It’s a very rare occurrence that I wake up early during my travels. When I went to Legazpi City, however, I couldn’t just pass of the opportunity to view the beautiful sunrise along the coast of Albay Gulf and the clear view of Mayon during the early morning hours. The experience also got me a first hand encounter of everyday activities along the seawall of Legazpi like fishermen waking up early to tend to their catch and joggers, also taking advantage of the cool morning breeze.

Early morning fishing activities in Albay Bay

I went out of Sampaguita Tourist Inn around 5:30AM and rented a tricycle to take me to the seawall section at the foot of Kapuntukan (Sleeping Lion) Hill near Embarcadero de Legazpi. The tricycle driver charged me P60 for the 10-minute one-way trip, which I thought was a rip-off considering that we took the short-cut at highway intersection near Sampaguita Inn. I agreed anyways since I was on a hurry to catch the sunrise.

Mayon at Sunrise viewed from the Legazpi City Seawall

The view of Mayon Volcano was awesome, I’m so happy to have caught a glimpse of its unobstructed beauty once again. Walking along the seawall of Legazpi City, I also had the delight of seeing early morning joggers, photo enthusiasts, and fishermen doing their early morning rounds. It really livens up your spirit to see the beautiful Mayon Volcano when you wake up in the morning.

View of Embarcadero de Legazpi from the Breakwater along Legazpi Boulevard

Emcarcadero de Legazpi at Night

(Allow me to slide this in here) I had dinner the night earlier at Bigg’s Diner in Embarcadero de Legazpi. I came back to Embarcadero to see how it looked like at night and to take more photos of Legazpi City and Mayon Volcano. I ordered Salisbury Steak (P99) and iced tea for a total bill of P130. I wanted to try Bigg’s Diner since I’ve read many online recommendations that I have to try this fast food chain if ever I’m in Legazpi or Naga City. Interiors are nice but the food is the usual fast fast food affair for me, so nothing special. Expect to pay P100++ for a meal.

What I found remarkable was the nice nighttime view of Mt. Mayon from the parking lot of Embarcadero. I was surprised to see the volcano’s crater turning red in my long exposure photos. Although majestic and beautiful, it kinda reminded me that Mayon Volcano is still as active as ever. It has the potential of bringing massive destruction no matter how alluring it may seem.

Going back to Rizal Avenue from Legazpi Boulevard

Since I already knew the way, I decided to walk back to Rizal Avenue (also because there are very few tricycles in the area, I still had to walk to Embarcadero if I wanted to catch a ride). The seaside boulevard running from Embarcadero, going around the coastal section of Kapuntukan Hill, and continuing south looked like it was a new ongoing project. I’m sure it’s already finished (or nearing completion) by now. I first read about the road project in WOW Legazpi. The area is expected to be Bicol’s next investment haven … indeed there were vast spaces for development with easy access to the existing road network in Legazpi City and Albay.

Thick clouds were already starting to form at Mayon’s upper third. It was already 7:00AM at the time. I suggest going to the area earlier to catch the clear view of Mayon. The photo with Mayon and the swirling clouds reminds me of the militaristic-looking Ryugyong Hotel in North Korea. Pretty cool.

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