Mountain Province: Close to nature in Sagada

Since we're on the topic of the Cordilleras, I might as well write about my trip to Sagada in the Mountain Province. It was New Year's Day of 2004, I drove straight to Baguio City after a family reunion in Tarlac. There I met up with my SSEAYP batchmate Jonathan Tambol who would accompany to Sagada the next day. So I stayed at their place for the night.

The next morning, we took a mini-bus to Sagada from the bus station near the market. Driving was out of the question given the distance as well as the condition of the roads to Sagada. Buses leave only in the morning since it's dangerous driving to Sagada when it gets dark. The trip took about six hours along a zigzag road which offered great views of vegetable terraces. Along the road is the highest point along the Philippine Highway System. But just like most of our attractions, the sign was neglected. Sigh! I remember visiting the highest point of the Taiwan Highway System in 2003 and the marker was an attraction in itself with a viewing deck where one could marvel at Taiwan's snow-capped mountains. I guess the photo shows how neglected our own marker is.

Since mini-buses leave Sagada in the morning as well, you will have to stay in Sagada for at least two nights if you plan to take public transportation from Baguio City. When we arrived in Sagada, first thing we did was look around for cheap lodging. We found one easily for PHP100 a night per person. After resting a bit, the cold mountain air was so conducive for an afternon nap, we went for a hike to the hanging coffins. Perched on beautiful limestone cliffs dotted with occasional pine trees, these coffins are treasures of Sagada. We went to bed early that night to rest for our visit to nearby Sumaging Cave the next morning.

To enter the cave, you had to get a guide from the Municipal Hall of Sagada. Although we could have gotten a guide just for the both of us, it was going to be quite expensive. So we opted to wait for another group who would be willing to share in the expenses. I think we waited about 30 minutes or so for a group to arrive and good thing they had a pick-up truck so we didn't need to walk to the entrance of the cave. Hehe! The fee for the guide includes the lights for the cave.

Things to remember when you visit Sumaging Cave: (1) you will definitely get wet so wear light shorts and a crew neck t-shirt; (2) no jackets since that would be a hassle when wet; (3) it is best to wear slippers or sandals since at some point in the cave you will take them off and walk barefoot for better grip; (4) make sure you have a waterproof bag for your camera; and (5) celphones and other unnecessary items are best left in the vehicle. The formations inside are awesome. But remember to keep your focus since one mistake and you could fall deep down.

There is also a pool inside where you could swim in but it was January 3 so imagine how cold the water was. Brrrrrrrr! There were times we had to slide down the limestone formations. And at times, the openings were so small, our guide had to teach us how to maneuver into them properly. But the trip was definitely most worth it.

We were back in town just in time for lunch. During the afternoon, we went back to bed again. Hey! The very reason I went to Sagada was to relax and enjoy the mountain air since I was quite stressed after a very hectic December due to the Giant Lantern Festival among others. Hehe! In fact, I had a fever before driving up to Baguio. And for some reason, it was gone as soon as I got to Sagada. During the visit to the cave, I actually saw Daks Quinones, a brod of mine, who was with his friends. They invited us to join their group after dinner for a drink or two and we did. But we didn't stay up too late.

We were up early the next morning at 5 a.m. since there was a limited number of mini-buses and seats were scarce. If we got left behind, we would have to stay another night. We weren't the only ones waiting for a bus. But after much waiting, we finally got seats and were off to Baguio again arriving shortly after lunch.

In the evening, we met up with another SSEAYP batchmate Edwin Antonio who was taking around Rose, another SSEAYP batchmate who was visiting from Indonesia. We had dinner. Then it was off to the Mansion House. After going around, I was off to Pampanga. Now that it's so hot in Manila, maybe I could consider visiting Sagada again.

Baguio: Saving Baguio before it's too late

It was two straight days of road trips for me. I just got back from Baguio City last night where members of the Heritage Conservation Society met with the management of Teachers' Camp and DepEd to discuss the restoration of Roxas Hall, the first in a large complex of heritage educational structures in Teachers' Camp that we all hope to restore by the centennial of the camp in 2008.

