SENIOR BYAHERO
Oh, I wanna dance with Zambales. I wanna feel the heat with Zambales.
I kept singing the song as I trekked the foot of Mt. Pundaquit on my way to the viewpoint where I could get a panoramic view of the whole Anawangin Cove.
I was singing because I was happy. I was happy because I can finally do overnight camping after two years of being restricted to travel because of the pandemic. I was my revenge travel adventure. And I couldn’t be happier because I was in Zambales.
Zambales is one of my favorite travel destinations. Compared to Boracay or Palawan where you need to prepare for air travel, land transfer, accommodations and everything, Zambales only requires you to decide and go. And compared with La Union and Baler where you need to prepare your body and your wardrobe for Instagram, Zambales only requires you to be yourself. And yet Zambales is equally as attractive as the other destinations. It has beautiful beaches and enchanting coves, challenging mountain peaks and captivating hidden lakes, and heritage churches, ancestral houses and ancient sentinels.
It wasn’t difficult to assemble a motley crew of travelers to fill my seven-seater SUV. My brand of adventures is already known to my friends, and they know what to expect when they join me: be prepared for the unexpected. I told them of a weekend in Zambales to see the old Spanish lighthouse in Capones and to camp overnight in Anawangin Cove.
That did not happen.
As we were driving at NLEX, we received a text from Kagawad, our contact in Pundaquit, that the coast guard is not allowing anyone to camp overnight in any of the coves, including Anawangin. We asked why, but did not get any response. We assumed that it was probably the weather.
Where do we stay overnight then? One member suggested Liwliwa, while another one mentioned that we could try Lake Mapanuepe, both destinations located quite near Anawangin. I suggested that we see first if there are lodging options in Pundaquit once we get there.
We arrived in San Antonio exactly three hours after we left Manila. The public market of San Antonio has always been the favorite place among travelers to get supplies, and it did not disappoint when we got there. They still offer that delicious palabok for only ₱25. It was a perfect breakfast after a long drive. I was also able to get my packed lunch for our island hopping — ₱60 for beef caldereta and rice in a styro box. Backpacker’s mode now turned on again.
Pundaquit is a 10-minute drive from the market. Visitors are required to register and pay ₱25 environmental fee. As soon as we reached the talipapa, we met the wife of Kagawad. She was apologetic that we will not be able to camp at Anawangin. She offered a place for us to stay in Pundaquit: a small room with a comfort room and an open cottage with two large bamboo beds. We accepted her offer.
Our boat arrived and we were ready to go island hopping. Our boatman explained that we would not be able to land at the western side of Capones due to strong waves. This meant that we have to forego with our plan to explore the old Spanish Lighthouse of Capones. Disappointed, we simply accepted the boatman’s suggestion to explore the beach on the eastern side.
When we landed on the beach of Capones, it was completely empty. I was pleasantly surprised that the white sands have gone back and its waters much clearer than before. The pandemic must have given Capones the necessary time to heal.
Feeling better after seeing Capones, I told the boatman to skip Camara and head straight to Anawangin. Our boat had to navigate through strong waves before we reached the cove. This must be the reason why no camping was allowed for the time being.
What I saw in Anawangin when we landed made me even happier. The cove has returned to its former glory but much more. The agoho trees are now much bigger and thicker. The beach has become wider, and the lake which used to have stagnant water now has flowing water coming from the mountain and going to the sea.
We returned to our base in Pundaquit happy with what we saw. The two years of the pandemic also gave places like Anawangin and Capones time to heal.
While at our base camp, we brought our stoves and cooked our dinner. I prepared rice, fried bangus and tinapa galunggong and made salted eggs and tomato salad.
After dinner, we exchanged stories of past travels. Almost all of us simply stayed at home during the pandemic. We explored other alternative activities like learning new skills like painting and yoga, took better care of ourselves, and spent more quality time with our love ones during the two-year period.
We may not have reached what we came for in Zambales, but we got something better – we found ourselves. Coming from the pandemic for more than two years, it taught us to be more patient, more forgiving, to simply be glad to finally get a chance to go out and travel. And, not to be afraid to dance, to sing, and to celebrate life!
(The author is a senior who recently retired. His taste for adventure has not kept him from travelling, usually via not-so-usual routes.)