It was the last few days of 2012. According to the Mayan calendar, the world was supposed to end so a trip outside the country was the last thing I expected on my own calendar. AirAsia Philippines is launching their inaugural flight to Singapore and I’m one of the lucky few who were invited to take part in their maiden voyage to the Lion City.
The heat was intolerable as we boarded down the comfort of our air-conditioned bus. Good thing the grounds at Camalig were well-shaded by huge trees.
It’s been years since I last attended the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Pampanga but the thrill of shooting these colorful giants was still the same as I stepped onto the dry grass fields of Clark one cold morning of February.
Every year, Caltex Philippines and Digital Photographer Philippines host a photo contest for photography enthusiasts during the festival. The theme for this year’s competition is Hot Moves - A Journey Like No Other. It focuses on the joys the event brings to the people attending the fiesta.
With high stakes, Php30,000.00 worth of Caltex Starcash Cards, Sony cameras and an annual subscription for Digital Photographer Philippines, every photographer was vying for the top photos of the day. Ten photographs were chosen each day, which automatically wins the lucky shooter Php3,000.00 worth of Caltex Starcash Card and a chance for the top honors.
It’s 3:30am and we just got off at the Dau Bus Terminal, on our way to the last day of the Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. Still bleary eyed from lack of sleep, we hopped on a jeep bound for the gates of Clark and bargained with our driver for a direct ride to the Hot Air Balloon field.
We arrived just before 4am and were greeted by a long queue of people waiting for the gates to open. Oh man and I thought we were early! 
The venue quickly filled up and the trucks bearing the deflated balloons were soon at the field, firing off their flames into the darkness of the dawn. I was lucky enough to secure a photographer’s pass from Caltex and Digital Photographer Philippines and we were soon herded inside the balloon area. Without such, I can only shoot from behind the fence using a telephoto lens, inside I was able to use my ultrawide lens and get really close to the action.
The first and last time I’ve attended the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta was last 2010 and I’m stoked that I’d be able to finally attend again this year!
For those interested in seeing the balloons fly, you can get your tickets at Ticketnet and at the gate itself for Php200.00
I woke up with a minor hangover from the previous night’s Pinoy Henyo party at Hotel Vida. It was the 8th and last day of Lakbay Norte and it really doesn’t feel like it. Has it really been eight days already?
Our last breakfast was held at Widus Hotel’s Salt Café. I’d have to say that their dishes almost beat Baguio’s The Manor! I grabbed crunchfuls of fried bacons, sausages, eggs and fried rice and let my Norte-mates take care of the rest. I haven’t even tasted a fourth of their offerings, but I guess eight days of non-stop eating would have done the same to anyone.
After sipping a cup of scalding black coffee, the routine boarding announcement was made and we piled to our bus again. We’re headed to Puning for a relaxing hot spring dip.
I have no clue where or what Puning offers and my curiosity was really not that piqued. A jeepney transfer later and we were subdivided into 4x4’s, we’re gonna crash through the ash-fallen grounds of Porac’s side of Mt. Pinatubo. 
Rolling through clouds of white ashes, we traversed small streams and passed right through a long gorge with walls towering high on both our shoulders. S, who was with our group was frantically deleting previous photos from his camera in order to get a few more space for this fantastic ride. Never mind the achy bumps we suffered through the rough ride, we were whooping and hollering all the way through! 
Wasting no time, we all went a-dipping in its scaldingly hot pools. My gosh, the water equals that of Maquinit’s in Coron, Palawan, it is freakin’ hot! I was unable to quickly submerge my whole body and had to do it in small increments to adjust to its torrid temperature. 
The Lakbay Norte bus plied the road for an hour again for our lunch; it was gonna be a Filipino feast at Angeles City’s Camalig. 
I so love their sweet Spaghetti which as A of Lakwateso says remind me so much of childhood birthdays. Their pizzas were also something else, my fave is their Doy’s Kapampangan Pizza which is a mishmash of longanisas and salted duck egg over an onion and pickle relish. A pizza can’t be more Filipino than that.
After finishing off their weirdly tasty kamias shake, we then headed to Prado Farm at Lubao. 
My gut feel proved to be right as we entered the compound. The place was just eclectically delicious! Amid lush trees, vividly painted old houses stood one after another. It was like being brought back to turn-of-the-century Philippines but from a hippie’s trippy standpoint.
The sun was retreating down the horizon, casting sad orange glow in the sky, as we again boarded our bus. We were headed to our last destination, Robinson’s Starmills in Pampanga to do some pasalubong shopping and dinner.
We were served pasta dishes and pizzas, which looked real good but we were just so full we were only able to eat a few spoonfuls. 
With heavy hearts, we alighted from our bus which had become our home for the last eight days at the Kamias Victory Liner station a few hours later.
It was now 10pm and I am having a hard time walking away from the Lakbay Norte bus. I found it hard to say goodbye to these same people who I once thought of as strangers. The passing days had made a rowdy bunch out of us and glued us all together in some strange way.
For eight full days we shared a bus that we called home on an unforgettable northbound trip, it’s not everyday that you get to do that with a group of individuals with nothing but travel on their minds. And with almost everyone gone, I finally waved my farewell. I miss Lakbay Norte already.
I can’t believe that we’ve been on the Lakbay Norte bus for seven days now; time seems to be zooming as fast as our bus over the asphalts of these northern roads.
Our seventh day started at Microtel Tarlac. We wolfed down a traditional breakfast of dangits, maling, adobo, eggs and fried rice before proceeding to our jungle training at Subic. The trip from Tarlac City to Subic took two and a half hours, most of which we spent sleeping. Days of non-stop eating was taking its toll on us haha.
The group was greeted by Aetas led by Kuya Kasuy as we proceeded through the graveled path for the jungle survival demo. Using only bamboos and a machete, he demonstrated how one can cook a complete meal in the jungle without the use of modern apparatuses. After thirty minutes or so, he then led us through the Pamulaklakin Forest Trail for a few more survival tricks.
Bright reds, warm yellows, cool greens; imagine all the hues of the rainbows on different shapes and sizes all slowly flying upwards on colossal balloon canvasses. Backdropped against the orange light of the morning sun as it peeps on the sides of Mount Arayat, this is how we were welcomed to the 15th Hot Air Balloon Festival! 
We left Manila at 2am, hoping to not get caught at the traffic as we’ve been hearing horror stories regarding the jams during this event. We arrived at Clark at around 4am and lines were already forming at the gate.