The van passed by for me in San Fernando at about 6 a.m. and we were off to Baguio. Along the way, we saw sad sights. Two of the best preserved examples of municipios along MacArthur Highway, in fact I feel they were the ones with character, were renovated beyond recognition. Shame on the municipal governments of Moncada, Tarlac and Villasis, Pangasinan for destroying the unique character of their municipal halls and thus, the identity of their communities. Elections are fast approaching and we all know that LGUs are rushing to complete as many projects as they can, no matter how useless, to beat the election ban on projects. I wonder why? Hehe! I had seen the same structures the previous day when Ryan Tan and myself drove to Villasis, Pangasinan. From Rosales, we went to Cabanatuan City and along the way, I saw another sad sight. Let me add to the shame list Guimba, Nueva Ecija which replaced a charming early-American period wooden presidencia with a concrete structure! These ignorant local officials don't realize the damage they are creating.

Anyway, we arrived in Baguio at about 11 a.m. and went straight to Teachers' Camp which was in full bloom. It was such a charming place except for the area which was lent to the Philippine Sports Commission (I heard they renovated a heritage structure without the permission of the Teachers' Camp mangement), and that ugly new building beside Roxas Hall which I heard GMA just inaugurated this Holy Week. For crying out loud, let's keep the character of Baguio City's green and white architecture alive, especially in well-preserved areas like Teachers' Camp!

Our architects have for months been making an assessment of the state of Roxas Hall (right) and we made a brief tour of the structure to inspect all the deterioration they found and the work which needed to be done.

After the tour, we proceeded to Cafe by the Ruins where Councilor Galo Weygan was going to meet us for lunch to discuss the proposed restoration of the Dominican Hill. The ruins here refer to what's left of the home of the owner of the cafe which was bombed during the Second World War. The cafe is a perfect mix of art and pocket gardens that you woudn't even notice that the busy street is just outside. For lunch, I had camote soup and chicken with coconut milk and basil, accompanied with lassi, a yogurt drink which is mixed with fruits, strawberries in my case.

Councilor Weygan asked us what could be done to the structure on Dominican Hill. Gemma stressed that unless they have the extra funds to spend, they have to make heritage commercially viable and self-sustaining. Which is why, instead of the museum the City Government of Baguio was thinking of, we proposed that it be used again as a hotel (it was a hotel before) with a lot of outdoor cafes which non-guests could also visit and enjoy given the magnificent views of Baguio from the hill. We were going to visit the site later in the afternoon after we finished our meeting at Teachers' Camp.

One of the things discussed as well was the pending Baguio Heritage Ordinance which I heard was already passed on second reading. It aims to preserve what is left of the unique fabric of Baguio City and its character architecture (green roofs and white or brown walls) by convincing existing homeowners whose homes can be seen in heritage view areas such as Kennon Road, Teachers' Camp, Camp John Hay among others, to paint their houses green and white. We must remember that each place on earth has a unique character (towns in the Philippines are losing theirs thanks to the ignorance of local officials and priests). When you see white houses on cliffs beside blue water, you know you are in the Mediterranean. It should have been that when one saw green and white houses and buildings harmoniously mixed with lush pine trees, he knew that he was in Baguio City. But that is not the case today since the city's most imposing landmark is no longer the Baguio Cathedral or Burnham Park; it is now SM City Baguio! Sigh!

I think Henry Sy should read this article in The Wall Street Journal about how China is starting to realize that preserving archaeological sites may be a better idea than building shopping malls. I remember this article well since I got to read it during my first few weeks in UP MBA thanks to the free issues of The Asian Wall Street Journal.

Anyway, on the way out of the cafe, we bought some bread to take back home to Manila. I got some blueberry muffins, basil bread, camote bread and carrot cake. We were then off to our meeting back in Teachers' Camp.

After the meeting, we met up with Councilor Weygan at Baguio City Hall which is another heritage landmark of the city. At the base of the building was the signature pink Baguio stone which once became a fad in Manila. We then proceeded to Dominican Hill from there.

The hill was very near the Lourdes Grotto. The setting was just excellent! From the gate, we could see that the old structure on the hill used to be very stately and elegant. Indeed, the Dominicans selected the best sites for their buildings. But after continuous looting, we all knew that the site needed massive restoration work.

We could all imagine however what it would look like when completed... a charming lobby with a fireplace, outdoor cafes at the roof deck and the sides of the building serving local food and coffee, three floors of comfortable rooms and a magnificent view of the surrounding areas. The photo below was taken from the spacious roof deck of the building. Check out Melvin Pawataran's photos of Dominican Hill.

