Whenever I travel, I like to seek out street markets and spend time checking them out, because they truly show the culture and lifetsyle of the people there. It was no different when I was in the Philippines recently.
This is the scene along the Osmena Blvd just outside the Basilica of Santa Nino in Cebu City. Stalls selling flowers, weaved bamboo fans, snacks and fruits. One fruit in particular is the Santol which looks like a large Duku or a small coconut, but the pulp tastes like a sour mangosteen with a big brown seed that cannot be eaten. It was my first time trying the fruit and I found it quite interesting.
The other thing I found interesting is the peanut stalls. They are like our local "kachang puteh" stalls except they fried their peanuts on the spot, flavoured with spicy chilli or imply with salt. A small packet sells for 5 pesos only.
This is the market at Lahug, at the foot of the hills leading to The Tops. Even in the late afternoon, it was still crowded with people, buying fish and meat. What intrigued me was the ingenious way they kept flies away from the raw meats. They tie palm leaves onto the blades of the mini revolving fans to extend the reach. An effective way to keep the flies at bay.
This is the street market in Lapu-Lapu City near the ferry terminal. It is amazing. I have never seen so many types of sea creatures being sold in any market before. Eels, shellfishes, and even seaweeds. Really an eye-opening experience for me.
Riding on a horse carriage around the back streets of Manila's Chinatown
This is Binondo or the Chinatown of Manila. Here you will find the Carriedo Fountain, the Binondo Church (Minor Basilica of San Lorenzo Ruiz), the Sta. Cruz Church (Church of our Lady of Pilar), the Roman Ongpin Statue and lots of Chinese restaurants and shops selling joss sticks, candles, and gold.
This is the Quiapo Church in the "old downtown" district of Manila. It is packed with people on a Sunday afternoon. We could not even get into the church to take a look as the congregation spilled out onto the Plaza Miranda and the side streets.
All around the church you will find vendors selling all kinds of stuffs, from vegetables, to candles, to flowers, toys, clothes, fruits, jewelry, traditional handicraft, shoes, honey, live rabbits and everything under the sun. The Quiapo market is truly a shopper's paradise where you can find cheap and interesting souvenirs.
I am glad I visited all these street markets and the experience is truly fascinating and memorable for me.
