Mayette's Bataan

Mayette's hometown  is Balanga, Bataan.  My friends and I have been there several times but yesterday, the whole gang was able to enjoy the rest house of Mayette's family.



The adventure started the night before.  Mona, Celina, Mariger and the kids slept in my house.  We had our evening snack at Mercato Midnight, Fort Bonifacio beside MC Home Depot.  Lots and lots and lots of food!! So full of people, nice kind of crowd... hahaha  people who love to eat even in the middle of the night!

The van we rented picked us up at 6:00 am in Bel-Air




...then  Jing and her family.





We had breakfast at Shell Select, NLEX.  I am not used to having a "responsibility".  I got down from the van at Shell, used the ladies room... about the choose the food outlet where I will have my breakfast when I suddenly remembered... I borrowed Sohpie from my Kuya!!!  I forgot that my niece was with me! I didn't even ask if she wanted to use the ladies room or what kind of food she liked!!!!  hahahaha  I don't think I will be a good mother.

I suppose most parents are used to traveling with kids but I'm not.  "Are we there yet?" was bouncing from all corners of the van.... every 10 minutes.   Thank goodness, traffic was light plus the road conditions were excellent, we got to Mayette's in good time.



We just dropped off  Jing, her family and the kids... the rest of us went to the Balanga Public Market to buy some seafood for our lunch and Tinapa for pasalubong.



The boiled corn was so sweet! Not the Japanese variety we get here in Manila most of time.   We also bought "Karioka" (sp?), fried glutinous rice ball, rolled in sugar.

Then "they" started preparing and cooking our lunch.





hehehe I just took pictures and helped a little because I brought Mayette's Adobo which I cooked the day before.
 


I helped in the table setting and laid out the food on top of the GIANT banana leaves.



We had steamed shrimps and alimasag, fried okoy,  grilled liempo, squid and egglplant.  There were also "burong mangga", radish salad, indian mangoes, yellow watermelon and ripe mangoes.

Good thing I arranged the food in a way that we didn't have to stand and get what we like.  It was laid out in front of us.



How do I explain the degree of happiness?!?!?  The food was just ordinary Filipino food but it felt that it was such a sumptuous Fiesta!



 We all ate with our hands, some used plates but most of us ate on the banana leaves.





The afternoon was spent horsing around the pool, swimming, racing, etc.  The nice thing about the water was that it didn't contain any chemical because it came from Mother Nature!  Fresh spring water pool!



And not deep, about 4 feet all over, so it was just the littlest kid, Mickey who had to use floaters.




There was a "baby" pool also but.... there was no "baby" in our group... according to the "littlest kid"  hahaha.

In the late afternoon, some went to Mount Samat but I stayed with the kids since I have been there before.




I was already imagining what we would have for dinner.  Then.... DING!  I sent them a text message and gave them a list of what to buy!


Pancit Bihon guisado and lumpiang shanghai from Wanam Restuarant, an old fashioned but newly renovated Chinese restaurant.
Saroy's Lechon Manok
Mulawin pansedal - they use as lard the oil from Jollibee in which the chicken joy was fried.
Daricreme margarine.

When they got back with all my food order, we attacked it like we didn't have lunch that was good for 30 people!  So hungry that I forgot to take pictures.  Just take my word for it, it was really good!  We went through it like lightning!!!

It was time go home ...



We did not want to leave yet.  We were already planing our next trip when we were in the van  hehehehe Mayette does not know yet but we "invited" ourselves again!  Next time, we would just buy  a whole lechon!!!   Eat on banana leaves again!!!  hahahaha  Ok ... will  let our friend know that we will go back to Mayette's Bataan!

Thank you Mayette and Jon! We had so much fun! Until the next time!