A Nagsasa Trip to Remember

It's that time of the year again. Summer! My most favorite time of the year (and also the most expensive season); maybe even more than Christmas season. If you have been reading my blog, you'll obviously know why, it's because I absolutely love the beach! And I try to make the most out of the summer season and go to every beach I can possibly visit.

Summer is also one of the rare times my bestfriends and I go out of town and bond. We tried to do it annually starting 2007 when we went to Lingayen, Pangasinan. Too bad, Ruth couldn't join us because they had to attend a family reunion. For some reason, it took us 5 years to organize another getaway.


READ: How It All Started



Here is B-an, Trixie, and I in Lingayen

Last year, B-an, Trixie, and I (together with our main men) went out-of-town to soak up the sun in Potipot, Zambales. Unfortunately, again, Ruth could not make it since she had work during that weekend.

READ: PhP 1,000 and Potipot Island

The three of us again in Potipot

This 2013, we all got preoccupied with our jobs and personal lives that it was already mid-April when we started planning our 2013 shindig. We immediately tried to find a common date and surprisingly, Ruth and hubby, Apey, confirmed their attendance. Ruth had to work again that week but the place where she was doing fieldwork was somehow near our chosen destination.

For this year, we chose to go to Nagsasa, Zambales. Initially, this was the place we wanted to go to back in 2012. However, one of us was terribly afraid of riding a boat so we had to pick a place which does not require a long boat ride, hence, Potipot was the chosen one.

Day 1
May 4, Saturday
3:30 AM

On May 4, Saturday, Mox, Trixie, Ian, B-an, Marv, and I met at around 3:00 AM to get the 4:00 AM trip to Iba, Zambales from Victory Liner Caloocan. Unfortunately, the queue was already long when we got there so it was the 5:00 AM bus that took us to San Antonio.



Mox & Trixie were sleeping like babies at the other side of the bus

We met Ruth and Apey in San Fernando, Pampanga & they took the same bus we were in. Yey!

The bus ride should have just taken 3 hours to get there. But maybe because it was Labor Day Weekend, tourists are everywhere. We got stuck in traffic jams on our way to San Antonio. Our travel time was 4 hours and it was already past 9:00 in the morning when we reached San Antonio Public Market.

I love San Antonio market. It's one of the few markets we go to that is nearly complete and by that, I meant it has everything that we need. From fish and pork to sticks we would be using to roast hotdogs over a bonfire. When we had everything we needed, we got two tricycles to bring us to Jay-R Agasa's house in Pundakit.

Jay-R was our boatman when we first went to Anawangin and he's now our constant boatman and friend. I really liked how he and his wife, Lizelle, take care of us and their other guests. That's why everytime we go to Anawangin, we only contact either Jay-R or Lizelle. And this time was no exemption since they also offered boat rides to Nagsasa from Pundakit. As always, I'll post contact details at the end of this post.

Lizelle informed us that there were no more available big boats (which could fit all 8 of us) so we had to split into two groups since we were going to take two small boats. Without a roof! Boy we were really sunburnt haha.

So it was Mox, Ruth, Trixie, and Apey in one boat while Marv, B-an, Ian, and I were in another. We ignored the fact that the boats did not have anything to shield us from the heat of the sun; the only thing important at that time was to get to Nagsasa so we can find a good area to pitch our tents.

Which we were able to get! Yey! After the boatride that took more than an hour.

Our campsite. Sorry for the bad quality of the photo. This was taken from the small hut which served as our common area and kitchen.

This is such a shameless plug but I'm bursting with happiness so I have to share this with you. I finally have my own tent! (You: "Yun lang?")

The thing is, I love to camp but until this April, I did not have my own tent. I usually borrow from different people and sometimes it's quite embarassing when you have to borrow something over and over again.

So I'd like to introduce all of you to Shanty, uhm, my shanty tent hehe.

Although a bit cramped (since we're used to a big dome tent), Shanty is perfect for beach babies like me since it is lightweight and has mesh windows on each side for a breezy beach experience. It's also waterproof (and a vestibule for added weather protection) to shield you from inevitable drizzles. Okay, enough about Shanty, you'll be seeing more of her in my next trips!





