EXPLORE A MYSTERIOUS ISLAND: THE ISLAND OF CAPONES

Situated off the coast of Zambales is the mysterious island of Capones.  This island is a sentry point where a light house has been constructed to guide sailors thru the night along Zambales western seaboard.  The boat ride to the island has certain risks especially when going in the late afternoon as wave begin to increase in height and sailing around the island's light house can be a little bit risky.

 As we approached the island of Capones, we were greeted by clear, blue waters, glistening white sand and rock formation so inviting to climb that everyone was excited to get off the boat the moment we landed.

 A quick gaze around the island shows that it is not generally inhabited since we did not see any signs of permanent dwellings.  There were already some people on the beach and were sheltering themselves in the undercuts of the huge limestone cliffs nearby.

The vegetation of the island was predominantly grassland with sporadic clusters of trees.  As soon as you reach the middle of the island you can immediately see the other side and enjoy the scenery in blissful isolation.  We proceeded on the other side since we determined that there are more shady portions on that side where the sun is no longer situated.  From there we started to venture along the coastline.

The island is studded with limestone cliffs, white sand coastline and patches of grass dot the landscape.  For safety precaution, the boatman advised that it would be safer to land and disembark in the southside of the island where the wind is blocked by the island's cliff walls and waves are fairly small.

 Since there are just a few people on the island, it is ideal for picture taking especially if the theme is all about isolation, seclusion, meditation or just plain peaceful serenity.

The fun part of this island visit are the fun moments in the many limestone formations scattered around the island and just play around like children without any care or worry about sunburns and injuries.

Finding shelter from the sun such as this one is enough for me to have fun in Capones.

I wouldn't be going in this adventure alone because it is best explored safely and merrily in the company of close friends.

 The temperature during that afternoon was so hot that as much as we would like to venture more the peaks of the hills in the island to get a more panoramic view, the heat preventyed me from venturin further. So I just took pictures as much as I under the protection of an umbrella from a buddy.

 This is the beach on the other side of the island, still barely untouched by man, vegetation still wild, the shore studded with sharp rocks but generally beautiful in its raw form.

Having numerous rock formations such as this, there were many photo opportunities to catch around.  You just have to contend with the blistering heat of the sun and get an ugly sunburn if you plan to have countless pictures to shoot and of course a patient photographer as well.

And as the afternoon sun fades away, we begin our way back in to the boats and wonder if we will ever get back to this island paradise in the future.  And if so, will we ever see the same rugged beauty of Capones that captivated the hearts of each and everyone of us.

While writing this portion, I often become frustrated to realize that there were only few good pictures shot on this island.  Often we say to ourselves that if ever we would come back another day, that next time will surely be better.  However, it is often rare that one gets to have another chance to visit this place.  So remember, whenever visiting a place for the first time, always treat it as your last visit because you will never know when you will be coming this way again.  So people, shoot as much as you can.  SHOOT FIRST! ASK QUESTIONS LATER!

The Capones Adventure was a memorable one as this person behind me will attest.  We went here in the afternoon, tired from the Anawangin camping adventure yesterday but it sure deserves a slot in my BUCKET LIST of adventure!