Zambales Trip: An Afternoon Nap Under Pine Trees in Anawangin Cove

Coming from an uncomfortable sleep in Olongapo City, we proceeded to San Antonio, Zambales, via bus so we could journey to Anawangin Cove. It was only a two-hour bus ride and we were lucky enough to have seats reserved by Anton and his wife, Teresa. The bus was almost full since a number of couch surfers were also headed to the same destination.

Anawangin Cove, Zambales
February 19, 2011

Pundakit Beach

reaching Pundaquit or Pundakit beach

We arrived in San Antonio and dropped by the wet market which was just a few meters from the highway. This was a camping trip so we needed food and drinks to sustain ourselves until the next day.

Pundaquit Bay

Rode a trike going to the beach and we were met by Mang Johnny’s boatman who carried plates and kitchen utensils for our cooking later on. The jump off point to Anawangin cove and the other islands was located in Pundaquit bay. Even the beach there was already a good place to hang out and swim – though the tides seemed rough and could easily swallow you into the deep.

Pundaquit Beach

our boat, good for 5 persons (including the boatman)

I’m glad that we already made reservations so all we had to do was contact our guide in order to ride the small boat that they provided. After only a few seconds, the water’s color became darker which signaled us that we were at sea. I couldn’t believe that a month ago, we were worrying about our flights to Bangkok. Now, we’re heading towards another destination in the Philippines. There was no shade so we relied on our clothing to take cover from the heat. It was, after all, turning lunch time so the sun was at its peak.

View of Camara Island

Camara Island is the closest island near Pundaquit but we only managed to pass by it. We wanted to stay longer in Anawangin so we could also compare it with Nagsasa Cove – the main destination I was aiming for.

Camara Island

Camara Island, Capones at the back.

Spending time admiring the view from where we sat, a number of rock formations and islands were presented to us. This reminded me of the time when we hopped on to different islands in the Caramoan peninsula. They looked different, yet they looked the same.

anawangin rocks

rock formations of Pundaquit

Arrival

Despite the good weather, the waves were a bit harsh and at some point, they became treacherous. Anton asked the boatman to slow down. I didn’t realize the danger until the waves crashed on nearby rocks. But we arrived safely and stood on the shores of Anawangin Cove in roughly 35 minutes.

anawangin cove

beach of Anawangin

We set foot on Anawangin close to noon so we prepared for lunch. With the food bought in a small eatery at the market, we feasted on pork and some veggies, courtesy of Teresa. I noticed the pine trees in Anawangin are one of the key features of this cove. Who would expect these pine trees to grow on this beach and with our tropical climate?

cove anawangin

there’s a lake too

After eating and cleaning up, I brought out my malong to serve as a mat on the sand. A lot of people were already there and instead of bringing out my camera to take a number of snapshots, we settled in so that we could also get some rest. That’s when laziness struck.

Case of The SSB

SSB or “Sakit Sa Baboy” in Visayan, ”Sakit ng Baboy” in Tagalog, ”Pig Syndrome” in English, literally speaking.

This is a term Cebuanos use when a person lies down to sleep after eating a satisfying meal; akin to a pig.

pine trees anawangin

Anawangin Cove in Zambales

I lay myself down on the mat, with my backpack as my pillow that gave me a tilted view of the sea. A fruit shake was what seemed to be missing and probably a hammock too (where’s James when you need one?). Music from an iPod would’ve also added to the atmosphere and somebody could’ve popped any track from Jack Johnson to complement the scene.

But then I realized that these were just cherries on top of a dessert that weren’t really necessary. Back in the old days, people didn’t rely on technology to survive. I didn’t need any device too, in order to enjoy the sight.

anawangin pine trees

trees as canopies

Afternoon Nap in Anawangin Cove

An afternoon nap was what I needed and this temporary respite gave me enough time to reflect, relax and disconnect from life and its realities. This siesta also prepared me for an exploration to some parts of Anawangin Cove afterwards.

pine trees sky

my ceiling

As the sky became my ceiling and the sand became my bed, my mind slowly drifted to nothingness. The leaves of pines served as canopies swaying in a delightful lullaby as they leisurely bustled with the wind.

feet anawangin

My feet were also happy to take a break.

I listened faintly to the voices of my companions having a conversation about travelling and life. The voices slowly faded as my eyes shifted to slumber. But before my eye lids closed to a full shutter, I caught a glimpse of my feet enjoying the sand between their toes.

Check out articles about my Zambales adventure trip here:


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soloflightEd.com is a travel blog by Edcel Suyo. He enjoys performing headstands and crazy stunts during his trips in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Now based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and working to earn a living, he takes time to enjoy the city and travel during weekends.
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For questions, advertising, and other concerns, shoot an email to ed@soloflighted.com.


