It's like one of those places that's a world within a world or nation within a nation, they're granted a lot of Autonomy and apart from the Charcoal Ink Tattoos, coffee, rice and "cannabis" grow well up here. The tourist trade has created a demand for more weed, however it's not what it seems as all the home stays provide free green, you'll almost always find a lil bamboo basket full of sun grown buds. I mean you can buy it, like an ounce will go for 400 to 500 Pesos, lets say $15USD
And it's literally growing all around the village very much in the open I mean in country that's had recent world publicity for shooting drug users and deals dead in the street, up here in highlands of the Visayas village autonomy takes priority over govt control. There is however a monthly spectacle where the provincial police chief and a dozen other cops walk all the way to the village, rip out half the crops, burn half of that & leave the other half to the tribe with orders to destroy it. They drink coffee, chat with people then leave. No one is arrested, no one is shot it's just routine procedure every month.
This day it rained so less than 10% got burned off and all police left before the torrential down poor began.
You can watch a short video here of the local kids tasked at salvaging what did not get burned.
They make weed cookies, smoothies and even oil, which with my congestion and asthma my last few days there wqas an immense relief thanks to Charlies oil ginger Tea.
Buscalan is still my favorite experience this trip, even though I have done nerve damage in my wrist from choosing the wrong area to get my tattoo against the advice of a local. I will use it as a reminder of my time there every time i get that electric burn in my boogaloo wrist.
BUSCALAN go before it does.....
