the farm at san benito series [2/3]

so, what to do at the farm at san benito? you can try one or two of their spa or medical services since this is what the place is all about. you can view the list of services here and here. most of them are a bit pricey so my husband and i figured that we'll just save our moolah for future travels and adventures. after all, just seeing the lush green surroundings, breathing the clean air and feasting on healthy food are enough to appease our distressed bodies. i did try one treatment, though. the ventosa cupping (Php1,200++) which i thought will get rid of my chronic back pain (it didn't).

ventosa cupping - it may look simple but look at the skin being sucked by the glass, it's really painful

aside from the treatments, there are several activities that you can join for free like meditation, yoga, walking, flower arranging, etc. they handout activity schedules daily and you can just go to the specified area at the specified time. no registrations needed and you can join as many as you want. if you're anti-social like us, you can do as we did:

- go around the resort using the map provided during check-in and take lots of photos. you'll find plenty of meditation areas where you can have a muni-muni moment of your own. since i'm with my husband, all we did was cam-whore ala prenup pictorial.

 one of the peacocks in the farm

 meditation area

- have afternoon tea with light snacks. they have a few computer stations where you can surf the net or bring your laptop or any mobile device and connect to their wifi. you can also feed the ducks lurking outside the pavilion with some of the snacks served. we saw jamby madrigal do this (yes, she's there and it's either she's a part owner or knows the owner of the place) so we followed suit. it was fun feeding the ducks and peacocks but quite scary at the same time coz i'm afraid they might hurt me with their beaks if i run out of food to throw them. thank goodness they were well-behaved birds. haha.

jamby feeding the ducks

- swim in the pools. they have the south pool, waterfall pool and the salus per aquam pool.

the south pool is an infinity pool located behind the restaurant. this area is a bit secluded and is so tranquil. we didn't stay long here, though, because we still have to check out the 2 other pools. heh.

south pool

the waterfall isn't really suitable for swimming. the water here is too cold and the pool is really tiny. plus there are these humongous mosquitoes that painfully sting the skin when they bite...and they quickly bite as soon as they touch your skin. ouch.

waterfall pool

the pool in the salus per aquam spa is our favorite because the water here is warm and it's very near our sulu terrace room. it's also an infinity pool just like the south pool but with a better view and a more busy ambiance because of the spa.

salus per aquam pool

- have a strictly vegetarian 3, 4 or 5 course dinner at alive restaurant. you really don't have any other choice because the farm is tucked in the woods and it would be impractical to drive in an unlit road to have your usual meaty dinner. contrary to what i've read before, the meals served to us were a bit filling and somehow worth it's price considering the value of it health-wise.

menu

- have a night pictorial and if you're brave enough, explore the resort again. as much as we would want to go around the resort, the scaredy cat in me prevailed. there are no lamp posts here, only low lamp lights on pathways to let you see your way. look around the surrounding and you will see total darkness. it creeped me out so we went straight back to our room after a short pictorial after dinner.

the small lagoon with the restaurant in the background

- wake up early in the morning and appreciate nature. another chance to meditate on your own. reflect and be thankful for the experience and for everything else. take a walk and take more photos as the rays of the morning sun with the foggy rural air is nice to capture on cam.

to be continued... 

my other posts in the farm at san benito series:

the farm at san benito series [1/3]

the farm at san benito series [1/3]

whenever i start writing about our The Farm trip, it makes my mind wander to that marvelous place in batangas hoping i can be transported back to that serene hideaway. then i'll go browsing our pics to reminisce our wonderful stay and so the words that i started to write here about it will all be forgotten.

being the frustrated travel junkie that i am ever since i was young, i'm always in the lookout for a nice place to go. i've long known of The Farm way back 2004 when it was still fairly new and i've sworn that i will someday go here with my b. years passed and i totally forgot about the place until Deal Grocer came along.

can i just veer away from the topic and say that i love deal grocer? of all the group buying sites that i've subscribed to, only deal grocer features most of my dream destinations. at almost 50% off for a luxury getaway, who can't say no? so far, i've only bought 3 coupons, but that's only because i have to ask permission from the husband before i purchase. if it's up to me, i would've bought everything that's on my list (including that oakwood deal i've been lemming which will probably be sold out a few minutes from now). deal grocer simply fulfills my luxe fantasies and that's why i love it to bits.

anyhow, we stayed overnight at The Farm for 50% off. it was supposed to be an anniversary getaway but was moved a week later due to the storm. thankfully, we were blessed with a beautiful sunny weather during our trip. it was less than a 2-hour drive from alabang using the star tollway. a few turns after reaching lipa city, it felt like going to my grandma's house in the province because of the houses and the piggery (i think) that line the narrow road. a few turns more and the houses disappeared and were replaced by the woods. kinda scary as we were the only vehicle driving there. i wonder how it feels traveling there at night. when we reached the gate of The Farm, i heaved a sigh of relief, it was like finding an oasis in the desert.

