The house is strewn all over with implements and tools of yesteryears. Many of the antique and art deco things displayed are for sale care of the Lola Rufina Heritage Curio Shop at ground level. There are even period style clothing and delicacies also for sale.
If I may, they probably need help on this one aspect - things are not so appealingly arranged - probably in the effort to make a sale of those non-antique materials like the many batirols and foodstuff. The visitor gets distracted and starts to cast doubts on the authenticity of things due to the presence of many batirols! Face masks would be wise for those with allergies or kids and seniors, the place especially downstairs is dusty!
The entrance fee includes a guided tour (by in-house guide) and a "merienda" of real good old native "tsokolate" paired with "biscocho". Warning, the chocolate is too thick and kinda nakakalasing - I had to dilute it with drinking water hehe! The in-house guide told me that is how our forebears prepared chocolate especially for their guests - thick and sweet - a show or display of abundance, and that you do not scrimp on your guests.
While in-house guide was still on hand to describe and tell me things as I ate the biscocho and sipped the tsokolate, she did seem too much in hurry during the tour. Was she just interested in getting me to sit so she could also sit? Maybe!
Anyway, I like this innocent looking laminated 'komiks'! Very informative...
There is a saying that spreading something good too thinly, usually comes out bad. That is getting to be the situation in this place. You cannot anymore distinguish on what primarily it is - a Museum?, a Store?, a Restaurant?!
Try managing 3 such businesses. Mahirap di ba? More so if you lump all 3 "objectives" together in an ancient house that you still reside in. Not ideal for tourists to see.
Anyway, I still like this house - because there are not so many of them now. I just ignore the "commercialism" on offer. But that is just me. How about other visitors? They might actually think this place is a hoax that just attracted them so they can buy food!
Like a lunch or dinner - the kusina is original yes, but how about the food? All original from 1865? Wheh, we are not even sure if there was already this kind of molo soup in 1865! Plus the name alone seems far from the Avanceñas. Was this their expertise? Molo soup nga daw eh. But, this is Arevalo!
Tama na yung tsokolate. Lusotable pa! Another example are the loom weaving "machines". I know this house did not originally contain them. Nilagay lang yan. And of course, the platoon of seemingly crudely made baterols - alam ng tourist binili lang yan somewhere. Otherwise, be proud to show us the actual workshop or how its made.
Tourists would rather see just what originally was contained in this house of Fernando and Eulalia Avanceña. Than flood it with kung anu-ano na gusto nyong ibenta like calamansi juice from Guimaras. Nasisira ang pagiging museum - so hindi na worth it!
Anyway, after this, we went out of the city. Oton is next!
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