12th international hot air balloon festival

they have been doing this for years now and it's only less than an hour drive from my home, but this will be the first time that i actually went to the much coveted international hot air balloon festival in clark. armed with my dslr, i tagged along my sister and anjelica. we went during the last day with so much anticipation. i was imagining balloons for hire and i brought a few grands because i really wanted to try riding one. my sister and i even went to the salon to get a hair cut. we really wanted to look our best on what could be the most exciting day of 20 year living in the dustly land of pampanga.





we went there two hours before closing. i paid one hundred bucks for each of us. i was expecting that the last few hours will be the best part of the event. they should end it with a bang, shouldn't they? we were tipped by the gay hairdresser that sometimes the balloons wouldn't fly due to bad weather conditions. the weather during that day was perfect. everything should fall into place. the venue was jampacked when we went there. you could see the excitement from everybody. the emcee kept on saying that this will be the biggest festival of such kind to date. there were around 23 balloons in tow. to be seeing the colours from those gigantic fabrics in a blue sky background is really an overwhelming feeling.

the tagline is something like: a weekend of everything that flies. so there were even lots and lots of kites for people who cannot afford hot air balloons. and of course, it wouldn't be a sky event without a sky jumper.





the event is supposed to end at half past six in the evening but it's been five forty five and yet the balloons are still attached to the ground! they only kept on fueling them up with flames only to stay on the grassy soil. what is happening? it's certainly not what we paid for! we are expecting the balloons to go off the ground and make our childhood dreams come true! hot air balloons in the sky are equivalent to rainbows, or to meteor showers, only much more possible. that's what you paid for anyway! the emcee bid goodbye and they fanned the flames and folded the balloons, only to leave everybody in dire disappointment. i will never go to that festival again. i should start a boycott the hot air balloon festival movement. it's a complete waste of money! they shouldn't let people in if they wouldn't make an effort to create a spectacle. they should have indicated in the ticket booth that the balloons will not fly so people could decide if they still wanted to get ripped off. i was so pissed!

here are some photos:






the worst part? we had to walk the entire clark avenue on our way home! i wouldn't mind doing that if we had a good time. but to be disappointed and to feel like pricking all those bloody balloons, every step is a pain. and i've got a little kid to take care of! it's such a very big bummer!

the best part? seeing ramon bautista live! i am starting to become a certified fanatic these days. i approached him and i acted like a charming groupie trying to make a sensible conversation. i tried to talk about the UP centennial celebrations and he's kind enough to give in to another trying to be intellectual stranger. my poise got ruined when my sister and anjelica came and i happily claimed, "bena, si ramon bautista!" i got loka! so did my sister! his segment in gameplan used to be the highlight of our lazy sundays!