Nagsasa cove is about 20 minutes away from Anawangin cove, it is less crowded and popular but provides a more ideal place for those looking for a place to camp for the weekend that is neither chaotic nor depressing.
Nagsasa is more laid back, less brusque than its brother cove Anawangin. It is also surrounded by pine trees though when we went there last weekend traces of a recent forest fire is still visible but signs of nature regrouping have also started to show. I just hope that the carelessness of man won't happen again to save this wonderful place from further environment abuse.
Along with other travel blogger friends, Claire, Ada, Marcos, Joel and Darwin we went to Zambales early Saturday morning by boarding an Olongapo bound bus at Victory Liner Cubao. After a two and a half trip we arrived at Olongapo where we boarded another bus, this time bound for Iba, Zambales for another hour trip and got off at Brgy. San Antonio where we took a 20 peso per head tricycle ride to Pundaquit beach.
From there we hired a boat for 1,700 pesos (roundtrip plus stop-overs at Anawangin, Capones and Camara Island the next day) good for four people which was the boat's maximum capacity. Our total budget for the weekend was 1,500 pesos including food and transportation back and forth from Manila.
Anyway back to the story. Upon arriving around lunch time we quickly set up camp and we also found out that there is a 100 peso entrance fee for each one of us. Not surprising in a country that is fond of imposing extra fees ranging from entrance fee, membership fee, peeing fee, shitting fee, parking fee and all kinds of fees. These fees somehow turns off foreign tourists who dislikes reaching for their pocket numerous times during a trip.
Anyway, there were other campers that day, though much lesser than in Anawangin, but I fear the day would come that the laid back and tranquil surrounding of Nagsasa would become that of Anawangin in the near future. Wild, chaotic with fences and flags and nipa huts everywhere. You should remember that when I first went to Anawangin before in 2008 - it was also Nagsasa-like back then. But the more popular it became and more irresponsible campers visited the place - trash piled up and structures were erected almost everywhere without using tapping on brain activity. Still, Anawangin is still beautiful but it could have been more appealing if everyone should learn to become responsible tourists or travelers.
During the afternoon - after I fell asleep for a couple of hours at the hammock which I bought for 200 pesos, we hiked to a nearby hill to catch the sunset and see the view of Nagsasa Cove from a high vantage point. It turns out to be a brilliant idea as the sweeping hills and yellow and golden fields swaying from the strong wind provided a near fucking excellent sight for us to behold and uhmmm consume in memory enriching orgy.
We also met another travel blogger from Cebu, Carla came to Nagsasa with her husband and her twin sister who could have posed for a picture with us and we can still say its Carla and no one would notice aside from their mom.
At nighttime we cooked pork adobo and with Claire's recipe mixing skills it turned out to be a top level carinderia adobo. Something people wont mind paying 40 pesos per order because it tasted just like, well..an adobo. Later in the night we watched a movie - A Sharon Cuneta and Hilda Koronel starer and a Mark Meily directed movie called "Crying Ladies". It was a great movie but I decided to skip most parts and just sleep off on my hammock not because that movie reminded me of someone - an Ex-GF who I went out with to watch that movie in a cinema in Robinsons Place way back 2005 or earlier.
Which reminds me that Nagsasa is a great place to spend a weekend with your girlfriend, lover, friend with benefit or whatever. Sleeping under the stars, inside a two-person tent, over a mattress on the sands by the beach, bumming around is perfect for a two day reprieve out of your comfort and shitty zone known as your house and workplace.