After the brief visit, it was back to the lowlands for us. I had wanted to stay in Baguio since I had forgotten it was still summer thanks to the cool temperature. It would have been such a charming city had previous local officials protected the unique cultural fabric and character of the city. Today, we no longer smell pine trees but exhaust from jeeps and other vehicles. But it is never too late since there is still a lot than can be preserved. Baguio City should prevent another SM disaster from happening again by controlling the achitecture, height and colors of new buildings, ensuring that they are in harmony with exisitng buildings, by making sure that no more pine trees are chopped down (SM City Baguio had to chop down hundreds of pine trees FYI) and by convincing existing homeowners to repaint their houses greena and white or use local stones on the walls such as Baguio pink, Kennon gray and Irisan white.

Related to the upland heritage, the Rice Terraces of the Cordilleras may be removed from the UNESCO World Heritage list. The article came out recently in SunStar Baguio. Take note of what the municipal engineer of Banaue said under the subtitle Emergency meetings. It is that type of ignorance in the guise of practicality which continuously destroys the heritage of the Philippines.

Pampanga: El Circulo Fernandino, keeping up with social tradition

The City of San Fernando, Pampanga is host to many festivals, events and traditions. Every Good Friday, people flock to San Pedro Cutud to witness the reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ by several penitents. Along the route are hundreds of flagellants. In the afternoon, elegant heirloom carrozas and santos are taken out for the largest Good Friday procession in Pampanga which goes around old San Fernando (check out some photos here). In October, there is the Piestang Tugak (Frog Festival) which was first held in 2003 when I was still City Tourism Officer of San Fernando. Throughout the years, it has attracted the crowds and the media with its padwasan (frog-fishing), frog cooking contests and other unique activities. It is now a much-awaited event of San Fernando.

In December, there are the Sinukwan Festival and Pampanga's week-long celebration of Aldo ning Kapampangan (Pampanga Day) commemorating the birth of the country's oldest province, and the Giant Lantern Festival, which I have already discussed in another entry. And then there is May 30 and the San Fernando fiesta. And to start off the celebrations is the El Circulo Fernandino annual reception and ball which was held yesterday night.

It is indeed the most prestigious social event in Pampanga where, as in the olden days, women would flaunt their best jewelry, gowns and ternos, and men would elegantly dress in their best piña barongs, and dance the night away. El Circulo Fernandino is the oldest surviving social club in Pampanga. Formed sometime in 1920, it was an organization for the social elite of San Fernando. Its precursor was the La Gente Alegre de San Fernando (The Merry Folks).

According to John Larkin in his book The Pampangans, “a new phenomenon, town and provincial social clubs, which sprang up in the early American years, demonstrated how the native upper class flourished under the new regime. These organizations, exclusively for the elite, provided among other things an opportunity for young single adults to socialize with and meet others of the same age and class.”

Larkin later mentions, “the Pampangan elite, a greater number of them emulating late nineteenth century patterns of behavior, turned their attention to peer group organizations, politics, and extra provincial activities. They resolved many if their economic and political problems by banding together into various agricultural organizations and political parties. The trend toward forming upper-class social clubs for amusement also continued. Such groups as the Young Generation in Macabebe, the Kundiman in Angeles, and the Circulo Fernandino in San Fernando were all patterned after organizations formed in the early American years.” Also worth mentioning is the fact that when the town of Santo Tomas was still part of San Fernando, the Thomasian, an organization which organized the annual Sabado de Gloria Ball, was formed. The ball is the oldest uninterrupted social event in Pampanga.

El Circulo Fernandino organized annuals balls and receptions to achieve this end. All of it however stopped as a result of the hostilities during the Second World War. After the war, the organization again resumed its social activities. But the annual receptions were halted again in 1987.

It was only in 1997 that the organization decided to revive its annual receptions under the presidency of Engr. Angelo David and Dr. Leticia Cordero-Yap. The El Circulo Fernandino Foundation, Inc. was born as a result of this revival, transforming the organization from a strictly social-status club to a socially-involved organization.

On its 86th year, El Circulo Fernandino is the most-awaited annual social event in the province of Pampanga, where the crème de la crème meet. As part of keeping up with Filipino traditions, the immortal dance classic, the rigodon de honor, is performed by the prominent citizens of the City, men in their best piña barongs and women in dazzling and colorful ternos.

I've been part of this tradition for the past four years now and it is a really fulfilling experience knowing that you are continuing an old tradition initiated scores ago by your own forefathers.

Pampanga: Pampanga's pride

Pampanga's pride is indeed its heritage and cuisine. I got a lot of texts yesterday since my blog was mentioned in the article Hit the Road in 2bU in the Inquirer Lifestyle section. And people had been calling the Center for Kapampangan Studies for information. Anyway, the article information was based on entries 9 and 10 of my blog.

