140315 Central Luzon

A family emergency delayed my business trip to Central Philippines.  My sincere appreciations go to all my colleagues in dealing with customers to reschedule this engagement and well as many other assignments.  This journey to Central Philippines also brought back good memories of my travel to the same location for the first time back in January 2013.  This time though, I was by myself with well over 150 lbs (70 kg) of computer gears and workbooks.  My stay in Central Philippines would last almost 2 weeks.

On one of several flights between the US and the Philippines, a United stewardess gave me many useful tips about Central Luzon, her home area.  I arrived in Manila close to midnight local time.  The hotel I stayed at was about 67 miles (110 km) northeast of the capital of the Philippines.  As we got to Angeles City, the taxi driver got a bit lost.  I took out my iPhone and got direction.  The taxi driver was very impressed by the GPS of the smartphone.  His facial expression was priceless.  It was his first positive experience with something we take for granted.

Holiday Inn at Clark Field, near Angeles City, The Philippines.

The majority of my time in Central Luzon was spent at work.  A colleague who was there on a longer term assignment, provided me great assistance.  For dinners, we tried out regional and international cuisines.  I was introduced to pinakbet - a local dish with bitter melon, anchovy paste, chicken, shrimp and other vegetables.  It was surprisingly good.

Foreground: fried pork belly; Background: pinakbet.

Unlike my visit here over a year ago, the local people I worked with could not find any balut.  That was a disappointment.  But every morning I was greeted by the wonderful staff of the hotel.  And the native fruit and Filipino food they served were excellent.

Saturday was a welcome break.  But instead of giving sleep a chance to reset my body clock, my colleague & I visited several sites in Central Luzon.  Our first stop was the Capas National Shrine, a memorial to Filipino and American soldiers who perished during the Bataan Death March.  There was a very tall obelisk, surrounded by murals filled with names of the victims.

Capas National Shrine, near Tarlac City, The Philippines.

The drive to the Monasterio de Tarlac took us through beautiful countrysides and quaint villages.  There were moments I wished I could stop and talk to the local people.  The Monastery is built on a hill top.  It was a beautiful complex.  Its claim to fame was an Arquetta containing relics of the Cross on which Jesus Christ was crucified.  After a solemn service, the faithfuls lined up to touch this artifact.  Instead of standing in such long line, I sneaked in through the exit, took a quick shot of the Arquetta, and promptly retreated.

Monasterio de Tarlac.

The Arquetta of the Monasterio de Tarlac.

My colleague and I went on to search for a waterfall, touted by a tourist website.  When we came to the village closest to it, we stopped at a police station for direction.  The local officer gladly helped us out but also warned us of potential danger such as kidnapping by the NPA (New People's Army).  Not wanting to take that kind of risk, both of us decided against going to the waterfall. On our way back to Angeles City, we had an early dinner at the Isdaan Floating Restaurant just outside of Tarlac City. 

Isdaan Floating Restauant in Tarlac City.

Sunday took us to Subic Bay.  Along the way, we saw advertisement for Zoobic Safari.  So, we went there.  Zoobic Safari was an old fashion zoo.  A guided tour took us through many exhibits; some were interesting, others not so much.  Its highlight was to be a trip in a vehicle through the enclosure of tigers and lions.  We were asked to buy meat to feed them.  We were herded into a jeepney with strong metal mesh covering windshield, windows and doors.  Going through the gate of the enclosure felt like being in the movie "Jurassic Park".  Once inside though, lions and tigers lined up on right side of the vehicle.  A member of the staff in the jeepney fed them chicken parts through the metal mesh.

A magnificent lioness eating hand-out food at Zoobic Safari.

Loading visitors into a modified Jeepney at the Zoobic Safari.

At another part of this zoo, we were led to small cages containing bored tigers.  Somehow the sight of these majestic animals reduced to begging for food and being imprisoned in tiny cells saddened me.  Yes, I had been to many zoos before.  Each time, my enjoyment of wild animal in captivity lessened. But that was just me.  Other guests of Zoobic Safari enjoyed their time there.

A caged and bored tiger at the Zoobic Safari.

After the zoo, we drove to Pundaquit, a seaside village about 1 hour northwest.  Along the way, we got lost.  A very nice local man let us follow him until the intersection where our paths separated.  Then he pointed us to the correct road.  The beach there was clean and nice.  We hired the owner of a nice outrigger to take us to Capones, a small island nearby.  The beach on Capones was beautiful; the sand was smooth.  The water was great.  We also sailed around Capones.

Beaching our outrigger canoe on Capones Island.

Sailing around Capones Island.

Back at Pundaquit, I met Kevin, an American expatriate, and his daughter Micca.  Conversing with him was a treat.  I wished Kevin the very best in life.

Kevin and Micca at the Pundaquit Sun & Surf Resort.

The Philippines is a very beautiful country and Filipinos are wonderful people.    The fond memories I have of this great place are in part built with my colleague.  And until our paths cross again, I bit him success and happiness. I am thankful of all my co-workers whose effort brought about this fabulous opportunity. My appreciations also go to my lovely wife who waited so patiently for me while I traveled the world for my job.

A few more pictures are available at https://picasaweb.google.com/108013863525571472697/140315PhilippinesScenic.  I am grateful for your visit and, as always, solicit your critiques and comments.

Thank you,
Paul