Angeles, Pampanga

Our niece requested we go to this restaurant in Pampanga. She saw it on the video blog of a famed YouTuber so she was curious. She heard they serve delicious pizzas in that restaurant. The road trip was set on a Thursday because the next day we are coding so we can't use the vehicle.

Strange enough as we were about to fetch them from their AirBnb in BGC (Bonifacio Global City, Taguig), the a/c of our car didn't work. No cold air just a blower type ventilation. But they were still game and it was the last few days of their vacation here so off we went to Angeles, Pampanga with the windows rolled down and our hair flying all over our sweaty faces. Hehe.

You see my mother hails from Pampanga even though she grew up in Manila. When I was still in high school, our family would visit my mom's relatives in Bacolor. The visits lessen when we lost touch with them as we were stationed abroad. The last time we visited Pampanga was years ago when we searched for the tombstone of my grandfather (my mom's dad) which was impossible to find as the entire cemetery was buried under Mount Pinatubo's volcanic ashes.

Yes Pampanga is a special place so I was excited to re-visit it albeit a different town in this province known as the culinary capital of the Philippines. After one hour and about 40 minutes, we reached the small city of Angeles. It was bustling with activity from the tricycles, the jeepneys, people going about their normal daily routines  - a typical provincial town/city.

Our first stop was at the imposing church (The Holy Rosary Parish) located at the far end of a cobblestone street, in the heart of the plaza, near the city hall and a museum which was presently being renovated.

Then it was time to have lunch. The Camalig Restaurant was walking distance from the Church, along a small busy road teeming with people, transport vehicles and commercial establishments.

After our tummies were filled with pizza, sisig and pancit a la Pampanga, it was time to head back to Manila. It was a fun trip, till next time ... Angeles City.