Hot Air Balloon Fest Photoblog

Quote of the event:
Hope springs eternal
-Missy. :)

With so much effort on finding a way to go to the Hot Air Ballon Fest, we were finally able to go. :) We just confirmed it the night before, at around 10 PM.

Coming from a play the previous night (we got home at around 12), we met up at around 1:30 AM and left for Pampanga at around 2. With only an hour of sleep, I was constantly yawning during the whole drive to Clark (I chose not to sleep to keep Jeprocks company, he was driving). We arrived at around 4++, the sun hasn't even risen yet. It was windy and cold (a great contrast to the latter part of the day).

At around 5:30AM, they started to haul in the balloons to set them up. To keep the people entertained, paragliders were moving about and some men were demonstrating the flying-using-hot-air principle by making use of a lantern.

The program started off with the Philippine National Anthem, with the Philippine flag carried by a sky diver. This was an amazing start to the great day ahead. :)

By the time the sky was lightening up, they were already filling the balloons with air.

And finally, the balloons were off! :D

Here are some of my favorite balloon pictures:

Kellogg's


It was Valentine's day after all. :)


Because this one is so colorful. :)


See the guy waving? This was the only balloon that the people cheered on.


This one's chinese. :D


Finally, the sky was clearing up (It was really cloudy, not so nice background for the balloons, it was kind of dull and monotonous).

and yes, I love to play with fire. (lol)

The balloons didn't go up all at once so in the lull in between the flights, paragliders were flying all around the place.

After most of the balloons have fled (a few were still there due to some difficulties), we went around the place to look at some of the exhibits.

Military trucks were on display. :)

So this is how it looks like on the inside. :D

Spidey in one of the trucks


Interestingly, there was a Yellow Cab there. ;P


There were a lot of people there too. :D


Some planes or jets or whatever they are called had an exhibition too.


Where else can you find flying dolphins?

When the people got bored, they just bought kites and flew them. (By the late afternoon, the sky was full of all shapes and sizes).

We didn't succumb to the pressure of the society (meaning, we didn't buy kites) being the budgetarians that we were (meaning = we didn't have cash).

At around ten, we chose to eat, realizing that we haven't had breakfast yet (just a sandwich courtesy of Jep's mum), and considering we were all up since 1AM. We scouted around the food court and picked Binalot among all the food stalls there.

It was really disorienting for us, waking up at 1AM with only one hour of sleep. We all felt like it was already past lunch when it was only 10AM. As iRonnie put it, it was like there was time-space warp thingy we were all caught in. The exhaustion, coupled with the heat and dust, made us all feel, well, exhausted to say the least. My eyes were drooping ever so often and the grime was just piling. Finally, when we couldn't take the heat anymore, we decided to go to SM Clark to freshen up (the field only had portalets and well, it was not even considered as an option, haha). We rode the jeepney like locals and made our way there.

When we arrived, we walked around, bought some cleaning stuff (facial wash, tissue, towel and a shirt for me - i forgot to bring an extra piece) and trotted to the Chanda Romeros as Missy put it. When we were done, we made our way to Puregold Clark. After that, we finally made our way home. But we stopped by razon's first to eat palabok and halo-halo (remember, no breakfast! heehee).

BTW, we met a fellow blogger (and plurker) there. Zerovoltage, whom neither one of us has ever seen before. But he has been friends with the others for quite some time. :D

That's it for now, till our next adventure!