Balik-Bukid: A Country Fair

Last April 28, I visited the annual Balik Bukid Country Fair in Sta Elena. 

The fair, held twice a year, is organized by Gippy & Hindy Tantoco at their lovely, sprawling property in nearby Laguna.  With a wide array of homemade and handmade products (food, clothes, household products and even furniture), the 2-hour trip was definitely worth it.  

of course, we couldn't resist

with my friends from Brown Belly, Noelle and Kage

Farmer Charlie

 

bumped into Kim Jones covering the fair for her TV show

(please don't ask me what Kage is doing with a bikini top on her head...)

there were boat rides and rope bridges

washing stations made of wood and bamboo (excellent, if you ask me!)

Cuteness overload! Can't get enough of Luigi & Ria Trillo's kids

 Noelle hangs on to the mini-zipline

 

crafts galore

and an animal-petting station! Too fun!

Charlie & Kage try (and buy!) the goods

my organic raw veggies lunch with brown rice

My friend Nikki gifted me with a book-cover pendant before, and it's been a fave ever since. 

Now it's time to add one more, this time from another well-loved book (and movie). 

Happy to see my friend Mons, too.  Didn't expect to run into so many friends in this fair! 

 Kids' yoga time!

 The set-up for Sunday mass. Lovely time under the trees. 

And finally, words from the wise.

It is always good to go back to nature, to walk on soil, roll on grass,

 pet animals, talk to your neighbors and ride horses and carabao carts 

and eat the freshest foods that could grow out of the earth. 

It seems though that what should be so natural has become so novel to modern man. 

Too bad that for some people, like me, it has to be a bi-annual, 2 hour ride away sometimes.

I hope country fairs like Balik-Bukid could happen more often.  

Congratulations to the organizers and may we have more of these please!