outrigger Boat left Apo Island for the Port of Malatapay in the Municipality of Dauin, Negros Oriental, Philippines. The Kanlaon Volcano is visible here in this picture and is formed as the background of the coastal town of Dauin.

Our Outrigger Boat sails the waters between Dauin, Negros Oriental and Apo Island. 

Here, the reflection of the sunrise is visible on the shimmering waters. 

The Sunset at Boracay Island, Philippines 

Boracay Sunset view # 1. Sunset is hidden by the Willy's Rock.  A Mother and Child build a castle on the beach (left side of this picture). Copyright photo by Henry Libo-on.

Boracay Sunset view #2. 

Copyright photo by Henry Libo-on

One of the most beautiful afternoons that I spent in a place was the one that I experienced at Boracay Island.  Walking down the White Beach, I was caught in a late afternoon walk which enabled me to see the best sunset in the world.  Hidden by the Willy's Rock, the sun was ready to call it a day and began hiding from my view. (Boracay Sunset view #1). What a postcard-perfect picture.  By the way, this photo was captured by my Fujifilm Digital Camera FinePix S4400.  

If I were to be married again, I would choose to be wed here beside the Willy's Rock.  The Wedding Ceremony must be timed to start an hour before sunset and it should end before the sun completely sets away. Wow, what an event it would be.  

There is a song that is closely associated with Sunrise and Sunset and I would like to share this song with you.  The song was written in 1964 by Sheldon Harnick and the music was composed by Jerry Bock. It was the theme song of the movie "Fiddler On The Roof". 

It is a sad song because it speaks about the children grow so fast and that one day the parents will just be surprised to see them getting married and thus leave the home.  It makes one shed a tear. Because I have a happy family, my wife and my six daughters spent so much time together.  Little did I realize that we were simply making memories.  My youngest daughter is 27 years old and now they have their own life to live. So, they left the "nest" empty. Here's the song. 

                                                         

Source:  Youtube.

 Sunrise Sunset

Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?

I don't remember growing older
When did they?

When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he get to be so tall?

Wasn't it yesterday
When they were small?

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

What words of wisdom can I give them?
How can I help to ease their way?

Now they must learn from one another
Day by day

They look so natural together

Just like two newlyweds should be

Is there a canopy in store for me?

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze

Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears

(Written by Sheldon Harnick and Music by Jerry Bock)

The photo above shows the sun that is about to set in this part of Caliclic Beach Resort, Samal Island, Davao del Norte.  

Below shows the photo of the setting sun in this part of Apo Island, Municipality of Dauin, Negros Oriental in the Visayas, Philippines.  

It was a solemn afternoon at Apo Island in Negros Oriental, Philippines.  Look at the yellow and crimson colors of the sunset. Actually, it is Dusk Time.  The boats that you see in this picture carries the Scuba Divers on their way home to the island after a day's diving expedition.  Apo Island has more than a dozen Dive Spots that are popular among Foreign Dive enthusiasts. 

(Copyright photo by Henry Libo-on)

It is getting late in the afternoon here at the World War II Memorial, Washington D.C. 

The George Washington Monument, Washington D.C. 

Photo by Henry Libo-on of Touristang Pobre.

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There are so many views of the Sunrise and the Sunset that make it very memorable for all of us.  Sometimes we saw them when we were young, or teenagers, or when we were adults as we journey to different places in the world. 

The Sunrise and Sunset that I have seen maybe few compared to the other travelers but every Sunrise and Sunset that I saw gave me different feelings and different ways of appreciating them. But I am sure that every Sunrise enabled me to think about how beautiful life is when you put hope and faith in your heart and that every Sunset that I saw reminded me that as we reach the twilight years of our lives we thought of the things that we have achieved and felt grateful that we did them.  

And finally, we felt the joy of seeing the Sunrise for it speaks of how beautiful our youth was that made us ready to face with grace and dignity the Sunset of our Life. 

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Now, do you agree that every sunrise and sunset is unique? Please leave your comment on the comment section hereunder.  Thank you. 

Lastly, if you find this photoblog entertaining, please LIKE my Facebook Page - Touristang Pobre on the upper right portion of this page, and SHARE this photoblog with your friends.  Thank you and please enjoy every Sunrise and Sunset that will come in your travel adventure.  Much love from us - Touristang Pobre. 

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Your Blogger, Henry C. Libo-on, A.B., M.A. 

The Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, California. 

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After God perfected the sunrise, he created photographers, artists, and poets to ensure his feat remained immortal.    

Terri Guillemets

From Wise Old Sayings Dot Com.

and He created Bloggers too...hehe...

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All photos by Henry Libo-on.  Except those maps that came from other sources and duly recognized too.

Reviewed on February 3, 2021. 

Reviewed on October 21, 2022. 

Reviewed on January 6, 2023.