at the gate, the guard checked if we're on the guest list before we were allowed to enter. i guess walk-in guests are not allowed because the place is huge and one can easily hide in the many nooks and crannies of The Farm once inside. as soon as we entered, we already felt calm and relaxed, it was really beautiful and so serene. like many resorts, we were given a refreshing welcome drink (buko juice) upon check-in. a map and activity schedule for yoga and meditation were also given to us after a brief overview of the resort and then we were led to our sulu terrace room.

our room was really tiny but exudes such charm. it was modeled like an ifugao hut with the bathroom on the lower floor. since the room is really small, the furnitures were kept to a minimum. there was no tv as this resort is all about detox and a chance to commune with nature.

a flashlight was provided for us and were told it's for use in case of blackouts. we later realized that it's really not for blackouts. it's a necessity in case you need to pee in the middle of the night. b woke up at 2am to go to the bathroom downstairs but it was pitch black outside when he opened the door. the woods is just beside our room so it really creeped him out and he just went back to bed. if we ever come back here, we'll just stay at the palmera suites for the bathroom convenience. it's not to say, though, that the bathroom wasn't any good. i have to say that i am very particular when it comes to bathrooms. when i google for a hotel, i make sure that reviews of the bathrooms are good and there are photos to prove it. knowing that The Farm is almost 10 years old (they opened in 2002), i lowered my expectations. i was surprised when i opened the door downstairs and found a luxurious and, more importantly, a spic and span bathroom. it's even cleaner than some of the newer hotels we've been to.

i don't know what tiles they used all around it (looks like brown marble, only a bit rough) but it's what i loved about it. there's somewhat an earthy vibe in it that feels like i'm taking a bath or doing the call of nature outdoors (pun not intended). also, the silver hardware are all shiny which gives you an impression that it has never been used before. i'm impressed, really. and to think that this is just our room!

to be continued...

 

my other posts in the farm at san benito series:
the farm at san benito series [2/3]

high?

so i finally went to the doctor yesterday. and you know what? i'm sick as i can ever be today. how ironic.

my day was really awful. i woke up with not one, but two aching shoulders. still i went on with my day and decided to just buy the medicine prescribed to me. i didn't want to take it in the first place when i heard the term opium while she was explaining it to me. she warned me that it may cause diziness and told me that it may be habit forming and i would become dependent on it. sounds like an illegal drug, huh? the pain was so terrible this morning so i asked b to buy it for me. i was totally fine and was able to work in G na G mode (give na give). that was until 2pm when my head just suddenly flicked and felt like it's not a part of my body. then my face and arms started to feel swollen and numb plus my stomach's churning, the same feeling i get when i've had too much alcoholic drink. true enough, i threw up everything i had for lunch. i thought i was better after that so we decided to go out and eat whatever we're craving. bad decision. the tavel and the car aircon made my stomach churn and i ended throwing up on a very dirty and dilapidated men's cr with a dirty underwear next to the pail of water. ewwness much. but i guess it's better than doing it on the roadside.

let's just say that i've had too many trips to the toilet and probably thrown up even those that are in the last stages of digestion. it was that horrible. now i'm really afraid to eat.

is this the effect of opium? the high they say they feel when they take drugs? uuggghh...how awful.

a sad story

i will never forget this day. there is real truth to the saying that actions speak louder than words, anyone who'll disagree with me is a real hypocrite. it's easy to blurt out thoughtful words of concern, but if it lacks in execution those words are just mere sounds thrown into the air.

one will also have to accept the fact that no one will truly understand what you are going through unless they experience the exact same thing both physically and emotionally, not only the feeling of pain but the whole scenario that leads to it. and we all know that it's merely impossible so it's just not right to say that one understands, that one knows.

i wouldn't want to post sad stories here as much as possible. but this one is just too heavy in the chest. i am happy with my life and i wouldn't trade it with anyone else. but everyday is beginning to be a torture for me, health wise. torture in a sense that i'd rather die or have my arms chopped off than have this undescribable feeling of strain. for someone having a high tolerance for pain, this is somewhat alarming. the fact that b knows my predicament, i was expecting for the longest time that he would drag me to the doctor. we actually had a conversation about this before but sadly, he never did. yesterday, i took the liberty to ask if i can go to the doctor, even if it means having a few PRECIOUS hours away from work because i just can't take it anymore. having bad experiences with doctors before, i'm just crossing my fingers that we'll be spending our hard earned cash on one that can actually treat me. my mind was set until this morning when he agreed to the thought that i'll just buy OTC vitamins that my parents suggested and postpone the trip to the doc and go back to the office.

if someone you love needs help and refuses to get one, wouldn't you be the one to do everything in your power to get the help that she needs, moreso if it's beginning to be a torture in her everyday life? thank you. you have proven what i've been thinking all along. business comes first. and i won't disagree. if not for it, we wouldn't get to experience the life we have now. i can still live with this, anyway, nothing major compared to what others are going through. you can bombard me with words saying otherwise, but you cannot change what's on my mind unless you do something to prove it. nevertheless, no matter what i think, the love does not change and will not change, so you need not worry about it.

simple actions, when done in recurrence will lead one to believe that those actions are inherent to that person's character, don't you agree?

genuine love. it extends beyond the feeling of happiness.

