Silanguin Cove | The Prize After A Hike

There's a prize at the end of the trail. There is Silanguin Cove at the end of Cinco Picos. Read the story of our Cinco Picos hike in this link: Mt. Cinco Picos.

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Day 1 - February 8, 2014

Tired and drained from our hike, we quickly dropped our bags and lie down under a tree upon reaching the grey sand of Silanguin cove. At that moment, we wanted nothing but the comfort of a shaded area, and an ice cold drink, and an aircon room, and a halo-halo, and many more. Lahat na ng bagay na makakapagpa-refresh sa amin ay hindi ko talaga palalampasin.

But it was a secluded beach after all. So no ice cold drinks, no aircon room, and no halo-halo... there's just us, beach trees, and a kubo right there.

Crowd and the neighborhood of tents, which are very common in other nearby coves, are essentially absent in Silanguin cove. Well, of course, being the remotest of all the coves of San Antonio, Zambales, that's just natural.

We're actually not totally alone in Silanguin Cove. There's the caretaker's house not too far from us, and at a distance is a private beach resort. Also, scattered in between, is a handful of kubo where the locals live in peace.

Pasensya na pero pagod talaga kami at wala nang lakas para magprepare ng pa ng special lunch. So for now, Jolibee na lang muna.

As we were pitching up our tents, I heard from the nearby house a radio drama program. The story went like this: Si Ana ay isang probinsyana na napadpad sa Maynila. Namasukan siyang katulong sa bahay ng isang mayaman na donya na may anak na binata. Nagkaroon ng relasyon si Ana at anak ng amo niya. Nahuli sila ng donya na naglalabing-labing sa kwarto. Pilit silang pinaghiwalay ng donya pero nagtanan silang dalawa. Nabuntis si Ana. Bumalik sila sa bahay ng donya kasama ang bagong silang nilang anak. Buong pusong tinanggap ng donya sina Ana at ang kanyang apo. And they lived happily ever after. I know I was not supposed to laugh but I was laughing my ass off habang nakikinig ako, and I can't help it. That's something I have not listened to in many years. Haha.

There's practically nothing much to do in this tranquil place. At masyado pa ding mainit ang katanghaliang sikat ng araw para lumusob na kami sa dagat. So from 1 until around 4, we just settled in the comfort of our tents for afternoon siesta. Sarap!

Later that day, Dawn and I went for a walk along the beach. Explore explore konti para makita ang ganda ng lugar. Like the other coves in the area, this too has fine grey sand, pine trees (not really pine trees), and the best of all, a dramatic sunset scene.

The agoho trees of Silanguin Cove. Many mistakenly call those trees pine trees, but actually they're not. They just appear like pine trees but it is in fact a different species.

that's me being batang lakwatsero. tampi-tampisaw lang kasi hindi marunong lumangoy

sunset in Silanguin cove.

The sun quickly went down, and darkness took over very fast. Cool sea breeze made it a very chilling night. At bago matapos ang araw, nagkwentuhan at nagtawanan kami sa paligid ng bonfire.

Day 2 - February 9, 2014

Wala nang mas nakaka-relax pa sa pakiramdam na magising sa simoy ng dagat at tunog ng mga hampas ng alon. Tapos katabi mo pa ang pinakamamahal mo sa buhay. Ang cheezy ko.

Panoramic shot of the serene cove.

That morning, we again strolled around hoping to see something that is interesting. And indeed we found one. We spotted a blue kingfisher standing on a branch of one of the agoho trees in the area. How cool is that?

Look what I found. A blue kingfisher.

Another interesting thing we did that morning is that we ate a type of mollusk a fisherman gave us. I am not sure what species of gastropod it was. We grilled the creature, then cracked the hard shell. At first I was very reluctant, thinking that it could be poisonous or something, but when everyone took their piece, I was left with no choice but to try it as well. It was really chewy and surprisingly tasty.

the locals call it saang. I did a research at home, and I learned that this is really edible and very common in many parts of the country, particularly in Visayas.

 After tasting one, Bryan and Ron went to the sea to search for more edible seashells. I think they caught 4 or 5 more shells and we feasted on it.

By 12 noon, after we had a quick delata lunch, our boatman called the most painful word in every trip, "tara na po, uwi na tayo." Although it really pains to go home and leave behind a very beautiful place like Silanguin Cove, it is also comforting knowing that we'll soon be back to the comfort of our home. There's no place like home pa rin.

Uwian na.

Huling sulyap sa 5 peaks ng Cinco Picos

Since Silanguin cove is located in the far southern part of San Antonio Town, it will be more convenient for travelers to sail southward towards Subic port than head back north to Brgy. Pundaquit in the town of San Antonio. A difference of 2-3 hour travel time if we choose to go north.

So, after an hour of sailing, we finally reached the docks of Subic Town. From there, we hopped in an Olongapo-bound jeep, had a meal upon getting there, then by 4 in the afternoon we're already on our way to Manila. Overall, it was a fun weekend treat with friends and my love. Woot woot!