Just Passing By : San Fernando, Pampanga

From HABs (see here) Fiesta in Clark, we wanted to roam around the area to see other places we haven't seen yet. But the on going hot air balloon festival with traffic jam that was quite hard to beat, pushed us to take the road less traveled which was more drive-able _ the going back to Manila route. I asked husband if San Fernando was a possibility. I was hitting on a lunch at Everybody's Cafe and besides, I've never been to this town in Pampanga. So we took San Fernando enroute back to Manila.




beautiful rotunda

I was pleasantly surprised  how  clean and wide the roads were.  I love how scenic and green these Acasia ( are they?) trees made the roads look and feel.

I really thought it was a museum, haha. a Pagcor casino, still under construction.

Christmas lantern. Sure, what's San Fernando without them!












Late for Christmas? Well, it's Christmas again in 9 months.




Cuz' was excited to buy some. She thought it was a good chance to score lanterns on sale. You know, like buying swimsuits on sale during winter or  jackets during summer. Christmas lanterns just after its season was over. On sale?




No way! They were on regular price. haha! No matter how Cuzin' tried to bargain, she couldn't settle for the price she preferred.



So we left the shop without buying, haha. enaf of Christmas for the meantime..




Finally, we reached our target. Our tummies were ready for crickets and stuffed frogs. Jump off to my food blog here  to see Everybody's Cafe's not so exotic dishes. See yah.

16th Hot Air Balloon Fiesta : Still Hot About Habs

I dream of having my own hab (hot air balloon), actually 3 habs, with each of my 3 blogs' names on each balloon, and let them fly on the next HAB Festival !!! awesomeness!! Ofcourse, never to forget_ me riding on one of them. wake-up!!!!!

So we woke- up a bit later than planned ( see here ) but punished with massive traffic and long queue of  late comers like us those availing entrance tickets.












At one point, I was panicking cos we were still outside and some of the balloons were already starting to lift up. I badly wanted to get inside and smash a closer shots of those balloons.

I looked around and saw patrons ignored the ticket line and for a while enjoyed the flight of the balloons, unmindful of the barricade blocking the view.

Well, why not, looking up to the balloons there in the sky, it didn't matter where your gaze was coming from.

But up close, I was astonished how massively huge these balloons were. .  and really humbled me in so many ways. and yes they were amazingly amusing. .  more than the airplanes :))

For a moment, I traveled back to my childhood where party balloons flew away (accidentally)  from kids' hands. .




and I would follow them with thoughtful gazes. . .




. . and always blamed myself for not being able to grab the end tail of the balloon, fast enough so I could fly with it. haha.




So just now I realize_ it must be where my love of flying rooted. That's why flying on cheap/budget airlines doesn't bother me, unlike my wealthy friends who always fly first class, cos in my humble book_ it's still flying.

The 16th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta was H - O - T !!!!!

Hot Air V- Day

I swear_ we arrived today at Clark still so dark. . .

. . . caught up in a bumper to bumper traffic with thousands of others who wished to see the early dawn flight of the hot air balloons ( scheduled to flame and fly at 5:30 am). . .




. . . but had to watch the first set of balloon flights coincided with the sun's first peek of Clark, me _ still in the middle of the traffic jam.




Nevertheless, we hit the end of the tunnel of the jam and able to catch up with other colorful hot air balloons, about to lift up from the ground.

Happy Valentine's Day everyone !!!!

* will share  more ballons later. see yah ;)

What Was that ???

Last 3/ 27/2010, on our way to Subic, I was trigger happy taking photos of the roads (SCTex). From a close , dusty window of a moving vehicle



Not an everyday sight to me, (being from the south), I still got amazed by the reminiscent ashes of Mt. Pinatubo's biggest explosion decade ago.


Not far from this, some smokey thing happening caught my attention.








I was not sure what that was, I just kept on popping my cam while we were moving fast toward and away from the whirlwind thingy.

By this time, everyone was now all attention to this baby tornado ??? It was all our first time to see natural wind current like that. Kids and adults alike.








As fast as we passed by it, the wind collapsed down and gone. Like nothing happened. This, we witnessed thru our back window. We didn't stop, it was on a highway.




Then I went back popping my cam towards nicer view. Yet, couldn't get over it . . .What do you think it was???