Maria Angela H.

Mariano
2010-33374 BS BAA
English 1 THU5

Ms. Anna Felicia Sanchez

Activity: A ‘Pasyal’ to Remember

‘Pampanga and Zambales- A Sweet Escape’

Frebruary 13, 2010- exactly three weeks before final exams. Ate Louie suggested that I go
with her, together with Kuya Rhovic, Ate Joanne, Ate Mary Grace, Ate Fe, and Kuya Ernan to
Pampanga and Zambales to spend two days there. I was hesitant at first, because what bothered me
then was the fact that it was cramming time. But I considered the stress I had had, and a trip for
two days would not be a big deal if it would give me a break for a while.

By 1:30 am, we were already up and done with packing our things. Good thing there was
no traffic jam on our way to Pampanga, which was our first stop, because we did not want to miss
the 15th Hot Air Balloon Festival. It took us 3 hours to get there, and by 5am, we were already
catching a glimpse of the gigantic hot air balloons up in the air. We marveled at the flight of 18 hot
air balloons, each having distinct figures of turtle, sun, doll house, and a bottle of beer, among
others.

By 7:30 am, we were already on our way to our next destination- Zambales. While on the
road, we ate Adobo, one of my favorite Filipino dishes, for breakfast. At roughly 9 am, we arrived
at Pundaquit, Zambales. We rode a banca and on this 30 minute boat trip, we did island hopping-
Capones, Nagsasa, Silangn, Casalimayen, Camara, and finally, Anawangin. It was my first time to
ride on a boat and witness the crystal clear water, white sand, pine trees, and exotic beauty of this
hidden paradise.

We brought with us food and tents for accommodation, since the island had not yet been
commercialized. In the afternoon, I found my peace of mind admiring the scenery while swimming
at the beach of Anawangin. Since there was no signal for contacting people, all of us were able to
escape from the stresses of work and school.

One of the most memorable experiences I had on this trip was when we cooked dinner.
Kuya Rhovic, for one, searched the island for dry twigs and branches as we did not bring with us a
portable gas range. Ate Louie and I were hands on at making fire, while the rest were preparing the
ingredients. We spent almost an hour by just building fire, and I almost gave up when it did not
cooperate with us for the nth time. By the time it was starting to build up, our stomachs had
already been aching, so we had to work double time. We finally had dinner and spent the rest of
the night eating marshmallows around the bonfire Mang Johnny, our boat man, had made for us. I
imagined myself as a native from the way we cooked dinner, and by the time we slept in our
respective tents.

The whole package seems like a complete dream. We reminisce each and every joyful and
hilarious moment as we made our way home. We may be back to urban life, but we will forever
cherish those fun-filled memories we had in Pampanga and Zambales.