Banca - Bangka - Boat - Katig

Need a boat ride to Anawangin Cove? Island hopping in Pundaquit to go to Capones and Camara Islands? Do you want to endure an hour-long boat ride to Nagsasa Cove? Or even a guide for your hiking trip?

Contact Manong Florante Lavesoria at 09108053388. You can find him at Apo Baket Resort (across the chapel, right after Megan's).

Manong, please give us a discount on our next trip... =)

Boat services: 09108053388

Pundaquit

Jump off point for going to Anawangin Cove, Capones and Camara Islands (seen in this photo), Nagsasa Cove, and all other coves in San Antonio (and probably Subic, too).

Pundaquit's beach contrasts that of Anawanin such that the former sometimes give you a rough swim by the shore, while Anawangin is seemingly peaceful (but beware for some underwater currents as you'll never know what the water can bring you).

In Anawangin, you will be charged P50 for day trip, which includes use of the papag and bathroom, while in Pundaquit, you will be charged (if at all, that is for short day trips) depending on who you are, who you know, and where you go (e.g., definitely not the "touristy" resorts).

Oh, beach! I love Zambales!

Canoe Beach Resort

Canoe Beach Resort --- the first "real" resort I've been to in Pundakit, San Antonio, Zambales. That was last April 30 to May 1. It also marked the first time that I swam in a swimming pool in Pundaquit.

Except for the grumpy lady who you have to deal with for reservation, checking in and payment, the resort offers good amenities at very reasonable prices. Just don't get the non-aircon rooms (particularly the beachfront ones, for I have not tried the poolside rooms) as they are overpriced for their real value.

Compare a P2,200 aircon room with a P1,500 non-aircon - P700 premium for a sweet slumber in a cool room with a bathroom versus a fan only room in a hot summer night where you share a bathroom with the rest of the resort customers (who are not checked in the aircon rooms). That's P700, which four of you can share.

Overnight room rates include the use of the pool, barbeque grills, and other stuff I have no care for. However, according to their brochure, the use of electricity for additional appliances (i.e. those you brought with you, which are not the property of the resort) should be reported and paid accordingly. Indeed, in our room, there exists only one outlet used for the electric fan placed high up in the wall. Though I bet you can easily do something about it.

The verdict: highly recommended (again, try to keep your cool when dealing with that grumpy lady...). Oh, because of that grumpy lady, I downgrade my verdict to slightly highly recommendable resort. ;)

For day trips, entrance fee is P60 per person, another P60 for overnight rates (staying beyond 6:00 PM), additional P85 for the use of the pool, while cottages' rental rates range from P500 to P1,500. Additional P800 to P2,000 for overnight stay.

Canoe Beach Resort
Website: www.canoebeachresort.vze.com

Picnic in Pundaquit

For joining the Talikasan in Tinipac, Quezon last April 26-27, I have missed this - the birthday celebration of Tita Star in the river in Pundaquit. This is the river over which the one-way bridge in that area traverses. It is, I think, officially the Pamatawan River. Pamatawan, on the other hand, is the last baranggay in Subic before reaching Castillejos.

Let the pictures take you (and me) to a sneak peak of the celebration. (They have, I guess, missed an unofficial family photographer hehe.)

April 27, 2008
Riverside
Pamatawan River
Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales

From Picnic sa Pun...

The Anawangin Trip

Please click here for the full/original post.

Finally, I got so much time to write about our camping trip to Anawangin.

Anawangin is a beach/mountain in Pundaquit, San Antonio, Zambales. I live two towns away from San Antonio, yet I have heard about it only recently, courtesy of Donald. According to him and based on stories he've heard, the place has been "discovered" only about a couple of years ago. Thanks to my mountaineer friend (yeah), I have enjoyed the grandeur of that far-flung place.

To get there, one can trek around the mountain starting from Pundaquit, which is a baranggay/beach in the area. There are local guides there, but I'm not really sure how that works. I did not welcome the idea of hiking for five to six hours, which is apparently only two to three hours for experienced hikers.

Only two towns away and with private vehicles to get me from my home to any point in Zambales, I don't know how to get there via a public transportation. Let me guess: from my home in Castillejos, ride a mini bus or a Victory Liner bus until San Antonio, then ride a tricycle to Pundaquit. How much? I don't know.

From Manila, take a bus from any Victory Liner terminals except the one in Kamuning/Kamias (buses there only travel to Tuguegarao). Ride the "Iba or Sta. Cruz Zambales" bus and alight in San Antonio, costing more than P200.00. Or take an "Olongapo" bus for less than P200, then ride another Zambales bus. Hahaha. For people with a sense of direction, what I've written must make sense, okay? The national road route from Manila to Zambales traverses through (1) North Luzon Expressway; (2) exits in San Fernando, Pampanga; (3) passes by Guagua and Lubao; (4) enters Bataan; (5) takes a right turn in Layac to Dinalupihan, Bataan; (6A) straight on, turns left in Tipo Road to enter SBMA for private vehicles or (6B) straight on the zigzag road until Olongapo City proper for public utility vehicles; (7) leaves SBMA or continue with another zigzag road; (8) enter the province of Zambales from Subic, Castillejos, San Marcelino, and finally San Antonio. Whew.

