Lent, on the road and off

How Filipinos travel - and eat - during the sacred season of Holy Week

- TIMPLA'T TIKIM SOL VANZI

Holy Week is observed by many Filipinos in many ways.

Some become more religious; others use the season to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Restaurants offer no-meat menus. Movies with biblical themes are shown on TV.

For those traveling by land or by sea, one major item is the food they need to eat on the road, which could leave quite a dent in the budget, especially if traveling with a group. Wise and frugal travelers meet this challenge by packing food to consume on the road. The more adventurous depend on local specialties they find along the way.

The heat of summer could be deadly, not just because of heat stroke, but also in the way heat increases the danger of food poisoning.

Munchies and snacks

Cookies, crackers, and breads are perfect, healthy hunger-appeasers inside a moving vehicle. They require no spoons and forks. Individually packed, they leave hands and seats with no mess and satisfy hunger pangs between long stretches of highways.

looked forward to was boiled kamote (sweet potato), which is always in season. The yellow and purple ones are sweeter and less mealy than the white variety. Like the bananas, they are boiled the night before and refrigerated before the trip. Boiled and unpeeled, they keep for at least two days.