My friend, Ian, alone in his Big Dome



I also bought a few toys for my camping trips. I bought a cookset so Marv no longer has to bring bulky kaldero and kawali, Nalgene so we avoid buying water bottles, sporks so we no longer have to use & throw away plastic ones, and another drybag from Aquamundo, which is a must for everyone who loves to travel to different islands or simply likes to go to the beach.

And whenever you feel that you're broke, just think of these as INVESTMENTS. Haha you know what I mean.

Guess what's the first thing we did once we finished setting up our tents?

LAFANG (eat)! What else? Hehe.

Since we were already starving and no longer had the energy to cook, we instantly devoured the canned goods that we brought. The rest of the afternoon was spent playing games and of course, photo op!





Good night, Ruth! Ginawa mo akong kama.

A for Apey = A for a-ffort haha.



Ganito uso sa mga Instagram ng mga celebrities. Wearing sunglasses while swimming. We are sooo in! Haha.

We started to prepare our dinner before it got dark. Even if we had a number of flashlights, LED lights, etc., we knew that it would be harder to cook after sunset. After all, we decided that we no longer wanted to eat canned goods (like what we did last year). Although we were camping on an island, didn't have electricity, and only used an improvised kitchen, we still feasted on Sinigang na Maya-Maya sa Miso, Inihaw na Bangus (Grilled Fish), Inihaw na Baboy (Grilled Pork), Prito / Ihaw na Talong (Fried / Grilled Eggplant), Mangga with Alamang (which Mox cooked from scratch). Oh yeaaaah!!!



Chef Mox & Chef Apey



Dinner

Compared to our previous camping trips, we were more responsible and eco-friendly this time. We used to utilize a number of disposable plates, utensils, cups, etc. and our trash would pile up. This time, we brought plastic containers, Lock & Locks, jugs, and washable utensils. We still used styrofoam cups but we washed them after every use. And next camping trip, we'll try our best to avoid using these.

While us girls washed the dishes, the boys made a bonfire. We gathered around it with our hotdogs / cheesedogs (kaartehan namin ni Trixie hehe) on sticks and Redhorse.

 

B-an behind the camera. May himala!



5Bs: Beach, Boyfriend, Bonfire, Beer, Bikini. Hehe. Nakakakilig 'tong mga ganitong eksena hehe.


Day 2
May 5, Sunday
5:30 AM

Being the Lola that I am (plus the lack of sleep the night before) (plus my new tent haha maipilit lang), I went to bed around 12AM while the others slept at around 5AM. Too bad for them because I got up at 5:30AM and tried to wake everyone up so we could maximize our time.

I ALWAYS wake up early whenever I travel possibly because I got used to tagging along with my friends, Dana (aka Bon Voyage Girl) and Dinno, who always chased the sunrise. Also, I think it is important to start the day early in order to maximize one's stay. Do you agree with me too?

After having breakfast, we changed into our uniforms! You'll figure out why I call them uniforms haha.

Now, do you know why?

It started last year in Potipot when Trixie discovered that all three of us (Trixie, B-an, and I) had royal blue bikinis. We wore them on our 2nd day the beach and liked how the photos looked like. This year, we deliberated and decided that the color of our summer 2013 will be red. Since April 2013, we've been trying to look for red bikinis, some of us wanted to buy new pairs, but we ended up mixing and matching old ones instead.

Matching bikinis. Not bad, right?



Guess who became our slave for the day? No, not Marv.

Our new recruit and photographer, Ian. Haha. Good thing he has a nice photo too (pampalubag-loob).

  

Jealous of this photo! Well-done, Apey, well-done.

After enduring the heat of the sun just to get good photos, we treated ourselves to a hearty brunch. I call it hearty brunch because instead of snacking on cup noodles or canned goods, we reheated the previous night's left overs or transformed them into other dishes. Good thing Apey was with us; he was a good cook!!!



A fun beach trip is not measured by the number of beer bottles you consume but by the number of times you change your outfits.

Haha yeah, I had to say it again. Because the girls changed into another pair of bikini after eating. We forced the boys to join us albeit the extreme heat of the sun for another round of bone breaking activities.



Ang lalakas ng boys at ang daling utuin! LOL.







The more, the merrier! Hehehe.





  





(B)-an, (R)uth, (A)lpi, (T)rixie -- something that we came up with back in high school =p



The day before, we instructed our boatmen to pick us up at 3:00 PM to take us back to JR's house. They arrived early the next day and waited for us while we packed our bags.

