Pahiyeah!

We went to our first pahiyas, a festival to honor bountiful harvest by the people of Lucban, Quezon every May 15. Almost every house in this old spanish town was decorated with grain, palm leaves, coconut, rice wafer they call kiping, various agricultural products I can't name yet, and fruits & veggies mentioned from the bahay kubo folk song.

Alright, lets sing it: o/ Bahay-kubo kahit munti ang halaman doon ay sari-sari, singkamas at talong,  sigarilyas at mani, sitaw, bataw, patani,  kundol, patola, upo't kalabasa at saka mayroon pa labanos, mustasa, sibuyas, kamatis, bawang at luya, sa paligid-ligid ay puno ng linga. o/

What is a trip to Quezon without hand-made goods, broas, apas, pancit hab-hab & longganissa burps?

I also witnessed for the first time a Filipino game I used to read about in Pilipino books. Check out this boy's grip climbing the bamboo pole to retrieve a prize up top. Palacebo!. Palosebo!  

Lucban is situated by Mt. Banahaw, one can literally see the 8,380 feet above see level mountain from the town.The weather here is nice and cool and every once in a while you'll feel very light drizzle of rain. The old folks says this mountain has mystical powers. There are many stories of apparitions, heavenly voices, strange sounds, dwarves, fairies and even UFO’s! Cool.

People living in the foot of the mountain speaks of apparitions of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary and even Dr. Jose P. Rizal and other national heroes. Hence, a grotto of healing and a park to honor Dr. Jose Rizal. The picture on the far right below is the church of St. Louis Of Toluse. The church that was destroyed and built 3x back in the Spanish days.

 The trip was topped off by the beautiful sunset over Laguna de bay.