Pundaquit is 40 kilometers away from the Subic. We passed by the "ulo ng apo" monument on the rotunda in Olongapo City*. Olongapo City, despite being right outside the Subic Free Port Zone, has a totally different atmosphere. Crowded downtowns and narrow roads, it is totally opposite to that of Subic's sprawling environment. Being close to an area populated by sailors and marines, it used to have a long stretch of clubs and bars, which some until now still exists.
A few hours before noon, we finally arrived at the shores of Pundaquit. We were surprised to find the bancas** lined up all having no roofs. With the sun high up in the sky, it would've been tortuous to us. Gladly, the banca ride was a short one. And we had towels to shield us on that short ride.
Anawangin Cove is known for it's camping grounds. It is one of the closest beaches from Manila. And totally away from civilization. Water you had to pump from the well, basic tileless, roofless bathrooms, making your own fire.. Pine trees were scattered all over the shores, providing good shade. That, and all the tents scattered all over the place, it was actually pretty charming.
On a different note, it's not a safe haven. The bancas leave the island before sundown as the strong tides are dangerous. Campers are all that's left on the island. Cellular phones are useless. In the event of an emergency, there's nothing and no one to assist you except other fellow campers. It is not advisable to go there during rainy season, as the usually-dry little stream at the back overflows with rainwater and floods the entire place. Pretty exciting, huh?
Here's more. It is also not advisable to go swimming. Aside from the multitude of dead corals which have turned to sharp stones, many have drowned to their deaths. The sea bed seems to be all flat until it takes an unexpected dip. A lot have been victims of this. Aside from the dangerous beach, a lot have gone lost trekking at night. A site has even been created to remember the lost souls. I learned of all that after the trip.
The next island, Capones, was no better. It had shores full of shells which were painful even when donning slippers. The highlight of the island was supposedly the lighthouse, which was in no way visible from the shore. Apparently, it needed an hour of uphill trekking, which we were in no mood to do. The only shady area was under one of the gigantic rock formations. It was unclean, littered with cigarette butts, water bottles, and things better not mentioned. But we had no other choice as we waited for the others to finish. We sat under the huge rock. I, on my boyfriend's slippers.
There were 2 more islands nearby, Camara and Cameru. But everyone wanted to head back already. So once again, holding our towels over our heads, we slowly headed to shore and took the long ride back to Subic.
* legend here
** banca means boat in the Philippine language Tagalog
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