Pahiyas Floats and Kamay ni Hesus

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Pahiyas Floats and Kamay ni Hesus
Pahiyas Festival

After our side trips to Sariaya and Tayabas, we were finally off to the main event, the town of Lucban, home of the Pahiyas festival.

We took another jeep from Tayabas to Lucban. The jeep wasn't allowed to go straight to the proper so we got off and walked the remaining distance to the church.

Lucban Church

No decors were up yet because the fiesta was to be held the next day, but we saw the parade of floats where companies decorated vehicles with various crops of Lucban as thanksgiving to San Isidro, their patron saint and the patron saint of farmers.

Church Interior

Replica of the church

We saw floats adorned with eggplants, tomatoes, bananas, rice stalks and many other crops. Of course, the universal kiping (colored rice wafer) shaped like leaves and flowers was present in all the floats.

We also visited the third church of the day, the Church of Lucban. It had a miniature church inside and information on the planned route for the Pahiyas festival was posted on the church doors.

Colorful floats of the Pahiyas Parade

I bought kesong puti (white cheese made from cow's milk wrapped in banana leaves) from a street vendor because I was curious what it tasted like. By the way, stores in Lucban don't give out plastic bags because of a city ordinance three years ago. The fine is P5,000. Yikes. So instead, they provide brown paper bags for things you buy and that is what the street vendor handed me: kesong puti in a paper bag.

Kesong Puti

By this time, we were hungry again so we had our first full meal of the day at Ground Zero restaurant where we ordered, what else? Pancit Lucban, of course! Actually, every meal we had during the duration of our trip included pancit. I didn't like the taste of kesong puti. Too much vinegar in my opinion.

The famous pancit Lucban

A shop owner gluing brightly colored kiping

Our journey wasn't over though. We left the town to head for Kamay ni Hesus, a popular pilgrimage site. Scattered everywhere in the area were life-size statues of saints, angels and other biblical characters. It even had a huge Noah's ark complete with animals in the playground.

Noah's Ark

However, the highlight of the place is the enormous statue of Jesus Christ at the top of a hill. The faithful climb up the hill, passing scenes that commemmorate events in the life of our Lord, as in the way of the cross.

Pilgrimage

Of course, we climbed it, too. Just be reminded that proper attire is strictly enforced. Only those not wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts are allowed to climb. You can borrow a tapis to cover your legs, though. Good thing I was wearing pants but I had to take out my jacket to cover my shoulders.

The Way of the Cross

At the foot of the mountain was the fourth and last church we visited for the day.

When we got down the hill, it was already dark. So off we went to Lucena to have dinner and check into a hotel.

Dinner was in Star Garden bar and restaurant where we had a great meal. Our accommodation was Castle Bernardina near SM Lucena. I was really looking forward to the Pahiyas festival the  next day.