as a mother in iloilo city, i have noticed that it is quite hard to look for places to go to where both mother and child can have a pretty decent dining experience together. i am not sure if this is due to the fact that i am quite different than most mothers that i know of. the different point of view about parenting that i adhere to for my child is not really mainstream so my child and i are literally going against the stream. it's hard and i am more often than not misunderstood but i am solid and consistent not for them but for my child. (this deserves a different post altogether).

but i am so glad i discovered camina balay nga bato in arevalo. 

it's an old house owned by the camina (ca-mee-nya) family and it's a treasure trove of antique finds. been wanting to visit the place since last year but it was postponed several times. when an opportunity presented itself, i initially hesitated bringing my son because he might just be breaking things but, i should've known that he wouldn't. silly me. the most that he did was just throw all the sigay (shells) used in the sungka (a local table game using sigay) on the floor! i knew he could handle the sungka and sigay because we also have it at home. oh, how he enjoyed running around. apart from the fact that there were no other visitors except our group, solid wooden floors are really a great help.

the one thing that actually drew me to the place is their native chocolate drink (tsokolate) from their homegrown cacao in a tablea or what is also known as chocolate rounds or rolls.  i prefer to call it chocolate tablets. they prepare it the traditional way using a batidor or batirol (whisk) and tsokolatera (chocolate pot). they prepare it as you arrive so you are welcomed with a hot chocolate drink together with some local delicacies. it was raining when we got there so a cup of steaming hot chocolate was simply perfect! (well, i think i had the whole pot to myself! sadly, no sweets and chocolates yet for my little boy so he was just busy nibbling the bread).

at the ground floor, they have a curio shop where they sell local products including the tablea and its implements. they also have an old baby grand piano on display. my son, of course, couldn't resist playing on it because we would also have that same ritual at home. it was just disconcerting to hear "chopsticks" wafting through the halls of the old house. :)

quiet. cozy. simple. rich in history and culture. time well-spent. a perfect day for baby and mommy.