23 thoughts on “Zambales Trip: An Afternoon Nap Under Pine Trees in Anawangin Cove”

  1. hahaha–nalala ko yang sakit sa baboy na yan. at tinanung ko talaga si Doi kung anung ibig sabihin. yun. afternoon nap after eating lunch or something. sarap naman talaga kasi nap pag ganyan kaganda place tas ang sarap ng hangit. inner peace inner peace, inner peace…hahaha. tara ed. travel tayo uli.:D

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  2. yan ang tunay na masarap gawin sa Anawangin or any cove in Zambales…look for that perfect spot and then boom…tulog ka na ng di mo namamalayan, gigising ka na lang pinagpyistahan ka na ng lamok lol…

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  3. Oh!! Kainggit!
    Tagal ko na gusto pumunta dito pero wala akong mahatak na kasama =))
    Pa-PM naman nung contact details ng boatman nyo please! 😀

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  4. cool!  it will be my first camping there on August. 1 day & overnight only, can u pls give me an idea how to manage our meals?  im confuse if we still have to bring cooking utensils, sagabal pa kasi. thanks 🙂

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  5. @cedric: I can relate to how you feel. I haven't even explored a lot of places in my nearby hometown when I should. But we'll definitely drop by these places in the proper time. Thanks!

    @pusangkalye: Naalala ko rin yung time na curious ka anong ibig sabihin ng SSB. haha. Yes, at least we were able to rest prior to our trekking adventure! hehe. book ka dito sa Cebu, Anton! hehe.

    @Micamyx: mga baboy tayong lahat! hehe. You should check it out Mica! Very nice place magshooting 😀

    @Will: Walang ulap at the time 😀 Thanks!

    @pinaytraveljunkie: haha, pero di ka pa rin tumataba kaya andaming naiingit sa yoh gay haha!

    @supertikoy: haha, kaya nga ambilis kong nakatulog sa Palaui natin after nating kumain, haha. dapat may baong lotion na OFF! hehe

    @cai: here it is! 0920 222 4687 – look for Mang Johnny. This is also the same boatmen Chyng hired 😀 Pasama ka ng PTB Bagets! sure maraming gustong pumunta rin! 😀

    @Mel: haha, I hope to finish the Zambales series soon, Mel! I still have one post about Anawangin then I'll start with Nagsasa! It was serene and calm when we were there! Though may konteng tao na talaga. 😀

    @ems: hi Ems, our boatman brought kitchen utensils since we asked them to. You may also want to do so para less hassle. We managed to grill and cook our food in Nagsasa overnight. 😀

    @Tripper10: thanks Tripper! lol akala ko sinabi mong 'Nakilabot' — haha, nakalibot pala. lol. thanks though, you should drop by Anawangin and experience it for yourself too! 😀

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  6. wow! ume-emo ka na din!? haha ayoko sana mag-comment pa din dahil my kaunti pang natitira na bitterness sa trip na itey! haha  kidding aside, I agree with you when you said, "I didn’t need any device too, in order to enjoy the sight." Sometimes we get too caught up with technology kase during travels, like the need to go online and all. and I'm guilty na din on that part, buti nlng walang free wi-fi sa anawangin kundi malamang nagba-blog ka na naman jan. haha 😉  na miss ko na naman Palaui! Sana my camping trip sa din s Davao! =))

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  7. @lakwatsera de primera: haha, but if it gets too frequent, ayun na ang SSB! 😀 right now, I'm back to the daily office grind. 🙁

    @thepinaysolobackpacker: haha, matagal nato nakabaon sa mga backlogs. All I could remember was that dapat ang last phrase is 'sand between my toes'. di ko namalayan na 'laslas' mode pala ang kararatnan sa end ng post na toh. hehe. It's okay to be bitter gael, I have about 4 more entries about this trip pa. hehehe. joke. haha, buti na lang talaga! This was the first out of town trip wherein I did NOT bring my laptop! hehe. naginternet lang talaga ako sa olongapo and pabalik din ng Clark. hehe. gusto ko uli mag camping. haha. dapat kasama si Angel, kasi parang prinsesa ang dating mo. hahaha. eh nakabook ka na kaya for Davao? …. 😀

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  8. you ahould also try going there very early in the morning. ive never seen so many stars in the sky. and the "glowing" planktons looked magical as it touched the boat's hull. 🙂 ang ganda!

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  9. @happy sole: we spent the night in Nagsasa which was more peaceful. was able to see the stars even if it was only for awhile, i had to immediately get some shuteye because of exhaustion. 😀

    @dong ho: sarap tumambay talaga. dala pa ng gitara! 😀

    @renz: no worries, we'll all get to different places in the future! I'm also from Davao by the way. This made me realize that we should explore places in our areas too! we have so much to offer. that will be my next conquest! 😀

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  10. @ian: thanks, something so peaceful at staring them with a flickr of sunlight from beneath. 😀

    @christian: pumunta ka na Christian and blow us again with your awesome photos! 🙂

    Reply

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