At the night market in Colon Street

Every Christmas season, Colon, the Philippines' oldest street is closed to vehicle traffic during the night to make way for the so-called night market, a fun way of legalizing pirated merchandise, from DVDs to wearables. And then there is street food. 

We went there last night to have a barbecue dinner. I tell you, that place is not the cleanest of all streets in Cebu, so be careful. I requested the Manang who was holding my chicken not to dab it with their secret marinade. I want it plain and real was my pakulo no matter how secret their recipe be.

As to dinnerware, the plates were wrapped in plastic (heavens be praised) adding another non-biodegradables to the environment. But we were there to eat and people watch not to lecture about the effects of plastic on the environment. You have no choice, actually. Worst, you have to wear another plastic with your hands because you have seen how they wash their spoon and fork on the sides. Well, as a precaution to the ignorant among us, eating on the side streets should be done by hand, just like anywhere and everywhere in the country. Unless of course if you ordered soup.

So there, we ate our food and downed it with soda hoping our stomachs would be okay. We were okay!

One thing for sure, and the fun thing to do was watching people wandering around like lost sheep. Some are chatter-sheep, some meek as lambs, buying things or just roaming about the night market, all of them the curious kind. I am sure someone was also watching us.

Go try.

(The night market opens at 6 in the evening until the wee hours of the morning from December to the Sinulog Festival.)