In celebration of the centennial year of airplanes in the Philippine skies, comes the 16th Philippine International Hot Air Balloon Festival (PIHABF) in Clark Airfield, Pampanga. This is held every year on the week of Valentine’s Day but it was actually only last year that I first ever heard about it from my office friend, Leah. So when my other office friends, Neil and Ge, invited me to come this year, I was up for the chance to join just another festival.
Unfortunately, Jik and Ellen was not able to go with us, they were my buddies in last year’s Pahiyas Festival. 
Travel Date: Feb 12, 2011
Travel Buddies: Yeyep, Carina, Gerald, Neil and Tere
The program says that the balloons will start flying by 5:30 AM. So we met up early, around 3 AM at the Five Star Bus Terminal in Cubao to get to Clark by 5 AM.
Unluckily, aircon buses will start their trips by 5 AM. Oh no. But of course, we don’t want to also miss the daybreak inflation of the balloons so we rather took the ordinary bus to Dau and we arrived there after almost an hour, 4 AM. That’s real early. Hehe. 
Bus Line: Five Star Bus (Cubao Terminal)
Ordinary Bus Fare Cost to DAU: Php 56.00
Jeep Fare Cost to Clark Airfield: Php 18.00
Festival Entrance Fee: Php 150.00 (contribution to the PIHABF Foundation, Inc.)
There’s a pretty long line when we got to the event field. We bought tickets and then, proceeded inside to find a nice space to take pictures later on, which was a bit difficult because there were already a lot of people there. Aargh!
The take off starts here -
By around 6 in the morning, they get things started with a few paratroopers in the sky while the balloons are being inflated in the field.
Paratroopers.. and other photogs and viewers like us.
..and there they go – the much-awaited Hot Air Balloons! Weeee!
It was a cloudy morning. The sky was pale and dull so it had been hard for us to take lively shots of the balloons.
A barn-shaped balloon. So cute.
Kinda reminded me of the flying house from the movie UP!
A snowman-shaped balloon
A mushroom-shaped balloon with a few elves peeking out..
A big, big pirate-shaped balloon
Here comes Darth Vader!
Some other normal-shaped balloons..
Me and Carina with the Gold Mime Artist =)
Side Trip: Clark Veterans Cemetery
It was still early when the main event came to an end, around 8AM. So we decided to drop by Clark Veterans Cemetery, just a short jeepney ride away from the Clark Airfield and near SM Pampanga. We walked around and took some photos there. And then, we had a breakfast and travelled back to Manila.
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The Colorful Treat of Pahiyas Festival
I am God’s little girl. I live to fulfill His purpose. I write to serve. I dream to make a difference and change the world. ♥ 
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