Karla, at the top of the light house in Capones Island.
CAMARA ISLAND
The waves were a little bit rough that we decided to skip Camara Island. It is the one nearest to Pundaquit, and it appears to be a big lump of rock in the middle of the sea. The boatman told us that there's supposed to be a tiny sandbar had it not been for the high tide that time.
Trivia 1: The TVC for San Marino corned tuna was shot in Camara Island.
CAPONES ISLAND
This island is popular for its lighthouse, Faro de Punta Capones or the Capones Lighthouse. It has been used to guide ships in the bays of Subic and Manila.
Since there were strong waves, our boat was docked at the far end of the island instead of the one nearest the light house. I could remember that two years earlier, it was an easy trek to the lighthouse. But this time, since we took a different route, the trek was even more challenging, and quite dangerous, actually.
Since the lighthouse is located at the top of the hill, braving the steep parts of Capones is expected.
We passed by this area where a whole lot of slippers, shoes, and empty bottles were washed ashore.
It was a fun and easy trek at first. We were all smiles. We took our time taking pictures. But wait 'til the going gets so tough.
A quick uphill walk led us to this great view of the sea.
And then suddenly, we felt the scorching heat of the sun.
And the trek was just starting then.
And the trek was just starting then.
We also headed down, then we started to walk at the side of the island.
The pathway is mostly rocks, so it is advisable to wear durable flip-flops. Bring bottled water too as the heat of the sun can be unbearable. And I do hope you already applied sunblock even when you were still at the shores of Pundaquit.
I thought there's someone at the top of the hill looking at us. Everyone got excited and headed toward its direction.
We were comforted by the presence of these men. The government owns the island, and these men were assigned as guardians of Capones. Their presence gave us hope that the light house is nearby. But is it?
Jiggs gave up and decided to stay with the military men. And again, the rest of us trekked in rocky pathway.
Uphill trek again. That only means one thing, we're all going up, finally, towards the lighthouse. But what's scary were the people going down. Not careful enough, I saw fresh scratches and bruises in their knees and legs.
After more than an hour of trek (at least it felt that long), finally, the Capones Lighthouse! Was it worth it? Hell, yes! We took the longer, steeper, more dangerous route, it should better be worth it.
What I appreciate even more is the view at the back of the lighthouse. It gave me a sense of serenity seeing the blue waters below,
and the landscapes of Pundaquit from afar.
and the landscapes of Pundaquit from afar.
We basically took the same route back to our boat. And may I tell you, we did the trek all by ourselves (yes, no tour guides or boat men to assist us, and that actually made me wonder: Is it not part of the boat fee?). Anyway, manong ice drop is an angel. Even if his ice drops are worth three times its original price, I still consumed two.
Trivia 2: Check out the music of "Get Me" of MYMP. At the back is actually the islands of Camara and Capones.
And then we headed to Anawangin.
Here is the list of entries on our overnight Zambales trip:
