Good afternoon and welcome back to VibePinas! Today, we took a break from the construction work up on the mountain to head down into Ginatilan for a bit of "mountain life" logistics. In our area, Tuesday is the big market day, or what the locals call tsanggehan. It’s the one day a week when the farmers from all over the hills bring their best produce down to the town square, and the energy is just incredible.
Our main mission was to stock up on fresh food. Living on the mountain means we have to be strategic with our trips, so we made sure to grab plenty of vegetables. I’m always amazed at the quality and the price here—we managed to get a massive haul of eggplants (our favorite!), bitter gourd (ampalaya), and even some fresh seafood for just 180 pesos. You get the freshest, healthiest food directly from the source.
Of course, no trip to town is complete without stopping for some local barbecue. The smell of the charcoal grills is everywhere on market day, and we couldn't resist grabbing a few sticks of pork barbeque and some puso (hanging rice) to keep our energy up. Jessa, as always, was in her element, navigating the stalls and even managing to get some extra "pakapin" (bonus items) from her favorite vendors. Seeing her interact with the community is always a highlight; she’s so "totoong tao" (real) and doesn't have a pretentious bone in her body.
We also used the trip to pick up some essentials for the house and some treats for Liam. He’s been loving oranges lately, so we made sure to find the best ones for him. It’s these small, everyday tasks that really anchor our life here. We’re not just vlogging; we’re building a home and a future for our son in a place that we truly love.
The ride back up the mountain is always a bit of a challenge with a fully loaded motorcycle, but the view waiting for us at the top makes it all worth it. As we transition back to the peace of our cabin, I’m grateful for these days in town that keep us connected to the pulse of Ginatilan.
If you want to see the "unfiltered" chaos of market day or watch Jessa’s expert bargaining skills, come join us.
Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next one!
