Old And New

Just back from a whirlwind 3days-2nights trip.

First stop was Iloilo: About 1week ago, I got a call for an order of chicks to be picked up in Iloilo to be grown in Guimaras. I suggested that before we send the Sunshines, they may do the seminar in Iloilo. Yes, they went to the seminar and we even visited their farm. Monday, he starts with a trial batch.

The buiding shown above is an old chapel inside the hacienda....I wonder what Zac Sarian and Doc Rey were discussing as they entered :)

The crowd we had in Oton was very receptive and interaction was good during the seminar. I would say we had a 50/50 mix of expats and locals present.

One of growers in the area was a pleasant surprise when he showed up. I may have misunderstood him when he said that farm was quite a distance, I thought he can't make it. I saw Zac Sarian in an animated conversation with him, and taking notes and a photograph...I hope it makes his pages soon :)

We visited also another farm, Dawn's...she does contract growing of white broilers, but practices natural farming around with veggies to keep the flies away.

Lunch was a hearty spread of seafoods.

I have to thank Erik for setting up the seminar with Joachim's The Bazaar Cafe.

Stayed at Grand Dame Hotel in La Paz. Great hotel! Clean, comfortable...highly recommended.

Next day was Bacolod. First time that we took the fastcraft. One of my real friends, Mabol, was there waiting with her van to drive us around Bacolod.

Happy again with the choice of hotel. Planta Hotel is the newest and also by the same owners of Business Inn, so I knew it will be at par to standards. Can't complain :)

We tried Jo's Inato for lunch. Took eons to get our lunch, but it was worth the wait. Binacol (like tinola, using buko juice as water and buko strips) and the inato tasted different from the usual inasal.

Rushed for time, we were late arriving for the Bacolod seminar. I hate being late, moreso when you are pressured by a slow acting power point to unfurl its contents...then you get a non responsive projector cables....but...patience...all is well. We got a Bounty guest. Thank you to Walter and Fely for arranging the seminar venue.

Dinner was at Aboy's...wow.....this left us breathless....no space after all that great food! The simplicity of the cooking enhanced the freshness of the ingredients. I reprimanded Mabol for not taking us there in previous tripsto Bacolod.

Next morning, we invited Walter and Fely for breakfast as a "thank you" for the arrangement. We ourselves didn't eat much as we were going for lunch at Mabol's family's house in Sta Clara. We went around the Pacifica Agrivet branches and did our courtesy calls, went to the tissue culture lab of Tita Julie...then went to their house for lunch. She and Zac were old friends from the garden and orchid societies....so Mabol and I had time to chitchat.

While we were doing the seminar at Silay (thanks to the LGU), Mabol and Zac Sarian went to visit their farm in La Carlota. Not much space..just 800 hectares...and just 4 hectares as backyard veggie farming :)

We have to go back real soon and take a more leisurely trip....with old and new friends, old and new growers, old and new dealers :)