DINNER IN PAMPANGA
PHILIPPINES
Going from the luxury of the Peninsula Hotel in Manila to the Province of Pampanga is somewhat of a culture shock. It can take 1.5 to 3 hours to travel to Pampanga from Manila depending on traffic. During the drive you travel through the busiest streets of the city and then through rural farm land that leads to small towns that are very poor yet filled with so much love and family values that it makes you want to cry. Here there are tens of thousands of families living a very simple life void of many of the things that most of us take for granted. There is not hot water unless you heat it up with a fire and then pour it into buckets for a hot bath. Electricity and air conditioning is sparse or non existent in most of the homes. Yet despite what they do not have here - they have more than most of us could ever dream of. They have family and love. It is woven in the character of Pampanga and you feel it amongst the families who live here. With many people not working or making as little as $1 per day it is amazing to see the happiness in the faces of the children and the bright smiles of their Moms and Dads. It really reaches to the core of my soul when I sit on the porch and just watch everyone play and interact. The ladies wash clothes by hand outside the house while the men go off to work or tend to the animals. In this case a few pigs, lots of dogs and chickens. Young school age girls sweep the front of their house with handmade brooms while others gather around to apply hair color to one of the Moms. Most people do everything outside as it is just too hot to stay inside. There are entire families sitting outside or on their porches talking and watching the kids play. Its a simple life and it really makes you take a step back and realize what is really important in life.
What is important here is family, love and some really good food. On this day we enjoyed Fried Spring Rolls called Lumpia wrapped in lettuce. What a delicious appetizer. Always one of my favorites when visiting here. Our main course was Grilled Tilapia. Fresh fish stuffed with onions, tomato and cilantro and then wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled on an outdoor fire. The fish was so delicate and delicious. Better than any restaurant in Honolulu for sure. Enjoyed some great Shrimp sautéed in a sweet ketchup sauce along with Teriyaki Chicken and my favorite Pig Ears. The Pig Ears are boiled and then grilled and served with onion and hot peppers. Really love this stuff and it makes for a great taco too!
Click links below for more posts on Pampanga;
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| DINNER IN PAMPANGA |
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| HANGING OUT IN PAMPANGA, PHILIPPINES |
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| MY ACCOMMODATIONS IN PAMPANGA |
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| THE VIEW FROM MY PORCH WHERE I SAT AND REFLECTED ON LIFE |
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| THEY HAVE SO LITTLE - BUT MUCH MORE THAN MOST OF US IN LOVE AND HEART |
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| CHILDREN ARE EVERYWHERE AND THEY ARE ALL SO HAPPY |
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| PIGS IN THE BACKYARD |
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| NO WASHERS AND DRYERS HERE |
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| RAISIING CHICKENS FOR COCKFIGHTING |
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THIS CUTE LITTLE DOG JUST GAVE BIRTH TO SIX LITTLE PUPPIES |
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| ICE DOES NOT LAST LONG IN THE HEAT BUT SO HAPPY TO ENJOY A COLD ONE |
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| LUMPIA SPRING ROLLS |
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| FRIED WON TONS FILLED WITH PORK AND VEGETABLES. SERVED WITH SWEET CHILI SAUCE |
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| FRESH TILAPIA WAS ALIVE JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO |
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| A SMALL CHARCOAL FIRE IS MADE OUTSIDE THE HOUSE |
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| THE TILAPIA IS WRAPPED IN BANANA LEAF SO IT DOES NOT BURN |
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| FISH IS GRILLED |
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| THE BANANA LEAF PROTECTS THE FISH AND ADDS A LITTLE FLAVOR |
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| GRILLED TO PERFECTION |
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| SHRIMP IN SWEET KETCHUP SAUCE |
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| TERIYAKI CHICKEN |
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| PIG EARS - ONE OF MY FAVORITE DISHES IN PAMPANGA |
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| SIMPLE, FRESH AND SO DELICIOUS! |
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| GRILLED TILAPIA |
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| THIS WAS SO DELICIOUS!!! ONE OF BEST FISH DISHES EVER |
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