Bamboo foot bridge [Sunday Bridges]

Bamboo foot bridges connecting rock islets in Camotes Island.  Camotes  is a group of 4 low-lying islands near Cebu in the Philippines.

Posted for Sunday Bridges

Sky Watch Friday: a mellow sunset

"Nine planets round the sun, only one does the sun embrace. Upon this watered one, so much we take for granted; So let us sleep outside tonight, lay down in our mother's arms, for here we can rest safely…One sweet world around a star is spinning - One sweet world - And in her breath I'm swimming, and here we will rest in peace."

~ Dave Matthews

For whatever we lose (like a you or a me),

It's always our self we find in the sea.

~e.e. cummings

Location: Mangodlong, Camotes Island

More beautiful sky photos at Sky-Watch Friday.

Camotes: Rugged serenity

Rock islets and massive cliffs make up Camotes stunning beachscape. One rugged beauty is Buho Garden (buho means hole in Cebuano). Cottages are strategically built on rock islets so I sat there soothed by the gentle waves beneath and experience the beauty of nature---the endless blue horizon before me. Its rock islets are connected by foot bridges, the limestone wall is a challenge for the adventurous that can rappel about 100 feet down the cliff to the beach of Buho.

Navigating more than 50 steps from the top of the cliff to reach the rock islets was not easy for somebody like me who is fond of escalators. And going up those steps was an arduous task, I ran out of air!

The tip of the islet makes an excellent setting for stunning silhouettes against hues of orange and purple at sunset.

Another picturesque beach resort is Mangodlong. I was hoping to catch a spectacular sunset there but we arrived a bit late. It was a cloudy afternoon and the sunset was not as fiery, but it was beautiful nonetheless. The seaside serenity of Mangodlong is truly enchanting.

Perhaps Camotes’ most endearing value is its rustic provincial life. There are no enterprising vendors at the beach, or persistent boatmen forcing their services on you. The idyllic life in the farmlands and villages remains intact, and the simplicity of the countryside continues to charm.