The farthest place I’ve been to is Banzai Cliff — the first time at 9 p.m. and the second time at 12 midnight. I got my fair share of goose bumps as I and some friends stood listening to the angry crashing of the waves below. It was eerie looking at Suicide Cliff from a distance and I almost imagined the thousands of Japanese civilians screaming and they plunged to their deaths.
Bird Island at night was another story. I never thought I would have the courage to stay there until after dark until a couple of weeks ago.
The sun had set behind the horizon and the bus load of tourists had gone, along with the guard assigned to the area.
I and my buddy stayed on, lured by the surreal sight of the moon slowly rising and casting shadows in the shimmering waters.
Every now and then, a patch of cloud dimmed the moonlight but after a few minutes, brightness would envelop the area again.
We stood holding on to the railing at the observation deck, sharing a companionable silence and enjoying the view of Bird Island. The cool ocean breeze was refreshing. The gentle lapping of the waves below seemed to beckon us to go wading in the waters.
There was no one else in sight — just me and my buddy, the tiny islet below us, and the ocean stretching into infinity. Time seemed to stand still and it felt like a sin to breathe and break the spell.
The ringing of my buddy’s cell phone from somewhere broke the silence and jarred us back to the present, a reminder that it was time to go although we were still reluctant to leave. It was past 9 o’clock.
I’ve been to the place countless of times before, but seeing Bird Island bathed in moonlight gave me a different perspective of the place.
Hundreds of thousands of tourists visit Bird Island each year, taking home pictures of the place and sharing them with the rest of the world.
Having been there and the other tourist attractions on island many times is not an excuse not to make another visit. But for a change, pick an uncommon time to be there, in the evening, and prepare for a wealth of new experiences.
