nagsasa cove

Back in 2013, with the memories of Siquijor fresh in our minds and the summer sun beckoning us, J suggested we go on a camping trip to Nagsasa Cove in Zambales. I haven't been on a camping trip before. My friends don't think of me as the type to go camping. With my requirements of clean toilet and bath with lukewarm water, they simply didn't think of it as something I could and would do. But J made camping sound so exciting - grilling your food by the beach, watching the sunset, and sleeping under the stars (inside a tent, of course) plus add the fact that I wanted to spend time with him - I was utterly convinced. He even assured me that there is a working toilet in Nagsasa and showering with clean tap water is possible. My only real fear at that point was bathing in cold water.

We agreed to a budget of Php 1,500 per person. With our bags packed, we took a road trip to San Antonio, Zambales. Four hours later, we found ourselves in the town's market. We bought fresh fish, meat, hotdogs, potatoes, fruits, and everything else we could possibly need for nice meals. Later on we realized we got too excited and bought too much.

Fresh fish at the town market. A kilo for only 80 pesos.

We had a quick lunch at an eatery in the town, where we also asked for directions to Pundaquit, the jump-off point to Nagsasa Cove.

The summer heat was full on when we made our way to Pundaquit. Once we got there, we learned that overnight parking and hiring a boat to Nagsasa would cost us so much more than we allotted for since it was only the two of us and it was the peak season. But J assured me that we would get a good deal with the budget that we had. 

He did everything. We ended up sharing the boat with a group going to Nagsasa for only Php 800 per person (plus free overnight parking for our vehicle). We thought this turned out cheaper by a couple of hundred of pesos compared to renting a boat all to ourselves (which we were told was Php 2,500) and paying a fee for overnight parking.

It took about an hour to get to Nagsasa Cove from Pundaquit. The boat ride was nice as the marvelous azure color of the water was mesmerizing. On one side, the water stretched as far as the eye can see. On the other, the mountains were a lovely addition to the blueness of the water and the sky. Eventually during the boat ride, I just wanted to sleep.

When we got to Nagsasa Cove, our boatman helped us look for a camping site.

Nagsasa Cove,
April 6, 2013

It was a lovely day and I couldn't wait to explore. But there is a tent that needed to be pitched and food to be prepared. After everything was done, J and I wanted to look for the waterfalls. The local kids were more than happy to take us. At the last minute though, we decided against it as it would be dark soon and it might be hard to get back to camp. 

We started cooking shortly after sunset. It got pretty dark quite quickly and I did not anticipate this. We struggled to get the charcoals burning. We were both on the brink of giving up as our charcoal wouldn't burn enough to grill a decent meal. Adding to our frustration was seeing the other campers happily grilling their dinner to perfection. It felt like hours until we were successful and everything else was easy after that.

Our meal felt like it was the most delicious I've ever had in months... possibly because I was really hungry and all it took was a nice meal to make us forget the challenge that we experienced before our meal.

The restrooms in Nagsasa Cove were clean. As I prepared to take a quick bath, I began to realize how most things in my daily life were a luxury compared to the simple and basic life in Nagsasa Cove. It made me appreciative of what I had back home. While lukewarm water would have been nice to wash off the day's sweat and dirt, at that point I was just thankful that there was a covered restroom and clean water.

That night, we wandered along the shores. There were campers who managed to make bonfires and I imagined how happy it would have equally been had our friends been there as well.

The night breeze was chilly and after gazing at the stars, we headed back to our tent. On the camp itself, the breeze wasn't as chilly as that along the shore. The night was dark and almost pitch black in Nagsasa Cove. You can hear stories and laughter being shared here and there inside tents from circles of friends. Generally though, it was relatively quiet. This was a wonderful change to the hustle and bustle of the city, where it sometimes gets too bright and too noise as there seems to be a perpetual stream of buses and jeepneys honking for passengers and of vehicles passing by.

It was my first time inside a tent and I quickly realized that you lose a sense of distance when you're inside one. Everything seemed so much closer somehow. I'm pretty sure there's a scientific explanation to it. When we heard voices of other people, it sounded like they were right outside our tent. In reality though, they were at a good distance from us.

As I was trying to get some sleep and J was reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, a funny but rather embarrassing thing happened. We started hearing strange sounds from one of the tents nearby. The sounds eventually became moans and cries of pleasure. We know what happened there.

After our laughter passed, it soon became quite uncomfortable to be hearing that unwelcome noise. For sure we weren't the only ones who heard.

Come morning, we were hoping to catch the sunrise. But the sunrise in Nagsasa was not as spectacular as we had hoped. The mountains blocked it from view. Still, there is poetry in motion watching the mountains that surround Nagsasa Cove slowly change in color as the sun rays touched it space by space.

We were among the last campers to leave Nagsasa Cove that day. We drove back to Manila, our adventurous bodies both tired and wanting of sleep but our hearts were filled with new experiences, funny anecdotes, and a renewed gratefulness for all the things that we usually take for granted.

 

Nagsasa Cove,
April 7, 2013