one year

this time and day last year, i was preparing to marry my bestfriend. we were already checked in at the hotel and touring my brothers within the vicinity. we were in a relaxed mood, enjoying every single moment of anticipation. i'm not an OC bride to begin with so i was not stressing over the teeny weeny details. as long as the basics are there, we're good.

even though i have to admit that i'm somewhat of a flirt when i was a teen, i'm proud to say that i have only been with one man in my life. save for this one relationship with a girl after i broke his heart the first time, i'm the only girl he has ever been in love with, too. the "spark" thing was there the first moment i spoke with him on the phone that we ended up talking about lots of stuff in an hour, both of us forgetting that he was only supposed to deliver an "iloveyou" message for me from one of his friend.

b, in all honesty, is everything i hoped for, everything i've been dreaming of ever since i was aware of what being in love means. my entrance song "when God made you" couldn't have been more apt, it was written for us.

i have known b half of my life. those 15+ years of togetherness were not pure bliss and i am thankful for that because it's what made us genuinely happy, content and full of love in our marriage today. ours is very rare these days. together 24 hrs a day (and still missing each other every few minutes) and not a single feeling of constraint. we both want the same things and yet complement each other, as people around us say. every single day is filled with laughter, hugs and kisses. every single day is bliss.

tomorrow is our first year and we'll be staying at discovery suites after all. super thanks to dealgrocer for re-stocking. now excuse me as i go pack our stuff.

of regret and gratitude

i really wanted to kick myself right now because i just passed up the chance to snag a really good deal for discovery suites. now i'm scrambling the net for a great way to spend our first wedding anniv. talk about cramming!

see, the plan was all set for the farm trip tomorrow but due to the bad weather this morning, we decided to resched it last minute. sayang lang the experience if we would push thru with the nonstop rain. as soon as the cancellation was settled, i was already thinking of purchasing the discovery stay from dealgrocer but had 2nd thoughts with the additional expense. the validity starts exactly on our anniv date so we still need to inquire if we could make a booking 2 days before. last i checked at the website, there were only 6 items left and i figured it will be sold out by the time we called the hotel so i waved my white flag. i left the website open...just because. i watched as the numbers change (yes, i can't concentrate on work). by the time it was sold out, i'm so filled with regret. my heart wanted it the moment i saw that deal (i'm a dealgrocer member, btw, and i'm highly recommending it) but with the wedding and company anniv celebration side by side, the expenses are somehow choking me. and so i just ignored the deal that would've been the perfect way to celebrate our 1st year.

i blame my current dilemma on the storm. if not for it, i would've been packing now for the farm and we would've been waking up in paradise the day of our anniversary. but now, i have no idea where or how to celebrate it. sorry for making a big deal out of it because this is the first time that we get to celebrate an anniversary in the 15 years that we're together.

but i'm not entirely mad at the weather (except for the nonstop rain that caused 2 ft of floodwater outside our house again) because it could've been like this last year. instead, we were blessed with a fine weather plus a shower of blessings from God. and we're entirely grateful for that.

so, any suggestions how we can celebrate this weekend? an overnight stay would be great but i'm limiting the budget to more or less 5k.

crave burger

we always pass by this little burger joint whenever we travel south. being the curious monkey that i am, i searched the net if this is worth trying out and i found good reviews. some say it's probably the best burger in the country. for me, not so much.

it's a tiny place inside bf pque. we were the only ones dining that sunday afternoon but i can just imagine it during weekdays when there's school (it's located just beside southville IS). inside are 2 or 3 (can't remember) couch booths and about 4 small tables outside. it's quite a homey ambiance with the black and orange theme, glass windows, dim lighting, and a few home decors that i can probably put in my own kitchen. and then there's also a pile of magazines you can browse while waiting for your food.

there are only a few items to choose from the menu. i chose the crave burger + cheese with curly fries meal while b had the ultimate crave burger. the food is cooked just in front us and i was surprised to see the size of the thick pattie.

they use fresh ingredients here. the bread is soft, lettuce is green and crunchy, and the tomato is plump, red and juicy. but the burger itself failed to impress us. that thick mass is so bland just like the johnny rockets burger which tastes like paper (deserves a separate post). the first few bites were tolerable (thanks to the ketchup) but halfway into it, i was already force feeding myself. sorry but brother's burger is still in the top of my list.

btw, i don't claim to be an expert in food, this is just me and my taste buds talking.

over-napped

around 5pm this afternoon, i took the necessary steps to refrain myself from taking a nap as i wouldn't want to be wide awake past midnight. i had ice cream for the sugar rush and decided to watch sucker punch to keep me from sleeping. but alas, as soon as i laid my head on b's chest halfway into the movie, i was off to dreamland. i remembered he tried waking me up around 7 and asked me to accompany him in buying dinner at kfc but i refused to budge. i was in such deep sleep that i woke up around 9pm. i would've wanted to just go on sleeping til morning but i still haven't done the nightly cleanup rituals. dinner i can skip coz we just had an eat-all lunch father's day celeb at mongolian stop.

so here i am, surfing and typing away at past 1 in the morning with my b softly snoring beside me.