Just some corrections, what was mentioned as Furniture Clay (yes we had callers asking about the clay furniture) is actually Furniture City in Mabalacat, Pampanga. This is a complex of world-class furniture factories which export their products worldwide. Before you visit, please call Lisa Samia at (045) 8930092 to 93.

Abe's Farm is actually the Mt. Arayat resthouse of restaurateur Larry Cruz of the LJC Restaurant Group which includes Cafe Adriatico and Cafe Havana among many others. The fabulous resthouse is in Magalang, Pampanga, the hometown of Larry's father, journalist and artist E. Aguilar Cruz. Having lunch at his place requires arrangements made much earlier though (photo of buffet table is on the left). For more information, click here.

Another must try lunch or dinner venue is Claude Tayag's residence Bale Dutung in Villa Gloria, Angeles City. This P1800 per head Kapampangan feast has to be pre-arranged as well and you must have at least 12 persons in your group (photo of Claude's paella is on the right). Claude has a shop in his house where you can buy bottled buro and taba ng talangka but the Claude 9 brand is also available in Pampanga supermarkets such as Essel Supermarket. You can also pass by Tita's or Pampanga's Best along Gapan-Olongapo Road for even more Kapampangan delicacies.

C Italian Restaurant is among the many international offerings that line Fields Avenue and Friendship Highway beside Clark. You can check out Zapata's (Mexican), Salvatore's (Italian), Subdelicious (American), Cottage Kitchen (Cajun), and a host of Japanese and Korean restaurants among many others.

The ensaymadas in San Fernando are made-to-order and you have to call them at least 2 days in advance. But Imang Salud Dayrit's San Fernando ensaymadas are actually available in Manila. These melt-in-your-mouth wonders are six inches in diameter, made with the finest ingredients and topped with a generous serving of queso de bola. You can visit the Legaspi Sunday Market organized by San Lorenzo Village and open every Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. behind the Corinthian Plaza building. Make sure you look for the Imang Salud booth. Also on sale are atcharang gule, atcharang ubud, balu-balo, tibok-tibok and pickled mangoes. Another signature dessert but made-to-order is plantanilla, sweet egg crepes with latik filing. Yummy! You can call (0920) 9478819 for orders.

But one thing the article was not able to mention (since it wasn't in my blog article) was Everybody's Cafe where Kapampangan food is available everyday in their turo-turo style display. Try out the pako salad, calderetang baka, morcon, chicharon bulaklak, tortang bangus, inihaw na hito or bulalo soup. For the brave, go further and savor the buro with hito (fermented fish paste with catfish), betute (deep-fried stuffed frog), camaru (fried cricket adobo), dumara (wild duck adobo) or pindang damulag (carabeef tapa). They have branches in San Fernando along MacArthur Highway in Barangay Del Pilar, and Angeles City in Nepo Mart.

Other must tries are the Kapampangan halo-halo places. In fact, there are three distinct halo-halo varieties in Pampanga. These are Guagua (Razon’s), Angeles (Corazon’s) and Arayat (Kabigting's and Jurado's) halo-halo. It must also be noted that Kapampangan halo-halo is distinct from the other halo-halo served in the country because it uses only three or four ingredients or sahog. However, the richness of these ingedients more than compensates for the number of types thrown in the glass. Arayat for example is distinct for its pastillas, crushed beans and saging combination; Guagua for its macapuno, saging, and leche flan; while Angeles is distinct for its mais, saging, pastillas and crushed beans combination.

Also check out Aling Lucing's at the Crossing (Henson Street, Angeles City) which is the birthplace of Pampanga sisig and the steakhouses in Marisol Subdivision, Angeles City. Luring's of Guagua (with branches all over Pampanga) serves some of the best barbeque and other grilled meat products. Ikabud (the contracted form of ika kabud which translates as only you) is another restaurant that serves grilled food and is located in Hensonville, Angeles City.

If you want to try out everything, go for Smorgasbord, the buffet Kapampangan lunch and dinner offered at Partyland (MacArthur Highway and SM City Pampanga) and Holidayland (Gapan-Olongapo Road) both in San Fernando.

Visiting Pampanga has now been made easier and carefree with a tour entiled Pampanga's Pride offered through the Island Caravan. Visit their website for more information or e-mail skoal@skyinet.net.

The tour includes a visit to...

