We recently spent a week in Manila enjoying the tropical heat, crowded streets, chaotic traffic, and many other familiar sights and sounds of that busy city. It had been six years since our last visit. Even with our joy at being back, we needed a short break.
We signed up for a tour of a coconut plantation named Villa Escudero. We expected a tour bus full of people, but we were picked up by our young tour guide and the driver in a car. The driver quickly took us out of Manila and through several towns to our destination. It was good to see the countryside along the way, where life moved at a slower pace.
Villa Escudero was different right from the start. We pulled off the paved highway onto a dirt road and our car and the world slowed down. This wasn’t a grand entrance to a palatial estate, but a dirt road through a coconut grove. We pulled into a parking area and a shaded walkway led up to an open-air visitor center. A palm leaf roof helped ward off the mid-morning sun. Smiling ladies wearing old-style dresses escorted us to where the carabao (water buffalo) cart would pick us up. It was such a nice day that we decided to walk to see the first attraction, a brightly painted old Church that had been turned into a museum. The huge Church was filled with Philippine historical treasures and natural history exhibits. The old stone building was a cool relief from the summer heat. Nearby, an elegant old house was occupied, so we couldn’t see inside, but it was brightly painted like the Church.
We boarded a colorful cart pulled by a carabao named “Sexy.” The slow pace of the cart, which stopped every now and then so the driver could spray water on Sexy, was very relaxing. A couple dressed in traditional clothes slipped into the back of the cart and begin to serenade us with traditional Filipino songs and music. It seemed more like a Disney movie than reality. I took some pictures but couldn’t believe how enjoyable these simple pleasures were.
We were let off where lunch would be served as part of the tour. We couldn’t stop smiling as we walked down to a shaded part of the stream, just below a waterfall. The lunch buffet was delicious grilled pork, beef and chicken, rice, tropical fruit, and many other dishes. The basket-like plates were covered with fresh banana leaves. A friendly fellow helped us get seated at tables in the middle of the gently flowing stream and he brought our drinks. Susan drank from a freshly opened coconut. The water flowing across our feet was at least a foot deep and very refreshing. There were no forks or spoons, so we ate with our hands. The great food, flowing water and friendly people made it all a very special event. As more tourists arrived, the sound of the falls mixed with their delight at this wonderful place.
We walked around the rest of the resort, which included a quiet lake above the dam and cottages with coconut palm and bamboo walls. It seemed like a great place for a nap after our sumptuous meal. We got back on the carabao cart, and though it was just Susan and I, the couple sang and played as if there were a huge audience. They took us through the quiet little village where the workers lived and explained the history of the plantation.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Villa Escudero, and I could understand if someone wanted to get away from their fast-paced life and escape to this little tropical “paradise.” The slow pace of life, being around these pleasant people, seeing smiles on everyone’s face, and relaxing while surrounded by natural and man-made beauty. It all seemed too good to be true. In fact, it wasn’t true. It was a show that was put on to draw people just like us, who are willing to pay to spend some time in pleasant surroundings, eat nice food and be entertained. I hope the middle-aged people that live, and work there genuinely enjoy what they are doing. To some, I am sure it is just a job, and I am sure the pay isn’t very high. Each of them has their own dreams, plans and problems. Some of those smiling ladies could be looking for someone to take them away from their slow-paced life. The men may be looking for something more than serving or entertaining others.
The Church that has become a museum bothered me. A Church isn’t supposed to be a storehouse for relics of the past, but a place of life, hope, and regeneration. Even when we remember that Christ died on the cross for us, it isn’t just a memorial of the past but an assurance of our future. The Church is a place where people get their needs met. Of all the nice things they have, the thing they need most is Jesus. A good Church can be where people come to know Jesus and can be strengthened and encouraged by other believers. If they accept Jesus as their Savior, they will someday live in “paradise” with Jesus. It won’t be just a performance by actors, it will be real and so will be the smiles on everyone’s face. We won’t have to leave at the end of our tour, because that paradise will last forever.
Wayne Lance (2015) – That’s Good News to Share!