Batangas Road Trip for a Wake

Last Wednesday, my mom and I took a road trip to her hometown in the province of Batangas about 1.5 hours away. The agenda: visit the wake of her aunt, buy some of our favorite provincial delicacies, visit her parents' grave, and visit her college friend.

Below are some views of a town beside hers called Cuenca. This is where we buy goto (cow stomach and innards in broth), dinuguan (pork blood stew), and pork liver barbecue. Pretty barbaric when their descriptions are put that way! But they are yummy.

Below are the dinuguan and goto. Currently eating!

Below are my mom and uncle at the cemetery.

One grave contains my grandmother, grandfather, and aunt. On the other, another aunt.

My uncle recently bought a small car with which he drives around the town.

This is the wake of my mom's aunt. She was the youngest among her siblings and was also the last to pass away.

On the way home is traffic hell! Seen below is the entrance of an air base, taken while we were enduring heavy traffic just three towns away.

We were supposed to be early for the humongous traffic caused by the exodus of people during All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, November 1 and 2, respectively. Unfortunately, many people filed for early leave and there was already heavy traffic even three days before November 1. Amazingly tiring.

I really hate traffic. I'd rather stay home and sleep everything off than brave the roads and endure senseless stress for almost any reason other than an emergency.

We plowed through 5 hours of traffic on a trip that is only supposed to be 1.5 hours. We arrived home at night time already when we should have touched base mid-afternoon. I really don't want to do this again.

Still, these are all life experiences and I am happy to have any and all of them. Glad to be alive and thriving!