Unlike before, FaceBook photo albums these days have shorter exposure in our walls as newer photos pushed them on the brink of extinction, never to be seen again. When I checked all of my photo albums (for the first time in months), I realized, with just a glance, I was hoarding a box of blog worthy treasures just waiting to be exploited.
One of my last trips (with my siblings) before transferring to Cebu was in Garin Farm, San Joaquin.
As my hometown is just 45 minutes of jeepney ride to the venue, we had no trouble locating the spot. We took a picture of the entrance, paid our entrance dues, and enjoyed a walk beneath a canopy of greenery.There were nurseries of plants that reminded us of our Agriculture teacher back in elementary (for the first time, he could watch news without us meddling with the remote. Our dad always wanted the TV all to himself).
Aside from the putrid smell of the animal manure, the farm setting was brought to life magnificently by its noisy characters; doves, chickens, goats, pigs, lambs, cows, and farm fishes went on with their farm life routine, taking no notice of their visitors. The whole plants and animals set-up really lived up to Garin Farm’s first of three experience offerings: Agriculture.
After a 10-minute pace towards the hill, where all the actions happen, we sat in the cafeteria to answer an ailing call to refuel. I was ready to devour a quarter-pound burger or something heavy. I read the menu, and all hope for mankind was lost. Yes, they serve burger, only it was quail meat burger, farm fresh! Gross. They serve chicken for lunch but not snacks. Since we were in a hurry (we didn’t plan to go overnight), we left the cafeteria leaving empty cokes-in-can and Piatos on the table.
Polite as ever<insert sarcasm here>, we took Garin Farm’s tagline into heart and opted for the Pilgrimage next. The humongous cross at the summit seemed near, but 456 steps and several photo shoots later, we concluded our eyes were deceiving us: man, it was tiresome!
Polite as ever<insert sarcasm here>, we took Garin Farm’s tagline into heart and opted for the Pilgrimage next. The humongous cross at the summit seemed near, but 456 steps and several photo shoots later, we concluded our eyes were deceiving us: man, it was tiresome!
Looking down at the stairs and imagining their butt-and-leg tightening impact on the way down brings the whole experience to a fulfilling end. If you’re not into these moments, you can ride a mini-vehicle (similar to those used in golf) back to the cafeteria. Of course, you’ll be paying for an extra for that.
By the time we reached the cafeteria, we were sticky with sweat and dehydrated with the afternoon heat – swimming was inevitable. To complete the vision of this Leisure goodness, it was empty when we arrived at the scene. Could it be the Fates were with us?
The upshot of it all was we never got to try the zip lines. While its state of the art and well-maintained equipment are noteworthy, we got used to more exciting zip line environments that we decided we will let this one pass. What’s so exciting about a 50 second ride where no one gets to scream above #E? In short, we were sure the experience would be underwhelming, no offense whatsoever.
Getting there:
Philippines > Manila > Iloilo City > San Joaquin
More info here
Score Sheet:
Accessibility: 6/10
Presentation: 8/10
Hospitality: 8/10
Facility: 8/10
Recommendations:
The place is perfect for large groups such as barkadas, nuns and student field trips. For lovers planning a we-need-to-shake-things-up-to-make-our-relationship-exciting-again getaway, not recommended. I've noticed either the guy or the gal gets bored after passing Adam and Eve's patio.
Also, the solitary endeavor or to-connect-with-my-spirituality scheme isn't gonna happen; the noise of the crowd raping every holy corner for picture taking is just too loud.
Will I visit again?
Yes.
