Keira A.

Quilban BSA-1C ESEN

My Holiday Break
One of the most memorable experiences I had during the holiday break was
traveling with my friends. We went around Pilar, Bataan, to film our requirements
in one of our courses, and although the travel was for academic purposes, it didn't
stop us from having fun and appreciating the view, especially after climbing Mt.
Samat.

Our first destination was the Nuestra Señora del Pilar Parish Church along with
the Museo ng Kagitingan beside it. We were lucky to catch the ongoing mass,
however, since it was a weekend when we went, we couldn't go explore the
museum because it was closed.

Next was the Municipal Hall and the Flaming Sword. It really was hard filming here,
especially since it was in the middle of the road, hence, many vehicles passing by
can be heard in the videos we took. But we managed to make it work, and we even
bought boxes of pizza to eat for when we continue the trip.

It wasn't that long either when we arrived upon Ima Flora's Pamangan, a restaurant
famous for its authentic Kapampangan dishes. The owner was really welcoming
and nice to let us film outside. They were also very hands-on when we ordered
food since a few of us didn't pack lunch. I can say that it's really worth the try since
the dishes we ordered were very tasty and delicious.

Then we headed to the Hanging Bridge in Diwa, Pilar, where the bridge was very
shaky due to the very strong wind there, which made filming very hard for us as
the audio gets ruined. However, once we were done, we stayed for a few more
minutes to take some pictures and appreciate the view as you can see the cross
of Mt. Samat there.

And talking about Mt. Samat, our last destination, the drive to the top really
reminded me of Tagaytay, as the road was very identical. Upon reaching the
entrance, we paid for the fee and listened to the guide but didn't proceed that
quickly in climbing the mountain as we haven't eaten yet. That's why we quickly
asked around for tables and chairs, and we were quickly told to go down to the
dining area where stores are located. Amid shared meals, friendly cats, and
laughter, we recharged for the journey. Climbing the mountain after was a piece of
cake and was really fun; we took a lot of photos here, and it was really cold and
windy, but all of us managed to survive going down and ensuring safety while
finishing our project.