PAMPANGA 2017 | HOT AIR BALLOON FEST + THE HERITAGE CAFÉ

FEBRUARY 11, 2017

I was so stoked to be finally spending the weekend up North that when our trainee dismissed our session at 4pm instead of 5pm, I immediately gathered my things and made my way out of Makati. It was the first time I was gonna commute from Manila to Pampanga and I felt both nervous and thrilled at the same time. I always (really really always) do fall asleep when I travel (shame I’m probably missing lots of great views on the way) but when I’m alone I just can’t let myself to because I might get lost or something. So, the struggle is real.

I was about to take the Five Star bus to San Fernando but the queue was so frustrating I was so relieved when I saw these UV Express that travel straight to SM Pampanga–almost the same fare but to be honest, I’d still prefer the bus. It was a long trip that my legs were so stiffed when I got to the stop!

📍 HOLY ANGEL UNIVERSITY

When I arrived at San Fernando, I was fetched by my sister from another parentals, Junice, and with her parents, we drove straight to Angeles to see this Zarzuela called “Alang Dios”. It was written by a Kapampangan playwright, Juan Crisostomo Soto, one of the known dramatist of his time and a native of Pampanga.

We got free passes because Junice’s cousin was the one who did all these costumes, props and make ups used in the set. It was my first time to see a theater act and even though I don’t speak their dialect, I could really feel the emotions these characters portray that I somehow got what was happening on stage–with a little translation from the Noriega’s family, of course 😁😄 Thank you, tito and tita and the rest of the fambam!

If you like to read about the story, you can check this page for its synopsis.

It was such a privilege to see such art and I hope that we get to preserve our own literature everywhere here in the Philippines.

It was almost midnight when we drove back to San Fernando and decided to have Jollibee on the way home because why not 😂😂

📍 JOLLIBEE MAIMPIS

(Thank you guys for always giving me home and another set of family when I’m in Pampanga! 💙)

FEBRUARY 12, 2017

📍 CLARK FIELD

The next day, we were headed to Clark for the Hot Air Balloon Festival! It has always been on my bucket list and I was so happy to finally ticked it off!

We were supposed to go at 4:00am but we slept in (hehehe we slept at 2:00am so you can’t really blame us!). We left San Fernando at 5:00am and I just dozed off through the whole ride I forgot about what time we arrived in Clark. I remember being stuck in traffic, though. I must say that it is really everywhere. But South is still the worst. 😀

It was so freaking cold that day despite the huge crowd! I was wearing a long sleeve topped with a jacket, jeans and boots but I could still feel the chills straight to my bones! But it was already so worth it the moment we saw the sunrise.

There’s was a long line at the entrance but we easily got in because they divided it between the holders with actual tickets and the ones who purchased it online. We just showed them the downloaded copy of our tickets and BAM! WE got 4 but Junice and I couldn’t take any other friends with us so there were 2 wasted tickets. 💔

By the time we got in, the balloons were already inflated and making a scene.

And when they started to fly up high, I began thinking of a poem that fits. Of course, that’s what I do. I take in the moment and try to immortalized the feeling into a poem. It goes like this:

I want to stay afloat

and keep the fire burning

but I know I will still deflate

swayed by the wind

pulled down by gravity

one day, I’d be gone ablaze

back to the ashes I once was

And that’s my Poetry #43. I do this 365 thing wherein I write a poem every single day. You can find me posting some of it on my Instagram or directly here on my blog.

This may sound a little resigned or something like I’m so done with life but I think this is very realistic. We always burn ourselves up for others that we forgot to take care of our own flames.

While each balloon made its way up, we decided to walk around the field and grab some breakfast.

And after a couple of minutes more of wandering, the sky once again showed off its beauty.

📍 SAN FERNANDO

When we got back to San Fernando, we rested for a bit, took a bath, drove around and ate at The Heritage Café. It lies along the heritage district of San Fernando, near SM Downtown. Hence, the name. It is across the heritage house, Hizon-Singian and beside is the Santos-Hizon House.

I love how this looks so much more like a home than anything else. And it welcomes you just right.

There goes the function room beside the comfort room.

The veranda also occupies people with these wooden chairs and tables but we went in the afternoon and the temperature has gone up so we decided to took tables inside because it’s air-conditioned. 😁

It was so cozy! Loving the serenity of the place so much! There are also books and magazine you can pick up and read while waiting for your order or for your whole stay.

There are also chips you can purchase as pasalubong.

They also offer cakes and cupcakes but they all look so sweet for our liking, given that we already ordered frappes.

384 — **Coffee Jelly (PHP129.00) and Double Choco (PHP129.00)**

We ordered Chicken Pesto because there was this one time when were in SM Downtown and we tried the same pasta at the Café Travel. We loved it so much that we wanted to try what it would taste like in Heritage. This one is probably the tastiest I’ve tried so far. Their servings are good for two to three people depending on the size of your intestines, of course. 😂😂 This alone made us full already.

Then we also had Bangers and Mash because we are English at heart. 😂

It was worth the price! I would probably come back here when I found myself in the heart of Pampanga again.

And of course, more pictures with Junice 😂

Before the day ends and the time I should go back to Manila, we had another joy ride and this is probably one of the bestest weekends I’ve had by far.