Superwomom: BATAAN - Gold Nuggets in my Memory Bank

When we were kids, Tatay was sent to Bataan to train for the operation of the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant. And he would bring us to Napocor Village, a housing facility for Napocor employees and expats involved with the plant. It was like an American village, complete with impressive amenities - parks, swimming pools, recreation hall, hotel. To my Tatay, it was his home away from home in the 80's. To us, it was a fun vacation place.

I remember, Tatay would bring us all to Bataan with his red Volkswagen. Our beetle didn't have an aircon and it would almost always overheat. When it overheats, all four of us siblings would go out of the car, chat and play near the highway while my Nanay and Tatay do the troubleshooting. Awa ng Diyos, lagi naman kaming nakakarating sa Bataan. And we would always have a marvelous time.

I remember we went to Bataan in 1987. It was just right after school closed for the summer break. Two weeks after our stay, I was admitted to the hospital for my scheduled back operation. Sarap muna bago hirap.

Last month, we were in Bataan again. It was such a good experience. Family. Food. Bonding time. It was the first time in a long time that my tatay and nanay were with us in a family outing. It was so refreshing and reassuring that they're there and at the same time it felt good to be able to spend time with them. When I got married 8 years ago, I moved out of our house to be with Ramir. Although I enjoyed the independence of being married, i'll always remember with fondness those precious times I've spent with my parents and my siblings. Replications of those moments, especially now that they're becoming less and less, mean so much to me. Once again, Bataan didn't fail. It deposited gold nuggets in our memory bank. And once more we came home with the yearning to come back.

TOP 5 Reasons Why I Love this Place

1. Napocor Village
Clean. Quiet. Nice house. Large rooms. There's a clubhouse with playground and pool. And did I say VERY affordable? I need to put emphasis on very. But I must admit that there were some flaws. Although we're very happy with our stay, there were some things that needs some attention. The bathrooms in the pool area has to have enough water supply. In the house where we stayed, the kitchen's drainage gets clogged easily and the airconditioning unit in the living room isn't working. But it's all tolerable. I mean, we can live with it.

This is where we stayed.

In the playground

In the pool

2. Curacha Crabs
Ahhh... Aligue. High blood. But as they say, you only live once. This is the only place where I can get to enjoy this crab variety fresh and juicy.

Curacha crabs... and some fresh seafoods

3. Westnuk Beach
Not many people knew such a beach existed in this part of Bataan. This was supposed to be for the nuclear plant. My Tatay explained that a nuclear power plant should be near a body of water to supply large quantities of cooling water to handle its waste heat discharge. But since it was mothballed, they needed to do something with the place. So, they turned it into a resort, complete with facilities (e.g. rooms, conference halls, picnic sheds). We're very happy with the beach.

4. Mt. Samat Shrine
Seeing the huge cross isn't enough. The Mt. Samat Shrine experience wouldn't be complete without going up the cross. Line up, wait your turn, take the claustrophobia-inducing elevator and enjoy the 360 degree view of Bataan. You just got to do it.

From kilometer zero to Mt. Samat

Waiting in line to go to the top

Top view

5. Cashews
I wasn't able to get photos but these are really, really good. Be sure to buy in Morong. There were no more of these in Bagac. Plain or garlicky? I love 'em both!

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Bataan brings so much good memories. For me and my family, it's historical. We hope to go back... soon.