Our Christmas Break 2011 Series includes :
- En Route To Pinas
- Day 2 : Ulingan, Tondo
- Day 5 : Malacanang Palace
- Day 8 : Bisperas Ng Pasko Sa Ulingan
- Day 11 : Our Students’ Wedding
- Day 14 : Our Celestial Weekend at Hotel Celeste
- Day 19 : Our Big Binondo Food Wok
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28 December 2011, Wednesday. To be honest, I extremely enjoyed our trip to my in-law’s farm! Our entire day spent there was definitely a breather from the common mall ratting and absolutely far from our usual work-home-routine. Inhaling fresh air and savoring cool mountain breeze was definitely a fantastic treat for all of us.
The whopping 4.6 hectares of farm of various crops owned by my brother-in-law and his family is located at Boso-Boso, Antipolo Rizal. A roughly an hour and a half drive from Pasig City and Ortigas took us to this beautiful respite from the hustle and bustle of the urban life.
Meet one of their farm caretakers….
who lives in this paradise…
The place reminded me of my maternal grandmother’s hometown, Barangay Halayhay, Tanza, Cavite where we used to visit every Summer of our growing up years; where houses were built separately from their toilets (the ones that require you to walk before you pee or poop) and where life is incredibly simple.
Aren’t these puppies, despite the lack of breed (or so called, askal aspin or asong pinoy) and a dumalaga so fit for Tinola, too cute for words? 
The farm has a family house too where toilet is much comfortable. (There’s our Tita/Ninang sa Kasal on the photo).
Seeing a white cow grazing in grass doesn’t happen on a daily basis –definitely another treat!
Next photo reveals how my father-in-law who came home for the holidays from Missouri attempted to enjoy fishing.
And our Tito/Ninong sa Kasal became too busy too snapping his camera at this nature’s best. BTW, this is the bahay-kubo where we ate our sumptuous lunch. Very Nice! Cool eh?!
Another shot of that beautiful bahay-kubo…
One of the abundant crops are coconuts. Photo below exhibits Gabby’s amazement on how Kuya Boyet, one of the farm caretakers climbed and tried his best to get us freshest coconuts.
Coke and distilled water were rivaled by delicious coconut juice and pulp. Thirst-quenching!
Sarap ng buco, lalo na libre!
Other than coconuts, rice, some mangoes, there are also grapefruit trees. I’m not sure but it tastes and looks like grapefruit and tastes like pomelo as well.
Abot-kamay ang mga prutas!
Meet Gabby’s cousin, Raphael (left), the heir to this farm. 
Look what’s cooking…
Preparation always comes before success. And my sister in law prepared and cooked on the spot a very tasteful Sinigang na buto-buto! The tender meat almost effortlessly fall off from its bones. The sour broth and the veggies were just perfect! Sarap! Success!
Here she is, doc bibsy, a.k.a. my former classmate in med school and Tina’s sister; that makes her my sister-in-law who happens to be the haciendera of this vast farm. Sarap ng buco, bibsy!
Tina and Gabby obviously enjoyed it too…
Jun, my brother-in-law and owner of this farm provided one of the best tasting barbecued liempo (pork belly). His recipe –a marinade of mustard, rosemary, salt and pepper. Imagine, it was my first time to eat liempo sans soy sauce and vinegar. Ang sarap!!!
While the adults were busy cooking, the kiddos were having their own business.
Another addition to our feast that afternoon was 2 kilo-takeaway/takeout by my dad-in-law enroute to the farm; its packaging says, Malutong. Masarap. Masaya!
tadaaaaa…. (nagsebo na kasi malamig sa farm!)
More artery-clogging delights : Crab fat, bagoong, salted eggs. Extra rice, please!
Tina must have her favorite green mangoes that she personally sliced into pieces.
It was Gabby’s first time to eat on banana leaves and it has been a while for me.
The lunch at the farm was surreal.
Shameless display of my plate, err, leaf.
Burp!
Gabby : “Daddy, how do we use this cable car?”
Me. : “CABLE CAR?!!? What cable car?” Then I looked around and found an old swing. Kids loved it!
To Jun, Bibs and Raphael, Papa Chito, Tito Mars and Tita Emma, thank you so much for that fun afternoon at the farm! Wonderful!
Despite we spent a day WITHOUT mobile signal, NO WIFI, no cable TV because the farm is located uphill the barangay in Antipolo City, the experience was still memorable. Food. Family Bonding. Nature. Surreal!
The 4.6 hectare private farm is on the planning stage of progress, either to keep it as crop-producing farm and/or part of it will be converted to a resort. Regardless, it’s a clear gem from Mother Nature.
OPINION COUNTS…