Musings in the Alpenglow: Nagsasa Cove Camping Trip

HAPPY CAMPERS (L-R): Via, Mariel, Me, Bianca, Jess, Krisha, Shine

Since my epic move to Manila last May 2012, I haven't been able to soak up the waters of the Northern parts of the Philippines. Being a full time SPED teacher and a full time PHD student, there had to be some trade offs, and one of them is time spent for R and R in my most favorite place in the planet--the beach. Finally, after almost a year of putting off nature and adventure time, I finally had a shot at happiness. My co-teachers and I organized this camping trip. It was going to be a long trip so we decided to sleepover at Bianca's place in Katipunan so we could all wake up early and catch the 5am bus to Iba Zambales. We arrived at the Victory Liner bus station in Caloocan and paid Php 260 for the bus fare. We also had breakfast there and since I have a weak/sensitive stomach, I opted for a cup noodle instead of getting "turo-turo" food. After four and a half hours and three stops, we finally arrived and got off at the municipal hall of San Antonio Zambales. From there, we waited for our contact person to fetch us and bring us to Pundaquit. The tricycle ride to Pundaquit took about 15 minutes and cost us Php30 per person.

perks of our package:
unlimited free use of the life vest! lol

The bangka ride took an hour. Along the way, we passed by two other coves, Anawangin and Talisayan. By the time we arrived at Nagsasa, it was already lunch time and all of us were famished! We were quiet (this group gets grumpy when the stomach is empty) as we prepared our lunch which consisted of breakfast food (hotdogs and meatloaf, because it took the least effort and time to prepare). Nagsasa Cove is isolated with no electricity and only the basic amenities (a toilet bowl and free flowing fresh water). The deal we got covered the expenses for the boat, the kubo, four tents (each tent was good for two people), 10 gallons of drinking water, one kaldero, a frying pan, 2 bags of charcoal, and an ice bucket with one big block of ice.

We regained our excitement for the trip long with the satiation of our hunger. The beach bums headed to the beach while the others enjoyed a peaceful and relaxing siesta.

the hot pink utensils said a lot about our kikay spirits! :)

Nagsasa Cove was a sight to behold! It was beautiful, peaceful and very relaxing. The view was picturesque--it makes you feel that you're in a different place. For a moment, it made me wonder whether Nagsasa was the epitome of the autumn season. The mountains were brown with patches of green and it had pine tree looking trees that weren't really pine trees. According to local folklore, the native Aetas burn the trees (kaingin) as a form of ritual to the anitos to grant them a good harvest. And it's pretty interesting how, despite the advances in technology and all, these rituals are still performed. Oh, and it made me really psyched to see Aetas living there too ('twas just a shame I never got to take a photo with them)! Being a Cebuana accustomed to the pristine white sand beaches of Cebu, I was amazed with the fine, sparkling gray sand and the tiny black pebbles with tinges of gold and metallic blue that outlined the cove. Under the bright sun, the sand appeared to be littered with glitters!

the isthmus that connects the river and the sea

i fell in love with the pine tree looking trees

After soaking up the sun, we headed back to our campsite to prepare our dinner. We felt disappointed seeing the flocks of campers who had arrived and are still arriving. After discovering that Mariel's solar lamp (which was supposedly our main source of light when nighttime comes) was missing/stolen, we hurried up with our cooking. Being a first time camper and with zero experience in scouting, I had no idea how to start a fire and that fanning a burning charcoal will make the flames even bigger! After what seemed like ages, our dinner was ready to be devoured. The menu included grilled pork belly (or what survived of it after being burned, haha), ginataang monggo (which ended up looking like monggo paste and tasting like hospital food), pork steak, and mango-tomato ensalada. After dinner, we paid the locals Php 150 to prepare a bonfire for us while our expert chemists (tanggeras and alcohol mixers) did their thing. We brought out the ingredients for our wholesome midnight snack of smores and our less-than-wholesome drinks. We sang and chatted the night away!The following day, we had a heavy breakfast and spent the rest of the day taking pictures and swimming while waiting for the boat to fetch us. All in all, despite the glitches, the inconveniences and the inevitable bickering, it was a weekend well spent!