Pit Stop: Amelia's

When two or more travelers meet, "where are you from?" inevitably gets asked. I am from the Philippines. And I spend most of my time in Manila. Some people I've met traveling are fairly young (under 30) and have not had the opportunity to travel to my country. They know of the country mostly from the internet and TV or from Filipino migrants to their country. A good number expressed interest in one day traveling to the Philippines. They often ask practical questions related to traveling here and while I have often tried to give helpful answers, I have also found myself wishing for a do-over.

One such do-over involves the possibility of driving around the country. 

On a jetfoil between Macau and Hong Kong, I met "Cristiano," a Portuguese boy whose first big trip outside of Western Europe had been to the United States as a 19 year old. He has fond memories of driving across several states with cousins whose parents migrated to the US while his own stayed in the old country. He said that while he was quite happy living  and working in HK and Macau, he misses getting in a car and getting lost in the open country.

I assured him that notwithstanding frequent complaints of bad roads in the country, it was entirely possible to drive around in the Philippines. On that short jetfoil ride, we even ran through possibilities of driving from the airport in Manila (or actually, Pasay?) to Clarke, which also has an airport, and then to Subic, which has sailing. Finding places to stay there would be easy enough with Google. Driving to places like Baguio, Sagada, and the Hundred Islands would require more planning and googling.

And a knowledge of pit stops. 

It's easy enough to google routes and decent places to stay when traveling around the country. Unless you are very familiar with a particular route, however, planning your pit stops are more difficult.

Three things are required of a pit stop: (1) A decent toilet, (2) Food and drink, and (3) Petrol. If the coffee is decent and the wi-fi is free, so much the better. (For comparison, I had formerly written about what is not a pit stop)

If you ever find yourself driving along the National Highway (aka Maharlika Highway; aka Pan-Philippine Highway) in Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya, my pit stop suggestion is Amelia's. 

Amelia's is a diner behind a gas station selling MG Oil, one of the few independent players in the country's petrol industry. The architecture and interiors are actually quite pretty. And reassuringly very clean. Fortunately, this cleanliness extends to the toilets.

Although billed as a café-cum-restaurant, it would be better to think of it as a diner. The food is pretty basic—sandwiches, some noodle dishes, soda, iced tea, and some non-instant coffee drinks. If you're not driving, you can even knock back a beer or three. Nothing fancy. Also nothing regional. There's also a convenience store at one end selling bottled water, canned goods, and soda as well as travel-size soaps, toothpastes, and tissues. Convenient indeed.  

A view of the counter, tables, and convenience store through the eyes of a decaffeinated traveler inexperienced in the ways of a panoramic shot

Leave your expectations of Filipino hospitality securely locked inside your trunk, however, as the service here is indifferent. If unfamiliar with the food, rely on the pictures on the menú as you are unlikely to be enlightened after talking to the staff. And, no, whatever it is you are pointing to, it is unlikely to be vegan. And while you wait for the food, take advantage of the free wi-fi and e-mail your loved ones, check your maps, and read the news from around the world. You'll have plenty of time to do all of those before your food arrives.    

Amelia's Café and Restaurant
MG Oil, National Highway, Brgy Macate
Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya
Phone Number +63 927 988 0967
Php ∼200 per head