Overdrive: Bataan-Pampanga

You know that song from 1995?

OVERDRIVE.

Magda-drive ako hanggang Baguio
Magda-drive ako hanggang Bicol
Magda-drive ako hanggang Batangas
Tapos magsu-swimming do’n sa beach

Yup, that one from Eraserheads. That and their recent “Sabado” and we scratch the word boring to our weekends.

We recently discovered that day trips are awesome! and cheaper… hence a new category is born: OVERDRIVE

Limited time.. unlimited destinations.. 

For our first overdrive: Pampanga- Bataan. I have never been to Bataan! Itinerary includes: Breakfast at Atching Lillian Borromeo in Mexico Pampanga or at Lapid’s Bakery in Gagua. Lunch in Bataan, then dinner in Everybody’s Cafe in San Fernando.

I do not know what happened, but we’re already travelling the road to Subic..this is not part of the plan!  But I do love this part of the world. Not Subic but the road going there. It reminds me so much of the movie Cars. Go figure.

Where are we heading? Bataan still but via Subic.

We drove around Bataan, stopping from time to time.. OK 3 times only.

3 Things We Did In Bataan:

1. Pawikan Conservation Center

This is a good place to educate the kids about endangered species and care for animals.

They don’t have baby turtles when we arrived but the caretaker mentioned that by November some of the eggs will hatch.

TRIVIA:

• Just a few minutes after an egg hatches, they release it to the ocean.
• It takes 25 years before a Pawikan starts laying eggs.
• It will take 3 years before it lays again.

Pawikan Conservation Center entrance fee is only P20. 

2. Eat at Loleng’s Hu Tieu-an

This is a small food establishment that offers authentic Vietnamese cuisine (they say, I have no idea if it is true or not, that’s the first time I tried Vietnamese food).

How to go to Loleng’s Hu Tieu-an ?

This is near Morong Bataan Church,so just as around when you go to Morong Church.

3. Visit Dambana ng Kagitingin in Mt Samat

After so may winding.. as in a lot! I lost count already!!! We reached Bagac, where the famous Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar is located. Hindi man lang kame nakapag ocular inspection! The Zero Km Death March Marker is also in Bagac.

Another countless winding road and we reached the road to Mt Samat.. which is another countless winding road. I cannot put into writing what I feel about the roads in this side of Bataan.. I don’t want to offend anyone, but most part of this trip, I am holding my breath.

But all that went away as soon as we reached Dambana ng Kagitingan.. pero hindi na kame umakya sa cross no.. mualan na eh.. excuses.excuses. hehehe

OK ladies and gentlemen.. let’s take this opportunity for an obligatory selfie with the cross on the background. bow.

Ay si Dora, kulang pa sa selfie!

After Bataan, our next mission is to look for the famous Lapid’s Bakery in Guagua public market. Mission failed. And we were lost. We drove around Guagua hoping to find the way to San Fernando. It was the most beautiful drive ever..well for me. I think of all the things we did that day, this is the most exciting part for me. We passed by a few old houses in Guagua and each is as charming as the other. My heart belongs to old house. I can spend days and days and days marveling at old houses. It’s one of the reason why I love our North Luzon trips.

I wish I took a photo of the most enchanting/ haunting old house I have seen.. since I did not..I did a few research and here’s what I got (photo and history source)

Built in the 1930’s. It was owned by Doña Juana and Don Alejandro Lopez. In the 1935 telephone directory the house was named as “The Pride of Guagua Pampanga.” When the Japanese invaded the Philippines in 1942, Doña Juana and Don Alejandro left for Manila. Almost all of the houses were burned but the house was spared. A Japanese (Colonel/General) saw the house and occupied it. (Sato/Makato) It was said that the dungeon below the house was used to imprison the filipinos and americans that japanese caught. It was said that some of these prisoners died there because of torture and were left there to die. It is also said that there were tunnels leading to various places in Guagua. It contained several jars(banga) and other artifacts. When the Japanese left the Philippines in 1945 Doña Juana and Don Alejandro went back to the house. And the rest is history. Since the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991 the dungeon was buried in mud.

Sobrang ganda ng bahay na yan sa personal, as in!!! 

We had dinner at Everybody’s Cafe. I am actually looking forward to eating Kapampangan dishes.. ah no, Kapampangan cuisine.. the way they cook their meals.. oily and full of flavor. That kind of dish is nowhere to be found at Everybody’s Cafe. They do sell exotic though, like Frog and Kamaro, other than that, there is nothing special here..

side note: mas masarap pa ang luto ko

I’ll definitely be back in Pampanga, to look for that Bakery and to try Atching Lillian dishes.. and to marvel at old houses..

and though Bataan is winding up there, I’d still go back! Masarap daw cashew nuts doon eh. 

Where will be our next overdrive? Suggest a place!