It is advisable that you do not change into clean clothes right away. Wear your swimwear / cover-up during the boatride back to Pundakit as waves usually get rowdy in the afternoon and will soak you. JR and Lizelle have built three washrooms in their house and let guests bathe for free.

This may sound cheesy for you, guys but the thing is, this really is a memorable trip for me. Even though they're my closest friends, we rarely see each other since we live so far from each other now and have crazy schedules. So I really look forward to our yearly getaway and what made this trip even more special is that all four of us were complete.

The three of them admit that they are not strong swimmers and some are even scared of riding a boat but I'm just happy that they all found time and agreed to explore Nagsasa with me and Marv. This trip allowed me to know them all-over again (people change and sometimes you refuse to accept that) and it also gave me time to enjoy, be myself, say all that I want (from green jokes to foul comments), and share life stories/problems to people who are not afraid of telling you the truth even if it will hurt like hell.

My Take on Nagsasa Cove

Nagsasa Cove is situated in San Antonio & has the same jump-off as Anawangin, which is Pundakit. Nagsasa requires a 1 H to 1 1/2 H boat ride, a bit farther from Anawangin, but Nagsasa is more serene. Nagsasa Cove is good alternative if you're longing for a peaceful camping trip, away from the growing number of campers in Anawangin Cove and Potipot Island (both in Zambales). It is also for couples who'd like to have quiet moments to bond with each other.

In terms of view, the photos I've posted above basically shows one part of Nagsasa landscape. There is still the view of the lake and from the top of the mountain. I enjoyed swimming in Nagsasa too because the water was clearer though Anawangin has a bigger camp area with more trees for shade.

However, instead of comparing these two places, I suggest that one checks out Anawangin first and then schedule his/her next trip in Nagsasa. Both places offer good camping sites and sitting in front of the bonfire while exchanging stories/dreams is a priceless experience which both places can offer.

I really liked Nagsasa even if I didn't expect the boatride to be that long. I liked how quiet the place is as well as its afternoon breeze. I'll definitely go back to this place, perhaps with Marv, to fulfill our dream of camping together, just the two of us (baka mapilitan siya mag-propose sa akin dun haha).

I wish that they won't develop the place; I was shocked to see that they had so many cottages there. After all sleeping in a tent is still the best practice.

Sample Itinerary (via commute)

Expenses

I have nothing against package tours to Nagsasa; I know there are a lot of tour groups / travel agencies who offer these. It's just that I prefer DIY trips so I can control our time and schedule and sometimes if you are part of a big group, DIY trips are actually much cheaper.

I wrote this before in my Caramoan post but I'll say it again: I make it a habit to bring baon whenever we go out-of-town especially during camping trips.

READ: Surviving a Caramoan Camping Trip with PhP 2,500

Most of the time, Marv looks for something to munch on and instead of buying chips / snack foods from convenience stores / stop overs, we snack on our baon instead.

We spent so much on food and if you just opt to cook a few simple viands then you can still cut back on the expenses.

Tips and Things to Bring

Canned goods
Cup noodles
Can opener
Knife
Plastic container - which you can use as alternative to plates and also to store leftover food
Kaldero / Kawali / Cooksets (if you have) - you can also borrow from Lizelle
Portable stove
Butane
Hammock (if you have)
Sandok - bring if you want, otherwise, you can borrow from Lizelle
Utensils - try bring reusable ones instead of plastic spoons and forks for less trash
Garbage bags
Jugs - to minimize usage of plastic / styro cups
Ice chest - bring if you can, otherwise, you can borrow from Lizelle
Rope / Straw - serve as clothesline
Tarp (if you have) - something to sit on
Hotdogs / Cheesedogs - if you want to roast them over the fire
Mosquito repellant
Flashlights / LED lights / Headlamps
Tabo / Timba (if you want) - easier when washing dishes though they have a tabo there
Lighter / Matches
Portable speakers (if you want)
Sunblock / Tanning oil
Drybag
Tent
Sleeping bag

One last thing, it's better to take beach photos early in the morning = less people and lighting is much better than near lunchtime

Contact Details

Jay-R & Lizelle Agasa

09173809104

For those who will bring cars, Jay-R & Lizelle allow you to park in their garage for free; they'll be watching over your vehicles, don't worry.

Drive to Pundakit and ask around where they live.