• Bacolor Church - this is the half-buried San Guillermo Church in Bacolor. Entering what was once the largest church in Pampanga, visitors enter the church through the choirloft windows, and are greeted inside by beautifully restored retablos dug up from several feet of lahar. The citizens of Bacolor take pride in their rich heritage which is why they painstakingly excavated the ornately carved wooden main and side altars which are now back to their pristine condition;
• Betis Church - a must visit church in Pampanga, the centuries-old Betis Church in Guagua is nicknamed the "Sistine chapel of the Philippines" because of its wall ceiling murals. It is the second oldest church in Pampanga and one of the 26 churches declared by the National Museum as national cultural treasures;
• Archdiocesan Museum and Archives - savor the grandeur and elegance of religious art in Pampanga with a visit to the repository of Pampanga's church treasures housed inside the University of the Assumption; and
• Center for Kapampangan Studies - a museum, archives, library, research center and theater rolled into one, the Center for Kapampangan Studies was put up by Holy Angel University in 2002 to preserve, study and promote Kapampangan history and culture

Lunch is at Everybody's Cafe while afternoon snacks includes halo-halo at Corazon's. There are also optional visits to any of the following: Pampanga's Best Factory (for big groups), Lantern Factory, Minalin and Apalit Churches, or the pottery area in Sto. Tomas.

For those who could afford to splurge, go for the overnight tour package which includes dinner at Claude Tayag's Bale Dutung, lunch the next day at Abe's Farm of Larry Cruz, and overnight accomodations at King's Royal Hotel and Resort.

Above are some photos of the natural heritage of Pampanga which I took way back in college in 2001 and 2002.

Malaysia: Putrajaya, city planning at its finest!

It was less than 48 hours before I returned to the Philippines. And my last two days was going to be spent in Kuala Lumpur, the hub of the no-frills airline AirAsia whose revolutionary air ticket rates are changing the airline industry in Malaysia and around Southeast Asia. Our own Cebu Pacific in fact seems to be following suit.

I arrived in the LCC-T of the KLIA at about 6 p.m. Then I took the AirAsia shuttle again from the airport to KL Sentral for RM9. From KL Sentral, I took bus no. 110 to Chinatown, the same bus I rode to the Putrajaya Bus Station. The fare was RM2. I got off at the corner of Jalan Petaling and walked around to look for a guest house. My bags were heavy and since I saw an Indian restaurant first, I decided to have dinner. It was roti canai and curry dip for me.

Then I continued looking around until finally, I saw a guest house. They didn't have single rooms anymore, but a double was available. The owner offered me a RM5-discount since I was alone so I paid RM30 for a non-aircon double room with a queen-sized bed. Good enough.

The evening was spent at the guest house resting and re-packing my luggage. A Singapore PY, Siti Mariam, had invited me to meet up since she was studying in Malaysia. I forgot to jot down her number so I went to an internet shop to get it. When I got it, I sent her an SMS and my boring next day suddenly had a long list of things to do.

In the morning, I took a walk around the center of Kuala Lumpur and Chinatown. I had breakfast first, again at an Indian restaurant. Then it was off for a walk. Among the sights in the area were Hindu and Chinese temples and old govenment buildings which included the old KL City Hall, the KL Memorial Library, National History Museum and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building (above) all around Merdeka Square, and the art deco Central Market (right).

I would like to make special mention of the adaptive reuse of buildings in KL. Notice the McDonald's store housed in an old colonial building. Why can't McDonald's in the Philippines do the same? They could have done that in Vigan by using reusing the ruins of the old convento. Again, I would like to reiterate that the McDonald's building in Vigan is nothing to be proud of. I hope the City Government of Vigan realizes that since nothing is better than the original. When McDonald's Philippines learns how to respect heritage, indeed that will be the day! Kudos to McDonald's in Malaysia. Notice the signage of the store as well. It does not clash or overpower the architectural details of the building. Bravo!

At about 11 a.m., I went back to the guest house to prepare for check out. By 11:30 a.m., I was off to KL Sentral where I would take the KTM Komuter to Serdang. Again, it was bus no. 110 going back to KL Sentral. Serdang was about 30 minutes away from KL and the fare was RM1.70.

Mariam met up with me at the train station and we went to Universiti Putra Malaysia where she studied, to have lunch. This time, food was Malay. I had a chicken dish with coconut milk, and a beef dish as well. Yummy! Then it started to rain again! Just great!

We were off to Putrajaya after lunch which was right beside Serdang. Putrajaya is envisioned to be the future capital city of Malaysia and was planned and constructed from scratch. This big investment in city and urban planning is scheduled to be completed in 2012 but the finished structures are already monumental and spectacular!

