A month after our Maculot hike, we found ourselves at the foot of Mt. Romelo located in the depths of Siniloan, Laguna to chase some waterfalls. Mt. Romelo is the home to seven waterfalls. However, due to time constraints we aimed only for two waterfalls: Buruwisan falls and Lanzones falls. 

It has a refreshing contrast to the warm beachy climate we have at our hometown. Gloomy weather, cool breeze, and afternoon drizzles. Somehow reminded me of our fieldwork days in Mt. Makiling and Mt. Cristobal. All those morning hikes, data gatherings and rewarding waterfall jumps. Ahh, nostalgic.

Compared to the mountains that I have dared to conquer, Mt. Romelo thus far has the most confusing trail. There’s just so many diverging paths. Really, the mountain is like a buffet of forks. Ha-ha. Confusing, yes, but advantageous as well. Forks and or alternative trails can be  efficient trail traffic minimizers and time savers. If you know what I mean.  i.e  When we went, more or less a hundred high school students were also off to the falls that day, so as to avoid traffic, we used an alternative trail.

I'm not sure, though, which trail is easier and and or shorter,theirs or ours. Kuya Paul, our climb coordinator, said that we had a good pacing. Could it be that we took a shortcut? I didn't thought of asking our guide. Or perhaps we were just that excited? Ha-ha.

The trail, in general, is muddy beyond belief. If you've read other entries or heard rants about Mt. Romelo being extremely muddy, believe them, they're not exaggerating. I was fascinated how the mud easily built up on my soles. A few steps and  it already felt like I'm on heels. My companions had to stop once in a while and scrape the mud off their soles but personally I could use some additional weight  so I left my soles as muddy as they are.  The mud would eventually come off on their own anyway when it gets too thick. Also, donkeys serve as porters here so just a friendly reminder, watch your steps. Some poops might be camouflaging on the mud. Haha. I didn't know donkeys to be good hikers.

We assumed that the other hikers would root for Buruwisan falls first so we opted to visit its humble neighbor first, Lanzones falls. Its a small waterfall in a corner of a stone wall. This two-storey high waterfall has a small and shallow catch basin. We had the falls to ourselves. It's like having your own personalized waterfall pool. We had our early lunch here as we watched the falls and allowed the gushing waters so soothe our ears.

Next up is the main event --- Buruwisan Falls. Surprisingly, there weren't anyone there but us. We took our time admiring the surroundings and taking pictures. The place is enchanting! We were all in awe and for a moment thought that we're in another realm. Until the others arrived and ruined the silence. They were all shouting and laughing like they own the place and they looked drunk. Good thing they didn't stayed for long. He-he.

The summit wasn't originally part of our itinerary but since we're still way ahead of it, we decided to go for the summit. It doesn't look as elevated as a summit should and there wasn't much to see but overlooking such a lush vegetation was refreshing to the eyes.

Once again, kudos to the Barefoot Travels team for making this day hike possible. This was Kate and I’s second time to join their day hike and also the second time to be in their pioneer team. As expected, another awesome experience with them. I’m looking forward for more awesome trips with Barefoot Travels. Hopefully, next time will be a camping trip. He-he. 

P.S Try the buko ice candy in the mountain store and the halo-halo  by the registration office, they're soo good. Credits to Ms. My and Aisha for the group photos. :)


 xxx

San Antonio, Zambales, home to the lovely coves: Anawangin, Talisayin, Nagsasa, and Silaungin, is just approximately 4-5 hours away from the Metro and is just 30 minutes away from my hometown San Narciso. Whenever people learn that I'm from Zambales I'm often asked if I have been to Anawangin. With much shame and regret I would answer, "No, I haven't". Over the past years, Anawangin and the other coves have gained popularity and became one of the top picks for quick getaways. I intended to know why so I finally gave in.

What started as a drunken conversation eventually turned into an impulsive getaway. While some of us were still terribly hungover, we packed the leftovers from the night's party and hit the road. We didn't have any concrete plans until we're in Pundaquit. Lucky enough, one of my cousins have a friend there who happens to have boat rentals. 

After some discussions and more haggling, we finally came up with an itinerary. Since we went on a sunday and some of us have works the following day, we opted for just a day tour. (Funny that I have to use the term "tour". I sounded like a tourist for a moment there. Hmm. )

Le Cousins at Capones Island.

First off, Capones Island. What others didn't know is that there are two entry points to the island. If you want to see the old lighthouse, just tell your boatman to anchor your boat on that side of the island. Otherwise, they would take you to the opposite side. Just like what happened to us. Another lesson learned. 

This side of the island wasn't that bad, though. It's a long stretch of white sand beach. The sand's not as powdery as the other islands in the country but we didn't mind. The patterns of the wall caught my eye. Mix of browns, greens and some grays, very earthy. On both ends of the island, you'll see an array of rocks in all sizes imaginable. That would've been my spot if we stayed longer. Sadly, we only stayed for half an hour.

Touch down Anawangin! 

Alright, first impressions. The waters looked more inviting to me than that of Nagsasa and Talisayin. Read my post about Talisayin Cove here.  It's a lot smaller compared to the other coves, though. I finally understood why many people refer to this cove as "tent city". I expected it to be crowded but I didn't expect it to be this crowded. 

Carefree weekends, Bro! 

To stray away from the crowd, we went to a quick hike to the view deck. There are no guides for this but  worry not,  the trail's easy. No diverging paths whatsoever. Just follow the path until you reach the top. From here you'll see the entirety of Anawangin, it's shore and the lagoon opposite to it. Mountain, beach, lagoon and agoo trees, I just love the contrast of colors, very vivid. 

The unknown cove on the opposite side of Anawangin

After admiring the view and some photo ops, we started the descent. As soon as we reached our table, we had lunch and of course, some more beer. Ha-ha. Though we only stayed for the afternoon,  I'm guessing that an overnight camping would have been as fun. :)

P.S terrible hangover + tipsiness + 30 mins boat ride = Not a good idea. 

TIP BITS: 

1. Boat rides can be very pricey since the cove has gone overwhelmingly popular to tourists. If you want to save, better be in groups, the more the cheaper. The locals are friendly so feel free to haggle but please, please,  do it humbly and politely. I've seen tourists shouting and even threatening the locals just to get a discount. Tsk.

2. There are small stores in the cove but commodities are sold in much higher prices. Better yet,  bring and cook your own food. Water and coolers with ice are already included in some boat packages. Grillers are free to use, too. 

3. To save more, you can bring your own tent or hammock so you won't need to rent one. Tent rentals costs approximately 300 Php per night. 

4. If you want to push your getaway further, try trekking to the cove via Mt. Pundaquit. Guides are available at the jump off point. If you want to trek but still want to go island hopping, no problemo. Trek your way to the cove then  by boat, take a side trip to the islands on your way back to Pundaquit. :)

Photo Credits to Aunt Emy for our group pictures and Cousin Irma for my solo pictures.