World Pyro Olympics

The first-ever World Pyro Olympics, participated by a total of 9 countries, garnered enough interest from people of all over. Every single day of that week promised a thick crowd and unbearable traffic. People took to the streets in hopes of catching the magnificent shower of lights. Streets were heavily lined with cars, the drivers and passengers of which have long decided to abandon their vehicles in the middle of the road. Awe-stricken spectators oohed and ahhed after each burst while trying mightily to capture the spectacle with whatever camera device they have.

I have had the chance to catch two of the five shows. While one was atop a tall building overlooking Manila Doctor’s College, the second was far more adventurous with me running the whole stretch of the Mall of Asia with my brother in tow (or was it me in tow?) just to get to the Esplanade where the fireworks have already begun. When we finally did reach the ticket booth and paid PhP200 for the entrance fee, we hurried to catch a jeepney to get to the site. Out of excitement, we jumped into the first one available. No sooner was it filled when we heard the second jeepney’s engine rev up and move away. What the..?! Bossing, we’re all in a hurry here! Impatience got the best of us as everyone jumped out of the first jeepney and into the third. Off we went. Finally! When we arrived, the first set of fireworks was already over. To entertain spectators, live music played from a band onstage. On another platform was a thin crowd enjoying the tricks of a magician, or a clown, I’m not sure. We found our way to the sea wall and readied our equipment. Surprised to find only a few people, we couldn’t help but feel like we’ve hit a jackpot as we’ve got a good view and there was no crowd to make our way to. Our pot of gold soon turned to stone when we realized our folly. The direction of where the fireworks would be coming from was opposite our position, as announced by the host. It was just too good to be true huh? We hurriedly made our way to the correct direction and were not at all surprised to see that many have already camped out there. The sea wall, contrary to our good spot just a while ago, was now lined with people; bodies squeezed together, heads raised in expectation. Some looked as if they had been there since the gates opened at 3. One even brought a tent! Talk about serious campers! Camera enthusiasts were already positioned beside their tall tripods, ready to pinch their cable releases at the first sign of light. We set up our humble gear not far from them. Unlike them however, we had to bend over as our tripod is but a child compared to theirs and sorry, no cable release. Just like them though, we had to wait.

Ecstatic cries greeted the first light that illuminated the cloudless sky. South Africa was about to start. As more bursts of light flashed, more oohs and aahs were heard. I, on the other hand, was all bent up, one hand on the left hip, the other on the shutter, one eye on the viewfinder, the other to the sky. Tough job huh? The show lasted for 20 minutes, give or take. A warm round of applause rang in the air when it ended. When the awe finally subsided, the crowd soon dispersed, some towards the exit, some to enjoy the band, and still some to enjoy the magic show.

My brother and I headed towards the exit. While taking the 5-minute walk towards where we came from, he urged me to go again the next day. Boy, was he a fan! Having been through the heavy traffic of both vehicles and people, who in his right mind would want to come back and endure it all over again? Apparently a lot, as traffic the next day grew much worse. It’s just too good a chance to pass up, I guess. Who knows, we might not be as fortunate the next time as heavy traffic might not be the only thing we have to endure to see the fireworks, but also having to purchase a costly plane ticket!