Bataan Fiesta

This is long overdue. I was supposed to write about our recent trip to Hermosa in Bataan, upon the invitation of our friend of seven years, Poppo and wife-to-be Jhackie, but never got around to writing it here on Blogger. We left Manila January 29 right after lunch. We were fetched by Philip (he's more than a driver, but also a trusted confidante of our hosts and a very entertaining guy to boot!). We arrived in Hermosa after about and hour and a half. The 29th was the eve of the Fiesta in Hermosa (technically, it's the fiesta of the Barangay where our hosts live). When we arrived at Poppo's family residence in Hermosa, the place was buzzing with people, preparing for the big feast the next day. Tia Teri, their over-all cook-in-charge of the fiesta was busy directing the people on how to cut, dice or slice the different meat parts, vegetables and other condiments that will go into the feast on the morrow. That night, our hosts served us with truly exotic fare, and everything was delicious! The adobong Sawa (native Reticulated Python), the inihaw na itlog ng sawa, and the adobong itik tasted fanstastic! Of course, it wouldn't be a bisperas without the singing. Poppo, Ater Rose, Jhackie, yours truly, Jesse, Philip and Joel got around to belting out a few songs over three cases of Sann Mig Light and a big bottle of tequila.

The next day, we got to help with the preparations by stuffing the relyenong bangus. You wouldn't believe the effort that goes into that particular piece of savory dish. All in all, with all the preparations that went into the fiesta, the guests of the fiesta were served with an unending array of dishes: fired-chicken in gata marinade, crabs, shrimp, lechon, relyenong bangus, morcon, menudo, igadillo, dinuguan, lots of talaba and many, many more! Truly, the fiesta in Hermosa is one that you will want keep going back to, if only for the food. But it isnt just the food that makes this particular fiesta an enjoyable event. It is the warmth and friendly gait of the people of Hermosa and the family of our gracious hosts that made this trip truly a remarkable one.

By the way, you can also read the alter-ego of this blog (random thoughts of a mapangurirat) at our clan website. The URL is www.banares.bravehost.com/opinion.html . It's my personal column in the clan website.

Also, watch out for the Cacanindin family website. More to come next mapangurirat! Adios muchachos y muchachas! ariba!