Anyway, from Pundaquit, my friends and I had a boat ride. The boat was arranged prior to our travel - Donald knows somebody there. I actually looked like the stranger in that area, not him. Haha! It cost us P1,000, however. Bad or good deal, it doesn't matter anymore. Apparently, Mang Florante didn't expect a group of five people with lots of bags and foods with them. His boat was small, so we had two boat rides from Pundaquit to that isolated place.

There were many campers in Anawangin, especially it was a long weekend. There was even a family who camped with little kids to look after! According to the caretaker there (sorry, I already forgot his name), campers were usually from Manila as well (oh, I didn't look like a frequent visitor of Pundaquit hahaha).

The camp site was set up by Donald, with his many inexperienced alalays :) Though we had to move due to some not so beautiful smell. With the hammock, of course.

But before that happens, we went to the beach first to enjoy the clean waters of Anawangin. If you happen to dislike rocks in a beach as I do, move away from the mountain. Then we ate our packed lunch. Hmm, as I recall I was so hungry that I initiated lunch. Ha! Then what happened? I can't recall. Anyway, as we were moving the tents (one tent courtesy of Sherjo, thank you Sherjo :)), the rain threatened to pour heavily, but it was just a teaser rain hehe.

Anyway, pictures at the beach:

More pictures:

By the way, Bebang told me that Sherjo commented why there were so many pictures of us, and very very few pictures of our surroundings. Well, my favorite subject is people, where Bebang is of a particular interest (if you'd notice here :)). So there, I just made the pictures that somehow highlight the atmosphere in Anawangin larger even if they weren't so good. Ayt?

On another note, it is very fortunate for us that the caretaker told us about a batis in the area (Was that a batis? And what is batis in English? Haha!). Donald said it wasn't there the first time he went to Anawangin. That was summer. Again, another fortunate thing is that our trip wasn't in summertime.

It was very cool (literally and figuratively)! Yey. Here are the pictures, taken with my Motorola W510 (another cool gadget hehe):

Finally, there was no need to rinse in the bomba at the other side of the camp site. Hihi.

Meryenda time, cards time. Pusoy dos. And some site. Sexy lady. (Some hidden language here).

Then frisbee time. I'm just not fit to last in that game, and it wasn't even ultimate frisbee. Then the sunset. Our camera (Canon Ixus whatever model) couldn't stand our group of picture happy people. Or I didn't charge the battery well. Whatever, at sunset it was already low in battery. Still, I have managed to take these shots (of course, some photos were taken by either Bebang or Jerome, can't recall)...

Frisbee moments, featuring Donald, supported by Bebang and Jerome:

Then night fell...

Notice the Tanduay Rhum? We weren't able to taste Zha's concoction of that famous rhum. She mixed it in that red jug. Then it rain that night. Some twists of events. The rhum spilled over Donald's tent. Smelled delicious. Sayang. Whoever did it? Let me just say that some force did not want us to drink that night. For even the few drops left of that jug, which Zhazha and Jerome tried to pour over a cup went to waste.

Zhazha did an enormous job of cleaning up the mess in the tent. Surprisingly, the smell of the rhum was gone when we slept. Awesome :)

On Bebang... I just love Bebang hehe. She ate again before finally sleeping. Hmm... Canned century tuna, rice, the delicious ensaladang itlog na pula of Zhazha, yummy.

The next morning... I enjoyed the warmth of the beach that morning. So nice! I really love the beach in the early morning. Anawangin's beach is just weird, however. It seems that the cold water and the warm water didn't "mix" really well. You can easily notice sudden coldness in the water.

Before some picture moments, this just have to get the attention it deserves:

The hammock with a shade above it. Lovingly "crafted" or "arranged" by Donald. A place where he should have slept. But the coldness of the night was so intense that he had to seek the comfort of a tent.

So here it is... Breakfast... Packing time... Some final picture moments in that beautiful place called Anawangin...

Time to go home...

Only in Pundaquit were we able to have our group picture.

Oh, before I forget, here's a reminder for everyone:

Have fun! :)

All photos hosted by Flickr.

About two and a half years ago...

z

A group of high school friends went to Pundaquit beach to get together and have some fun...

Mode of transportation: Rented jeepney. It's difficult to take purely public transportation in that place...

Food: Whatever food there may be...

Drinks: Water, soda, and some bottles...

Cost per person: Can't recall...

The joy it brought: Priceless...

Here are some pictures from that trip...

Click here for the full/original post.

All photos hosted by Photobucket.

Anawangin 2007

Last week, we went to Anawangin - me, Donald, Bebang, Jerome and Zhazha. Lots and lots and lots of fun! It was my first time to camp. It was my first time to go there despite the proximity from my home. It was a totally different experience.

I am so excited to post here whatever memories I had in that trip. However, there was work. Still, I got to upload our pictures - our hundreds of beautiful pictures. Yebah!

All pictures were originally uploaded in Flickr at http://www.flickr.com/photos/11774511@N08/sets/72157602423289910/.