My Shangrila: Plantacion Montana Fuentes

Dotted with mahogany trees and mangoes…an intriguing interplay of light and colour of greens  imbued a feel of placid state, the flavor of course is my  personality that is reflected as  fashion designer, a freelance writer and a blogger  interacting  a lifestyle about living in a dream ‘paradise’.

                   

Montana Fuentes  is my state of mind, built precisely from my kind of visuals …I have found a home.

And, amongst this intriguing mix, is my choice to shift the idyllic  piece of tranquility that nestled amongst the trees into a tightly private playground that gives little clue about the personality of its occupant. A  place where I unwind far away from the excitement and applause of the catwalks, the limelight and the highs of the fashion world.

The home is eco- inspired  with the feel and flavour of the country sides. It is also naturally endowed with the personality of its dweller.

Speaking about my symbiotic relationship with the eco-system and my decision to make this place my abode, it is a land blessed by God in many ways and it's my duty to protect the habitat and nourish it, above all, Montana Fuentes  is my own shangrila, frankly, I knew the moment I laid my eyes and it was one of those great life altering transitions.”

Although  we can be inspired anywhere, but living in Montana is to live with nature. Most people see a mango and take it for granted. I smell the perfumes of the blooms in December, I warm the blooms with mini bonfires in February to keep them warm. That is what being close to nature is about. You learn to respect unconditionally when you live with it.

I have travelled literally to the corners of the world…to  Europe, the countries of the East, lived in the world’s most luxurious hotels, dined with high cuisine, but my favourite place is still home.

 The Plantacion Montana Fuentes  houses me. It directs and channels my personality!”

“I’m a taga-bukid, first and last”

PLANTACION MONTANA FUENTES: SOON......

About forty five minutes  drive from Pagadian City Airport – through small towns and hamlets, down palm-fringed roads and alongside clumps of  trees – takes you to the relatively undiscovered Plantacion Montana Fuentes. It is home to the newly-minted oasis of serenity in the near future, located on a picturesque expanse  nestled in a rustic environment, of dense trees and mango orchard…. the property is a luxurious soul sanctuary that is waiting to be experienced soon.

Satiate your senses in a multitude of ways from the instant you step into its environs. The architecture is inspired by a mix of Balinese and local ethos in almost every aspect of its design, recreating a quintessential Asian experience amidst the bounty of nature.

The key word is relaxation. A private retreat – that  raise the luxury and intimacy quotient with infiniti pool, private dining areas, a rain shower and soak tub. A refreshing way to experience peace in the midst of pampering!

Organic and natural rituals are imparted in spaces infused with energy and holistic balance. Here, signature experiences are enough solace for the soul.

The property follows a host of green practices,   employing alternative energy resources like rain-water harvesting and solar heat plants to save energy. Their green initiatives like the tree plantation drive and helped create awareness and education amongst the environmental conscious few.  The Plantacion’s dream invested on a long range plan and its minimalist and urban designs, luxe rooms and sumptuous world cuisine make it an ideal retreat for the discerning taste.

Tucked away in the scenic and vivid vistas of a mountain range, the site encapsulates the  merged of indigenous local craftsmanship.

COMING HOME......Again

It's my travelling back home once again,  another bewitching  time on my emotional snaps down memory lane. It is some sort of my recharging journey to connect once again my innerself  to a place called..home.
Why going home is still very emotional moment  for me then.....It's like me in a period movie...something sepia...some edgy cinematic pictures almost an entry to a vintage film festival.

 Dusky frame with monochromatic  shades of brownish gold landscape while an impatient sun perched in a corner of mountain trees waiting  in the wings of Mother Earth for its exit cue. It's my own version of "The Way We Were"  reverie. But back in time was just a year ago, where I saw trees, animals, my farm, mountain jeep, horses and water buffalos.

I don't dwell in the past...I am a present/ future tense in a sentence, yet here I am with confused emotions. After a longish spell lost in my thoughts, I know the answer...I simply miss all the good things in my life....my son and  Home.

 
My   travel back home involves more than just being there at the Philippine Fashion Week last May 2012, exploring cuisine at Morato and sipping coffee at Greenbelt, landscape, nightlife, art, fashion, music.
More even enjoying the breath of fresh air in the mountain mist..it's my embraces to my love ones, a bonding moment  deeply catalogued in my memory bank,  so looking back, it will be another sepia coloured Kodak moments in some vintage  film festival on my mind.

As a fashion designer and artist  I often travel for inspiration, or to find myself. Or even to change  by load-shedding previous inhibitions and ways of being. Sometimes using  other journeys  as mirrors to the ones I  have left behind. Here, my  destination gives me  a new relish of life  to look at the world, and perhaps myself, differently.
So  who needs  Paris to give my  imagination a free reign, let me  put it cogently: ‘One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of connection.”