COMING HOME TO MEXICO, PAMPANGA

Went home to my Mother's hometown of Mexico lately. With the excellent newly-refurbished North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), Pampanga is now just an hour away from Manila. I visited the balen (town center) to see how it has changed since I lived here as a kid. Some sad images of dilapidated pioneer buildings here but it doesn't seem to have changed much. The banana-cue stand is still there, the market, the slowly vanishing Klingler Park. Nevertheless, all sad events were esrased by a most wonderful summer lunch of seafood, sinigang na baboy, and fresh mangoes.

On my next visit, i'd be posting photos of beautiful Capampangan old houses.

STA MONICA PARISH AND BENEDICTINE CONVENT

Formerly St Benedict Institution; eventually closed to become a convent

All that remained of the former Augustinian-run church is this belfry

The town center at dusk; this road leads to San Fernando, Pampanga's capital

Mexico's wet market; new facade. The welcome sign is not Capampangan although if it is Tagalog, it would be ackward to translate to English, which would mean either, "You live in Mexico" or "Long Live in Mexico". Whatever.

FARMACIA OCAMPO



Farewell, Farmacia Ocampo!

LUNCH

Sinigang na Baboy (Pork in sour soup)

Inihaw na tilapia

Nilagang hipon

Fresh baby "lobsters". I don't really know what they are exactly. They look scary!

GOING BACK TO MANILA

Locals call this the "junction". 4 roads meet in this area: Forward, to Olongapo. To the left, San Fernando town center; to the right is Angeles City. Going back towards the photo is Mexico and Arayat, home to that famous mountain that rises from the heart of this great province of cooks.

Travellers always stop here for many reasons: Freshen up at Mcdonald's; wait for a bus back to Manila, or visit Pampanga's Best or Tita's for that yummy tocino and longganisa pasalubong!

Until next time, cabalen!