I have been meaning to reach Anawangin since the first time I heard about it back in 2008. I have read reviews and ravings about how lovely and serene the place is but totally devoid of life's convenience--electricity, signal and water. So how on earth was I drawn to this place when in fact it might just cause more hassles than relaxation? Well, hello to my rough taste. I strongly dislike crowded and noisy beaches/islands like--you already have it in mind.
My philsophy is simple:
Detach from the usual once in a while and find peace in uncomplexities of nature (Basinang, 2012).
LOL. Anyway. Seeing pictures web wide of how picturesque Anawangin is, poked my impulsive self. I want to go here and I will within this month! Whatever Raine wants, Raine gets. Bwahaha. Kidding! Bought a voucher online, hopped on a bus and voila!
Anawangin Cove, Zambales
We booked the 11:30PM bus to Iba, Zambales since I still have work until 9:00 PM (excuse the my tired fez--OT).
We reached San Antonio at around 3 in the morning. It's not that scary since almost half of all bus passengers got off at the same town, guess we all have the same itinerary. Also our
sundo was prompt (perks of vouchers). We were brought to their house and there we waited until it's a little safe to go to the market.
We bought fresh fish and squid to grill on the cove and some spices to come with it. It so nice to go to the market very early in the morning and just be amazed with all the fresh goodies in there! It's something I really like doing (or not--lol) but cannot because I have work and I'm not a morning person.
At 6 in the morning, we head to Pundaquit beach on our contact person's ride. Cool truck and even cooler view!
Our breakfast while we wait for them to board us.
Finally! Annawangin cove is 30-45 minute boat ride from Pundaquit Beach, San Antonio.
Pine Trees! The place is calming and serene amidst the crowd. We arrived early hence the bare camp site. Wait until you see the real scene.
Assembling our tent, yaay!
Bumming around while the place is still calm. Haha
One thing that draws me to this place is knowing that river is just nearby. Photo above is an estuary. It's just sad though that some people put up fence on areas they owned, including the way to the river. This gave them rights (really?) to ask for entrance fees even if you just wanna see the river. Suck. But ofcourse we were lucky not to pay. LOL, no we didn't sneak. We just walked straight into the entrance,assuming it's alright and we're lucky to wander free. Eh ganon naman talaga dapat eh! I just found out that they ask 50Php for entrance through eavesdropping while washing the dishes on the wash area. Haha. I don't know if it's really like that or is it drying up? The river is shallow and it's already dried up on some part. It's not like the one I see on the pictures on the net. </3
This got me so pissed. There was this sort of 'marathon' (I forgot what it's called) of motor boats and jet skis and Anawangin is one of their itinerary. They didn't actually do anything but park their rides on the shore. So san na magsswimming? They stayed the whole afternoon! Great view huh.
Lunch! The smell of grilled seafoods by the beach is one of the best things about summer!
candelight dinner!haha
Bonfire! I have never ever tried roasting marsmallows on bonfire and man, HEAVEN! hahaha. Why only now? Gee. yummmmmmmmm~ (I'm drooling again).
SECOND DAY
Again, this is our breakfast the next morning and jeez it costs double!
naman the fez.sareeh. LOL
We went trekking to see the whole Anawangin Cove from the hilltop. My brothers must have been proud of me. lol Whew! But as always, it pays off. The view is amazing!
Just a little before lunch time, we head off to Capones Island to see the lighthouse. We were planning to just have a quick drop and take pictures then back to Pundaquit. We thought we'll have lunch at San Antonio before heading back to Manila at maybe 2 in the afternoon. But.
NOBODY WARNED US! That we have to circle the whole island and trek to reach the lighthouse! We didn't even had a decent breakfast to start with. *askjfgj!!* Didn't I mention I was wearing a mid lenght dress?? Waaah.
Buti kinaya ng havs ko. Seriously, our route is way worse than what this picture shows.
Sobrang mabato plus alon plus tirik na araw. We even forgot to bring water! Dieeee. There was a lot of times when I really just wanna pass out. Grabe.
The view from the top? Breathtaking.
It would have been better if it wasn't 12 noon. Haha
Oh well. Still worth it. I have always dreamed of being on a lighthouse and that's it--dream come true. It's no longer operational hence the rustic look and I love it.
We went snorkelling after so we reached San Antonio at around 4pm and that's the only time we had our lunch. Not even a decent one! Just a meal from 7eleven. Niceeeee! Got home at around 10 and still have to wake up at 3 for my eary shift! Wahaha. Welcome to my side of the world! :))
Overall, the place is okay. Well it's not that bad and not that great either. All I can say is that I have seen better. I was also disappointed with the number of people. Don't get me wrong, I just don't really like mainstream and crowd. Had I gone to this place maybe 2 or 3 years ealier I would still have seen the lushness of the place. Now, it's overly populated and overrated. But ofcourse, I still can't deny that the place is lovely. Amidst the nosie, the place is still calming, I think it is because of the pine trees and the green waters. If you do not mind being out of coverage area for your whole stay, no electricity, no cushion, no proper toilet and bathroom, no all luxuries we are accustomed to then this is a nice place for a quick getaway. Bring your friends! It's definitely for groupies.
As for me, Calaguas still holds my top 1. We'll see Coron. :)