After asking around at the information office, we were off to the CruiseTasik Putrajaya which is the best way to see this city of the 21st Century. Putrajaya actually reminded me of another capital city in South America which was a result of planning as well. This is the city of Brasilia in Brazil which is in fact a UNESCO World Heritage site. And as the description goes, "Brasilia, a capital created ex nihilo in the centre of the country in 1956, was a landmark in the history of town planning. Urban planner Lucio Costa and architect Oscar Niemeyer intended that every element – from the layout of the residential and administrative districts (often compared to the shape of a bird in flight) to the symmetry of the buildings themselves – should be in harmony with the city's overall design. The official buildings, in particular, are innovative and imaginative." In just a little over 40 years, the city was inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Putrajaya is similar as it was created ex nihilo (created out of nothing) as well with structures all in harmony with each other. And I wouldn't be surprised if 40 years from now, it is inscribed in the UNESCO list. Other planned capitals include Washington D.C. in the US, Canberra in Australia, and Astana in Kazakhstan. I really hope the government considers doing the same to decongest Manila. In fact, there were proposals to move the capital to Clark. If they do, I hope they plan it as well and as spectacular.

Anyway, we were able to get RM5 discount coupons for the cruise so we paid RM25 for the 45-minute cruise which took us around an island in the center of a man-made lake that offered magnificent views of the city in the making: (1) Putra Mosque and the Prime Minister's Office in the background, (2) Seri Wawasan Bridge, (3) the Millennium Monument, (4) me and Mariam enjoying the cruise, (5) Putrajaya International Convention Center, (6) Seri Saujana Bridge, (7) continuous construction;

(8) Darul Ehsan Palace, the palace of the sultan of Selangor, (9) me and Mariam in front of the Putra Mosque, (10) me with the Seri Gemilang Bridge at the back, (11) Putra Bridge, (12) the convention center and Seri Gemilang Bridge, (13) and (14) ongoing construction, (15) a playground waiting for children, (16) walls of the lake... even these were artistically done, (17) an amphitheatre and (18) another spectacular bridge.

I think the HULRB needs a revamp! Urban planning in the Philippines is non-existent in the government and it's about time our politicians start creating an urban planning superbody if they still had brain cells left in them after all that squabbling. This body should be manned by nothing less than the best and brightest urban planners and architects who would rework our obsolete land use standards and practices.

After the cruise, we took more photos near the Putra Mosque and the Prime Minister's Office. Then it was back to the train station since I was going to meet up with another SSEAYP batchmate, Jesslyn Wong in Petaling Jaya.

To get to her, I had to take the KTM Komuter back to KL Sentral then transfer to the Putra LRT where I would take a train to Asia Jaya. And I had to do it with all my luggage. Hehe!

Anyway, Jesslyn passed by for me at the station and we went to Chinatown for dinner. We passed by for her sister who knew the great places to eat at. Today was a great culinary sampling of Malaysia's diversity. In the morning I had Indian, for lunch it was Malay and for dinner, it was Peranakan, a fusion of Chinese and Malay! We had Asam Laksa, a tamarind-based noodle dish with fish, and Yau Yu, a cuttlefish dish with vegetables and crushed nuts. Yummy!

After dinner, we went to meet up with another ex-MaPY, Andrea Chong at a Mamak cafe near her place. This time, I had chicken murtabak. At 11 p.m., it was off to the airport where I was to spend the night. Since my flight was at 7:15 a.m., that meant a 5:15 a.m. check-in time and I did not want to suffer the hassle of looking for transport at 3:30 a.m. since the airport was an hour and a half away from KL. It turns out, I was not the only one spending the night at the airport since when I got there, all the seats were occupied by sleeping passengers, mostly foreigners. Some had their own sleeping bags with their luggage and other belongings such as surfboards right beside them.

I picked an empty spot and lay down on the cold granite floor to get some sleep. I was up at 5 a.m. maybe since I heard a slight noise when they opened the check-in counters. Sleeping at the airport was indeed a good move. I didn't have to worry about getting there at such an unholy hour and I saved on lodging costs. Hehe! Anyway, after two more hours of waiting at the departure gate, we were off to Clark Field. We arrived in Clark at 11:15 a.m. and that put to a close another great summer backpack trip.

Now that I'm back, it's time to discover more great places around the Philippines. I may have criticized the way our government runs this nation. But we have more things to be proud of as can be seen from the many wonderful places around the country I've been to. Check out my blog index for backpack ideas around this island paradise called the Philippines.